Castlevania Dungeon Forums
The Castlevania Dungeon Forums => Hardcore Gaming 101 => Topic started by: Mikepjr on November 22, 2012, 12:17:08 PM
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Okay, this is a rant... i want my voice heard by others.. i want people to know how i feel, and i don't want people jumping my case, if you agree, great, if you don't? Leave the insults at the door if you don't agree.
This rant has to do with the crap i keep dealing with, when it comes to morons on youtube and in general anywhere, who never touched a CV game before LoS, and how they think LoS is epic, yet for me it's not epic cause it threw everything i loved about CV games out the window, little things actually.
Okay so.. i am sick of how the word "epic" is thrown around now days, it's so damn subjective, and if you tell someone it's not "epic" to you, they argue you to death cause they think they're stating fact, and the FACT of the matter is, what might be epic to these wannabe CV fans is not epic to me, and i been playing the CV games for years, since the NES, i seen it evolve all the way up to the SOTN games, and then de-evolve into what LoS is.. yes.. that's right, to be LoS is not an evolution of the series... it's something else... and for good reason.
LoS is just that.. LoS.. the only thing making it a CV game is the title, because as we all know.. CV games place you as a belmont fighting DRACULA! Not Satan!
I think the biggest thing though that bothers me is the fact that they took little things that make a CV game a CV game, and threw it all out!
Let's start with Music.... what the hell happen there?!
LoS does not have epic music, i keep arguing with people, it's not epic to me... .
All the actual CV games before LoS were actual CV games, they had this music that mixed things up, it took symphony and more and just... made it all awesome!
That is the BIGGEST argument i have though with people.... to me the music was horrid!
It was like .. a hollywood movie!
I don't want to play a hollywood movie!
I want to play a GAME! Not a MOVIE!
I don't think i would complain if a CV movie DID come out and had music like that, cause that would be a MOVIE... but i don't like that kind of thing in a GAME!
Let's look at other games from other companies... Nintendo for instance, you STILL go through Zelda games almost always hearing some sort of awesome constant music!
It rarely brakes up and goes silent! And the music never sounds hollywood!
Same with mario games, and ever with the music and how it sounded in Super Mario Gallaxy, you still knew it was mario's music, you could just tell.. and it still sounded good! It still had it's identity and was enjoyable.
CV games though, not so much...LoS's music for me.. lost it's identity!
Sure their were a few little.... subtle hollywood version of old CV tunes.... but... ugh...
I am almost done with japanese companies, cause they lost their way!
Capcom... What happane to Megaman? Ta hell?! Since i no longer get my fix of megaman games, i'm done buying anything else that comes from Capcom!
I'm just about done with all those companies.... just... i'm sick of it!
I'm going to end up playing old games.. over and over.. and never spend another dime on newer games.. and i don't think these companies would like that too much.
I'm fairly sure i'm not the only CV fan who feels this way... sure they brought in other fans to the series, but people like me got alienated!
LoS is not a CV game for a long time fan... not for a fan like me, it's a CV game for everyone else the company could not reach!
It needed to be a game for all of us! And for me it was not.
And Megaman and CV games are not the only thing pushing me away, i used to LOVE Final Fantasy games, it's gone that way as well! What the HELL happen to that series? The last good FF game is one i will never get to play cause it's on iPad and iPhone! I am ofcourse talking about Final Fantasy Dimensions!
Those are examples of things going wrong....
What happen to Japanese games? And why are no nothing westerners being put in charge?
I know most of you won't read this.. in fact... i am likely to hear crap about how this is too long... wahh lol.
But COME ON!
I can't be the only one noticing this all happening, can i?
I love newer graphics.. i love what computers and technology brings us.. but that does not mean we should let go of what was great!
there is a rap song of all things on Youtube that say EXACTLY how i feel... a rap song of all things, says how i feel!
Epic Video Game Rap - Real Hardcore OGs (Original Gamers)! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-VeQTFvwq8#)
lol...
What happen?
I'm a Real OG it seems >_<
oh and if this is the wrong section for this, it can be moved.
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Quite a read. I actually separated your post into fragments to make my response easier to write.
This rant has to do with the crap i keep dealing with, when it comes to morons on youtube and in general anywhere, who never touched a CV game before LoS, and how they think LoS is epic, yet for me it's not epic cause it threw everything i loved about CV games out the window, little things actually.
Okay so.. i am sick of how the word "epic" is thrown around now days, it's so damn subjective, and if you tell someone it's not "epic" to you, they argue you to death cause they think they're stating fact, and the FACT of the matter is, what might be epic to these wannabe CV fans is not epic to me, and i been playing the CV games for years, since the NES, i seen it evolve all the way up to the SOTN games, and then de-evolve into what LoS is.. yes.. that's right, to be LoS is not an evolution of the series... it's something else... and for good reason.
