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

[DoctaMario]

It changes the pace. GoW2 did it better than LoS, though. In LoS the puzzles don't really feel like they should exist, only some blend with the stage theme actually (like the eletric labs one, one of the best puzzles on the game and that makes sense). I don't mind the ones that unlock doors too, they aren't really intrusive. The ones like the Pan one or the chess... I could live without easily.

I like puzzles when they're well done and I thought for thr most part they were in LoS. There weren't really any that I thought weren't enjoyable and it can be a nice way to break things up a bit.

[Maedhros]

I like puzzles when they're well done and I thought for thr most part they were in LoS. There weren't really any that I thought weren't enjoyable and it can be a nice way to break things up a bit.

Good for you.

[DragonSlayr81]

I like puzzles when they're well done and I thought for thr most part they were in LoS. There weren't really any that I thought weren't enjoyable and it can be a nice way to break things up a bit.

I think they add nothing to an action/adventure game other than wasting time. And even when I think about it, puzzles in general(in fantasy games) are kinda stupid. Say you have castle in ancient times. Why would the king have this backbreaking puzzle just to open certain gates or such. Imagine you are put in the shoes of a guard, or even the king. You had too much wine and now you gotta take a leak, but to get to the royal washroom, you have to exit through the sun gate by charging the sun stone at the eastern window, and to get the sun stone, you must solve an intricate puzzle. I know it's all fantasy, but there's really NO logic behind puzzles in fantasy games. Castles and temples would more likely have death traps than puzzles. Hell, for CV, I'd prefer JUST traps. It's not like, to enter the king's chamber, you need to collect the 7 scattered pieces of the queen's gem amulet, place them on a pedistal in order of the colored jewel on each piece corresponding to the place they are on the rainbow(bottom to top on the spectrum) just to open that door. It's simply ludicrious.

Or, LOL, the ones that get me pissed the most. You got three levers(or buttons), and each one has some effect on the other two, so you have to push them in order to get through the puzzle, almost resulting in all the buttons being turned on together, or switches lining up. I could just see the puzzle setter thinking this shit up and explaining it to the high priest or king:

Puzzlemaster: Yeah, see this awesome puzzle. You need to push all these buttons in, and then the door opens! But, the trick is, once you push one in, it pushes another out. You need to do it in a certain order!

King: I think you got too much time on your hands!

 

[Lelygax]

You know that these buttons are a archaic type of password right? We do it all the times in banks and internet xD

[DragonSlayr81]

You know that these buttons are a archaic type of password right? We do it all the times in banks and internet xD

Yeah, but I don't have to search for the tomb of King Arthur and place his crown upon his head to receive one part of the password, defeat three statue guardians to recieve the other part, then align four totems to four constellations to make a key pad appear and type it in before a big boulder smashes me.

And like I said, when it's in RPGs, I don't mind it(for the most part), as the pacing in RPGs(both JRPGs and WRPGs) allow you to take it easy. I also don't mind fetch-questions in RPGs(I know a lot of people hate them). But, for action games, where pacing is faster(considerably), I just don't like them. They ruin the mood for me. If I wanted to play a puzzle game, I would. 

[Flame]

Say you have castle in ancient times. Why would the king have this backbreaking puzzle just to open certain gates or such.

You mean you wouldn't?

It's an effective form of security! Why bother breaking into the castle with the platforming puzzle with spikes and pendulum blades, when the one next door just has a boring ol' gate and scalable wall?

[Pfil]

Actually, I really liked Reverie's puzzles. And that was part of LoS.
The in-game puzzles were OK, too (like the one where you have to push statues).
And, as much as MoF lacked many things in gameplay, I have to say the puzzles were pretty good.

[Dremn]

So where dat new info :V

[Kingshango]

So where dat new info :V

Later tonight.




Probably.

[Chernabogue]

I hope we'll get a new trailer, like the big one we got for LoS1 during the TGS.

[Flame]

You folks seen this? Pretty nice interview with Carlyle and Cox. it's cool to get Carlyle's own insights into the character he's playing.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/09/16/giving-the-dark-lord-voice-castlevania-lords-of-shadow-2-roundtable.aspx

[Intersection]

You folks seen this? Pretty nice interview with Carlyle and Cox. it's cool to get Carlyle's own insights into the character he's playing.

Interesting. It's nice to know we have a voice actor who's manifestly involved with character he's bringing to life.
I would wish, however, for Cox to give a better image of the game he's making. But from what I've read, I don't think he'll go very far:

In Lords of Shadow 2 we wanted more emotion. [...] There’s much more emotion in this game than there was in the previous one for sure.

Well, that's always good to know...?

I’m just thinking of and example right now, on the 3DS game, when Gabriel kills his own son. That scene, I remember, Robert was actually in the studio crying. And we all sat there like, ‘F***.’ It was so emotional. Even now, I’m getting goose bumps. When we deliver our game, we want to give that emotion to the players. When players play the game [we hope] they’re like, ‘I wasn’t expecting that,’ and, ‘I’m really feeling that.’

By the time I'd gathered the courage to get to that scene, my senses had been so dulled by the game that I had become utterly unable to feel. But it's not as if this ending could have inspired anything at all. Well, maybe laughter... yes, that's probably what I was doing. Laughing. But I wasn't happy. I had just realized that the worst VG conclusion I'd seen in years had come from a Castlevania game. I fell asleep, utterly depressed.
And as for "not expecting that"...

Actually, I really liked Reverie's puzzles. And that was part of LoS.
The in-game puzzles were OK, too (like the one where you have to push statues).
And, as much as MoF lacked many things in gameplay, I have to say the puzzles were pretty good.

I actually agree; the MoF puzzles were surprisingly good.
The LoS puzzles ranged from surprisingly interesting (music box) to tragically stupid (light-shadow markers). While LoS has a few truly decent puzzles in it, it should have been more aware of the difference between "puzzle" and "forced trial and error". And some of those puzzles were utterly mindless -- a classic example of a poorly-chosen filler.

[Dremn]

Dang, I expected whatever it was news wise we're supposed to get to be up by now.

[Lelygax]

I’m just thinking of and example right now, on the 3DS game, when Gabriel kills his own son. That scene, I remember, Robert was actually in the studio crying. And we all sat there like, ‘F***.’ It was so emotional. Even now, I’m getting goose bumps. When we deliver our game, we want to give that emotion to the players. When players play the game [we hope] they’re like, ‘I wasn’t expecting that,’ and, ‘I’m really feeling that.’

So he wants us to cry while playing this game and we to be like "I wasn't expecting that". They already did it since LoS1 with me for the wrong reasons.

[Flame]

By the time I'd gathered the courage to get to that scene, my senses had been so dulled by the game that I had become utterly unable to feel. But it's not as if this ending could have inspired anything at all. Well, maybe laughter... yes, that's probably what I was doing. Laughing. But I wasn't happy. I had just realized that the worst VG conclusion I'd seen in years had come from a Castlevania game. I fell asleep, utterly depressed.
And as for "not expecting that"...

Really? I really liked Trevor's ending. I felt like it was really well presented. I felt the emotion. I mean, i didn't cry or anything, but it was IMO, well acted, and for all the shortcomings of MoF's cutscenes, I thought that one in particular did well enough.