Line #75 VideoGame/CastlevaniaLamentOfInnocence


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lamentofinnocence_4533.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300: [[OriginsEpisode "A thousand years ago, a family's destiny was born.]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5FOyI775rM Not in a cradle... but in a coffin."]]]]
3	->'''Walter''': That power is quite something... but ''I'' am beloved by the Night! You will taste my powers!\
4	'''Leon''': I'll kill you ''AND'' THE NIGHT!!
5
6	''Castlevania: Lament of Innocence'' is a 3D ActionRPG game released for the Platform/PlayStation2 in 2003, which serves as a {{prequel}} to the rest of the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series.
7
8	In the late 11th century, during the Crusades, Baron Leon Belmont's [[DamselInDistress fiancée is kidnapped]] by a vampire named Walter Bernhard. Under the urgings of his bedridden friend Mathias Cronqvist, Leon renounces his title and [[LawfulStupid leaves behind his sword]] to rescue his love. Luckily, in the vicinity of Walter's home, he comes across the alchemist Rinaldo Gandolfi, who gives Leon the Whip of Alchemy. Thus begins a journey that in one way or another codifies and justifies the many elements of the ''Castlevania'' storyline.
9
10	Released shortly after ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaOfSorrow'', this game would be followed up by that game's sequel ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDawnOfSorrow'' as well as another 3D entry in the series, ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaCurseOfDarkness''.
11
12	It is notable for being the first Castlevania game to feature the franchise's modern logo, as well as the first to receive an M rating from the [=ESRB=]. It was re-released via [=PlayStation Network=] on June 18, 2013 as a [=PS2=] Classic for [=PS3=].
13
14	----
15	!!''Lament of Innocence'' provides examples of:
16
17	* AfterBossRecovery: The Orbs that you receive after defeating a boss heal you completely.
18	* AlwaysNight: Thanks to Walter's Ebony Stone, the castle and surrounding vicinity is forever cloaked in darkness. That is, until Leon kills it.
19	* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: Inverted. The [[https://i.imgur.com/d0JvKmA.jpg US cover for the game]] shows Leon looking upward, probably in prayer, while the [[https://i.imgur.com/66LktZ3.jpg Japanese]] and [[https://i.imgur.com/01FDgSI.jpg European covers]] show him in an action pose (and note how the European cover's done in CG, while the other two retain Ayami Kojima's famed artwork).
20	* AmuletOfConcentratedAwesome: Walter's Ebony Stone, which [[AlwaysNight plunges his castle and the surrounding forest into endless night]] and makes him NighInvulnerable to everything except [[SwordOfPlotAdvancement the Vampire Killer]], and [[spoiler:Mathias's]] Crimson Stone, [[spoiler:which grants him TheGrimReaper's allegiance and allows him to absorb Walter's soul when he dies (thus becoming a vampire himself)]].
21	* AnachronismStew: [[EnergyWeapon Laser traps]] in the eleventh century, anyone?
22	* BadWithTheBone: The first type of the DemBones enemies have a large femur bone as their weapon.
23	* BadassBoast: Both from Leon.
24	** "THE [[BadassFamily BELMONT CLAN]] WILL HUNT THE NIGHT!"
25	** "I'LL KILL YOU ''AND'' THE NIGHT!"
26	* BadassNormal: Leon. Unlike later Belmonts, who are all born into the vampire-hunting business, trained for it from a young age, and frequently gifted with innate magical abilities, Leon is just a knight with absolutely no prior experience dealing with the supernatural, yet he still manages to march into a castle full of monsters ruled by an immortal warlord and kick as much ass as any of his descendants. Better yet, he makes it through most of the castle's challenges before even obtaining the Vampire Killer whip, something every other Belmont already has at the start of their journey.
27	* TheBadGuyWins: Wherein [[spoiler:Mathias Cronqvist becomes Dracula in the endgame]].
28	* BigBad: Walter Bernhard. [[spoiler:Until he gets [[HijackedByGanon Hijacked By Dracula]].]]
29	* BigBadFriend: It's a well-established trope in IGA's games that the protagonist's best friend becomes evil, but they're usually BrainwashedAndCrazy and the DiscOneFinalBoss. In this game, however, [[spoiler:Leon's best friend Mathias turns out to be ''Dracula'', the BigBad of the entire franchise! He hoped that Leon would be willing to join him in immortality after having lost Sara, but instead Leon vows that he and [[BadassFamily all his descendants]] will [[OriginsEpisode hunt him down for as long as it takes to destroy him]]]].
30	-->'''Leon:''' You ''used'' me!
31	-->'''[[spoiler:Mathias]]:''' Not just you. [[ManipulativeBastard Your betrothed Sara, Rinaldo, and Walter.]] [[EvilGloating I used]] ''[[EvilGloating all]]'' [[EvilGloating of you.]]
32	* BigShutUp: Joachim's response upon answering Leon's faultless question.
33	--> '''Leon:''' Why is a vampire locked away in here?\
34	'''[[HairTriggerTemper Joachim]]:''' '''Shut up!''' proceeds to answer the question anyway
35	* BigWhat: Walter's reaction when he finds out that Leon can actually hurt him with his Vampire Killer whip.
