<s>
Castlevania	B-Application
:	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
of	I-Application
Darkness	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
,	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Castlevania	B-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
second	O
3D	O
Castlevania	B-Application
title	O
developed	O
by	O
Konami	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
Tokyo	O
,	O
released	O
in	O
2005	O
following	O
Castlevania	B-Application
:	I-Application
Lament	I-Application
of	I-Application
Innocence	I-Application
and	O
was	O
available	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Application
in	O
all	O
regions	O
except	O
Japan	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
only	O
available	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
Darkness	I-Application
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
,	O
common	O
praise	O
was	O
directed	O
towards	O
its	O
combat	O
system	O
,	O
music	O
,	O
content	O
,	O
and	O
replay	O
value	O
,	O
while	O
criticism	O
fell	O
towards	O
its	O
story	O
,	O
characters	O
,	O
repetitive	O
level-design	O
and	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Being	O
a	O
3D	O
game	O
like	O
Lament	B-Application
of	I-Application
Innocence	I-Application
before	O
it	O
,	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
Darkness	I-Application
differs	O
from	O
its	O
predecessor	O
in	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
ways	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
includes	O
a	O
more	O
complex	O
,	O
action-adventure	O
style	O
of	O
gameplay	O
,	O
much	O
like	O
Symphony	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
and	O
Aria	B-Application
of	I-Application
Sorrow	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hector	O
is	O
not	O
a	O
member	O
of	O
the	O
Belmont	O
clan	O
,	O
so	O
he	O
does	O
not	O
use	O
the	O
"	B-Operating_System
Vampire	I-Operating_System
Killer	I-Operating_System
"	I-Operating_System
whip	I-Operating_System
;	O
instead	O
he	O
has	O
the	O
ability	O
(	O
much	O
like	O
Alucard	O
and	O
Soma	O
Cruz	O
)	O
to	O
equip	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
different	O
weapons	O
ranging	O
from	O
swords	O
(	O
both	O
one	O
handed	O
and	O
two	O
handed	O
)	O
,	O
spears	O
,	O
axes	O
(	O
also	O
both	O
one	O
handed	O
and	O
two	O
handed	O
)	O
,	O
brass	O
knuckles	O
and	O
an	O
extra	O
type	O
called	O
special	O
weapons	O
(	O
which	O
varies	O
from	O
tonfas	O
to	O
gatling	O
guns	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
battle	O
system	O
is	O
somewhat	O
similar	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
Dynasty	B-Application
Warriors	I-Application
,	O
whereas	O
one	O
button	O
is	O
used	O
for	O
standard	O
combo	O
attacks	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
secondary	O
button	O
is	O
used	O
for	O
stronger	O
"	O
finishing	O
attacks	O
"	O
after	O
a	O
singular	O
standard	O
attack	O
or	O
a	O
combo	O
of	O
standard	O
attacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Departing	O
from	O
the	O
central	O
hub	O
level	O
layout	O
of	O
Lament	B-Application
of	I-Application
Innocence	I-Application
,	O
wherein	O
the	O
player	O
chooses	O
from	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
distinct	O
stages	O
all	O
accessible	O
from	O
a	O
central	O
hallway	O
,	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
Darkness	I-Application
features	O
a	O
more	O
complete	O
game	O
world	O
with	O
a	O
complete	O
castle	O
map	O
as	O
in	O
Symphony	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
still	O
uses	O
the	O
same	O
map	O
engine	O
as	O
Lament	B-Application
of	I-Application
Innocence	I-Application
,	O
rather	O
than	O
the	O
square-based	O
grid	O
of	O
2D	O
Castlevanias	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
are	O
similar	O
to	O
Alucard	O
's	O
Familiars	O
in	O
Symphony	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
,	O
however	O
they	O
level	O
up	O
and	O
evolve	O
together	O
with	O
Hector	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
Darkness	I-Application
is	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
year	O
1479	O
,	O
three	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Castlevania	B-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Dracula	I-Application
's	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
defeated	O
by	O
vampire	O
hunter	O
Trevor	O
Belmont	O
,	O
Dracula	B-Application
's	I-Application
curse	I-Application
continues	O
to	O
ravage	O
the	O
European	O
countryside	O
,	O
spreading	O
disease	O
,	O
mob	O
violence	O
,	O
and	O
heresy	O
in	O
its	O
wake	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amidst	O
all	O
this	O
devastation	O
is	O
Hector	O
,	O
a	O
Devil	O
Forgemaster	O
who	O
had	O
formerly	O
worked	O
under	O
the	O
employ	O
of	O
Dracula	O
but	O
betrayed	O
him	O
sometime	O