Does it make me not a real CV fan if I've played all of them and put almost 100 hours into each (with the exception of Encore of the Night) and think that LoS is the best Castlevania?
LoS is just that.. LoS.. the only thing making it a CV game is the title, because as we all know.. CV games place you as a belmont fighting DRACULA! Not Satan!
Aria of Sorrow = Magical School Boy vs. the Embodiment of Chaos
Dawn of Sorrow = Magical School Boy vs. the Embodiment of all Dark Powers
Let's start with Music.... what the hell happen there?!
LoS does not have epic music, i keep arguing with people, it's not epic to me... .
All the actual CV games before LoS were actual CV games, they had this music that mixed things up, it took symphony and more and just... made it all awesome!
To each their own. I personally find LoS's soundtrack quite enjoyable.
I am almost done with japanese companies, cause they lost their way!
Capcom... What happane to Megaman? Ta hell?! Since i no longer get my fix of megaman games, i'm done buying anything else that comes from Capcom!
The loss of Megaman games is due to Inafune leaving Capcom. I heard something about them making more MM games, but I might be wrong.
I'm just about done with all those companies.... just... i'm sick of it!
I'm going to end up playing old games.. over and over.. and never spend another dime on newer games.. and i don't think these companies would like that too much.
I think one customer not buying their games isn't that big a deal to them.
Besides, not all new games are crap. PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is kickass, and Assassin's Creed III is pretty awesome.
LoS is not a CV game for a long time fan... not for a fan like me, it's a CV game for everyone else the company could not reach!
It needed to be a game for all of us! And for me it was not.
T'was the best CV for me, runner-up being Dracula X Chronicles. Again, though, to each their own.
And Megaman and CV games are not the only thing pushing me away, i used to LOVE Final Fantasy games, it's gone that way as well! What the HELL happen to that series? The last good FF game is one i will never get to play cause it's on iPad and iPhone! I am ofcourse talking about Final Fantasy Dimensions!
Not saying that you shouldn't get it, but Final Fantasy Dimensions was pretty lame. Yeah, it's classic FF again, but the game was shoddy beyond hell.
Anyway, my response put simply--and like I said twice--to each their own. I enjoyed the hell outta LoS, and I'm sure as hell looking forward to Mirror of Fate. This is coming from a longtime CV fan.
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The answer is simple:
3DS
DS
PC
The three kings that will lead you to gaming bliss.
And maybe in a year, the Wii U will become the fourth if Nintendo shapes up.
As for LOS, what's more to say than what has already been said for four years. I for one am looking forward to LOS2 and Mirror of Fate.
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I realize the whole "to each their own statement" but.. i'm not the only one who felt alienated...
As for me not spending a dime.. i meant more than me.. anyone like me, and trust me their are a LOT.
Also, i realize that the GBA and DS CV games having to do with a reincarnated Dracula kinda fall into the same category.... but not really, i mean they connected with an established story continuity, he was not a good guy one day and then fought satin and became Dracula, he was Dracula reborn as this kid who would become Dracula again... but the Belmonts are always the Belmonts... end of story.
The idea of a Belmont fighting Satin and becoming Dracula bugs the hell out of me.
And i'm sorry but it's the little things that bugged me the most honestly.... The music is just not .. Castlevania to me... period.
The entire experience is ruined to me.. it just is..
I don't even want to buy LoS 2 or Mirror of fate because from what i hear, they're STILL going with that hollywood sounding music crap... or nothing at all....
So again, games are dieing as i knew and loved them... and i'm not alone...
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Change is inevitable, and with mainstreaming comes simplification. Games are becoming more akin to books and movies as something more people do less often. And in order to appeal to the lowest common denominator the AAA games are getting bigger, louder and dumber, and idiot proof when it comes to gameplay.
Sure there will always be the hardcore fans of any medium but they're in the minority. Most people who watch movies probably wouldn't consider themselves "movie buffs", but they, the casual Friday night film watcher, are the largest market and the ones big budget films are made for.
In the same way as games get more mainstream the traditional "gamer" hobbiest market becomes less and less significant to the big studios. So don't look to the big budget studios, American or Japanese, to produce good games any more than you look to hollywood to produce good movies.
You can't just all blame it on the "casuals" though. Part of it is the natural evolution/maturation of the medium. Just like movies started as silent short films that had to rely on pantomime and broad physical comedy or melodrama. The games we grew up with had to make do with very limited hardware and had to rely on (largely text-based) storytelling and gameplay to generate value. The games couldn't be very big data-wise back then so they were difficult both as a way to increase playtime and add a sense of accomplishment to completion. Let's not forget that development teams were much much smaller back in the day, so the games of yore were more likely to reflect a sense of personal vision which today's big budget titles simply do not.
