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

[Lelygax]

I think that everyone is coping with this situation as they can. Be sure that Im making all these jokes but Im not happy with this actual situation, Im doing this to try to forget and to make people feel better. I know that some people doesnt need to do that, since they really liked this game, but I need this for sure.

[Zetheraxza]

I personally found Castlevania diluted when it become a typical PG Animu. I'm tired of all the Characters looking like this.



Igarashi made a huge mistake by focusing the series on the Japanese Audience when the series wasn't that popular in the West anyways and that was his final card. Like most Anime, they don't look outside the damn box anymore. I thought I grew up but no, Anime just used the same damn cycle with their themes and like Igarashi, he did the same. Hideo too is a Japanese Developer but what makes him renowned amongst other great Japanese Developers? Simple, he watches not just Japanese or Hollywood entertainment but other Foreign Media as well. He has many things to inspire from and therefore he got to the top. But Konami has screwed IGA too. They put their faith on him too much without giving him adequate budget. Miracles don't just happen all the time. That's why we call them miracles. You can't expect SotN to happen all the time. If they gave him enough budget and Iga did more research on Directing, Writing and Inspiration, Castlevania would've been in the same league as MGS. Truth is, there is more market for Video Games in the West and that's why MGS still thrives 'til this day because the main hero is American and has guns but innovative since it is stealth which many games were not at the time like "Thief". IT'S 'MURICAN. And that's what Castlevania was always supposed to be since it's dawn if it was a game of today. A Dark Gothic Conan Vampire Fantasy Action that used fighting yet no button mashing. Elder Scrolls, Dark Souls... Lords of Shadow. That is what Castlevania should've been today and if it had that kind of transition since 1997, it would've been in the same league or perhaps even greater than MGS. But no, it started targeting Japanese Audience and that was their doom. Castlevania is a Western themed game developed by the Japanese, and if it stayed that way it wouldn't have had it's lows by having bishie Belmonts and DMC clone gameplay.

[Flame]

They put their faith on him too much without giving him adequate budget.

Hasn't IGA said himself that CV games get above average budgets?

If that's true, then he was mis-spending money.

Probably wasting it on ripping Rondo assets out.


Side note, someone REALLY should go on twitter and ask Cox about why loS is suddenly branded Akumajo Dracula in Japan.

I'm pretty sure any guess we make would likely be close enough, (mainly, marketing reasons) but I'd love an actual official answer. Or as close as he can give.

PS: Jorge! you should add "PC" to the LoS2 like icon!

[Lelygax]

I personally found Castlevania diluted when it become a typical PG Animu. I'm tired of all the Characters looking like this.

Theres not wrong with Keichi! Auu~!

[Intersection]

I can assure you that my posts are tempered intersection. You might note that my whole post started with how much I like Pfil. She's a nice girl and a passionate cv fan. I think very highly of her.

With all do respect I find it offensive for Pfil to imply that fans of LOS know nothing about castlevania. THAT is a BS comment to make, and I stand by what I wrote. I couldn't care less to know what information you wish to get out of my posts Intersection.

I can assure you that LOS was made to appeal to CV fans. I experienced a genuine cv out of it and noticed nods to Cv4 as well as other games. You're not going to convince me that LOS was developed without CV fans in mind. That idea is absurd.

And I didn't start the 'I've been here longer than you argument". Pfil said that LOS fans know nothing about older cv games. I was merely citing myself as proof that that statement is false and again, presumptuous.

And just so you know, I am a fan of many IGA games, so please don't assume that I am not simply because I also enjoy LOS.

By going on to a LOS sequel thread, and doing nothing but bash the games, and mock the development team, you are bound to start to annoy some people.

And by the way, I thought about calling myself rude, and then I thought better of it.

*Sigh*
Ordinarily, I'd never get into discussions like this one. Especially on a forum like this, I try to avoid conflict to the best of my abilities -- and I expect others to follow suit... That's probably why I posted in the first place. But, in any case, I shouldn't have. You caught me in a particularly bad mood; I saw red.
Yet some of my remarks still hold true: I may be of of the last to think so nowadays, but I see a difference between "I don't agree at all", or "that's inaccurate", and "there's so much bs in this post". I see a difference between "it lacks foresight" and "it's presumptuous and downright stupid". I see a difference between "that isn't appropriate here" and "that's rude". You probably meant as much, and I must have overreacted; but if I could be allowed to give any advice, I'd ask you to try to avoid unnecessarily inflaming a discussion by keeping your expressions tame. Don't get me wrong -- I'm not trying to impose upon you what I feel you should or shouldn't be writing. Yet I feel that misunderstandings such as these could easily be avoided if we could all avoid making our posts feel more aggressive than they actually are...
But for the moment, act as if I'd never posted beforehand. It doesn't help anything, and I should have realized that.

