《惡魔城 審判》（Castlevania Judgment）是由Konami於2008年在Wii平台上推出的3D格鬥遊戲，是該系列首次進行格鬥類型遊戲的嘗試。雖然保留《惡魔城》系列經典的哥德風格及招牌角色，但它大幅跳脫原本的動作平台玩法，因此在推出後獲得相當兩極化的評價。

劇情圍繞著一個時空扭曲的設定，這個異變由神秘而強大的存在「時之死神」（The Time Reaper）所引起。時之死神企圖顛覆歷史，消滅所有時間軸中的存在，並重新塑造屬於他的黑暗未來。為了阻止這場危機，來自《惡魔城》系列不同時代的英雄與反派被拉進同一個時間流中，展開生死對決。在故事中，掌控時間的旅人，全新的角色艾恩（Aeon）登場，他是這場混亂中的關鍵引導者。將各個角色召集起來，讓他們面對自己的內心恐懼與試煉，以期擊敗時之死神並恢復時空秩序。遊戲有14個可操作的人物，其中包括《惡魔城》系列經典的陣容：

西蒙‧貝爾蒙特（Simon Belmont）──傳說中的吸血鬼獵人，手持聖鞭「殺手之鞭」進行戰鬥。

阿魯卡多（Alucard）──吸血鬼之王德古拉的兒子，半人半吸血鬼，決心對抗黑暗力量。

瑪莉亞‧雷娜德（Maria Renard）──擅長使用魔法與召喚動物的年輕獵人。

崔佛‧貝爾蒙特（Trevor Belmont）──來自《惡魔城III》的強力戰士，具有堅定的信念與卓越的戰鬥技巧。

卡蜜拉（Carmilla）──德古拉的忠實追隨者，崇拜黑暗勢力的女吸血鬼。

德古拉（Dracula）──終極反派，掌控黑暗的吸血鬼之王。

每位角色都有獨立的故事線與動機，雖然他們的起點各不相同，但最終目標都是要擊敗時之死神，恢復被扭曲的時間軸。有些角色之間的互動更揭示他們彼此間的恩怨情仇，增添劇情的深度與張力。採用3D競技場格鬥的形式，並加入Wii的體感操作系統。要揮動遙控器來執行輕攻擊和重攻擊，而使用Nunchuk控制器則負責移動角色、閃避和防禦。

系統保留《惡魔城》的傳統元素，例如武器攻擊、輔助武器及特殊能力，同時將這些元素融入格鬥遊戲的框架中。每位角色擁有專屬的武器與攻擊風格，例如西蒙‧貝爾蒙特的鞭子攻擊範圍廣泛，而阿魯卡多則使用劍進行快速突襲。此外，還有各具特色的「特殊招式」，當能量槽蓄滿時，便能施放華麗的終極必殺技，給對手造成巨大傷害。還加入「副武器」系統，延續該系列的傳統，例如十字架、聖水、飛刀等道具都能在戰鬥中使用。此外，場景中還設置許多環境陷阱，例如尖刺、火焰與落石等，可巧妙利用這些陷阱來牽制或傷害對手，增加戰鬥的趣味。

然而，儘管這樣的設計頗具創意，但操作體驗卻因為Wii的體感系統而備受批評。許多玩家認為遙控器的操作不夠靈敏，導致動作反應遲鈍，難以執行精確的連段與戰術操作。此外，視角控制與鎖定系統也不夠完善，使得戰鬥過程時常令人困惑。場景設計充滿濃厚的《惡魔城》風格，帶有末世哥德與黑暗奇幻的元素。每個關卡的背景皆取材自系列經典地點，包括：

德古拉城堡：陰森的廳堂與宏偉的建築，充滿詭譎的氣氛。

鐘樓：擁有移動齒輪與狹窄平台的複雜場景，是《惡魔城》系列中的標誌性地點。

地下洞窟：陰暗的地底世界，需小心掉落的岩石與水流的干擾。

教堂：華麗的哥德式建築中，散發出令人敬畏的莊嚴氛圍。

每個場景的設計都非常具有視覺衝擊力，但其中的環境陷阱也使得戰鬥節奏變得更加混亂，有時候甚至會讓玩家覺得過於干擾。

自發售後獲得褒貶不一的評價，尤其是在玩法與操作系統上引發不少爭議。許多評論家對於畫面風格給予正面評價，尤其是角色設計方面，由知名漫畫家小畑健（《死亡筆記本》作者）重新詮釋經典角色，使他們的造型更加時尚且具有個性。但這樣的改動也引起部分傳統粉絲的不滿，認為角色的形象過於浮誇，失去《惡魔城》系列原本的味道。

操作系統則是批評最多的部分。遊戲強調Wii的體感操作，但這樣的設計並不適合格鬥遊戲，導致玩家在戰鬥時經常感到操作不順暢。此外，戰鬥系統缺乏深度，連招與戰略性不足，難以與其他知名格鬥遊戲競爭。儘管如此，遊戲的故事劇情、角色陣容與場景設計仍然受到部分粉絲的喜愛。能夠在同一款遊戲中看到來自不同時代的《惡魔城》角色同台競技，對系列愛好者來說無疑是一種樂趣。

