Topic: "The Dragon Returns" - Castlevania Lords of Shadow Sequel (HERE BE SPOILER INFO)

[Sindra]

Or Yuzo Koshiro.

I'll be sure to bring up your nomination of him when I see him at MAGfest with Kuniyo Yamashita. I'm sure he'll be flattered.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

Hitoshi Sakimoto can make a tune as simple as the boss tune from Gradius:
Gradius (NES) Music - Boss Aircraft Carrier

And make a super arrangement like this:
Gradius V Aircraft Carrier Original Sound Track ( HD )

Therefore, he would be optimal.

[Kingshango]

All I am say, is that the track fits well within the Lords of Shadow series

That is the best way to put it without going into a drawn out arguement that's been beaten to a pulp.

[Inccubus]

Back around Halloween I was playing SCVIV and during the fight with Dracula, the background music reminded me very much of the music playing in the LoS2 trailer. I've already mentioned this, but seeing as the current discussion is about the trailer music of LoS2, perhaps people will actually acknowledge my post this time:

http://www.chapelofresonance.com/media/ost/super-castlevania-iv/24-dracula-battle-bgm.mp3

Note the string instruments. Are the similarities subtle? Definitely, but I didn't have to strain to hear them like I did with the music in LoS that was supposedly inspired by other Castlevania tracks, like "The Waterfalls of Agartha."

I still don't hear it. There's like 3 or 4 notes near the end that sound like they *might* be an homage to SCV4, but the ending theme, not either of the songs during the fight with drac. It kinda also sounds like the Waterfalls of Agarta.  So either he's doing another homage to the same song from SCV4, he's homaging his own remix, or it's coincidence.

I still think this drivel they've decided to use for LoS is bland even for Hollywood fare. It's ok if I'm watching the game, but not to play with. Even the Van Helsing soundtrack would be better than this for background music.

That's pretty much my opinion.

[Rugal]

Digging and trying to find any sign of Castlevania in that music.. Truly remarkable.

[Zetheraxza]

Dave Cox's new twitter profile picture. I wonder who could that be... -_-

[sannyclause]

Dave Cox's new twitter profile picture. I wonder who could that be... -_-

HO HO HO alucard most likely 

[Kingshango]

Dave Cox's new twitter profile picture. I wonder who could that be... -_-

It's Trevor after his very radical plastic surgery by Dracula.

[Chernabogue]

According to Cox, it's from the front cover.

[Ahasverus]

Dave Cox's new twitter profile picture. I wonder who could that be... -_-

SO Trevor

[uzo]

I still don't hear it. There's like 3 or 4 notes near the end that sound like they *might* be an homage to SCV4

That seems to be all that Oscar Araujo is ever willing to put in to an arrangement, given all the examples from his work on the first game's sound track.

[Sumac]

Digging and trying to find any sign of Castlevania in that music.. Truly remarkable.

And surprisingly they found it! 

[Nagumo]

And surprisingly they found it! 

Yes, anywhere but near the LoS soundtrack.   

[RichterB]

Ah, yes, sorry. 
My main gripe is not with sealing, but how it (and another AOS / DOS stuff) was suddenly brought in the story.

Nice to see how people accepting another point of view. 

I'm late to get back, but I see your point. I thought that the demographic focus change and/or jokes went a bit too far in DoS and PoR. AoS, as bizarre as it seems on the surface, is executed largely in a way that elicits intrigue and a sense of ominous, impending danger from a mysterious castle and the search for a new Dracula. As a stand-alone piece, with its international mysticism that works within the series' blending of ideas, it's not so bad. I recall it being the last Metroidvania I enjoyed from beginning to end the first time through (albeit, I skipped OoE out of fatigue with IGA and the Metroidvania style; heck, I even waited a few years to even play DoS and PoR).

As for my "sensationalism" comment on LoS. It was just the bombastic nature of the game. It wanted to prove how much better and "hardcore" it was than IGA's recent entries*, which meant it was going to have serious Hollywood orchestral pieces with little to do with CV's musical cues, Patrick Stewart narrating ad-nauseum about how Gabriel was changing and how clever he, Stewart, was (poor Gabriel, muhahaha!). It was a lot of tell, and not a lot of in-game show. The gameplay segments were all cut up into different genres to be sure to touch on all of the popular games of the current era, including massive giants you have to scale and a history of an ancient race using giant robot-ish weapons as an aside that seemed unnecessary. There were all of these name drops and homages that didn't go anywhere, like Rinaldo being near. And in the end, Belmont is so tough, he doesn't fight Dracula; no, he fights and defeats the devil himself?!?!! And then, secret Kojima-style future ending. It was trying to be this big production, but it felt scattered-brained as it scrambled to say, I'm the Castlevania with so much gravitas. I didn't really feel much emotion from it, and the fact that they focused on trying to force a hollow emotion on me with some "epic" story rather than zeroing in on all the gameplay elements that would be best for reviving CV in 3D bugged me. It wasn't like the Reinhardt and Rosa tale of Castlevania 64, which was woven into the gameplay more and was subtle to drive the gameplay without distracting from it for long periods of time. (The first LoS2 Spike trailer from a while back was concerning enough in how it portrayed a Helm's Deep LoR "epic" super-powered clash).
 
*I'm not saying I was happy with IGA. With CoD, it was clear I was VERY unhappy. But this Hollywood-ization sensationalist junk was just as harmful in a different way. (For Pete's sake, the story was very reminiscent of IGA's LoI, which a lot of people decry, so why is it any more serious and mature? For me, it wasn't even as intriguing or touching of a tale as LoI, which had historical grounding and the tragedy of Rinaldo built into the game's structure. Leon had the more compelling hero's journey for me, as well. Not saying it's perfect, but to say LoS was a big improvement over IGA's LoI in storytelling or tone is a stretch). Keep in mind that I don't think LoS was a horrible game--it had its fun points and was beautiful-looking--but it was a huge missed opportunity in solidifying this CV franchise in 3D for the current age as anything other than an also-ran curiosity. (In that regard, it didn't do much different than LoI in terms of a combo-centric, fixed camera affair; it was more LoI than SCIV, which Cox claimed). The obsession with combos and super powers rather than tight, strategic action-platforming is one of the clearest examples of that. And that's all I have to say. That's as clear as I can explain it at the moment. Now...let's see that new trailer Friday!

[Dremn]

So who's ready for a short 1-2 minute snippet of gameplay this friday?

We still haven't seen a lot from Mirror of Fate, I'm surprised they're showing LoS2 this early.