I'll share a few of my thoughts now, though:
- I still don't think LoS was conceived entirely with classic CV fans in mind. Cox's intentions were far from being a mystery: he had intended, among other things, to bring Castlevania into the mainstream market. And that would involve, he noted, unconventional choices.
- I'm perfectly convinced that many, long-time fans were brought back to the series with LoS; but you can't deny that many more were attracted to the MercurySteam's new blockbuster reboot without exactly knowing much of the series' heritage. I know there to be many new LoS-crazed fans who don't hold Castlevania's past games in particularly high regard.
But that isn't, of course, true for all of LoS's fans (that'd include me ). Far from it.

[e105beta]

I still don't think LoS was conceived entirely with classic CV fans in mind. Cox's intentions were far from being a mystery: he had intended, among other things, to bring Castlevania into the mainstream market. And that would involve, he noted, unconventional choices.

And 9/11 was an inside job?

I'm tired of hearing this. We have a complete explanation, both how and why this isn't true, that can't be explained away by "Cox lied, series died". Why can't people accept that this was originally supposed to be a CV1 remake?

[Flame]

having cv4 in recent memory, i get huge cv4 vibes from los. And considering it was originally a cv1 remake, that is unsurprising. moreso given Cox's declared affinity for the game.

[Intersection]

And 9/11 was an inside job?

I'm tired of hearing this. We have a complete explanation, both how and why this isn't true, that can't be explained away by "Cox lied, series died". Why can't people accept that this was originally supposed to be a CV1 remake?

Here's what I had written: "I still don't think Lords of Shadow was conceived entirely with classic CV fans in mind". I didn't assert that it wasn't conceived with them in mind at all. I had meant to indicate that MercurySteam was also targeting an altogether different audience for its Castlevania entry, one whose adherence would help the franchise regain a prominent position in the gaming industry.
At this point, there's little room for doubt: Lords of Shadow moved Castlevania much closer to the expectations of the modern gaming market. The many comparisons that emerged between LoS and some of the industry's leading franchises were no coincidence. Many of the changes LoS made to CV's style were admittedly intended to draw the attention of a larger, more diverse gaming audience. Now, don't get me wrong here: I'm in no way advancing that it was a bad choice; I was just explaining what I find to be an interesting trend in the series.

So I'm not quite sure what you disagree with.

And I don't believe I'd ever mentioned anything about Cox lying. If he does, that isn't really my concern. 

Flame:
What moments in particular reminded you of SCIV? I didn't find the two games to have that much in parallel, if not for the trademark whip swing...

[Neobelmont]

Castlevania Lords of Shadow - Simon Belmont Concept

This was the original pitch so..... Ehh I like los it was a mix of simons quest and most of all belmont's revenge( it comes off to me as fantasy take a look at crystal castle for instance. More so than horror like los in some parts)

[e105beta]

Here's what I had written: "I still don't think Lords of Shadow was conceived entirely with classic CV fans in mind". I didn't assert that it wasn't conceived with them in mind at all. I had meant to indicate that MercurySteam was also targeting an altogether different audience for its Castlevania entry, one whose adherence would help the franchise regain a prominent position in the gaming industry.
At this point, there's little room for doubt: Lords of Shadow moved Castlevania much closer to the expectations of the modern gaming market. The many comparisons that emerged between LoS and some of the industry's leading franchises were no coincidence. Many of the changes LoS made to CV's style were admittedly intended to draw the attention of a larger, more diverse gaming audience. Now, don't get me wrong here: I'm in no way advancing that it was a bad choice; I was just explaining what I find to be an interesting trend in the series.

So I'm not quite sure what you disagree with.

And I don't believe I'd ever mentioned anything about Cox lying. If he does, that isn't really my concern. 

Well I believe I need to apologize. I missed the word "fans", and thought you were making the claim that the game wasn't originally conceived with Castlevania in mind. My mistake.

I actually agree with you: the game wasn't conceived with classic Castlevania fans in mind, it was designed to broaden the audience, but I know a lot of Classicvania fans (myself included) appreciated the game's return to an older theme/aesthetic.

[Dremn]

Yea, there are definitely certain things about LoS that I appreciate as a fan of the older aesthetics pre-SotN.

[Lelygax]

What is similar to Simon's Quest in Lords of Shadow?

[Kingshango]

What is similar to Simon's Quest in Lords of Shadow?

I guess he means the traversal aspect of the game, starting from a village, to forest, ancient ruins, abandon fortress's and finally ending up at the castle. ( I know the game technically ended in the land of the dead but still)

[Lelygax]

So I think its more close to a CV3 without partners to help or SCV4. In LoS you dont need to talk with people to discover new things, you dont need to backtrack, its stage-to-stage while CV2 isnt and it doesnt have a time limit or day/night system.

But I can be wrong, so thats why Im asking that, because I dont know what is similar to CV2 apart from the armor being similar in color with Simon's armor in CV2.

[Zetheraxza]

I wish LoS2 had a Day and Night Cycle and had a text prompt saying "What a Terrible day for a Sunshine" And all the Brotherhood Paladins go Hardcore Crazy.

Being a Hardcore Castlevania fan by the way, if I had the rights to Castlevania back in 2009, mine would've been something as completely new as LoS. Why do I have to follow the same damn pattern if I'm rebooting the series. SotN wasn't made with "Castlevania" esthetics and gameplay so SHUDDUP!