I've been playing Mirror of Fate constantly. Beat it once with a hundred percent. Playing it again from the start on hard mode. Then planning on doing a playthrough on hardcore. Really enjoying my time with this game so far. Here's why.

For one thing, it's a good direction for the Lords of Shadow series. The more open, exploration is much more engaging than the linear, chapter based structure of the original, and the combat feels a bit more authentic, with none of the camera problems from LoS, and significantly fewer, less repetitive QTE sequences. The focus of the game is on adventuring through the castle this time around, which was probably the most satisfying section of the original anyway. It also just feels more in line with the rest of the series, with little nods like hearts, floor-meat, classic sub-weapons, and a bit more lively soundtrack. The era spanning story is also a nice touch, as one of the series biggest strengths has always been its continuity.

I personally also think it's a good change of pace from the previous handheld entries. The castle isn't as big and there aren't as many items and weapons to find, but what is there feels more fleshed out. Every room of Mirror of Fate has a name and a purpose, and is somewhat memorable, and the combat is dynamic and involved. I'm sure Mercurysteam could have quadrupled the length of the game by reusing hallway after hallway as the Metroidvanias, both handheld and console, have been criticized for, but the tighter focus and thoughtful stage design is a welcome approach. The autosave feature means you never have to go through the tiresome process of walking all the way back to a boss from your save room everytime you die, and the map conveniently points you in the right direction most of the time, so you never really have to muck around trying to remember where you saw that place you wanted to double jump to.

Of course, there are some issues. Overall, the game seems a bit easier because of the new conveniences added, so it feels shorter than previous entries. It's fun enough to be worth playing again, and even just running around and fighting pointlessly is satisfying, but I certainly found myself craving more. Additionally, while the multiple characters is a neat touch, and they really do have a good deal of variety in terms of gameplay, it would have been cool to see some less Belmonty heroes as well. Playing as Laura in the DLC of the original Lords of Shadow was pretty damn cool, and I was hoping to see something along those lines.

Even with the minor annoyances, Mirror of Fate is a great addition to the 3ds library and seems a worthy successor to the Castlevania franchise. I only hope Mercurysteam somehow continues this branceh of Lords of Shadow, either with a sequel or some kind of DLC, as they have crafted one of the best 3rd party titles on the console, and probably one of the most satisfying Castlevania games I've played in quite a while.