Take a look at this great video about "Doom" for an example of what I'm talking about.
Errant Signal - DOOM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyOF2RsO3ck#ws)
Ultimately I think that as games get more mainstream they become "games" in the traditional sense of something you try to win less and less, and more just another way to experience a story as an alternative to books/movies/music. Thank God that we have Indie games though! Look to the Indie developers for the real artistry and innovation in the medium.
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When I think of Castlevania I get a bittersweet feeling. It will always be a series filled with some of my favorite video games, but I can't help but feel melancholy about what has happened with it. To be fair, Lords of Shadow wasn't the beginning of its downward spiral to me. The beginning of that was probably Dawn of Sorrow, or possibly Lament of Innocence, though I have a heck of a lot more respect for Lament than I do Dawn. The series just began a string of consistently powerfully bad games, with a few bright spots to break up the chain (Dracula X Chronicles and Order of Ecclesia). Admittedly, yes, there were many unimpressive games, the series had gotten stale*, and changes needed to be made, but not to the point where they're so radical that many fans of the series could no longer relate well to it and thus felt alienated. I think that's just about the worst thing that can happen. One of the main things that drew many of us to the series was its powerful and unmistakable identity... its unique style and personality, that, while portrayed different from game to game, was never totally pushed aside and buried. The acidic lemon juice into the already gaping wound is that Castlevania's totally awesome personality was pushed aside in favor of something banal and uninspired (in my opinion, of course). As such, while I love Castlevania, I have no interest in the Mercury Steam games. I'm just waiting for this run to be over with and hoping that whatever comes next is something incredible, and worthy of being called Castlevania.
*Though I said the series was stale, I, by no means, think the Metroidvania format is/was stale. I think there are many fresh things that can be done with that gameplay set up that haven't been done in Castlevania, or any other game, for that matter. The execution of it was pretty stale, however, or just bad (lame ass level topography/too much emphases on SHEER SIZE with no substance or grinding ), and there wasn't enough progressive thinking being applied. It also didn't help that the graphics were so rehashed on the DS games, which further led to a "been here done that" type of feeling.
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You'repost was long so I just skimmed it, and I can understand your points
But for me, as a long time CV fan for 22 years, I really enjoyed everything about LoS, but the first time I played it I wasn't exactly happy with it as a CV game, but the more I played it the more I appreciated it. I love the music, the combat, the level design, but I think the best thing about it is it's story. While the other games have stories, they're not very well fleshed out and have minimal amounts of dialogue. And I like games with nice deep stories but also love action games, so in that regard I really learned to love it.
As for no classic elements, the way I look at it is that the classic games all involve Dracula as the main plot point, and so I believe that all the music, enemies etc, come from Dracula as the main point. Now that Dracula is in LoS, and cox confirmed classic enemies/ music I like to look at no enemies/ music in LoS as "pre-Dracula". If that makes sense.
I guess like it for what it is, not for what it isn't.
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LoS is just that.. LoS.. the only thing making it a CV game is the title,
heeeere we go again...
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(http://blogs.westword.com/showandtell/00%20not%20a%20single%20fuck.jpg)
Seriously, I respect your opinion but.. perhaps modern gaming is just not for you.
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Seriously, I respect your opinion but.. perhaps modern gaming is just not for you.
I hate to be that guy but this OP. Your better off abandoning mainstream games altogether, especially with the likelihood of next gen being the safest gen we'll ever see with dev costs increasing further. Therefore we'll be seeing way less risks and alot developers play it safe fearing studio closure.
Im tellin you OP, get a 3DS, get a PC hell even get a Vita and if Nintendo straightens up, get a Wii U. There are still great fun unique games coming out for them, check out more indie games like Hotel Miami (highly recommend ) and La Mulana. And the Wii U is gettin Platinum games love with The Wonderful 101 and Bayonetta 2 as well as some indie games on e shop.
Gaming is alive, just gotta look harder.
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I hate to be that guy but this OP. Your better off abandoning mainstream games altogether, especially with the likelihood of next gen being the safest gen we'll ever see with dev costs increasing further. Therefore we'll be seeing way less risks and alot developers play it safe fearing studio closure.
I think that's the sucky thing about progression, the better hardware and graphics, the more money it takes to fund development, meaning less risks. In my opinion, it's almost like false progression, as it doesn't really seem(to me, at least) like the outcome of the sacrifice to get to this point is worth it. It's like taking 5 steps forward and 10 back. It's not the glorious dream of what most people think it should be(taking everything good and expanding on it, while adding new things to freshen it up), but it's about sacrificing a lot of the good aspects for "new ideas" that could either good or bad depeneding on how they go with the gamers.