during	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Castlevania	B-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
his	O
quest	O
,	O
he	O
encounters	O
several	O
people	O
:	O
Julia	B-Application
Laforeze	I-Application
,	O
a	O
young	O
witch	O
in	O
exile	O
who	O
turns	O
out	O
to	O
be	O
Isaac	O
's	O
sister	O
,	O
Trevor	O
Belmont	O
,	O
who	O
distrusts	O
him	O
for	O
being	O
a	O
Devil	O
Forgemaster	O
,	O
Zead	O
,	O
a	O
kindly	O
holyman	O
who	O
provides	O
him	O
with	O
reliable	O
information	O
about	O
Isaac	O
's	O
whereabouts	O
,	O
and	O
St.	O
Germain	O
,	O
a	O
mysterious	O
time	O
traveller	O
who	O
presses	O
him	O
to	O
abandon	O
his	O
quest	O
,	O
but	O
eventually	O
leaves	O
him	O
alone	O
with	O
some	O
cryptic	O
comments	O
about	O
a	O
"	O
new	O
destiny	O
"	O
having	O
emerged	O
for	O
him	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hector	O
enters	O
the	O
new	O
Castlevania	B-Application
,	O
where	O
he	O
fights	O
and	O
defeats	O
his	O
nemesis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Horrified	O
,	O
Hector	O
realizes	O
that	O
his	O
actions	O
are	O
being	O
controlled	O
by	O
Dracula	B-Application
's	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
produced	O
by	O
Koji	O
"	O
IGA	O
"	O
Igarashi	O
,	O
who	O
has	O
worked	O
on	O
several	O
other	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
Castlevania	B-Operating_System
series	I-Operating_System
,	O
including	O
Castlevania	B-Application
:	I-Application
Symphony	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
,	O
Castlevania	B-Application
:	I-Application
Aria	I-Application
of	I-Application
Sorrow	I-Application
and	O
Castlevania	B-Application
:	I-Application
Lament	I-Application
of	I-Application
Innocence	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Guitars	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
omitted	O
from	O
Lament	O
of	O
Innocences	O
score	O
,	O
returned	O
in	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
Darkness	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
was	O
a	O
sampler	O
given	O
away	O
as	O
a	O
bonus	O
to	O
anyone	O
who	O
pre-ordered	O
a	O
copy	O
of	O
Castlevania	B-Application
:	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
of	I-Application
Darkness	I-Application
from	O
supporting	O
retailers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
shows	O
an	O
averaged	O
score	O
of	O
74	O
out	O
of	O
100	O
,	O
indicating	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
"	O
.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
X-Play	O
gave	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
Darkness	I-Application
a	O
3	O
out	O
of	O
5	O
while	O
IGN	O
gave	O
it	O
a	O
7.8	O
,	O
or	O
"	O
Good	O
"	O
rating	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Informers	O
Tim	O
Turi	O
felt	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
"	O
decent	O
"	O
but	O
did	O
not	O
feel	O
like	O
it	O
captured	O
the	O
"	O
overall	O
style	O
and	O
atmosphere	O
"	O
of	O
other	O
Castlevania	B-Operating_System
games	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Taking	O
place	O
between	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Castlevania	B-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Dracula	I-Application
's	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
and	O
Castlevania	B-Application
:	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
of	I-Application
Darkness	I-Application
,	O
the	O
manga	O
centers	O
on	O
Isaac	O
and	O
Hector	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
it	O
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
from	O
English-language	O
critics	O
—	O
two	O
of	O
whom	O
were	O
fans	O
of	O
the	O
Castlevania	B-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mania	O
Entertainment	O
's	O
Nadia	O
Oxford	O
disliked	O
having	O
a	O
child	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
main	O
characters	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
unnecessary	O
pandering	O
to	O
a	O
younger	O
audience	O
"	O
and	O
concluding	O
that	O
"	O
It	O
's	O
disappointing	O
to	O
see	O
Castlevania	B-Application
thrown	O
to	O
a	O
kid	O
like	O
so	O
many	O
other	O
great	O
properties.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Hector	O
and	O
Isaac	O
were	O
introduced	O
in	O
the	O
second	O
season	O
of	O
the	O
Castlevania	B-Application
animated	O
television	O
series	O
as	O
recurring	O
characters	O
(	O
with	O
the	O
latter	O
being	O
vastly	O
different	O
in	O
terms	O
of	O
character	O
design	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
subsequent	O
season	O
,	O
a	O
loose	O
adaption	O
of	O
Saint	B-Application
Germain	I-Application
was	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
cast	O
as	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
events	O
of	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
Darkness	I-Application
were	O
not	O
adapted	O
.	O
</s>
