Wii Critic Reviews

In the list of games I'm dying to play in the Castlevania series, a 3D fighter was about as far from the top as possible, but Judgment was a pleasant surprise.

If you forgo your expectations of what a Castlevania game should be--or are simply looking for a respectable 3-D fighting game--you should have a good time with Judgment. [Holiday 2008, p.77]

The game feels more like a boss-rush version of a big action game that it does a traditional fighter, and somehow comes off as the best 3D Castlevania game Konami has produced so far. [Jan 2009, p.110]

If you work at learning the game, and view it as something that’s not necessary Castlevania proper, Judgment can provide a decent romp. If you're looking for a good lighthearted fighter, Judgement is outclassed by Brawl. However, if you like Soul Calibur but don’t own a PS3 or Xbox 360, Judgment is your only real alternative, and it’s not as terrible as people have been saying.

It's by no means as bad as you may have heard. [Apr 2009, p.89]

It's a case of missed opportunity with Castlevania Judgment. The concept sounds so enticing, but it doesn't take long to realize that the series has not done a good job of creating memorable characters. It tries to implement creative ideas, but nothing really clicks and both die hard fans and fighting game enthusiasts will be discouraged by gameplay that's anything but immortal.

Castlevania Judgment is a lot better than it should be given its brief time in development and small budget, but still not half as good as it could have been. Thanks to the injection of some good ideas and heaping piles of love for the series, Judgment does justice to the Castlevania name, though just barely.

The game is a mixed-bag, for sure, but the highs slightly outweigh the fighting genre side effects.

Looking at the graphics and sounds, Castlevania is fine. The controls are very simple, but at the same time not always that good. Overall a great Castlevania game, but not for full price.

Quotation forthcoming.