Let me start off by admitting that when I heard that the new Castlevania game I was going to be 3D, I was pissed. Having Koji Igarashi on board did lessen my rage, but I wanted an awesome 2D side-scrolling game. After playing the first build of Castlevania: Lament of Innocence at E3, I can say with confidence that, while it might not be much of an RPG, it's still a kick-ass Castlevania game.

The game makes use of a static camera that manages to keep most of the action in view. There is no lock-on feature, but your character moves around smoothly and quickly enough that this is not really an issue. There are now two strengths for whip attacks, and the traditional series sub-weapons are available too. Admittedly, the sub-weapons seem much less effective. The crucifix, in particular, has been effectively neutered, as it just forms a spinning barrier around you now.

The game's presentation is decent, though the character design is not nearly as stylized has appeared in the last four installments in the series. There weren't too many different enemies to whack, but the boss in the demo looks quite good, and posed quite a challenge. Most of the normal enemies are more resilient now, too, taking more than just the single attack that is required to kill enemies in the side-scrolling installments.

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence is one of the more popular games at this year's E3. It definitely makes you forget the bad taste left in your mouth by the previous attempts at 3D Castlevania. While there don't seem to be too many RPG elements yet, the game is definitely worth keeping an eye on.