Castlevania: Lords of Shadows whips in with a BusyGamer 2

First Glance:
The latest installment of Konami’s most popular game franchise next to the Metal Gear series.

Short Story:
You play as Gabriel Belmont, a knight in the Brotherhood of Light, a society of good assembled to make sure that evil is kept away from the innocent people of Earth.  There is a separation between the Heavens and the Earth, and because of it, evil creatures of every type have begun tormenting innocent villages and killing those who get in their way.  Gabriel’s wife is among those who have been killed by this evil, and because of that, her soul is stuck in limbo.  The higher ups of the Brotherhood believe that an evil society known as the Lords of Shadow is responsible for what has happened.  The higher ups believe that there is an item known as the “God Mask” that can be used to defeat all of the evil in the world and it’s also believed to be able to revive the dead.  Gabriel has been chosen to retrieve the God Mask and bring peace back to the Earth.

The Score:
This game had tons of potential.  Visually, it’s absolutely gorgeous, and the overall plot is quite good as well.  The main thing is that the game is two discs long, so it will take a while to beat.  Not to mention that you can go back to different levels after you have acquired a certain skill and do something you weren’t able to do previously.  I do have a problem with how the game ended, but I will get to that in a little bit.  For the Busy Gamer, Castlevainia: Lords of Shadow gets a 2.

Body of Review:
For the most part, I really enjoyed playing this game.  There were so many good things about this game.  First and foremost, the overall look of the game.  Castlevania is a beautiful game to look at.  There was little to no difference in the graphics between the in game cut scenes and the pre-rendered cinematics of the game.  This. Game. Is. Gorgeous!  The details on the levels are a sight to see as well.  In the third or fourth level of the game you are running around in a forest, and the colors are so vibrant and you can see the detail of almost every leaf on each tree. (more…)

NEW YORK (AP) – The publisher behind a video game based on one of the Iraq war’s fiercest battles has pulled the plug on the title, called “Six Days in Fallujah.”

A spokeswoman for Japanese game company Konami Corp. confirmed Tuesday the company is no longer publishing the game, which was set to go on sale early next year.

The game, which was still in development, sought to re-create the November 2004 Fallujah battle from the perspective of a U.S. Marine fighting against insurgents. Fallujah had been an insurgent holdout until U.S. forces stormed it in one of the war’s most intense ground battles.

“Six Days” was developed by another company, Atomic Games, with input from more than three dozen Marines. Before deciding not to publish the game, Konami had advertised it as a realistic shooting game “unlike any other,” combining “authentic weaponry, missions and combat set against the gripping story of the U.S. Marines on the ground.”

But the game was criticized by some veterans, victims’ families and others who called it inappropriate.

Konami did not give a reason for its decision to cancel the game.

Atomic’s president, Peter Tamte, said the company was surprised.

Video game publishers don’t always shy from controversy, which can even boost sales, especially if the game is of high quality. The “Grand Theft Auto” series from Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., for example, has long been under fire for its violent content, but it brings in the bulk of the company’s sales. It is more common in the current economy for companies to pull the plug if the game is not going to be a hit.

Konami is known for other war games such as the popular “Metal Gear Solid” series, as well as “Dance Dance Revolution,” in which players dance on a mat in synch with music.

Other titles by Atomic Games include the “Close Combat” and “World at War” series. The company also develops training systems for military and intelligence organizations.