Since E3 2012, Konami has more or less stayed quiet regarding Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate, the 3DS-exclusive prequel to 2010's Lords of Shadow game. Until now. Today we're able to kick off three days of exclusive footage, highlighting three of the game's four playable characters. As an added bonus, we have Castlevania producer Dave Cox on commentary for our videos, highlighting gameplay mechanics and other features of the game.

Loading

Loading

Loading

Loading

Today we'll show you Simon Belmont's segment of the game, which coincidentally focuses on Mirror of Fate's opening moments. Expect Gabriel Belmont and Alucard footage in the coming days, with Trevor Belmont gameplay coming later in the month.A few details before we get to the footage - the game will shift between character perspectives, and while the overall setting of the game is set in the same place, time can shift dramatically - as Simon's battles take place decades prior to what his ancestors experience. And all in all, this is a self-contained story, one set prior to the events of Lords of Shadow 2. Actions by one character will also impact gameplay, as some areas can only be opened or accessed by through specific abilities.Lastly, a note about the game's XP system. Your progress, which is unlocked in a variety of ways, is character specific and linear, meaning there are no branching selections to make, merely abilities that unlock once you meet a certain level requirement.Dave gets into far more detail in the various commentaries. Keep watching for much, much more on Mirror of Fate.

Rich is an Executive Editor of IGN.com and the leader of IGN's Nintendo team. He also watches over all things WWE, Resident Evil, Assassin's Creed and much more. Follow Rich on Twitter , if you dare!