36	* BlatantItemPlacement: While it is odd how in previous games Dracula lets holy water and crosses lie around his castle, it is justified here by Walter wanting to make the hunters after him think they have some chance.
37	** Given what is revealed and otherwise implied about [[spoiler:the Crimson Stone]], it is possible that [[spoiler:some of Walter's own habits have been bleeding into Dracula ever since his soul was assimilated]].
38	* BloodyMurder: As you whale on The Forgotten One, he'll eventually start attacking you by showering blood in your general direction.
39	* BonusFeatureFailure: Joachim mode has no item inventory and Orbs have no effect, making the reward for defeating the {{superboss}} a CosmeticAward.
40	* BookcasePassage: One of the switch rooms in House of Sacred Remains is hidden behind a spinning bookcase. It can be recognized from the marks it has left on the floor.
41	* BossDissonance: Depends on the character you are using. Completing the levels with Leon can be challenging, while bosses can be easier to handle due to their easily identifiable patterns and the items at your disposal. With Joachim, you can cut through enemies like butter, but have a tougher time with bosses, since he lacks the ability to use items.
42	* BossRoom: Easily identifiable by being circular rooms in your map that are behind doors that are emblazoned with a skull and crossbones.
43	* BraggingRightsReward: Defeating the [[{{Superboss}} Forgotten One]] gives you the Black Orb, which provides you with a new set of sub-weapon options. This would be really awesome, except that at this point, you have already pretty much finished the game. You can at least get some good use out of it during Boss Rush mode, where the Black Orb + Cross combo, for example, will render both versions of the Doppelganger helpless.
44	* BreathWeapon: Dullahan, Hellhound, Fishman, Undead Parasite, and The Forgotten One have a fire-breathing attack. This is quite problematic with the latter, since you are [[ColossusClimb right in front of its face]] when it starts using it.
45	* CartographySidequest: Better armour will become available in Rinaldo's shop as your percentage from exploration increases.
46	* CastingGag: With Creator/NobutoshiCanna who voices Leon: A mighty warrior with an ambitious friend that betrays him and rejects his humanity using a red stone that summons god-like beings, and Leon swears to take his revenge on that friend. Sounds similar to events in ''Manga/{{Berserk}}''.
47	* CastFullOfPrettyBoys: Often true of ''Castlevania'' games with Ayami Kojima's character designs, but particularly the case here. Just ''look'' at Leon, Walter, Mathias, and Joachim!
48	* ChekhovsGunman: Elisabetha Cronqvist, [[spoiler:as her death drives Mathias [[RageAgainstTheHeavens away from God]], which ultimately leads to him becoming Dracula]]. In other words, Elisabetha is the initiator of the ''Castlevania'' series.
49	* ChallengeSeeker: Walter encourages Rinaldo to try and help out any would-be hunters intending to storm his castle since it would be more amusing to him as well as to spite Rinaldo.
50	* ChurchMilitant: Leon's background in the Crusades.
51	* ColossusClimb: A Colossus Elevator Ride takes place against The Forgotten One.
52	* CoolOldGuy: Rinaldo, who takes Leon's [[LawfulStupid Lawful Stupidity]] in stride.
53	* CopyAndPasteEnvironments: Most of the levels are made from corridors and two different types of rooms.
54	* CreepyCentipedes: The Undead Parasite is a giant [[BreathWeapon fire-breathing]] centipede creature that is infesting the House of Sacred Remains.
55	* CueTheSun: After Leon destroys the castle, AlwaysNight surrounding it subsides, letting sunlight through for the first time in centuries.
56	* DarkerAndEdgier: Hoo '''boy.''' This game is damned close to {{Gorn}} territory... especially [[SuperBoss The Forgotten One]].
57	* DefectorFromDecadence: Leon, to the point of [[LawfulStupid refusing to take a sword with him when he goes to storm a vampire's castle]], because he feels the sword is no longer his to take.
58	* DidntThinkThisThrough: [[spoiler: Mattias never considered the possibility that [[PlayerCharacter Leon Belmont]] would be pissed at his manipulations. As a result, he not only ''[[ShutUpHannibal rejects]]'' his offer to [[WeCanRuleTogether join him]], but vows that [[CreateYourOwnHero he and his descendants would dedicate their lives to stopping Dracula once and for all]]. [[NiceJobFixingItVillain Whoops]]]].
59	* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: [[spoiler:Not only does Leon whip Death to... himself, he also explains why he could.]]
60	* DistressedDamsel: Sara. [[spoiler:[[DisposableWoman She doesn't make it.]]]]
61	* TheDogWasTheMastermind: [[spoiler:Mathias Cronqvist. That guy who's mentioned like twice in the intro narration (if you even bothered to listen to it) as being bedridden with grief? Yep, he's not only the game's BigBad, but also becomes the BigBad of the ''whole series''.]]
