Is it better than…?
God of War III? No – although that determination was a lot tougher to make than you might think. Parts of Lords of Shadow are actually big improvements over God of War III; the platforming is much more enjoyable, for starters, and the Shadow of the Colossus-inspired Titan battles in LoS feel more engaging, dangerous and puzzle-like than GoW III’s much-hyped “Titan gameplay” sequences. There’s also much more of LoS to plow through, seeing as it lasts around 15-20 hours (compared to GoW III’s 10) and packs in bigger, tougher levels filled with alternate pathways and unlockable trials that make them worth revisiting. Even with all that in Castlevania’s favor, though, GoW III’s parts come together to form something that’s overall more compelling. That it caps off an epic, god-slaying story arc (while LoS creates a new, patchwork canon from previous Castlevania lore) doesn’t hurt, either.