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

[crisis]

so when are we gonna see hi-res scans of the artwork/character portraits in los2? iam looking at u, Flame. make it happen boy

[Flame]

Why not. Ill do it later i guess

[Flame]

Alright, here goes nothing...

Keep in mind I have NO idea how you people extract images and art from the game, such as the character entries and shit. Ive seena  few like that around, without that parchment thing going on, but I dunno how to do that, so all you get is a screenshot. All of this is screenshots with fraps.

Here you go. There's some artwork in there too of the stuff I thought was most interesting.

http://postimg.org/gallery/7ndnsute/3f628bc3/?code=3f628bc3

I'm not about to post all 300+ images on here in nice neat spoilers though.

EDIT: forgot one

http://s1.postimg.org/7no40n7j1/CLOS2_2014_04_02_20_29_42_46.png

Agreus stealth section, showcasing what appears to be a more nuanced conceptual design. Where it's actually a platforming/shimmy puzzle.

I'm betting it originally was going to be like that, which explains why the room is full of ledges that don't do anything, and the game fails to tell you you can mist over leaves

[crisis]

excellent work my friend. i mustve been one of the few that had no problem with the agreus section, i breezed past that part in a few minutes 

[Flame]

BTW, just so you know, that isn't ALL the artwork from the game- I mainly picked and chose the ones i felt were most interesting. And skipped a lot of the production art. (storyboards, character model shit etc)

Some things i want to point out.

this
http://s16.postimg.org/yfkvctedf/CLOS2_2014_04_11_19_50_41_03.png

is that underground section with the containers on rails. Which i believe leads to the train section maybe? Ever feel like it's just too bare in game? it's literally just a giant black pit with this boring modern shit over it. Now, looking at this concept art, doesn't it look much better? It actually looks like modern integrated with the old. Like they just stuck a rail transport system on top of some ancient water system.

The train concept art itself looks great, real dark and spooky, although Next Stop: Castlevania is one of the setpieces I don't have a problem with.


then theres these.
http://s16.postimg.org/jtppu794z/CLOS2_2014_04_11_19_57_50_73.png
http://s16.postimg.org/xyviw0i6b/CLOS2_2014_04_11_19_57_55_13.png

both are labeled as "Library", but the second one in particular, I beg to differ. That looks more like some kind of alchemy or ritual setup there.

I THINK there might have been some lab looking images I skipped over, but this really makes me think that a scrapped concept included some kind of alchemy lab or something.

And finally, this.
http://s16.postimg.org/pjjqjqjgj/CLOS2_2014_04_11_20_00_00_58.png

I think it speaks for itself no? If I remember right, the artwork section labels this as torture chamber or something. We missed out on having a legit torture chamber!

Also, the gardens artwork makes me think that the entire area is cut content. There is a LOT of detailed concept art for Agreus gardens, when the final area is really just one large room with a few walls and shit to make it a stealth puzzle. It IS also quite weird when most of the other areas contain at least SOME elements of a level, even Carmilla's wing is a large library with multiple levels and pathways, despite being one big room and an outdoor area. 9which itself has secrets and interesting design)

but Agreus? there's that little way down, a shrine to pan, Agreus' "maze", and the battle arena above. Bit too much artwork for JUSt that, dont you think?

[Maedhros]

Concept arts looking better than the game is pretty usual.

[Flame]

Concept arts looking better than the game is pretty usual.

LoS 1's concept art was pretty, and yet the game itself still looked great, about on par WITH the concept art, even.

Metroid Prime looks about as good as it's concept art.

LoS2 however, looks like untapped potential when compared to it's concept art. It's concept art mostly is better than what's in game. particularly modern sections. The castle still looks amazing, it just suffers from being too short and lacking in content.

[Kingshango]

There's something I've noticed in the game as well regarding missing areas. Ever look in the background areas of the castle and the city and see areas that look explorable? Prime examples being in the City of the Damned and the catacombs where you fought Victor. There are bridges, doors and walkways etc. but you don't actually go there even though it looks like you could. Maybe those were places that were cut from the main game and only served as background area's instead.

[Flame]

There's something I've noticed in the game as well regarding missing areas. Ever look in the background areas of the castle and the city and see areas that look explorable? Prime examples being in the City of the Damned and the catacombs where you fought Victor. There are bridges, doors and walkways etc. but you don't actually go there even though it looks like you could. Maybe those were places that were cut from the main game and only served as background area's instead.

YES, Ive noticed this too. City of the Damned is the BEST example.

i really wish people would crack this game open and reveal it's secrets!

[EstebanT]

YES, Ive noticed this too. City of the Damned is the BEST example.

i really wish people would crack this game open and reveal it's secrets!

Wait... They haven't? So there could actually still be an inverted castle? That statue made me hope...

[Maedhros]

LoS 1's concept art was pretty, and yet the game itself still looked great, about on par WITH the concept art, even.

Metroid Prime looks about as good as it's concept art.

I don't agree.

[crisis]

i thought originally it was said that the castle was rejecting dracula as its master, but in actuality the castle doesnt want dracula to abandon it, because his power gives it life. flip-flop

also in mof i recall the necromancer stealing trevo's combat cross from simo, saying that his master zobek desired it. so why instead does he have gabrio's combat cross in los2? (i dont buy that gabrio's was more special, they are literally identical, both built by gandolfi, same techniques/properties, etc.) flip-flop

also why does victo's combat cross look exactly like the original, when logically it should resemble trevo's if you think about it

[Tanatra]

YES, Ive noticed this too. City of the Damned is the BEST example.

i really wish people would crack this game open and reveal it's secrets!

I'd say this is even more evidence of the hell that this game went through while in development. The unused concept art in the first LoS didn't appear in the main game (remember the Lady of the Forest?) and I'd say it's also possible that these areas were completed, and, much like the Minus World in SMB, just waiting to be found by glitch-hunters.

[Flame]

bigger evidence is how half of these dont seem to be hidden at all. Bridge from Gorgon's lair has that break in the side, and it DOES lead to those invisible shimmy points. It was painfully obvious the first time I played through it, that it SHOULD have gone somewhere. I spend a few good minutes trying to figure out the gimmick to the secret. it MUST lead somewhere, I thought. I gave up eventually and forgot, until i saw that video that detailed the actual secret.

[Ahasverus]

This is super sad. It did felt like the spiritual successor to Soul Reaver at some point.