As expected, the rumours were true: Castlevania is coming to the Nintendo 3DS. Titled Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate, the game was announced via the front cover of Nintendo Power magazine (seen below). And, true to the rumour, it’s being developed over at Mercury Steam, by the minds behind Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.

Details over at About.com paint a good picture of how Mirror of Fate will play. The focus is on non-linear exploration in mostly 2.5D environments, with occasional shifts to full 3D environments. Yes, that means the tradition of 2D sprites in portable Castlevania titles is behind us, as Mirror of Fate is rendered in 3D. The story is set some twenty five years after Lords of Shadow, players now controlling Trevor Belmont as he seeks out Dracula. Trevor won’t be the only playable character, however, let alone the only Belmont. The game will switch between four characters throughout the experience, including Trevor’s descendant Simon Belmont, as the game’s story stretches across a long period of time. Each character possesses their own unique abilities, such as Trevor’s whip and Simon’s power to summon guardians, using said abilities to reach areas of the same castle inaccessible by the others.

Castlevania: Mirror of Fate is expected to show up at E3 2012, and may make an appearance during Konami’s pre-E3 2012 press video, scheduled to screen in a couple of days.