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

[crisis]

HOHOHO that theme woulda been perfect for when Gabriel was being attacked by those vampires in the castle (the part where you have to whip the curtains to reveal the sunlight)

[RichterB]

well for one, we actually get to know the character that becomes Dracula. He isn't just a 2 dimensional footnote in the manual of the game who shows up for a few minutes before the final boss and then leaves after a grand speech about his woes and miseries and how he curses God for shit.

With all due respect, personally, I didn't get to know him any better than Mathias, who was in the opening narration besides the booklet and ending. Patrick Stewart told us almost everything about Gabriel through narration, as well (poor, poor Gabriel, etc, etc). His relationship with his wife wasn't any better established. All I saw was a vengeful dude who thought he was being a hero, and then decided to be Dracula. With LoI, the Belmont clan was established through Leon, whom we really saw develop from a impulsive and naive knight who thought he could tackle any foe (used to having Mathias cover him with his tactics), to someone who sees his limitations and pledges to overcome them with the help of, and for the additional sake of, Rinaldo. He rescues his wife only to see her turned into a vampire and then sacrificed to fight the evil that has cursed them all. As I'll mention in a minute, this served the dual purpose of establishing Dracula, too, through another's eyes.

The parallel of losing his wife as Mathias lost his, and yet refusing to join his friend in his grief and revenge establishes the Dracula/Belmont rivalry pretty well in the social-historical background of the Crusades and pseudo-science/magic of alchemy, even if unconventionally, whereas the unconventional stories about the Lords of Shadow and the devil and the Brotherhood of Light in a unclear fantasy timeframe all seem like an origin story for something other than Dracula or Castlevania. LoI's story establishes Dracula's origin character as a man who not only served and was betrayed by what he felt was a holy cause, but had the background of a commander and a dabbling magician/alchemist, which fit into what we've seen with the Castelvania world's Dracula over the years in-game and in text prologues. In this indirect manner, through a Belmont's eyes, it established a Dracula better than Gabriel's Dracula, who has an abrupt turn after you've played him pretty clearly as a hero throughout the game. A tortured, manipulated hero (manipulated by some kind of mask no less), but a hero all the same. The turn to the Dark Side doesn't hit me right.

LoI just worked as a better "Castlevania" origin story for me. By the end of the in-game LoS (pre-DLC) we don't even have a full turn to Dracula or the impending conflict, except a bizarre future scenario where Dracula is going to fight the devil. Additionally, from a Castlevania standpoint, LoI helped serve up some origins for the weapons hidden around the castle from fallen adventurers and the villain's "game," established Medusa, and had some characters of interest such as Joachim and Rinaldo. Rinaldo in of himself, and how his daughter's tragedy fit into the story, was more compelling than any narrative element of LoS. But I'm rambling now.

Those are just my thoughts. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but all I'm saying is I don't think it's as clear-cut as people make it out to be. And we can all talk about how IGA's stories tended to have some "emo" in them, but LoS is incredibly angsty and melodramatic, and not in a sympathetic, endearing way. Particularly with what they've been trying to sell in MoF's newer trailer.

Plus, LoS is missing that moment of triumph: "I'll hunt you and the night!"

Well, how about that new LoS2 trailer soon...

[Dengo vlad tepes]

how many hours left until the show start ?

[DragonSlayr81]

Those are just my thoughts. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but all I'm saying is I don't think it's as clear-cut as people make it out to be. And we can all talk about how IGA's stories tended to have some "emo" in them, but LoS is incredibly angsty and melodramatic, and not in a sympathetic, endearing way. Particularly with what they've been trying to sell in MoF's newer trailer.

I think that's kinda true. Sometimes it seems like the whole Vanilla Ice thing trying to justify how Ice Ice Baby's beat is different than Queen's Under Pressure:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s0hEi8zhmg

[A-Yty]

Why does Vanilla Ice get taken down for sampling that when lots of other, bigger performers do the same thing (or worse)?

Madonna - Hung Up [Confessions On a Dance Floor Album]
Abba - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)

[Sumac]

Thing is, the wording in your posts imply quite a bit of a lack of respect and empathy towards others.

I respect people who deserved respect in my opinion. Generally, I treat people indifferently,  without any malice.
As for empathy: we all live in the real world and it should be obvious, that people have different opinion on the things. And if someones opinion doesn't go along with yours, it is not a reason to boil from rage or hate one who stated different opinion. Besides, I don't see how personal opinion about movie / song / game can deeply hurt someone's feelings. Empathy and everything is good, but there is fine line between empathy and overblown tolerance.
Mature person should accept, that someone have different opinion and move on. There is no reason to be at each other necks because we see things differently.

[Neobelmont]

Hey guys here is something

oscar debardeleben‏@the_odizzle

@CastlevaniaLOS In LOS2 will we be able to brutally eradicate Gabriel's self righteous descendants on a grand scale #slaughter
 


Dave Cox‏@CastlevaniaLOS

@the_odizzle - You will go head to head with a new Belmont...how brutal you are is up to you
 

So a whole new belmont altogethter?

[flyingchai]

Hey guys here is something

So a whole new belmont altogethter?

I'm betting on a badass female Belmont NOT named Sonia.

[crisis]

HOHOHO i'm betting on an amalgam of Richter & Maxim, just because

[uzo]

I'm betting on a badass female Belmont NOT named Sonia.

So far as women have been depicted in the LoS universe, she will end up accompanying Sypha in Trevor's kitchen, as exemplified by the Story Trailer for Mirror of Fate. Alverez and Cox will only let them be badass at baking cake and mopping floors (or getting murdered).

[Nagumo]

Sumac, when looking at how you act all the time in regards to other people's opinions, I don't think you deserve to tell people what is and what isn't mature.

[Melanicus]

Given that I'm sure part of LoS 2 will deal with what happens after LoS's epilogue, and the epilogue's modern day setting, I'd put my money on Julius.

[Sumac]

So, in LOS2 you play as Dracula and kill Belmonts? Nice. 

Sumac, when looking at how you act all the time in regards to other people's opinions, I don't think you deserve to tell people what is and what isn't mature.

I at least I am not creating downvoting campains. 

[uzo]

I at least I am not creating downvoting campains. 

You must have missed the part where it was all self inflicted.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

"I don't know you, therefore your opinion is worthless to me and I will treat you with the disdain of roadkill on a major highway.  But I mean no disrespect, that's just the way you are.  You can either take the disdain and like it, or voice your opinion about it, in which case, refer to this first sentence."
...
"WHY AM I GETTING DOWNVOTED?  I DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

Which is why I still say you haven't learned.  People don't owe you their respect when you don't start having any for them in the first place.  And the world does not work that way.  In the real world, you have a default level of respect and acceptance for people, which then diminishes or is augmented depending on your interactions with them.  It's not "I have zero respect for strangers until they earn it", which is what is emanating from the implication of your posts.

The fact that you haven't gotten that through your head in the months since it was brought up to your attention leads me to believe there's some kind of disconnect, here.

I'm saddened that we're doing this song and dance again.

----

Back on topic, Sypha's role is greatly diminished, which is too bad.  There was potential to have her as more than just 'random wife'.  Then again, there's a tiny glimmer of hope from me ('cuz I'm a hopeful gamer fan, haha) that there'll be some DLC with her having a more prominent role... but even this, might be like the afterthought "Richter/Maxim/Joachim" modes.  If it even does happen.  Still, cool trailer!