If the games keep on getting mainstream, I can definitely see many game series die out in the mainstream eye until it's just a selected few(only the MOST profitable titles of them all). Not exactly my taste for "natural selection". And who knows, maybe gamers will get a backbone and decide to rebel against those companies after the selection dwindles considerably low. Mainstream game crash. I'd welcome it, at least. But, as far as next gen goes(PS4/X720), I'm probably jumping off the console wagon before that. As it is, I'm not looking forward to yet another expensive console with expensive games(that rumor has it, princes might go up do to game development costs rising).
Of course, that doesn't account for downloadable games, app games or social games. A lot of the indie stuff you find on PSN, XBOX Live or online are actually pretty good, and have the spirit of classic games. Hell, if HD console gaming(partcularly Sony and Microsoft gaming) dies, if indie gaming becomes the new standard, so be it. I'd actually welcome that with open arms. Get Wayforward to crank out some more awesome games! Have a blast!!! Hell, this is actually what big companies SHOULD be doing with beloved titles that they know there's a market for, but are too reluctant to dedicate an HD budget to. While FF Dimensions was pretty bad, that shouldn't mean Square should stop this type of thing. They SHOULD release a steam of downloadable FF games(that play like the classic games, but are all original new games) for not only Android, IPad and such, but also on PSN, XBOXLIVE and Wii U Shopping Channel. Capcom should do that with new Mega Man games. Konami, yes, where ever the future lies beyond LoS trilogy, this avenue should not be overlooked either. New 2D dowloadable CVs... sign me up! Get WayForward involved.... sign me up, times TWO!!! Who knows, after LoS's time, Konami might just want to dedicate all their power to making MGS related games in HD. If they don't want to spend that type of money on the CV series anymore, this is the next best thing.
But yeah, handhelds are pretty good with selection, and like I said, indie games tend to capture the spirit of older gaming experiences while being of lower budget than most large scale mainstream console games. Wii U, I'll have to wait on. Right now, the thought of an HD system that can both cater to mainstream core gamers with the style of games you see on X360 and PS3, while also cater to the general Nintendo demographic intrigues me. It's almost like a Utopia situation(a console where many different gamers can actually find what they want because a widely diverse selection) in theory, but can they pull it off? We'll have to see. But, if they do, it might actually make a great role model of how future gaming should follow. Ebony and Ivory, living in perfect harmony.... ;)
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there is a rap song of all things on Youtube that say EXACTLY how i feel... a rap song of all things, says how i feel!
Epic Video Game Rap - Real Hardcore OGs (Original Gamers)! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-VeQTFvwq8#)
lol...
What happen?
I'm a Real OG it seems >_<
oh and if this is the wrong section for this, it can be moved.
That is the first time I have gotten into rap that left an impression on me :)
Also long rant I have to read it again.
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Okay, this is a rant... i want my voice heard by others.. i want people to know how i feel, and i don't want people jumping my case, if you agree, great, if you don't? Leave the insults at the door if you don't agree.
Too late for that :P
First I would want to say that I somewhat understand where you are coming from yet I do not agree with you for the most part, ok time to break this into pieces
Okay so.. i am sick of how the word "epic" is thrown around now days, it's so damn subjective, and if you tell someone it's not "epic" to you, they argue you to death cause they think they're stating fact, and the FACT of the matter is, what might be epic to these wannabe CV fans is not epic to me, and i been playing the CV games for years, since the NES, i seen it evolve all the way up to the SOTN games, and then de-evolve into what LoS is.. yes.. that's right, to be LoS is not an evolution of the series... it's something else... and for good reason.
1.Epic is just a simple way to say good but more awesome there and one thing I think Los is a very good game and I think MoF and Los2 will be very epic ;) , next what is a castlevania fan? You do not like los all right and since other people do or the ones that are introduced to the series for the first time their labled as wanna be's ? Come on that's like me saying that since I grew up on dracula's curse all people that played castlevania symphony of the night as their first are wanna be fans since it was a depature from what was known, and yes I have played cv since the nes as well and to tell the truth I'am glad I was not introduced to the series from SOTN(way too bloody overrated , yet people still want this style of gameplay I do not understand why I got very, very tried of them still fun but not as fun as the classics). Devolution huh if anything Los can be seen as progress maybe not full on evolution like mario 64 was,zelda oot, heck even tales of symphonia/abyss, but it took most of what was done in the past 3d games except CoD and put them into a blender and it came out good.
LoS is just that.. LoS.. the only thing making it a CV game is the title, because as we all know.. CV games place you as a belmont fighting DRACULA! Not Satan!
