Castlevania

[Sonic Doctor]

Damn...that bad, huh?

Well, seeing as I myself am a huge fan of Castlevania, I was torn between buying this and Dead Rising 2....I guess I made the right choice to get DR2 yesterday >>

Still, I must ask, how does this compare to Lament of Innocence? That was my all time favourite Castlevania.

Lament is better in alot of ways. The biggest being Lament actually is a Castlevania game. This is a horrible step in the wrong direction, and fair weather fans are the only ones that love it. They're like the weeabos of this series. The only reason it has anything to do with Castlevania is that they force a few reminders of the story into it every now and then. Like, it brings up Mathias, and Vampire Killer, but who doesn't already know all that? I mean, Dracula and the whip have been in almost every single game anyway. No one is gonna forget about them.

The game is just insulting to long time fans, it's insulting to players with that horrible tutorial that stays far too long, and the only way you could like this is if you love playing God of War games. I really don't need Quick Time Events for "mash X to jump a boss' shock wave" in my Castlevania games.

The problem with your statement is it is an opinion. And I will of course follow this with another opinion.

You really can't say that it is insulting to (long time fans.) That is a generalization that tries to say that all long time fans will hate the game. What you should have said it is insulting to you. The reason is that I have been a fan since I had the first Castlevania game on the NES. Lords of Shadow isn't insulting to me, it is quite a refreshing change of pace. I had always wondered when Castlevania games would get us out of that castle and let us do something a little different.

Also, I don't mind the quick time events, and this is coming from someone who despises QTEs. They are done right and appropriately. How else do you expect to get on a boss, or a boss/mount? One button press when he is flashing? It isn't very real that the creature wouldn't try to fight you off, so obviously they put in button interactions to show that resistance.

I applaud Konami for changing it up with this Castlevania game. The did change the controls, a bit, and made it 3d, but it still has atmosphere and feel of Castlevania. Not once have I felt like I wasn't playing a Castlevania game.

People need to open their minds, and stop comparing games to other games. Just because it has a similar control/combat scheme as God of War, doesn't mean it is GoW. There will only be a certain amount of control schemes in the world, so you can't use that as a comparison for a game. And just because Lords of Shadow, isn't a 2d side scroller with some Rpg elements, doesn't mean it isn't Castlevania. It is the subject matter that makes it a Castlevania game, and LoS deals with the same subject matter, enemies and mythologies.

 

[child of lileth]

You really can't say that it is insulting to (long time fans.) That is a generalization that tries to say that all long time fans will hate the game. What you should have said it is insulting to you. The reason is that I have been a fan since I had the first Castlevania game on the NES.

So have I. All of this is just opinion anyway, so I don't see why people try to argue over this and post troll bait anyway. This is the only time I'm gonna reply to this kind of quote. If it really mattered, it would have been quoted long ago anyway, when it was still relevant.

Also, I don't mind the quick time events, and this is coming from someone who despises QTEs. They are done right and appropriately. How else do you expect to get on a boss, or a boss/mount? One button press when he is flashing? It isn't very real that the creature wouldn't try to fight you off, so obviously they put in button interactions to show that resistance.

Bosses regenerate health, just for the QTEs. It's just a time wasting gimmick.

I applaud Konami for changing it up with this Castlevania game. The did change the controls, a bit, and made it 3d, but it still has atmosphere and feel of Castlevania. Not once have I felt like I wasn't playing a Castlevania game.

This isn't the first time they've done it, and maybe you'd know that if you've played the other games. I never said I had a problem with them changing the controls. I said I have a problem with it being God of War, with a darker setting to pretend it's something else.

People need to open their minds, and stop comparing games to other games. Just because it has a similar control/combat scheme as God of War, doesn't mean it is GoW. There will only be a certain amount of control schemes in the world, so you can't use that as a comparison for a game.

There's alot of other options available to them for this game, other than to directly make it God of War combat. As someone earlier in the thread stated, they could have made it feel more eloquent and free flowing, instead of a heavy slow thing that stops every single time you hit something and waits for your next button in the combo. They could have done alot, but God of War was easier for them, apparently.

And just because Lords of Shadow, isn't a 2d side scroller with some Rpg elements, doesn't mean it isn't Castlevania. It is the subject matter that makes it a Castlevania game, and LoS deals with the same subject matter, enemies and mythologies.

No one said that's what it has to be either. I'm just sick of games playing exactly like other games. The cannon, subject matter, and so on barely matter anymore anyway, since so many of the games get retconned and forced back in so often anyway.