62	* DownerEnding:
63	** [[spoiler:It's sort of a ForegoneConclusion, being the origin story of Dracula and the Belmont Clan, but things don't end well for Leon at all. He not only loses the woman he gave up everything he had to save, but also his best friend, who sacrifices his humanity to become the infamous dark lord, [[TheBadGuyWins who leaves the game with his plans accomplished]].]]
64	** [[spoiler:Essentially one for Mathias as well; he gives up any chance of ever living a normal life just because [[RageAgainstTheHeavens he hates God for taking his wife away from him]], and Leon refuses his offer of immortality and swears that his descendants will destroy him, even if it takes centuries. Mathias sounds genuinely disappointed that after everything, Leon would turn him down, and he doesn't sound all that thrilled to sic Death on him either. More or less, nobody gets out of this story with a happy ending.]]
65	* DualWielding: Thanks to his [[MindOverMatter telekinesis]], Joachim is able to wield five swords at the same time.
66	* EatingTheEyeCandy: ''Both'' female bosses comment on how [[{{Bishonen}} hot]] Leon is.
67	-->'''Medusa:''' With that body, you'll make an excellent statue.
68	* EnergyWeapon:
69	** Cyclops, Red Ogres, and Peeping Eyes have an attack that has them shooting a laser [[EyeBeams out of their eyes]].
70	** Several rooms in the House of Sacred Remains, Ghostly Theater, and Pagoda of the Misty Moon are laser trap rooms, which require you to time your way across them.
71	* EtherealChoir: Appears all over the soundtrack, such as in "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fbqSPn5VVQ Darkness]]" and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMpyKidpIYU&list=PLC9359A4F839EBF37&index=33 Dracula Appears]]." "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFsQI3SYxy4 Nightmare Aria]]" is a particularly unsettling one.
72	* EvilIsVisceral: The Undead Parasite's presence in the basement of House of Sacred Remains has turned it into a fleshy pulsating nightmare filled with [[ParasiteZombie Parasite Zombies]].
73	* EvilLaugh:
74	** Skeleton Flowers laugh at you mockingly if you get hit in their presence.
75	** Accompanies Walter's teleports in the boss battle against him.
76	* EvilRedhead: Walter. This is based on the concept of strigoi, which, according to old Romanian legends, are people who rise from the dead as vampiric creatures due to their red hair.
77	* EvilSoundsDeep: Walter's voice deepens as he turns into a demon to fire a massive fireball.
78	* FaithHeelTurn: [[spoiler:Mathias [[RageAgainstTheHeavens renounces God]] after the death of his beloved wife, which came just after he returned from the crusades.]]
79	* FakeDifficulty: The camera is often placed at an odd angle in the corner of a room, instead of following behind Leon. It whirls around wildly and points at the floor during boss fights, makes it hard to see objectives across rooms, and makes time-sensitive platforming segments much harder than they should be. One notable segment is the large vertical room in the Dark Palace of Waterfalls that leads up to the Ice Elemental boss room; between the dim lighting and the fact that Leon is moving sideways from your vantage point, the platforming becomes excruciating. (Even worse, slipping up only once will cause you to fall all the way to the bottom of the cavern.)
80	* FallenHero: [[spoiler:Mathias, who was as much revered in the crusades as his friend Leon.]]
81	* {{Fanservice}}: The Succubus. Also the [[CastFullOfPrettyBoys metric ton]] of {{Bishounen}}.
82	* FinalBoss: It's not Walter, or [[spoiler:Mathias]]. For once, it's [[spoiler:Death]].
83	* FireIceLightning: The Whip of Alchemy gets FireIceLightning powers after destroying the respective elemental bosses for each. [[spoiler:You retain the ability to switch between them after the whip becomes the Vampire Killer.]]
84	* FlyingFace: Medusa is only a head made from snakes that floats in mid-air.
85	* FlyingWeapon:
86	** Flying swords with faces and elemental powers are one type of enemy.
87	** Joachim uses floating [[MindOverMatter psionic]] swords in combat.
88	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
89	** Mathias Cronqvist wears [[PrettyInMink a fur collar]], just like [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaOfSorrow someone else who ended up being Dracula]] in another ''Castlevania'' game released earlier the same year]]. He also looks [[spoiler:[[LikeFatherLikeSon uncannily like Alucard/Genya Arikado]]]].
90	** Rinaldo comments that Mathias has alchemical power in the opening cutscene. [[spoiler:Leon's reaction to this revelation is a sign that he doesn't know Mathias as well as he thinks he does.]]
91	** Leon finds out from Medusa that the whip isn't completed yet, so he questions Rinaldo on it, who prompts a [[YouDoNOTWantToKnow "need-to-know basis"]] on him, and rather harshly at that. [[spoiler:That's because it requires sacrificing someone who's been vampirized... such as Sara...]]
92	** After defeating Succubus, Leon learns that Walter vampirized Rinaldo's daughter. [[spoiler:And Sara is currently in Walter's hand.]]
93	** Leon hears about the Ebony and Crimson Stones from Joachim and goes to ask Rinaldo about them. Yeah... [[BlatantLies those aren't going to be important at all in the near future...]]
94	* TheFourGods: There are several locked doors that grant access to hidden areas, and the five keys are named (and colored) after the five gods.
