Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a reboot of the popular game series, developed by MercurySteam. The game takes place in a fantasy version of middle age Europe where the player takes on the role of Gabriel, a member of the Brotherhood of Light. The Brotherhood defends common people from supernatural creatures, and Gabriel's wife was tragically murdered by one of them, causing her soul to be trapped between worlds. The game follows Gabriel's journey to bring his wife back to life by acquiring the God Masks.

The gameplay of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a third-person adventure slasher title that focuses on short-range combat. The main weapon that the player has is a chain whip called the Combat Cross. The game features over forty different combo attacks, which can be chained together to inflict damage in a large radius. Additionally, the game features a Light and Shadow magic system that affects the characteristics of the spells used by the player. The player can upgrade the whip and use it to scale walls, rappel down them, or swing across pits. The game also includes numerous puzzles and platforming challenges.