 

[shadow skill]

This game is not even god of war. It's scheme most closely resembles Ninja Gaiden right down to the button mapping and even how dodging is controlled. Many of the comments in this thread just demonstrate a whole lot of ignorance. People complain that it isn't Castlevania and then can't even get the game it actually most closely resembles mechanically correct. Pathetic.

 

[FlyAwayAutumn]

Call me vain and shallow if need be, but no Vampire Killer and Bloody Tears is a deal breaker for me. So unless it ends up deep in the bargain bin under the used section, I think I'll just stick to the handhelds.

Sorry but yeah, that is pretty shallow bro. You can't expect every game to re-use old music. Besides I don't think the old music even goes well with this new CV. What with the old music being 16 bit stuff.

Have you played Lords of Shadow? It's not light and heavy attacks it's area and direct attacks, I'll give you area is basically light attack, and direct is basically heavy. But the combat IS fast and smooth I've even grown to prefer it over previous CV titles.

Also stop saying this new CV copied GoW that's a stupid fucking thing to say, there have been previous 3D Castlevanias that have used this same basic configuration. If anything GoW copied CV with the chains. Besides that what does it matter if it's similar to another game? "Oh look this 'Castlevania' bullshit has castles it's copying Tenchu" or some other game that has castles.

Edit: Oh look triple post. Is that a new record?

I played the demo and I'll say it again; the combat feels slow and cumbersome. And anyone can see that they took the GoW approach when designing the combat.

I'm not hating on the game, I'm just extremely disappointed that they took the easy way out with the whip by making it the usual chainblade.

How else would they design the combat though? Disregard the "Light and Heavy" attack layout for a while. How many different ways could they design a Chain Whip so that it's different from GoW?

This game is not even god of war. It's scheme most closely resembles Ninja Gaiden right down to the button mapping and even how dodging is controlled. Many of the comments in this thread just demonstrate a whole lot of ignorance. People complain that it isn't Castlevania and then can't even get the game it actually most closely resembles mechanically correct. Pathetic.

This is how most people think
"Oh look he's using chains it's a GoW ripoff"
"Oh look press x for a certain attack and y for a different type of attack, again GoW"

I know I'm not dodging werewolves and going
"Hey where have I seen this before, oh yeah Ninja Gaiden"

On a whole GoW is more widely known and played over Ninja Gaiden and even though I've played and am pretty familiar with Ninja Gaiden I just don't connect those two games together.

 

[radioactive lemur]

Hideo Kojima is the video game world's equivalent to Shakespeare or Mozart. Very few deny that they are the best at what they do, but even fewer actually seem to want to sit through an entire play/concerto/MGS4 cutscene. Now I happen to love Kojima's cutscenes, but I feel like I'm in a minority.

 

[shadow skill]

Call me vain and shallow if need be, but no Vampire Killer and Bloody Tears is a deal breaker for me. So unless it ends up deep in the bargain bin under the used section, I think I'll just stick to the handhelds.

Sorry but yeah, that is pretty shallow bro. You can't expect every game to re-use old music. Besides I don't think the old music even goes well with this new CV. What with the old music being 16 bit stuff.

Have you played Lords of Shadow? It's not light and heavy attacks it's area and direct attacks, I'll give you area is basically light attack, and direct is basically heavy. But the combat IS fast and smooth I've even grown to prefer it over previous CV titles.

Also stop saying this new CV copied GoW that's a stupid fucking thing to say, there have been previous 3D Castlevanias that have used this same basic configuration. If anything GoW copied CV with the chains. Besides that what does it matter if it's similar to another game? "Oh look this 'Castlevania' bullshit has castles it's copying Tenchu" or some other game that has castles.

Edit: Oh look triple post. Is that a new record?

I played the demo and I'll say it again; the combat feels slow and cumbersome. And anyone can see that they took the GoW approach when designing the combat.

I'm not hating on the game, I'm just extremely disappointed that they took the easy way out with the whip by making it the usual chainblade.

How else would they design the combat though? Disregard the "Light and Heavy" attack layout for a while. How many different ways could they design a Chain Whip so that it's different from GoW?

This game is not even god of war. It's scheme most closely resembles Ninja Gaiden right down to the button mapping and even how dodging is controlled. Many of the comments in this thread just demonstrate a whole lot of ignorance. People complain that it isn't Castlevania and then can't even get the game it actually most closely resembles mechanically correct. Pathetic.

This is how most people think
"Oh look he's using chains it's a GoW ripoff"
"Oh look press x for a certain attack and y for a different type of attack, again GoW"

I know I'm not dodging werewolves and going
"Hey where have I seen this before, oh yeah Ninja Gaiden"

On a whole GoW is more widely known and played over Ninja Gaiden and even though I've played and am pretty familiar with Ninja Gaiden I just don't connect those two games together.

