Got the game at launch, only had a chance to play up until the second major "Castle" area. Huge fan of the original Lords of Shadow here, but I'm definitely an old school Castlevania guy at heart. I must say, I must have walked into one of Zobek's portals because I feel like I'm back in 2002 while playing this game! I mean that in the most flattering/positive way too. This is just one wacky/weird game. I went mostly media blackout on this game, so a lot of what I'm seeing/playing is quite a bit of a shock. The "modern" setting stuff feels like it was ripped straight out of something you would have seen in Blood Omen 2. This game is oozing PS2/Xbox/GC-era game philosophies/ideas too and for that reason alone I'm digging it, hah!
I'm still early on, but I'm enjoying it for the most part. I like the additions to the combat system (like the skill/weapon mastery stuff), and the art/enemy design is just as good as it was in the original. The castle design is really good stuff too. Oh, I don't think I've ever seen a game justify/"explain" max heart/health/HP fragment-type items as well/cool as this game. The Pain Boxes essentially crystallize your own blood, presumably strengthening your health/vitality. Love stuff like that, although you hardly ever see it presented like this.