Topic: Lords of Shadow, 6 years later

[Claimh Solais]

People keep going on about Patrick Stewart, yes he's a good actor, a decent narrator, but does nothing for the series. (Since when did CV need a fucking narrator?)

It never needed it, but what exactly is wrong with it? The only mandatory narration is the one in the opening cutscene. All of the rest of them are simply there during loading screens, and once the stage fully loads, you can skip it if it isn't finished yet.

My only issue with the narration is that it made it extremely obvious that Zobek was a villain. I would have preferred if Gabriel had narrated the game. It could have been used as a way to really flesh out his character if we knew his thoughts on the situation from himself. Rather than just saying he has doubts about his quest, or things don't make sense, we'd understand why. It's why I really enjoyed the narrations for the DLC chapters: Gabriel was the one narrating.

I guess I can kinda understand why it'd be a bad thing since most of the story is told through the narrations and notes, but there's nothing inherently wrong with it. Without the narrations, there's still just about as much story as any other 'vania (except stretched out over 15+ hours rather than 5 or less lol).

I don't like LoS2. Its combat and its big confusing map.

The only thing I don't like about the combat was the over-reliance on the weapon switching to make battles harder. They'll constantly throw enemies at you that require you to break through their guard with the Chaos Claws, but if you're low on magic, they're just a major pain in the ass. Also wasn't a big fan of the Void Sword being the only way to heal outside of Health Fonts (or blood fonts or whatever they were in LoS2) since taking damage wasn't all that difficult with how often enemies spam their unblockable attacks in LoS2.

[zangetsu468]

It never needed it, but what exactly is wrong with it?

What you've written below hits the nail on the head.
I know it is a blockbuster game, but the highly 'briticised' accent, the tone of the narration just doesn't suit Castlevania to me.
You know what it would suit, a game such as Dragon's Crown, or Trine, or something with a more 'olde english feel to it'.
You know what else it suits? Comedy! He was a fucking brilliant narrator in TED.

My only issue with the narration is that it made it extremely obvious that Zobek was a villain. I would have preferred if Gabriel had narrated the game. It could have been used as a way to really flesh out his character if we knew his thoughts on the situation from himself. Rather than just saying he has doubts about his quest, or things don't make sense, we'd understand why. It's why I really enjoyed the narrations for the DLC chapters: Gabriel was the one narrating.

This, spot on.
Gabriel's grit and slight roughness to his voice made him the superior narrator imo.
I once read a comment about someone wishing the main game hadn't been narrated by "Gabriel's gay stalker" and lol'd

I guess I can kinda understand why it'd be a bad thing since most of the story is told through the narrations and notes, but there's nothing inherently wrong with it. Without the narrations, there's still just about as much story as any other 'vania (except stretched out over 15+ hours rather than 5 or less lol).

I would have rather a darker voice, or a wall of text. Hearing a voice can just get old sometimes... Remember in OOT when Navi piped up? I admit she was cute the first 10,000 times though.

[SecretWeapon]

Carmilla's portrait before she was a vampire was pretty hot! At least they got something right.

Irrelevant

[KaZudra]

Lords 1 surprisingly holds up, though the Combat doesn't work; Having 20 different combos is appealing to DMC/Bayonetta because it rewards mix-ups, if you leave that mechanic out, you'll just be spamming the 4 most effective attacks. Stage progression was a wise choice as there was at least some replay value. Overall 8/10.

Mirror of Fate is the misguided child of the entire Metroidvania genre, it has so much going for it in being the closest to metroid in gameplay.... but, Mediocre design choices bumped this down greatly, the Combat is worse given that every enemy is a hit sponge add in some dodgy platform detection and fall damage on a fairly descent map. 6/10.

Lords 2, The game that not only lived up to the hype, it couldn't even close the narrative in a satisfying way. Combat is better, but the attempt of bringing metroidvania to 3D was... okay at best; the replay value is shot down due to unskippable sections of the game you'd not want to revisit. 4/10.

Overall, the games are descent, but LoS1 is the only one worth ever coming back to.

[Flame]

The only thing I don't like about the combat was the over-reliance on the weapon switching to make battles harder. They'll constantly throw enemies at you that require you to break through their guard with the Chaos Claws, but if you're low on magic, they're just a major pain in the ass. Also wasn't a big fan of the Void Sword being the only way to heal outside of Health Fonts (or blood fonts or whatever they were in LoS2) since taking damage wasn't all that difficult with how often enemies spam their unblockable attacks in LoS2.

didn't the neck chomping executions refill health as well? I seem to recall they did.