《惡魔城 審判》是充滿實驗性質的作品，雖然它成功將《惡魔城》系列角色與世界觀轉化為3D格鬥遊戲，但受限於Wii體感操作的侷限性以及戰鬥系統的缺陷，使得遊戲未能達到預期的表現。然而，在劇情設定與角色設計方面仍有其亮點，對於喜愛《惡魔城》系列的玩家來說，這是值得一試的作品，特別是其集結多位經典角色的概念，使遊戲具有收藏價值。

Castlevania Judgment is a 3D fighting game developed by Konami for the Wii platform in 2008. It marked the series' first attempt at the fighting game genre. While retaining the classic Gothic style and iconic characters of the Castlevania franchise, the game significantly departed from the original action-platformer gameplay, resulting in highly polarized reviews upon its release.

The story revolves around a time distortion caused by a mysterious and powerful entity known as the Time Reaper. The Time Reaper aims to overthrow history, erase all existence across different timelines, and reshape the future into his own dark vision. To prevent this catastrophe, heroes and villains from various eras of the Castlevania series are drawn into a single timeline, engaging in life-or-death battles.

A new character, Aeon, a time traveler with the ability to manipulate time, plays a pivotal role in the chaos. He gathers characters from across the timeline to confront their inner fears and trials, hoping they can unite to defeat the Time Reaper and restore temporal order. The game features 14 playable characters, including several iconic figures from the Castlevania series:

Simon Belmont: The legendary vampire hunter wielding the Holy Whip, "Vampire Killer."

Alucard: The half-human, half-vampire son of Dracula, determined to oppose the forces of darkness.

Maria Renard: A young hunter skilled in magic and summoning animals.

Trevor Belmont: The powerful warrior from Castlevania III with unwavering resolve and exceptional combat skills.

Carmilla: A female vampire and loyal follower of Dracula, devoted to dark forces.

Dracula: The ultimate antagonist and lord of darkness.

Each character has a unique storyline and motivation. While their journeys begin differently, their ultimate goal is to defeat the Time Reaper and restore the distorted timeline. Interactions between certain characters reveal their rivalries and relationships, adding depth and tension to the narrative.

The gameplay adopts a 3D arena fighting format, incorporating the Wii's motion control system. Players use the Wii Remote to execute light and heavy attacks, while the Nunchuk controller handles character movement, dodging, and guarding.

The system retains traditional Castlevania elements, such as weapon-based attacks, sub-weapons, and special abilities, seamlessly integrating them into the fighting game framework. Each character wields unique weapons and fighting styles—for instance, Simon Belmont's whip offers extensive range, while Alucard uses a sword for swift strikes. Players can unleash flashy ultimate moves when their energy gauge is fully charged, dealing massive damage to opponents.

The game also features a "sub-weapon" system, honoring the series' tradition with items like crosses, holy water, and throwing knives available during battles. Additionally, environmental traps like spikes, flames, and falling rocks are present in the arenas, adding strategic layers to the combat.

However, the motion controls were widely criticized. Many players found the Wii Remote's responsiveness lacking, leading to delayed actions and difficulties in executing precise combos and strategies. The camera angles and targeting system also proved problematic, often causing confusion during fights.

The game's stages reflect the dark, Gothic aesthetics of the Castlevania series, featuring iconic locations such as:

Dracula's Castle: Spooky halls and grand architecture exuding an eerie atmosphere.

The Clock Tower: A complex stage with moving gears and narrow platforms, a signature location in the series.

The Underground Caverns: A dark subterranean world with falling rocks and water streams posing additional challenges.

The Chapel: A majestic Gothic-style cathedral radiating solemnity and awe.

While visually stunning, these stages' environmental traps sometimes disrupted the flow of combat, making battles feel chaotic and overly complicated.

Reception to Castlevania Judgment was mixed. Critics praised its art style, especially the character designs by renowned manga artist Takeshi Obata (Death Note), which gave the characters a stylish and distinctive look. However, some traditional fans criticized the designs as overly flamboyant, arguing that they strayed too far from the original Castlevania aesthetic.

The gameplay mechanics drew the most criticism. The emphasis on Wii motion controls was deemed unsuitable for a fighting game, leading to frequent frustrations during gameplay. Additionally, the combat system lacked depth, with limited combos and strategic elements, making it difficult to compete with other established fighting games.

Despite its flaws, the game's story, character roster, and stage designs appealed to some fans. The opportunity to see Castlevania characters from different eras come together in a single game was a delight for series enthusiasts.

Castlevania Judgment is an experimental title that attempted to translate the Castlevania series' characters and world into a 3D fighting game format. While it showcased creative ideas, limitations in Wii motion controls and its combat system prevented it from meeting expectations. Nonetheless, its narrative and character design remain highlights, making it a game worth exploring for Castlevania fans, especially for its unique concept of uniting iconic characters across timelines.