Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness is the prequel to 1998's Castlevania on Nintendo 64, the first game in Konami's seminal vampire-hunting series to feature 3D graphics. Players guide a mysterious character named Cornell from a third-person viewpoint while advancing through 14 levels in Wallachia, Transylvania. The setting takes place eight years before the events from the first N64 game, and players will revisit many of the same areas in and around Dracula's castle.
Lead protagonist Cornell is an unusual Castlevania hero due to his ability to transform into a werewolf. The man-beast is forced into action after finding his village engulfed in flames and his sister Ada kidnapped for some diabolical purpose. With a hunger for vengeance and a thirst for blood, Cornell must track his sister's scent and save her from whatever accursed creature may have abducted her.
Along the way, players will battle skeletons, vampires, dragons, lizardmen, and other monsters before eventually confronting the legendary Dracula in his castle. Jewels left behind by fallen enemies allow Cornell to transform into a wolf or to replenish stockpiles of holy water, crosses, axes, and knives. Time is once again an important element in the game. Players can acquire moon and sun cards to alter time, allowing them to solve puzzles or to trigger events otherwise unavailable at night or during the day.