The objective of Lament of Innocence is to lead the primary player character and protagonist Leon Belmont through the monster-filled castle as he searches for his kidnapped beloved.[4] Exploring the castle is an open-ended task, with puzzles, concealed items and rooms, and bosses.[5] A room near the castle's entrance contains portals to the five main areas, all of which are accessible from the beginning.[6] After Leon defeats each area's boss, the final area becomes unlocked.[6] Health restoratives and items to improve gaming statistics such as strength and defense can be purchased with in-game money from a shop on the castle grounds.[7]
For his primary weapon, Leon makes use of the Whip of Alchemy given to him by a non-player character, the shopkeeper named Rinaldo.[8] Later on, Leon can acquire three more whips, each guarded by an elemental boss: the Ice, Lightning, and Fire Elemental Whips.[7] Near the end of the game, his Whip of Alchemy turns into the more destructive Vampire Killer.[7] In addition, Leon can combine one of five sub-weapons—a knife, an axe, a cross, a crystal, and holy water—with one of seven orbs to form a special attack.[7] Over the course of the game, he learns special techniques and magic attacks as well.[4]
Two additional player characters can be unlocked: the new character Pumpkin, and Joachim, a vampire who appeared earlier in the game as a boss.[9] Pumpkin makes use of Leon's whip as the primary weapon and only one sub-weapon, has all whip and defensive skills prelearned, and does more damage than Leon.[9] In contrast, Joachim uses five flying swords as his primary weapons; he lacks an inventory and the ability to use relics and purchase items from Rinaldo's shop. However, Joachim has access to two magic attacks in the place of sub-weapons.[9]