:rollseyes: Ok so by this logic link's awakening, minish cap, majoras mask, and zelda II are not zelda games because we do not fight Gannon or aria/dawn of sorrow since we do not fight dracula at the end. What if I were to say what makes a cv game is having a dang Belmont as main character in it something the MV's lacked. Iheck OOE did had nothing but a mention of the belmont in it take them out and is it still a cv game?
I think the biggest thing though that bothers me is the fact that they took little things that make a CV game a CV game, and threw it all out!
MV's did this way before los did mostly taking the belmonts out, los at least put a belmont as a main character after how many years (8-9) harmony of dissonance was released in 2002(juste) and leon(LoI) in 2004 right?
Let's start with Music.... what the hell happen there?!
LoS does not have epic music, i keep arguing with people, it's not epic to me... .
All the actual CV games before LoS were actual CV games, they had this music that mixed things up, it took symphony and more and just... made it all awesome! That is the BIGGEST argument i have though with people.... to me the music was horrid!
It was like .. a hollywood movie!
I don't want to play a hollywood movie!
I want to play a GAME! Not a MOVIE!
I don't think i would complain if a CV movie DID come out and had music like that, cause that would be a MOVIE... but i don't like that kind of thing in a GAME!
Let's look at other games from other companies... Nintendo for instance, you STILL go through Zelda games almost always hearing some sort of awesome constant music!
It rarely brakes up and goes silent! And the music never sounds hollywood!
Same with mario games, and ever with the music and how it sounded in Super Mario Gallaxy, you still knew it was mario's music, you could just tell.. and it still sounded good! It still had it's identity and was enjoyable.
CV games though, not so much...LoS's music for me.. lost it's identity!
Sure their were a few little.... subtle hollywood version of old CV tunes.... but... ugh...
There has to be at least one song in los that you like how about this ;)
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Super Castlevania IV Soundset (SNESology) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwtb_Qz5D78#)
also I think one thing cv has in advantage over other series in terms of music is that it's very diverse
like does this song really remind you of cv?
10th Anniversary Konami Label Theme Song Collection - 08 I AM THE WIND (Castlevania Symphony of the Night) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBot8rDvuU0#)
no but it's pretty darn good very gospel like :) much better than the mainstream stuff . cv music is in my opinion a very diverse soul Los including.
I am almost done with japanese companies, cause they lost their way!
Capcom... What happane to Megaman? Ta hell?! Since i no longer get my fix of megaman games, i'm done buying anything else that comes from Capcom!
I'm just about done with all those companies.... just... i'm sick of it!
I'm going to end up playing old games.. over and over.. and never spend another dime on newer games.. and i don't think these companies would like that too much.
And Megaman and CV games are not the only thing pushing me away, i used to LOVE Final Fantasy games, it's gone that way as well! What the HELL happen to that series? The last good FF game is one i will never get to play cause it's on iPad and iPhone! I am ofcourse talking about Final Fantasy Dimensions!
Those are examples of things going wrong....
What happen to Japanese games? And why are no nothing westerners being put in charge?
There are japanese game designers that do get it like from software with dark souls, and while Japan has lost it's hold on the mainstream that does not mean that their down and out. Japan still makes the best fighting games, I find them to still try interesting stuff just not as wide out there as the mainstream stuff, And in the case like dark souls if they were to adopt some western DNA again like they did with Dragon Warrior then they can be on top. I would love to play a samurai themed game this gen with music and a dark serious, yet passionate tone like this
Rurouni Kenshin OVA Ending special DVD edition.flv (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6zKkckEp3s#ws)
think like this west oh we have red dead an open world sandbox game with awesome graphic and stuff vs japan we have an awesome samurai themed game that not only has awesome graphics, but powerful music, and it's sandbox as well
there should be an even level but there is not japan is not trying hard enough look what the west is doing but do not try to become them infuse your self with just a little bit of western infulence dark souls did it and it's one of the best games ever this gen from japan.
As for orchestrated music
if japan were to try harder they could produce more stuff like this
YGO - Fang of Critias (15 minute loop) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WXYajeP9TE#ws)
Passionate Duelist Extended (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch0ACDFffNk#ws) would be awesome to fight the mummy boss in CV)
God's anger extended [Link in description] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGxYef6pmN0#)
I'm fairly sure i'm not the only CV fan who feels this way... sure they brought in other fans to the series, but people like me got alienated!
LoS is not a CV game for a long time fan... not for a fan like me, it's a CV game for everyone else the company could not reach!
No your not most likely. LoS is a cv game for a some long time fans... At least I was able to play a belmont this time around not to mention like the old game it was just not inside the castle which I think some fan did not know.