95	* FourIsDeath: Death has 4444 points of health.
96	* GambitRoulette: For [[spoiler:Mathias']] plan to work, everything would have had to unfold ''exactly'' as planned. Which it does.
97	* GardenOfEvil: A garden is one of the levels, but it is mostly on the inside with random plant enemies due to engine limitations.
98	* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: [[spoiler:Death]] turns into one in Joachim mode, having absolutely no reason to show up except that he was in Leon mode too. Other than that, he has no business appearing after Walter whatsoever, and the "ending" fails to acknowledge him in the slightest.
99	* GlamourFailure: The real Mirage Skeleton among its fakes can be recognized by the fact that it is the only one to have a reflection on the floor.
100	* GlassCannon: Walter. He doesn't have that much health to his name, but his attacks on Normal mode can hit you for around 60 damage a hit if you're wearing the strongest armor. By the way, you have at maximum 300 HP.
101	* {{Golem}}: The boss of the Anti-Soul Mysteries Lab. You first have to bring it to life with a small puzzle by placing a plate with the letter 'e' on it, to turn the word "meth" (Hebrew for "dead") to "emeth" (Hebrew for "truth").
102	* {{Gorn}}: If the SuperBoss isn't one of the goriest boss battles in all of video gaming, it comes pretty damn close.
103	* GodIsEvil: [[spoiler:Mathias's motivation to become Dracula is his belief that GodIsEvil.]]
104	* GorgeousGorgon: Despite being a disembodied head covered in scales and snakes, Medusa's quite attractive.
105	%%* GreaterScopeVillain: [[spoiler:To Leon's shock, it's his friend, Mathias.]]%%How so?
106	%%* TheGrimReaper: Surprise! [[spoiler:He's the FinalBoss!]]
107	* HarderThanHard: Beating the game once gives you the chance to play it in the Crazy Mode. In this mode, enemies are more aggressive and their placement has been re-arranged, bosses have new patterns and attacks, some of the puzzles are changed, and you also [[NumericalHard have lower stats]].
108	* HaveANiceDeath: There are many different variations of Bloodstained Demise, the theme used for the GameOver screen, each of which was likely intended for if Leon were to die fighting against any of the voice-acted bosses. During each of these sequences, a special quote appropriate to the boss can be heard at the Game Over screen:
109	** Joachim: "You're just a human, after all."
110	** Medusa: "You will make a nice stone statue."
111	** Walter: "Now, you join her."
112	** Death: "Death overcomes all."
113	*** Moreover, there are two additional variations of the theme, both of which involve Sara Trantoul crying out in distress over Leon's demise. These were likely intended for if he died fighting against the Undead Parasite and Golem bosses.
114	* HeartbrokenBadass: Leon, in the second half of the game. [[spoiler:Sara slowly succumbs to vampirism, and has to die to save her own soul and to complete the Vampire Killer. Sara's death is devastating to Leon, but it also gives him the conviction to destroy Walter and Dracula. His [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZLRnQqEyt0 leitmotif]] reflects this.]]
115	* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: The Golem boss waits patiently in pieces for you to bring it back to life.
116	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:After Leon went through hell to rescue Sara, in the end it's revealed she had been given the vampire's curse by Walter and will turn eventually. The whip as it is cannot even scratch Walter, let alone defeat him, and Leon is told that if it were in its completed form, Leon will have a chance. Thing is, in order to make the whip whole, he must kill a tainted soul with it. I.e. Leon must kill Sara. Naturally, Leon refuses to entertain the thought, but Sara begs him to do so if her death can prevent other victims from becoming like her. With a heavy heart, Leon follows Sara's wish and kills her, thus creating the Vampire Killer Whip.]]
117	* HijackedByGanon: The ManBehindTheMan, [[spoiler:Mathias, becomes Dracula in the end]]. Not really a surprise, since this is the origin story for the Belmonts.
118	* HopelessBossFight: Walter counts until the moment you hit him with the Vampire Killer. If you don't and try to hit him with any other whip or attack instead, it'll be to no effect whatsoever. He can hit back, though, so unless you switch to the Vampire Killer, you'll eventually end up dead.
119	* HuntingTheMostDangerousGame: Walter makes a hobby of inciting others to hunt ''him''. Possibly with a hint of WhoWantsToLiveForever, as it's indicated that he developed this hobby out of centuries of boredom. He's not stupid, however. [[spoiler:Until the creation of the Vampire Killer, Walter is seemingly invincible.]]
120	* HyperCompetentSidekick: Dracula relies on Death to do all the heavy lifting [[spoiler:in the endgame, such as stealing Walter's vampire soul and being the FinalBoss]]. Justified since he's [[spoiler:only just become a vampire in the first place, and won't become Dracula as we know him for a couple of centuries yet]].
121	* ICannotSelfTerminate: [[spoiler:The origins of the Belmont family whip are revealed, as Leon finds himself being asked by his fiancée, who has already begun the irreversible process of turning into a vampire, to kill her. He does.]]
