Not having ever played a Castlevania game before, I went into this demo with little knowledge of the previous installments to my name. RPGs with real time fighting aren't my favourite genre (save, perhaps, something like Dark Cloud 2), and Lament of Innocence, while a treat to try, is not a game I'd go on to buy down the line.

The demo was devoid of any plot, story, or setup. You're dumped straight into the first level, and required to go from there. Getting used to the buttons takes some adjusting, as the more commonly used circle and cross are used for special weapons and jumping each. Using the two upper buttons almost exclusively meant actually changing how I hold the controller, another point I wasn't very keen on, since my hands began to get tired before I died. Your weapon of choice is a whip, which can be used two ways: short, limited range attacks via the square button (which was good for defeating one enemy quickly), or a broader, slower attack with the triangle button (used to knock enemies over to give you some breathing room).

Another detraction from the game was a lack from any map system; especially with the winding levels, it was much too easy to get turned around backwards, wasting time and hearts. While further gameplay may make some of these detractions less aggravating, it is not time I'm willing to invest in a title I don't see as fun now.