I know most of you won't read this.. in fact... i am likely to hear crap about how this is too long... wahh lol
:rollseyes:
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Aria of Sorrow = Magical School Boy vs. the Embodiment of Chaos
Dawn of Sorrow = Magical School Boy vs. the Embodiment of all Dark Powers
Well put. It's good to hear someone actually make an honest opinion about those two awful games. I'm not suggesting that you personally dislike them but I do appreciate your spot on choice of wording to describe them.
I only wish most of the hatred for LoS would be channeled onto AoS/DoS which are real festering sores of the franchise and the time period when Castlevania took an undefined slope to hell. I really can't see how those games are so untouchable to most of the fanbase and receive such unreal praise.
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(http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y98/thedudewithhair/i-like-where-this-thread-is-going.jpg)
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Moving this to "Hardcore Gaming 101" since it's more appropriate there given the stuff.
And then I will read the rest of the thread. xD
Nice rap. I've planed a good 75% of all of the games featured in the video. :D
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Ok.
I moved this over to Hardcore Gaming 101 because, although it's a rant that touches upon the Castlevania series, it then goes and talks about all gaming in general. So yeah.
Don't lose hope for all current gamers.
I am happy to have infused an appreciation for all gaming into my nephews (23 and 13, respectively), where I can get sentences like this out of them:
"I've been playing CoD: Black Ops II for a long time! I need a break, let me play some "Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together"." xD (13-yr old)
"Oh you got the Wii-U?! So wait, it's got games like Assassin's Creed so you can see the map all the time... but also has games like how I used to help you out with Tingle Bombs in the Gamecube Wind Waker? Something like that?" (23-yr old)
As for the developers... well, at least XBLA, PSN, and NintendoNetwork accomodate indie games, so you can get your Mighty Switch Force and Little Inferno and Mutant Mudds classic action, which has a more 'labor of love' feel to them.
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I'm surprised at how much support Lords of Shadow has received here. That's not a bad thing, I guess, but it seemed like more folks here didn't care for LoS before. I think it's a great game myself, but a shitty Castlevania. It's exactly what Mikepjr said, it's only a CV because it says it is. I would've been okay with a storyline reboot with only minor changes to the gameplay, as long as the storyline stayed true to CV. But everything is different about LoS. Just because a few levels in the middle of the game have somewhat of a CV vibe, that doesn't make the game CV.
This isn't going to go anywhere though. This has already been discussed to death here. I doubt there's much to be said about it that hasn't already been mentioned 16,000 times.
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Well put. It's good to hear someone actually make an honest opinion about those two awful games. I'm not suggesting that you personally dislike them but I do appreciate your spot on choice of wording to describe them.
I only wish most of the hatred for LoS would be channeled onto AoS/DoS which are real festering sores of the franchise and the time period when Castlevania took an undefined slope to hell. I really can't see how those games are so untouchable to most of the fanbase and receive such unreal praise.
I enjoyed the entirety of AoS. I only enjoyed the gameplay to DoS (its story was both crap and unnecessary).
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Well put. It's good to hear someone actually make an honest opinion about those two awful games. I'm not suggesting that you personally dislike them but I do appreciate your spot on choice of wording to describe them.
I only wish most of the hatred for LoS would be channeled onto AoS/DoS which are real festering sores of the franchise and the time period when Castlevania took an undefined slope to hell. I really can't see how those games are so untouchable to most of the fanbase and receive such unreal praise.
While I am not as big of fan of MV(my favs are cotm and por) as much as Classics or even 3d (Legacy of darkness rocked) ;D It get's unreal praise because of how much things there are gameplay wise the absurd amount of weapons and soul farming :( , not to mention both games are some of the best looking games on their respective system, Also
Aos has one of the most awesome first (level) themes(?)
Castlevania Aria of Sorrow OST - Castle Corridor (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqQPr3ZcbtE#ws)
But that's just opinion ;)
Also compared to the last game when Aos came out Hod it was just so much better. How the freak is that the only mv to star a belmont as a main character, yet is the worst one out of all of them >:(
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^ Being a huge Aria of Sorrow fan, I don't really love it mainly because of the huge amounts of weapons and farming. I love it because it is a really smartly designed game with fun, imaginative environments, lots of colorful and interesting enemies, superb audio (the sound effects rock), excellent, timeless graphics, captivating characters and an interesting story, fun boss battles, and yes, even for the gimmicky farming. There are a lot of fun abilities to be had in the game. But I would wager that many others who love it like I do don't do it for simple minded reasons like "TIS GAEM HAS TEH MOST WEPINZ!!!" At least, I'd certainly hope that isn't the case. :(
I'm surprised at how much support Lords of Shadow has received here.
