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

[crisis]

OPPAM GANGNAM STYLE

[Neobelmont]

How has this become a castlevania and dark souls debate? 

[Black Cat]

That's what MS gets for not giving us a real gameplay video.

[Neobelmont]

OPPAM GANGNAM STYLE

What?

[Kingshango]

Well I know one thing, it's definitly a far cry from the Lords of Shadow unveiling. Now everything is confusing.

[Maedhros]

LoS 2 trailer was so underwhelming next to Dark Fucking Souls 2. LOL.

[RichterB]

How has this become a castlevania and dark souls debate? 

Probably due to how little the trailer showed. It didn't particularly show how the game was going to be different than the first. At first glance, the castle areas didn't look much different, visually or structurally, than in the latter part of LoS1 from what was shown. Gameplay showed us some biting and sword play, but that's not exactly what was missing from LoS1. It seemed like there were some finishers with the sword, probably QTEs, which was a no-no the first go around. Meantime, we get the complaints from Robert Carlyle's "Dracul" (who sounds very sympathetic ), and glimpses of a skin-and-bone Dracul, a Gabriel-looking Dracul, and a modern city area out of Infamous or DMC.

They are really putting a lot of their bets on the fact that people will be drawn in by an anti-hero Dracula who has amnesia and delusions of grandeur. Oddly enough, this game (and to a lesser extent MoF) is being sold on STORY. It doesn't make a lot of sense, especially when you're getting TV time, unless you're going after new crowds or people introduced to CV by LoS1. The CV crowds here would really want to see some evidence of Castlevania gameplay, music, monsters, level design, or something beyond the fundamental basics of what LoS was like. (Which wasn't a unifying experience for the fanbase in of itself).

Even though I think MoF is mixing contradictory gameplay styles and overdoing the melodrama, I think at first glance, it makes more of a Castlevania impression than LoS2. That said, neither of the new games has won me over.

PS: trailer's been taken down from earlier in this thread.

[DragonSlayr81]

(PS: I've seen the Dark Souls comments on these threads for a while, and even with the Dark Souls II trailer, I don't think it screams Castlevania so much as dungeon-crawling medieval swords 'n' sorcery. It's pretty-looking, and I feel the frustration toward LoS2, but Dark Souls isn't "Castlevania" either).

(PPS: The games industry has really devolved into a hollow Hollywood wannabe. It's pretentious shock theater that perpetuates and supports a ridiculous stereotype of gaming. Watching this Spike stuff is hard to do...)

Visually, DS doesn't even look like CV. It would probably be more fairer a comparison to say DS is a modern interpretation of Wizards & Warriors(without the kangeroo jumping ability, which was pretty much the bulk of what you did in the W&W games, bounce and bounce and bounce everywhere).

As for the Hollywood thing, I never got the appeal. Though, as far as music is concerned, I never understood how people could generalize "epic sounding music" as being the ONLY type of Hollywood/movie-like music. If anybody has seen as much movies as I have(and that's not braggging, I'm sure all of you have), it's quite apparent that all scores vary in style. Not all bank on the same style or approach. Not all are LotR-esque, Williams-esque or Zimmer-esque. Sometimes they go for a different approach. Sometimes they DO ad a more progressive flair, or a brillaintly composed soft jazz route. Others are more rock oriented, chugging beats and electric guitar motif, and others go for more syth/eletronica, cold mechanical sounds. The point being, I see a lot of people saying that only one style is representing of the whole, when it clearly isn't, nor is it the ONLY fitting way to convey atmosphere and emotion. It HAS been said many times that the music in LoS might not have the classic CV flair, but it's the only style of music that can be used given LoS's "epic" style. IMO, maybe one of many styles that can do it justice, but the sole and proper one, puh-lease.

As for the trailer, I agree with those who fet it to be underwhelming. Gabriel Belmont's overacting(note I said Gabriel, not Robert Carlyle) at the end is laughable.

[thernz]

even if it takes an eternity, they will pay
-gabriel bommont

If it takes an eternity, they're not going to pay, though.

[Ahasverus]

even if it takes an eternity, they will pay
-gabriel bommont

If it takes an eternity, they're not going to pay, though.

ultra loooool

Maybe he's accepting credit?

[RichterB]

Visually, DS doesn't even look like CV. It would probably be more fairer a comparison to say DS is a modern interpretation of Wizards & Warriors(without the kangeroo jumping ability, which was pretty much the bulk of what you did in the W&W games, bounce and bounce and bounce everywhere).

As for the Hollywood thing, I never got the appeal. Though, as far as music is concerned, I never understood how people could generalize "epic sounding music" as being the ONLY type of Hollywood/movie-like music. If anybody has seen as much movies as I have(and that's not braggging, I'm sure all of you have), it's quite apparent that all scores vary in style. Not all bank on the same style or approach. Not all are LotR-esque, Williams-esque or Zimmer-esque. Sometimes they go for a different approach. Sometimes they DO ad a more progressive flair, or a brillaintly composed soft jazz route. Others are more rock oriented, chugging beats and electric guitar motif, and others go for more syth/eletronica, cold mechanical sounds. The point being, I see a lot of people saying that only one style is representing of the whole, when it clearly isn't, nor is it the ONLY fitting way to convey atmosphere and emotion. It HAS been said many times that the music in LoS might not have the classic CV flair, but it's the only style of music that can be used given LoS's "epic" style. IMO, maybe one of many styles that can do it justice, but the sole and proper one, puh-lease.

I think that style of music has been used in so many of the big blockbuster Hollywood movies in recent years that it's become a generalization of "Hollywood" music, and LoS has always wanted to be on that level, trying to be a "Batman Begins" of Castlevania. Hence why that comes up. But you make a good point, and I'd like to be so brave as to add one thing. When you talked about the inclusion of rock and jazz and such, that's exactly what makes Castlevania's aural experience so critical. The kind of locations one finds themselves in during the series typically have a complementary or contrasting sound to add a disorienting and/or more organic feel. Hearing rock fusion in a dungeon in SotN is an example of the disorienting contrast, and SCIV's water ruins use jazz to bring out the organic surroundings of the flowing water. These subtle things mean a lot more to developing a mood, be it curious or creepy, than booming horns and chanting choruses. Last caveat: Castlevania has used music to match the rhythm of the game design, and the choppy and beat-em-up nature of LoS to this point means you have to sew things together with one overarching orchestra to make it seem coherent and bigger than it is; at least, that seems to be the idea.

EDIT: Did Jorge comment yet on the trailer?

[Ahasverus]

Updated OP with screens and some info, still waiting for the trailer though.

[Neobelmont]

Updated OP with screens and some info, still waiting for the trailer though.

beat me to it.

[crisis]

ohohoh the trailer was removed already? that's funny cuz i still have the youtube page open when it was first put up & i've been watching it over & over (the cache expires once i close it tho, i think) but it's shit quality compared to when it premiered on my glorious HD 1080p

What?

[Little Dracula]

Trailer

http://www.gametrailers.com/full-episodes/brp2y4/video-game-awards-2012-vga-2012--part-3---the-last-of-us

frikin amazing.