The Best Castlevania Games, All 30 Ranked From Worst to Best
24. Castlevania Legends
There are many factors which one could point to as to why Castlevania Legends wasn’t as good as it could have been. On one hand, it was the third entry in the series’ handheld gaming outings and the teams behind them had already pushed the hardware as far as it would go.
The limitations weighing down the game’s music and graphics shone through stronger than ever, and even with an original story separate from the series’ main timeline, there was little to draw in players that they couldn’t find utilized better in other entries.
On the other hand, it was released after Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, which redefined what the series’ gameplay was and would be. As such, its reliance on the old framework felt outdated and boring to many players, causing it heavy criticism.
Regardless, the end result was a title that failed to live up to the series’ expectations and continues to be a title that is widely overlooked and forgotten about.
23. Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2
After the surprise hit that was Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, fans were eager to see how Konami and developer MercurySteam would follow up what was arguably the best 3D Castlevania. Sadly, they’d follow it up with a title more in line with the lackluster entries they’d come to know as Castlevania when it tried to jump to 3D.
Set several centuries after the events of Lords of Shadow, former vampire hunter turned ruler of darkness Gabriel Belmont finds himself revived in the modern day when cultists attempt to resurrect Satan, whom Gabriel has held at bay for half a millennia as the dark count Dracula.
Determined to stop this even worse evil from rising, he takes up the Vampire Killer whip one last time to put a stop to the prince of evil’s rise and end his own centuries of suffering.
Though the premise and aesthetic fit Castlevania to a tee while bringing the series forward in interesting ways, other elements like the punishing gameplay and lackluster modern-day segments brought the game down hard from the heights of its predecessor. It’s not clear if this sealed the fate of the Lords of Shadow segment of the series, but it’s unanimous among fans that it would be a sour note to end on.
22. Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
Even if they weren’t perfect transitions to a new style of gameplay for the series, the PlayStation 2 era of 3D Castlevania games did start to move in the right direction. Castlevania: Curse of Darkness was one of them, albeit with a few gameplay elements that didn’t pan out perfectly.
As the Devil Forgemaster Hector, players embark on a revenge-fueled action adventure across Transylvania in search of the man who killed their wife. Along the way, they can wield a wide range of weapons from swords and axes to enchanted knuckles, as well as recruit Innocent Devils to their cause for aide in combat and solving puzzles.
Though some of the title’s atmosphere and aesthetic was lost as a result of the game taking place outside of Dracula’s castle, and the gameplay didn’t have enough variety to keep combat from feeling repetitive near the end, the controls finally felt suitable and the story was an intriguing expansion on the Castlevania universe.
Its varied choices in equipment also showed how Symphony of the Night’s more varied options could be translated to future titles, expanding on how players could take on the forces of darkness with more than just the Vampire Killer.