The people who don't like it are probably gone (at least for the time being), due to current disinterest in the series and/or they're tired of repeating themselves. I would usually be one of them, but I just happened to be around and felt like adding my same old two cents worth... just because : p
Actually, I've been thinking of checking out indie-games more, too, because I've been really unimpressed with the way most modern games have gone, at least of the series that I've been following. Despite how often it happens, it's still really weird to me that you can give people millions and millions of dollars and they still manage to put out generally poor products. But, as mentioned, I guess a lot of that can be attributed to the complex politics that goes along with those millions of dollars 1000 man projects.
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^ Being a huge Aria of Sorrow fan, I don't really love it mainly because of the huge amounts of weapons and farming. I love it because it is a really smartly designed game with fun, imaginative environments, lots of colorful and interesting enemies, superb audio (the sound effects rock), excellent, timeless graphics, captivating characters and an interesting story, fun boss battles, and yes, even for the gimmicky farming. There are a lot of fun abilities to be had in the game. But I would wager that many others who love it like I do don't do it for simple minded reasons like "TIS GAEM HAS TEH MOST WEPINZ!!!" At least, I'd certainly hope that isn't the case. :(
True it is a little cart with a big bang especially in the sound department the cv double pack showed me that the difference is like night and day. Aos is just a good game sure it does not star a belmont as a main character, but at least it has one as one of the most memorable fights in all of cv, and it's even better when played on the gcn gameboy player, but I still think the soul system and weapons gameplay is a big factor.
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I haven't touched LoS, and I likely never will (or anything from this generation, I have a few titles, but they lay dormant and unplayed as dust collectors for my collection), you think you have it bad. Try being a Gradius fan and have Konami basically use the Gradius formula and turn it into a loli fest, the Vic Viper is no longer piloted from within, but on top by some loli female. Not to mention they canned Gradius VI for this Otomedius crap.
Sad part is, some Gradius fans are desperate for a new title, so they bought in to this shit.
That's ok though, I have nearly 1,000 classic games to tide me over with till the day I keel over, or the games do (give or take 20 or so PS2 and PS3 games I will no longer play as I either beat them, or got tired of them).
Modern gaming definitely isn't for me. Viva la oldschool forever.
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I haven't touched LoS, and I likely never will (or anything from this generation, I have a few titles, but they lay dormant and unplayed as dust collectors for my collection), you think you have it bad. Try being a Gradius fan and have Konami basically use the Gradius formula and turn it into a loli fest, the Vic Viper is no longer piloted from within, but on top by some loli female. Not to mention they canned Gradius VI for this Otomedius crap.
Sad part is, some Gradius fans are desperate for a new title, so they bought in to this shit.
That's ok though, I have nearly 1,000 classic games to tide me over with till the day I keel over, or the games do (give or take 20 or so PS2 and PS3 games I will no longer play as I either beat them, or got tired of them).
Modern gaming definitely isn't for me. Viva la oldschool forever.
LOL, I'm still content with some of the indie downloadable stuff being produced. IMO, it's almost wherer I think gaming, as an industry, SHOULD be headed(only because it does have that more "old school" sensability). I don't mind that it's still indie right now, because the sooner it goes mainstream, the sooner it starts to get tainted by mainstream logic and starts to meld into the popular collective that is the "acceptable" status quo standard. Let everybody else play their mainstream FPS and QTE heavy action adventures. I'm happily content with Double Dragon Neon, Costume Quest, Journey, Castle Crashers among the other indie/downloadable game catalogs out there. It's more my style and scene.
Mainstream gaming, I'm pretty much bowing out(like I said, I have no interest in the NEXT gen(PS4 and such), though I am keeping my eye on Wii U. Though, with Wii U, whether I buy it will depend on whether they eventually release a DECENT model that comes already updated and with lots of GB to boot(and a good size library of diverse games wouldn't hurt either). Really, if Nintendo's newest console lives up to what they are pitching, I just might have to rally in their corner. I don't know if I said this before, but aiming for the most realistic quality of graphics have never been a priority to me, as a gamer. Especially if it means, the more your hands are going to be tied(both as developers and gamers). And a part of me does believe there IS an actual way to get around it, but I think there's too much money in technology and engine licensing that keeps it from happening.
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The people who don't like it are probably gone (at least for the time being), due to current disinterest in the series and/or they're tired of repeating themselves. I would usually be one of them, but I just happened to be around and felt like adding my same old two cents worth... just because : p
I don't much like LoS, but I'm not gonna repeat why here. I've said my peace on it and much of it has already been expressed. I think it speak more that people still feel the need to defend it. As for what's coming for CV I'm not much looking forward to what I've seen so far. As for gaming at large, I've abandonned the mainstream-potato-chip games long ago.
