Castlevania Judgment: A Rockin’ Soundtrack And A Humorous Game

I wanted to post some quick impressions of Castlevania Judgment, which just hit stores today. We checked it out at E3, and told you we weren’t overly impressed with the franchise’s foray into the fighting genre. I can’t say that I’ve changed my mind at this point, but I do enjoy some of what the game has to offer. While the combat feels pretty limited and tedious at times, the real focus of the game in my mind is the rock-heavy soundtrack and the interactions between the various characters. I kind of compare the experience to Squaresoft’s Ergheiz: it wasn’t the best game, but you played it because your favorite characters were in it.

Hit the jump for more about the game’s music and hilarious text.

I immediately turned the voice options over to Japanese, which many of you will find to be an absolute must. There are some really cool interactions between characters, such as Simon Belmont with Trevor Belmont, and Grant with both Simon and Alucard. Grant is actually cool all around, as he sports a sort of punkass attitude that’s pretty funny at times. The best character, though? Maria! You may hate her high-pitched voice, but with lines like, “Just because you’re hot doesn’t mean you can be rude” to Shanoa, and “Even the vampire’s are bigger than mine!” to Camilla, it’s obvious she has an obsession with breasts. To give you one more, this time to Sypha while the camera zooms in on her gargantuan breasts: “They’re huge!,” to which Sypha replies, “They only get in the way.” Maria responds with “They are a sacred gift!” Great stuff!

How about the music? It’s actually pretty cool. You may recall from our talk with IGA that it was outsourced. I loved the music that we had heard at E3, which turns out to be the game’s intro movie track. From there, all the classics are here, including a kickass version of “Bloody Tears” that is probably my favorite track in the game.  Sorry it doesn’t come out too well in the above video.  Also featured are “Beginning,” “Vampire Killer,” “Dracula’s Castle,” and many others. I particularly got a kick out of hearing music from Order of Ecclesia, which I just finished over the weekend. With a soundtrack album announced for January, even those who skip the game may be interested in hearing the music.

Have you developed any opinions about Castlevania Judgment? Are you particularly fond of any of the music you’ve heard so far?