Oh I totally get that, I was just really annoyed at some of the comments in this thread. The controls are only one aspect though, even the same tactics work in this game. I use the throwing daggers the same way I use their equivalents in Ninja Gaiden. (Note that none of this is a bad thing. The game still keeps me on my toes during fights since I have to use the range of the Combat Cross to my advantage and stay away from enemies rather than trying to rush them down.)

Hasn't Belmont always used a chain whip? Though really I wouldn't call that thing a whip, it is more like a Meteor Hammer in the way it is used. That alone makes it very different from Kratos' Chaos Blades which at the end of the day are really just short swords. (Hence Kratos' tendency to just be right in someone's face.)

I just wish that more people would broaden their horizons in a given genre before saying a dev ripped off of a game. Especially when the game is so good in its' own right.

 

[Casual Shinji]

How else would they design the combat though? Disregard the "Light and Heavy" attack layout for a while. How many different ways could they design a Chain Whip so that it's different from GoW?

If you look at what a whip is actually designed to do - frighten and train wild animals - you could easily imagine one or two whip snapping moves that helps you keep the smaller enemies at bay while you're finishing off one of the larger more dangerous ones.

Give us dual weapon combinations where you have your whip in one hand and a sword/dagger/axe in the other. And give the hands an offensive and defensive function. For example, if you hold the whip in your right hand it's used primarily as an offensive weapon while whatever weapon you hold on your left hand is used for defense. And if the whip is in your left hand and your sword/dagger/axe is in your right, ...well, you get the idea.
Just give us a something different from the usual DMC/GoW combat. I like those games, but I'm pining for something different, some grounded less over the top swordplay.

 

[FlyAwayAutumn]

Call me vain and shallow if need be, but no Vampire Killer and Bloody Tears is a deal breaker for me. So unless it ends up deep in the bargain bin under the used section, I think I'll just stick to the handhelds.

Sorry but yeah, that is pretty shallow bro. You can't expect every game to re-use old music. Besides I don't think the old music even goes well with this new CV. What with the old music being 16 bit stuff.

8-bit to be correct. Vampire Killer and Bloody Tears are both from the NES era if I'm not mistaken.

You might be right, though I don't really give two fucks either way.

How else would they design the combat though? Disregard the "Light and Heavy" attack layout for a while. How many different ways could they design a Chain Whip so that it's different from GoW?

If you look at what a whip is actually designed to do - frighten and train wild animals - you could easily imagine one or two whip snapping moves that helps you keep the smaller enemies at bay while you're finishing off one of the larger more dangerous ones.

Give us dual weapon combinations where you have your whip in one hand and a sword/dagger/axe in the other. And give the hands an offensive and defensive function. For example, if you hold the whip in your right hand it's used primarily as an offensive weapon while whatever weapon you hold on your left hand is used for defense. And if the whip is in your left hand and your sword/dagger/axe is in your right, ...well, you get the idea.
Just give us a something different from the usual DMC/GoW combat. I like those games, but I'm pining for something different, some grounded less over the top swordplay.

One you quoted the wrong person by accident
two if that's the kind of gameplay you want you might want to try different titles than Castlevania

I do see what you mean though it's just that I don't see that working with castlevania. I like it the way it is now it works fine and I can't think of another way that would be better. But you know just my opinion I kind of like your idea but I just think that might work as it's own game.

If you look at what a whip is actually designed to do - frighten and train wild animals - you could easily imagine one or two whip snapping moves that helps you keep the smaller enemies at bay while you're finishing off one of the larger more dangerous ones.

Now this part, yes I fucking agree with you I like this idea.

 

[FlyAwayAutumn]

Disregard this post. You see nothing.

 

[pretentiousname01]

Got it, played it, finished it.

pro's
Story was pretty good.
combat worked
Lots of stuff to come back and explore for.
Pretty
good puzzles
Sir Patric Steward is a fantastic voice actor
Variety, the music box level especially.

con's
camera issues
control stick issues.
Most of the upgrades or combo's didn't seem worthwhile.


The chapters don't all have the same amount of levels. Some chapters only have one, some have about 8.

 

[FlyAwayAutumn]

control stick issues.

Yeah like when you go to a new screen and the camera angle changes.

Most of the upgrades or combo's didn't seem worthwhile.

I never used most of the combos, simply because half the time I would get either blind sided, the same monster I'm trying to attack will hit me, or they'll be out of range and I'll be too scared to get closer because then they'll just hit me with no warning.