122	* ImmortalityImmorality: [[spoiler:Mathias seeks to become an immortal vampire to give the proverbial middle finger to God.]]
123	* ImmuneToFire: Fire Elementals and Flame Zombies are immune to the fire whip.
124	* InescapableAmbush: Nearly ''every single room'' acts this way the first time you visit it; bars will drop down on doors and keep them shut until you have defeated all the enemies that just spawned.
125	* InstantRunes: Joachim's ranged powered move has him summon a magic circle that unleashes a massive beam.
126	* InvulnerableAttack: Joachim will be invulnerable when he uses a powered move that creates a [[WaveMotionGun massive beam]]; this is invaluable because he has a very limited moveset and cannot dodge or block a lot of enemy attacks.
127	* JamesBondage: Leon finds Joachim locked in the basement.
128	* KickTheDog:
129	** Walter attempts this by asking Leon how he "enjoyed his little gift" (i.e. [[spoiler: vampirizing Sara]]), probably trying to antagonize Leon into growing enraged and being blinded by it so he can easily dispose of him. Leon doesn't take the bait and basically gives a restrained [[NiceJobFixingItVillain Nice Job Fixing It, Villain]] remark about giving him exactly what he needed to kill him.
130	** [[spoiler: Mathias]] feels this way about God, believing that he cruelly took his wife away despite fighting in His name.
131	* KissOfDeath: This is the Succubus' grab attack, kissing Leon to drain his health and recover hers.
132	* LaterInstallmentWeirdness:
133	** This title actually blends a mix of Metroidvania and the Classicvania elements as while Leon does have stats like an RPG, they don't increase due to leveling. Rather, his stats are dependent entirely on the items he finds and equips. The game feels more like a HackAndSlash than any of the previous games have been so far.
134	** This is the first and last game that forces item usage to be done in real-time. Given its status as a {{Scrappy Mechanic}}, this is likely intentional.
135	** This is also the first time the hero actually begins with a sub-weapon, the Knife, equipped, unlike others where you have to find one first. Granted, this is a plot-point that (barely) balances out Leon's {{Lawful Stupid}} decision to leave his sword behind.
136	* LawfulStupid: Leon "I don't belong to the army anymore, so it wouldn't be right for me to take an army sword with me to the ''vampire's castle''..." Belmont. Of course, he had plans to take weapons from dead hunters in the area to compensate. Leon actually DOES take a weapon with him, as he actually begins the game with the Knife subweapon equipped, unlike other games where you have nothing until you find one. Granted, it's also just a knife, so not very useful compared to the sword he left behind, but it's not like he went ENTIRELY unarmed.
137	-->'''Rinaldo''': ...Honest to a fault...
138	* {{Leitmotif}}: There are several.
139	** The title track is Leon's theme, and although its main melody isn't heard anywhere else in the game, it contains part of [[OneWomanWail "Prologue to the Black Abyss"]].
140	** The melody of Joachim's boss theme, "Melancholy Joachim," probably represents vampires in general. It appears during Walter's boss theme, "Dark Night Toccata," and also during "Dracula Appears."
141	** "Dracula Appears" contains the melody of "Prologue" [[spoiler: as an IronicEcho of Mathias' and Leon's friendship.]]
142	** The melodies of [[spoiler: "Vampire Killer" and "Bloody Tears" (in a major key!)]] appear in the credits song, "Admiration Towards the Clan," to triumphantly [[spoiler: herald the beginning of the Belmont legacy.]]
143	** "Castlevania Reincarnation," which plays during boss fights in Joachim Mode, is a medley of both "Black Banquet" and "Dracula's Castle" from ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight.''
144	* LethalJokeCharacter: Pumpkin, who becomes playable after the game is beaten with Joachim: his max HP is lower than Leon's, but he starts with far more MP, hearts, higher defense, and the Vampire Killer whip. He also starts with all special attacks and possesses an unique subweapon that he can't replace that also possesses a random assortment of other subweapons' [[EvolvingAttack Item Crashes]]. He's also a much smaller target and thus he has an easier time avoiding some enemy attacks.
145	* LoveMakesYouEvil: Played straight with [[spoiler:Mathias Cronqvist]] and subverted with Leon, who finds the very trope ridiculous...
146	* LuckStat: Affects the chance of receiving items from defeated enemies. It can be raised with the Coin of Happiness (a [[RandomDrops random drop]] from Hanged Man) and the Raccoon Charm (found in the [=B1F=] guillotine room of the Dark Palace of Waterfalls) accessories.
147	* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler: Mathias/Dracula, who manipulated absolutely everyone in the game to serve his own ends. He got Walter to capture Sara so that Leon would go after her. After Sara started to become a vampire, Rinaldo and Leon had no choice but to kill her and forge a magical weapon capable of killing a vampire. When Leon used said weapon to kill Walter, Mathias used Walter's soul to complete the Crimson Stone, which made Mathias the King of Vampires. Mathias' expert ability to manipulate people is [[{{Foreshadowing}} foreshadowed]] very early, during the prologue, when it mentions he's a renowned ''battle strategist.'']]