[Claimh Solais]

didn't the neck chomping executions refill health as well? I seem to recall they did.

Oh yeah. I completely forgot about those somehow... lol

[X]

Irrelevant

For you, sure. But not me. The art style is about the only thing I liked about LoS, and Carmilla's pre-vampire image looks good. The whole pretty boy style of the IGA games was really starting to wear out on me. So it was very refreshing to see an art style more closer to what CV had started with. That is the only thing I'd take from LoS is the art (including some enviroments). But the rest of the game is forgettable.

[Claimh Solais]

For you, sure. But not me. The art style is about the only thing I liked about LoS, and Carmilla's pre-vampire image looks good. The whole pretty boy style of the IGA games was really starting to wear out on me. So it was very refreshing to see an art style more closer to what CV had started with. That is the only thing I'd take from LoS is the art (including some enviroments). But the rest of the game is forgettable.

I agree. I thought the artstyle was gorgeous. Carmilla, in particular, I thought was really well-done (pre-vampire or otherwise). But outfit design in general was REALLY cool, to me, in the LoS games. Both of Gabriel's outfits looked great, Alucard looked awesome, etc.

I just wish in LoS2's modern segments you played as Dracula as he appeared at the beginning after being revitalized. Basically, younger-looking Gabula in the rags that he had on. Would've been cool to use that suit for a little longer rather than him just materializing a suit by shouting. (By the way, that scene is hilarious if you have the Armored Dracula skin on, because he grows a full beard after shouting, too.)

[KaZudra]

I agree. I thought the artstyle was gorgeous. Carmilla, in particular, I thought was really well-done (pre-vampire or otherwise). But outfit design in general was REALLY cool, to me, in the LoS games. Both of Gabriel's outfits looked great, Alucard looked awesome, etc.

I just wish in LoS2's modern segments you played as Dracula as he appeared at the beginning after being revitalized. Basically, younger-looking Gabula in the rags that he had on. Would've been cool to use that suit for a little longer rather than him just materializing a suit by shouting. (By the way, that scene is hilarious if you have the Armored Dracula skin on, because he grows a full beard after shouting, too.)

Arguably, The Art style is Definitive for Castlevania, aside from OOE's Art.
Ayami is fitting for Vampire characters and scenery, but everything else is rather meh.

[Rugal]

Lords of Shadow sucked 6 years ago and it still sucks now. I'd rather inhale skunk shit than ever play Lords of Shadow again. That fat fuck David Cox and his his senior citizen lover Enric Alvarez took a big spanish shit on your favorite franchise of all time. I still want my two on one boxing match with those sacks of T-Rex shit.

[GuyStarwind]

Never played it then and have no interest in playing it now.

[X]

Lords of Shadow sucked 6 years ago and it still sucks now. I'd rather inhale skunk shit than ever play Lords of Shadow again. That fat fuck David Cox and his his senior citizen lover Enric Alvarez took a big spanish shit on your favorite franchise of all time. I still want my two on one boxing match with those sacks of T-Rex shit.

You probably could via Robot Chicken styled.

[theANdROId]

Lords of Shadow sucked 6 years ago and it still sucks now. I'd rather inhale skunk shit than ever play Lords of Shadow again. That fat fuck David Cox and his his senior citizen lover Enric Alvarez took a big spanish shit on your favorite franchise of all time. I still want my two on one boxing match with those sacks of T-Rex shit.

...but how do you really feel Rugal? ;-D

[Lelygax]

Lords of Shadow sucked 6 years ago and it still sucks now. I'd rather inhale skunk shit than ever play Lords of Shadow again. That fat fuck David Cox and his his senior citizen lover Enric Alvarez took a big spanish shit on your favorite franchise of all time. I still want my two on one boxing match with those sacks of T-Rex shit.

Rugal appeared here to trash this game again, like I expected, good.

[zangetsu468]

GOD RUGAL HATES ALL
I am slightly biased towards Rugal as I love CVS2 - not because I tend to main Bison(Vega) in SFV - and I believe Vega(Claw) is one of the best ever designed SF characters, who's mask>God Mask from LOS 1. Vega(Claw) also has a tattoo of a serpent, symbolising Satan(Los 1 antagonist) who is known as the devil (the "devil mask" also exists in LOS 1).
See what I did there?? Pay attention like I don't...