Playing A Game Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate 3DS

The eShop demo didn't waste any time showing me some things I definitely dislike about Mirror of Fate: first among them, that Trevor Belmont's whip attacks move the character forward, making even the most minor battle a constant struggle against being sucked up next to your foe(s). It may sound like a triviality, but having to continually roll away from an enemy just to be whip-moved right back to him is a real bother.

The demo also shows off quite a few irritating QTEs, the failure of which will of course result in a baddie devouring a chunk of your health. It's 2013, guys. I thought we were over this? (Actually, between the whip attacks and the QTEs, Mirror of Fate bears a disappointing resemblance to God of War. And oddly enough, this isn't the first time I've had to compare Castlevania to Kratos.)

The action and platforming seem competent enough in general, but the demo doesn't show anything in the way of story development or character advancement. Oh, scratch that -- "no statistics to delve into, no equipment or items to find and switch up ..." - so this stuff doesn't exist in the full game, either. That's a real bummer.

Based on the demo, Mirror of Fate feels pretty lacking in depth, and the reviews online aren't exactly convincing me otherwise. This seems like it's just an action game with a map on the bottom screen.

Progress: Gave Up -- Finished the demo