148	* MenuTimeLockout: Averted. You can rearrange the items in your inventory as much as you want, but to use or equip them, you have to open a real-time window: attempting to do so in your inventory causes a message to pop up telling you to do so, which makes you wonder why they were so insistent to force you to do so to begin with.
149	* {{Metroidvania}}: You are free to explore the areas in the castle, but you have to finish all five of them first to access the final area and the SuperBoss. Unlike most games of the type, you already have all the movement skills you need to finish the game right from the start, and the only item that directly affects it in some way (Wolf's Foot) is only needed to access another bonus area.
150	* MirrorMatch: At one point of both Leon's and Joachim's modes, you'll eventually fight bosses that are essentially their Doppelgangers.
151	* MyGreatestFailure: Rinaldo failed to protect his family from Walter, [[spoiler:who vampirized Rinaldo's daughter and in turn killed his wife and son. He had no choice but to hunt her down and kill her with the alchemy whip]].
152	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: The Forgotten One.
153	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:Nice job making Dracula, Leon!]]
154	* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler: Mathias]] actually seems to believe that after everything Leon has suffered over the course of the game, that he would actually accept a [[WeCanRuleTogether We Can Rule Together]] offer. He was wrong.
155	* NonIndicativeName: The game is called ''Castlevania'', but the location is Walter's Castle in the Forest of Eternal Night, not Castlevania as in Dracula's Castle. [[spoiler: That's because this is the origin story for the series]].
156	* NoodleIncident: Just how DID Mathias acquire the Crimson Stone? Unfortunately, the game doesn't give any explanation for this whatsoever
157	* NotQuiteSavedEnough: [[spoiler:Leon Belmont just saved his lover Sara Trantoul from the vampire Walter Bernhard. Just when Leon thought he could just put everything behind, he found out one nasty thing: Sara has been vampirized and is about to suffer a FateWorseThanDeath. He's forced to use his Whip of Alchemy to put Sara out of her misery, incidentally evolving it to the legendary Vampire Killer.]]
158	* OhCrap: Walter gets a MAJOR one when Leon smashes his Ebony Stone with the Vampire Killer.
159	* OminousPipeOrgan:
160	** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZqXZQCAl-4 Dark Night Toccata]]," of course!
161	** Also "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AohscTU5PZc House of Sacred Remains]]," which mixes it with some techno.
162	* OneWomanWail: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yko8bREz-tE Prologue to the Black Abyss]]". Also appears in "Prologue" and in Leon's theme, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZLRnQqEyt0 "Lament of Innocence".]]
163	* OriginsEpisode: The game explains the origins of Dracula and the Belmont clan's feud with him. It's not the only ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' OriginsEpisode, but it is the one that ended up being canon.
164	* OurGargoylesRock: A flying gargoyle that can turn you into stone is one of the enemies. There's also a fleshy version with the same skillset.
165	* PersonalSpaceInvader:
166	** The Hanged Man enemies are zombies that can grab your player character and will continuously bite them.
167	** This also applies to the Succubus and her [[KissOfDeath draining kiss]].
168	* PhilosophersStone: It's important to the backstory. There are a couple of vampire-enhancing alchemic stones going around that were made during failed attempts to create it.
169	* PimpedOutDress: The ladies in the game wear quite fancy ones.
170	* PowerFloats: Joachim's powers allow to hover over the ground.
171	* PoweredByAForsakenChild: [[spoiler:The Vampire Killer is made with Sara's tainted soul.]]
172	* PowerOfLove: Leon Belmont, who, after the tragic death of his lover at the hands of the villains, swears that he and his descendants will hunt the night to prevent the same tragedy from happening to other humans again; he himself also stated this is the only way to prove his love for the deceased Sara.
173	* {{Prequel}}: To the rest of the ''Castlevania'' games.
174	* PrettyInMink: Mathias's big fur collar.
175	* ThePromise: In the ending, Leon tells [[spoiler:Death that he'll never forgive Mathias for becoming a vampire and manipulating all that has happened]]. In addition, he says that from this moment on, he and his kinsmen/descendants will hunt the night, thus marking the centuries-long war between the Belmont Clan and the Undead forces.
176	* PromotedToPlayable: Joachim after you finish the game for the first time.
177	* PumpkinPerson: The hidden character Pumpkin, who is basically a burlap sack fashioned into a humanoid shape with a pumpkin for a head. He fights much like Leon, only with a different (permanent) special weapon.
178	* RandomDrop: Two thirds of the enemies have at least one item hidden on them, ranging from common [[HealingPotion healing potions]] to useful accessories.
179	* RareRandomDrop: Every relic except two are found throughout all the levels, like good hidden items should be. With the exception of two. These two are the rare drops for somewhat difficult-to-kill monsters and it's rather frustrating to try to obtain them...
180	* RecycledTitle: Much like with ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaCircleOfTheMoon Circle of the Moon]]'', ''Lament'' was released [[MarketBasedTitle outside North America]] as just ''Castlevania'' with no subtitle, the same as [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaI the original NES game]] and [[VideoGame/Castlevania64 the first N64 outing]].