The chapters don't all have the same amount of levels. Some chapters only have one, some have about 8.

I noticed this too after finally beating the game, the chapters have had anywhere between one and about 9 or so. The ones with not so many levels always have bosses though. I also thought the very first boss (The first lord, the werewolf) was by far the toughest, I had to lower the difficulty to beat him, and every other boss I beat easily on hard mode.

 

[Con Carne]

I really enjoyed C:LoS it was a solid game despite the fact that it ripped small bits from every other game out there, but it did it well. Visually the game was beautiful. The story wasn't awesome, but it was good enough to keep the story flowing and get the characters main objective out there for players to understand immediately. The action didn't get extremely repetitive, the platform sections were fun and kept my attention, and the puzzle solving bits posed a minor-moderate challenge. Also story aside, I really like the epilogue. With the part, where he does the thing, and ends up at that place, and they say some things, and he does another thing, and he's gone lol.

 

[StrangerQ]

The best CV i have played is symphony of the night (got lament of innocent on ps2 but that wasnt that great [tho must admid it had decent look for item beyond reach with new items])

so here's few questions:

1st. Is the item/relic hunting ingame?
2nd. if so is there brain teasers? (for example going top of rock as bat and trough it as wolf to get secret door open )

3rd. How well is story integrated to game and how strong it is
4th. what i have seen lord of shadow looked so much your everyday hack n slash GoW copy... is this true?
5th. are the bossfights hard? (if not i consider not to buy it since one of my happiest memories from playing is to beat boss after many tries to learn its moves)


for some reason these are thing that i need to enjoy castlevania (especially take notice that i'm almost fanatical follower of SotN)

 

[SmilingKitsune]

Why is everyone acting like Hideo Kojima was creative director on the game?
His input was actually pretty limited, he oversaw development, he didn't have a hands on role.
As for the game, I love the look and thought the demo was great, but I'll have to wait a while to get it, due to not having much dispossable money right now and the fact that New Negas is only a couple of weeks away.

 

[dogcat]

Where do I find the Chupacabra (Mountain Fortress) level? What a fucking annoying and unnecessary thing to include in the game.

 

[Veldt Falsetto]

I love Castlevania.
I hate Kojima.
To me this is the equivalent of being forced to watch while an obese man has his way with my girlfriend.

You know he isnt actually doing anything, just watching over the games progress and offering advice to anyone who asks. He personally hasn't even touched the game just because he's involved everyone has just hyped up that he's directing. He's done nothing to the game at all so it's just Castlevania by Mercury Steam advised by Kojima.

 

[FlyAwayAutumn]

The best CV i have played is symphony of the night (got lament of innocent on ps2 but that wasnt that great [tho must admid it had decent look for item beyond reach with new items])

so here's few questions:

1st. Is the item/relic hunting ingame?
2nd. if so is there brain teasers? (for example going top of rock as bat and trough it as wolf to get secret door open )

There are brain teasers in the sense that you don't understand how you're supposed to reach the relic until you know what power you're missing. Also any relics you do have to actually look for are hidden really well.

3rd. How well is story integrated to game and how strong it is

O.K story good enough to keep you interested and there's a really weird plot twist at the VERY end that's foreshadowed for the entirety of the game.

4th. what i have seen lord of shadow looked so much your everyday hack n slash GoW copy... is this true?

Everyone else seems to think so, and while it is similar it's not a bad thing it definitely works well.

5th. are the bossfights hard? (if not i consider not to buy it since one of my happiest memories from playing is to beat boss after many tries to learn its moves)

There are different kinds of bosses
1. Titans - These are skyscraper sized guys that can only be beat by scaling them Shadow of the Collossus style
2. Mini Bosses - These guys don't show up often but they show up more often than the actual bosses and usually have their own chapter to themselves.
3. Bosses - There are only three and those are the three lords of shadow (Lycan King, Vampire Queen, Death) The first one kicked my ass till I was forced to lower the difficulty from hard to medium to get to his next phase. The rest were tons easier by comparison.

for some reason these are thing that i need to enjoy castlevania (especially take notice that i'm almost fanatical follower of SotN)

Don't take this the wrong way but I almost feel like SotN is the only one you've played or at least the one that left the biggest mark on you.

Kojima did leave a little easter egg in the game. After you beat the game, in the extras section you can change Gabriel to look more like Snake (Headband, and "Solid Eye")

 

[Elemental]

Can people please stop calling it a God of War clone? Just because it's the same genre doesn't mean it's a clone ><
If I'll say that every other FPS is a clone of another FPS people would stab me.

And yeah, I fucking LOVE it, finally a great, L-O-N-G game.