Konami are late to the party. Following in the wake of Devil May Cry, which is now seen as a pivotal title in the development of 3D action games, Castlevania was always going to be playing catch-up. The Capcom-developed title shamelessly riffed on all the plus points of Konami’s brainchild, yet also managed to create something that had a bright and alluring independence – levels and weapons were perfect and satisfying but, more than that, the ambiance was so close to that generated by Castlevania that it was part of the canon in all but name.

Lament of Innocence, ironically, struggles to retain the atmosphere its forebears (and Shinji Mikami’s DMC) seem to effortlessly evoke: it is lacklustre and generic. This isn’t to say that it doesn’t have its plus points, however. The game engine is sound and solid, managing to throw around numerous enemy types (all familiar from previous titles) with zero slowdown at all times. Effects are splendid – the wrath of your special attacks (gained by collecting the right icon and powered by hearts, as usual for the series) for example, gleam and threaten. Impact and explosion effects are pleasing to the senses (Dolby Surround is well used), and the overall sound effects are a huge leap in quality over the ones heard in the cart-based titles, yet totally in keeping with the Castlevania aural soundscape.

Story has always been integral to the experience of the series, and Lament of Innocence takes the tale of the Belmonts to the next level by, in a neat twist, telling the origins of the clan. The US acting is risible but, if you opt for Japanese voice acting with accompanying subtitles, the cutscenes take on a wonderfully morbid air of doomed Gothic romanticism. Emphasis is on emotion and the inevitability of Humanity’s obsession with death (who makes a customary appearance in anthropomorphic form during the game), adding a much-needed depth to the experience.

Sadly neither the music, the combat or the level design insist that this is a Castlevania title worthy of praise as lavish as the series’ greats deserved. The hub system (whereby you can tackle the various stages in any order) feels anachronistic after Symphony of the Night’s warp points, and also means seemingly endless backtracking is the order of the day. Although combat is quite exhilarating (with a well-implemented combo system and a range of moves that expand as your character levels-up), the battle dynamic has never quite been enough to carry a Castlevania game.

Essentially, Leon Belmont can use a combination of whip moves by pressing the square and triangle buttons in sequence and, while there isn’t much scope for improvisation, it is a serviceable enough system Lament of Innocence retains the use of orbs, armour, accessories and relic items, which add various abilities such as added strength when equipped, and this system is implemented successfully in three dimensions. Boss battles are generally lacklustre and simplistic encounters, though, and the contest is over in moments once the attack patterns are memorised. Joachim is the most exciting and innovative character and, in a shrewd move, becomes available as a playable character after completion.

Castlevania, though, has never really been about combat, or even platform jumping – the core interest in the series is Baroque mystery, Gothic atmosphere and the thrill of exploration. The reason why the games retain the setting of Dracula’s castle is because one of the central themes is that of illusion, the futility of struggle (the Belmont’s are cursed to fight an endless war for all of human history) and the victory of death over mortals. This is evoked using orchestral music (the games are even named after orchestral arrangements), Gothic rooms and hallways and the oblique and bizzare mythical beasts that prowl the corridors. Layered together, the Castlevania experience is as more about the thrill of discovery than it is about battle. Each new area presents a different set of structures and architectural challenges, from the swinging Chandelier in SNES Castlevania IV, to the intricate clock mechanism in Symphony of the Night, all arranged for strings. Whilst this synchronicity doesn’t quite have the impact of Rez’s “Synaesthesia”, the approach is the same: to place the gamer in a world where music, imagery and action converge to affect your senses in tandem. The games are like a trip through the subconscious mind of a Gothic novelist, and are all the more unique for it.

Leon’s adventures do not live up to this heritage. Although the action is entertaining and the beasts varied and challenging, the aesthetics simply do not match the fighting engine, and therefore compliment it. Endless, tiresome corridors with infinitely repeated wall patterns and textures are forced upon the player, and no new area is sufficiently revelatory to be entirely satisfying. Because of this, backtracking is a chore rather than a joy, and the element of mystery is tarnished. There are a few secrets scattered around which, when searched for, will bring you into contact with some more exotic puzzles and opponents, but the legwork required to trek back and forth in the levels is off-putting enough to leave them, most frequently, unexplored.

Seeing Konami’s premier Horror franchise rendered in such bland brushstrokes leaves a sour taste in the mouth, which is intensified by the fact that the game engine and combat mechanics are so well-tuned. They simply sit within a game that is very short (around six hours will see it completed) and lacking in the trademark atmosphere the series’ greats employed.

If Konami can improve on this foray into a next-gen Castlevania world by adding a luscious, vibrant and darkly enticing design to the structurally sound game engine, it will have a success on its hands. Lament of Innocence, however, has turned up to the party dressed in the wrong clothes.