181	* RedEyesTakeWarning: Certain skeletons and gargoyles have glowing red eyes.
182	* RedIsHeroic: Leon's outfit has lots of touches of red.
183	* RespawningEnemies: Upon entering a room for the first time, you can't leave until you kill all of the enemies. They'll respawn eventually, but don't have to be killed, and ''Lament's'' control system makes it very easy to bypass them. On the Crazy difficulty level, not only are there more enemies, they respawn every time you enter a room.
184	* ResurrectiveImmortality: The Red Skeletons will only re-assemble themselves back to life no matter how many times you try to "kill" them. Fortunately, they are not considered as mandatory targets should the room lock you out and require to you defeat enemies before proceeding.
185	* {{Retcon}}: Replaces ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLegends'' as the OriginsEpisode of the series.
186	* TheReveal: [[spoiler:Once Walter is defeated, it is revealed that Leon's [[BigBadFriend close friend Mathias]] has orchestrated the events from behind the scenes. [[BatmanGambit Knowing that Leon will kill Walter upon the death of Sara]], he takes Walter's powers for himself to wage a war against God, eventually becoming Dracula.]]
187	* ReverseShrapnel: Using the Axe with the Red Orb creates this kind of attack.
188	* RewardingVandalism: As usual, candles provide hearts and sub-weapons upon being whipped.
189	* RollingAttack: If Medusa manages to turn you into stone, it will respond by rolling all over the room.
190	* SealedEvilInACan: Implied to be the case for the Forgotten One, a massive demon held in the Prison of Eternal Torture.
191	* SeanConneryIsAboutToShootYou: European cover: [[http://castlevania.fandom.com/wiki/File:Castlevania_-_Lament_of_Innocence_-_(EU)_-_01.jpg Leon Belmont is about to whip you]] AND the night!
192	* SecretCharacter:
193	** Joachim Armster, the one time in the series you get to play as a villain. Leads to a MirrorMatch in the dungeon where he's the boss.
194	** A second secret character is Pumpkin, who appears to be a small child wearing a pumpkin-headed Halloween costume. While he uses Leon's moveset (to the point he is seen pulling himself up ledges in the air; Leon would touch them, but he is smaller...), he has different stats (making him more of a GlassCannon), a unique subweapon that mixes and matches Leon's subweapon attacks, and gets his own end credits sequence.
195	* SequentialBoss: Walter and [[spoiler:Death]]; even in Boss Rush Mode where you're not given the usual hearts and potions between fights, you get sent right to the latter directly after the former.
196	* ShaggyDogStory: Good LORD, does this story get there. Near the end of the game, Leon is finally reunited with Sara, [[spoiler: only to find she's been bitten by Walter and will soon turn into vampire. Leon has to kill her to complete the Vampire Killer in order to stand a chance of defeating Walter]]. He finally confronts Walter in his throne room, leaving the player feeling like they can take revenge on him for everything he's put the poor hero through...except, SURPRISE! [[spoiler: you just played RIGHT into Mathias' plan and brought about an even WORSE evil than before when he renounces God and humanity, then sics Death on his former best friend after he refuses to become a vampie like him]]. After defeating Death, Leon swears eternal vengeance on [[spoiler: Mathias]]. The game ends with Leon quietly walking away from the ruined castle with the player almost feeling how empty the poor man is...
197	* ShoutOut: A lot of the game is a large one to ''Manga/{{Berserk}}''. A crimson stone that grants its wielder the power to command demonic legions? Check. A brilliant man who uses this artifact out of despair to become a powerful villain? Check. A single warrior going on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge against the said man and his armies? Check.
198	* ShutUpHannibal: Leon gives this to [[spoiler:Mathias after it's revealed he has orchestrated everything in his rage against God. He basically tells Leon that humanity is overrated and that "having eternity" is much better. Leon calls him a fool for throwing away his own humanity for immortality and ruining Leon's life just to spite God]].
199	* SilenceIsGolden: The very final scene is Leon quietly walking away from the crumbled castle in the morning light. No words are spoken, no heroic victory music, nothing. Given the game's [[DownerEnding Downer Ending]], this is quite fitting.
200	** Slightly subverted with the following credits song, which adds a touch of bittersweetness with its triumphant cadence and its [[ThemeMusicWithholding familiar melodies]].
201	* SlouchOfVillainy: Walter spends most of his time sitting on his throne, waiting for heroes to come to him.
202	* SmartBomb: There's always a small chance that a defeated enemy will drop a Rosary (or a bloody skull in Joachim's case) that will inflict 9999 points of damage to everything in the room.
203	* SmugSnake: Walter, primarily because his motivation for doing evil was ''being a bored, unkillable vampire asshat''. Can't get much more smug than that.
204	* SpotTheImpostor: One of Succubus' attacks is creating two clones of herself, and if you strike the wrong one, you'll be hit with paralysis. The real one can be recognized by the rose petals it leaves in its wake.
205	* StakingTheLovedOne: [[spoiler:Rinaldo was forced to slay his daughter who had killed the rest of his family [[BrainwashedAndCrazy after she had been turned into a vampire]] by Walter. After failing to slay him, Rinaldo now resides next to Walter's castle to supply those who seek to defeat him.]]
