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

[Munchy]

Mutltiple Difficulty settings?

That hardly compares to new and interesting costumes.

Uh... I dunno about this. I mean, sure, the LoS games aren't that interesting on multiple difficulty levels because hardly anything is done with them outside of cranking up enemy damage output, and every once in a great while an enemy will have a new attack.

But when done right, more difficulty levels can be goddamn amazing. Bayonetta is a great example, as harder difficulties nearly make it into a completely different game. Enemies are much faster, more aggressive, come in *GASP* different waves, and you have to learn how to dodge and counterattack or die, basically. And this isn't taking into account the Infinity Climax mode, where one ability that saves your ass routinely is taken away, again making you rethink your priorities.

Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia sort of got this right. They still suffer (PoR mostly) from enemies being ridiculous damage sponges, but it was a good step in games that mostly lack for interesting level design. I still think Lament of Innocence did this best with the Crazy mode, as the absence of level-ups meant you could do things in your own order and speed, but the challenge was always there.

The harder modes in the first two LoS games are totally lackluster by comparison. I really hope they rectify this, or some lovely gent rearranges enemies with a PC mod or something.

[Flame]

alternate costumes do not make replay value imo. they are fun, but not necessary to add replay. games like older castlevanias or megaman have replay because they are just good games. its a combination of elements really. and I feel if they play it right, the open world aspect could very well prove to add lots of replay.

[Bergaron]

alternate costumes do not make replay value imo. they are fun, but not necessary to add replay. games like older castlevanias or megaman have replay because they are just good games. its a combination of elements really. and I feel if they play it right, the open world aspect could very well prove to add lots of replay.

Do not trust in the "open world",  will be a Tomb Raider 2013 style "open world" not like Skyrim. To me that is not exactly an "open world". Dave Cox said, here will be some open world exploration but more importantly will remain combat.

[Inccubus]

Uh... I dunno about this. I mean, sure, the LoS games aren't that interesting on multiple difficulty levels because hardly anything is done with them outside of cranking up enemy damage output, and every once in a great while an enemy will have a new attack.

But when done right, more difficulty levels can be goddamn amazing. Bayonetta is a great example, as harder difficulties nearly make it into a completely different game. Enemies are much faster, more aggressive, come in *GASP* different waves, and you have to learn how to dodge and counterattack or die, basically. And this isn't taking into account the Infinity Climax mode, where one ability that saves your ass routinely is taken away, again making you rethink your priorities.

Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia sort of got this right. They still suffer (PoR mostly) from enemies being ridiculous damage sponges, but it was a good step in games that mostly lack for interesting level design. I still think Lament of Innocence did this best with the Crazy mode, as the absence of level-ups meant you could do things in your own order and speed, but the challenge was always there.

The harder modes in the first two LoS games are totally lackluster by comparison. I really hope they rectify this, or some lovely gent rearranges enemies with a PC mod or something.

alternate costumes do not make replay value imo. they are fun, but not necessary to add replay. games like older castlevanias or megaman have replay because they are just good games. its a combination of elements really. and I feel if they play it right, the open world aspect could very well prove to add lots of replay.

It all depends on how these features are executed. For me new costumes that are merely skins and difficulty settings that raise damage output are both super boring and pointless. Especially for someone like me that hasn't got countless hours to spend playing the same adventure over and over.

The best example of how to do difficulty settings right is going to be in the new Super Mario Bros. Crossover 3.0. They actually change the structure of the stages! Easy has less pits, easier jumps, more platforms. Normal is, well, normal. Hard has more pits, harder jumps, less power ups. That there makes me want to play the different difficulty modes. I know something like that would be harder in a big 3D game, but I'm sure they could think of something similar.

And alternate costumes are great if they give you some different abilities, but having completely different characters to play as is even better! Again, SMBC get's it down pat with a ton of characters AND skins that sometimes slightly, sometimes drastically alter a character's base game play.

[Maedhros]

Do not trust in the "open world",  will be a Tomb Raider 2013 style "open world" not like Skyrim. To me that is not exactly an "open world". Dave Cox said, here will be some open world exploration but more importantly will remain combat.

I think he never said open world, dunno, but non-linear. Like Tomb Raider. I hope it's like Dark Souls, where you can explore in any order you want.

[Dremn]

Can't wait for the mods.

[Zetheraxza]

In the interview, Dave Cox cox said that the game will take place 60% in the castle and 40% in the city. Expect LoI/CoD for Castle exploration and Arkham series for the city when it comes down to exploration. I would prefer this as a "non-linear" rather than "open world". Open world to me means huge outdoor lands and day and night cycles like Skyrim, Fallout series and the new MGS5. The game taking place in one night wouldn't really consist of huge exploration even regardless of day and night/weather cycles. Under realistic assumption, expect the game to be big, but not "vast".

[uzo]

In an E3 video he said it would take place mostly in the city... Typical Cox.

[beingthehero]

I wonder if everyone in the city will still be midgets like every person who wasn't Gabriel in LoS.

[Maedhros]

In an E3 video he said it would take place mostly in the city... Typical Cox.

I didn't heard the term "mostly"... link pls?

[crisis]

The game taking place in one night wouldn't really consist of huge exploration even regardless of day and night/weather cycles.

well don't most Castlevania games take place in 1 night anyway..

[uzo]

I didn't heard the term "mostly"... link pls?

I watched way too many E3 videos to be able to tell you. Sorry. I know I watched the GameTrailers feed if that helps. But I saw many other individual interviews for tons of games as well.

[Flame]

That one scene from the trailer where that skull faced monster thing, (who kind of looks like those white wraith things from Darksiders)catches his sword and tosses him, I dunno, but that looks like it might be in the modern setting. Something about the background.

[beingthehero]

well don't most Castlevania games take place in 1 night anyway..

I think OoE took place over days, but that's the exception along with Simon's Quest, uguu

[Kingshango]

We get a few secons of what the modern city looks like in the E3 trailer, it looks like Dracula's castle but with skyscrapers. So it looks like the city itself IS the castle.