206	* StanceSystem: Joachim has two fighting stances which can be toggled at will - A ranged stance for firing swords at a distance, and a melee stance for letting out a flurry of slashes around him.
207	* StatusEffects: Poison staggers Leon with constant damage, Paralysis and Stone freeze him in his tracks, and with Curse, he is unable to use gained skills to perform combos or dodges.
208	* TheStarscream: Joachim is implied to be this with Walter, but obviously failed to usurp him, since he gets locked down somewhere in the castle.
209	--> '''Joachim:''' Damn Walter... I would have won if not for his Ebony Stone!
210	* StartOfDarkness: For Dracula's eternal war with the Belmonts.
211	* StationaryBoss: [[ChainedByFashion The chains]] on the Forgotten One aren't there just for the show.
212	* {{Stripperiffic}}: The Succubus, whose outfit consists of a pair of panties and a corset.
213	* SuccubiAndIncubi: The Succubus, though her role is limited to draining Leon's health through [[KissOfDeath kisses]].
214	* SuicideAttack: If a skeleton enemy loses its sword due to your attack, it will turn red and charge at Leon so that it can blow up on his face.
215	* {{Superboss}}: The Forgotten One, a skinless demon under lock and key that you cannot access until very late into the game, and so huge Leon needs to [[ColossusClimb ride an elevator to reach its head]].
216	* TakenForGranite: Medusa makes an appearance as a boss, along with a shot of the many soldiers who've tried to kill her that she's turned to stone. Leon can only be petrified as a status ailment, though.
217	* TheGlovesComeOff: Walter's attitude once Leon smashes the Ebony stone. He gets enraged and the boss battle starts in earnest.
218	* ThemeMusicWithholding: [[spoiler: The classic "Vampire Killer" theme doesn't make an appearance until the end credits, alongside part of "Bloody Tears" played in a major key.]]
219	* ThisIsUnforgivable: "You have become a cursed being and I will never forgive you."
220	* UndergroundMonkey: Mostly prevalent with skeletons (regular, better-armed, teleporting, etc.), zombies (rotting, burning, and freezing) and hounds (regular, bony, and shadowy).
221	* TheUnfought: You never do get to face [[spoiler:Mathias. After giving a MotiveRant, he leaves and pits you against his [[TheDragon new servant]], Death]].
222	* UniqueEnemy: Storm Skeletons, Mirage Skeletons, and Poison Zombies appear in exactly one room of their respective areas. This holds true even in Crazy Mode, which otherwise re-arranges the placement of enemies.
223	* UnwittingPawn: Almost the entire cast, really. [[spoiler:Walter's habitual games combined with Rinaldo's alchemy and Sara's sacrifice enable Leon's defeat of Walter, which allows Death to steal Walter's power and give it to [[TreacherousAdvisor Mathias]], who then uses it to become the king of the night, Dracula. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Oops.]]]]
224	* VampireRefugee: [[spoiler:Sara in the middle of the game. Leon makes it to Walter, who oddly gives up Sara without a fight. Not surprisingly, however, it's revealed she was already cursed with vampirism by the time Leon got to her and is slowly turning into a vampire herself. We never see her get that far, but she states she feels her heartbeat slowing and her body temperature growing colder. This is what prompts her to sacrifice herself to make the Vampire Killer, as she has nothing to lose either way and would rather help to destroy evil than join the ranks of the undead.]]
225	* VillainProtagonist: The vampire Joachim Armster is an unlockable playable character and his game ends with him becoming lord of the castle.
226	* VomitIndiscretionShot: Regular zombies have an attack where they vomit a sizeable putrid puddle on the floor.
227	* WakeUpCallBoss: The Elementals, especially the first one, since you won't have the whip of the opposite element yet. While not incredibly difficult, they require more skill and a defensive style than the typical area boss.
228	* WeCanRuleTogether: [[spoiler:Mathias offers Leon a chance to renounce God with him and become a vampire. Although Leon understands where Mathias is coming from, he refuses.]]
229	* WhoWantsToLiveForever:
230	** Played with in Walter's case. Rinaldo says early on that he is bored with his immortality and plays his twisted games with mortals simply as a means to pass the time.
231	** Leon himself actually all but outright states this one during [[spoiler: Mathias']] [[WeCanRuleTogether offer of immortality]] since he feels he'd be living an empty existence if it meant an eternity without Sara. He understands the request and the motive, but refuses on that reasoning.
232	* WithThisHerring:
233	** Subverted. Once you get the Yellow Orb from the Succubus, the Dagger subweapon gets a nice power boost at a very reasonable cost.
234	** Played straight though with Leon rushing into the demon-infested castle ''unarmed''. (Good for him he ran into Rinaldo...)
235	* YouDoNOTWantToKnow: Rinaldo tries this on Leon a few times, basically telling him that if he reveals too much, it'd prove to be too much of a distraction to him.
236	%%* TheXOfY

Context VideoGame / CastlevaniaLamentOfInnocence