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I'm interested in the Wii U 'cos it's muthaflippin' Nintendo, yo. I know it's cool among many to rip on the Big N and play cool games like the millionth Call of Duty and other uninspired and utterly bland-looking video games void of creative fantasy, but I'm really rootin' for the Wii U and hoping it does what the Wii honestly failed to do in a lot of ways: offer games for hardcore gamers.
I'm not saying it was ENTIRELY a wishy-washy casual gamer system, but for the most part that's all Nintendo cared to market it as. You have some amazing hardcore games like the Super Mario Galaxy and No More Heroes series, but other than those and a few other notable exceptions (and great Virtual Console titles, of course), the Wii is just a party system.
With the Wii U, I hope Nintendo live up to their promise of offering a system for both casual gaming and hardcore gaming. I want all the next great SUDA51 games on the system, not just some because Shadows of the Damned was an HD game and the Wii only did 480p; I don't want downgrades (Rayman Origins) when it comes to cross-platform games, but everything that current gaming has to offer. Nintendo's done a lot of things right, but the Wii fell flat in a number of ways.
Hopefully now I can play all the great Nintendo titles I love but also get some great third-party support in addition to the download services for old games and new. And when you look to the indie and small-time developers, current gaming is certainly not far from the glorious 8- and 16-bit days; several download-only titles capture that greatness, like Mutant Mudds and so on. Nintendo also has a flair for offering old school but new-feeling games like Super Mario 3D Land: it's updated for current play controls and technology, but has that fun feel of old SNES/N64 greats. Nintendo's always been good at keeping that spirit alive while everyone else is all too concerned with making games "realistic" and gritty, and all too often the gameplay suffers from the "grown up" presentation because you can't do something as fun and simple as jumping on a guy to defeat him.
But it'll be a long while before I get a U, probably a couple years. I waited till Galaxy came out to get a Wii, and while there are games out on the U that I'd really like to play, I'll wait for that "ZOUNDS MUST HAVE!!!!" title and hopefully a cheaper and higher-capacity model before I buy.
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@Abnormal Freak:
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2's best version is now the Wii-U's.
1. It runs at native 1080p (as opposed to 720p on the X360 & PS3).
2. It caters to both the regular players with a Pro Controller setup, as well as new style gamers with the tablet controller functionality.
3. You can play it while in bed without the TV even being on. Or in the crapper.
I'm also quite pleased that the Wii-U got ZombiU (an AWESOME 'True Survival Horror Game', not a Zombie blast-fest), a mature title, to further add range to the Wii-U product (which by default has a stigma of candy colors and 'kiddie' games, though these games are usually my fave games). It also got a better version of Assassin's Creed III since now I don't have to hit SELECT all the time to access the in-game map.
Speaking of range, it's kinda hilarioius that NintendoLand has a type of game for everyone. The Game&Watch game might as well be a type of "Just Dance", while the Donkey Kong pull-your-hair-out Crash Course title is a tilting scheme obstacle course. The Metroid minigame is awesome if you're a run-and-gun or if you're a free-open-world blasting maniac. Mario Chase and Luigi's Ghost Mansion mimic my days of "Pac Man Vs." on the Gamecube, only without needing new equipment. And there are more.
Also, the music. OH GOD, the Music!
Nintendo Land OST - Metroid Blast - Ridley Battle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l_lceQ0iEo#ws)
Are you enjoying Super Mario 3D Land? It's quite great, no?
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It's good to know that the U is getting definitive versions of games even ones I don't care to play. I hope it means great success for the system. The U's version of Arkham City is supposed to be pretty boss.
3D Land is immensely fun. It's the kind of enjoyment I got out of the first Mario Galaxy, which I don't experience from games too often anymore.
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I'm interested in the Wii U 'cos it's muthaflippin' Nintendo, yo. I know it's cool among many to rip on the Big N and play cool games like the millionth Call of Duty and other uninspired and utterly bland-looking video games void of creative fantasy, but I'm really rootin' for the Wii U and hoping it does what the Wii honestly failed to do in a lot of ways: offer games for hardcore gamers.
I'm not saying it was ENTIRELY a wishy-washy casual gamer system, but for the most part that's all Nintendo cared to market it as. You have some amazing hardcore games like the Super Mario Galaxy and No More Heroes series, but other than those and a few other notable exceptions (and great Virtual Console titles, of course), the Wii is just a party system.
With the Wii U, I hope Nintendo live up to their promise of offering a system for both casual gaming and hardcore gaming. I want all the next great SUDA51 games on the system, not just some because Shadows of the Damned was an HD game and the Wii only did 480p; I don't want downgrades (Rayman Origins) when it comes to cross-platform games, but everything that current gaming has to offer. Nintendo's done a lot of things right, but the Wii fell flat in a number of ways.
Hopefully now I can play all the great Nintendo titles I love but also get some great third-party support in addition to the download services for old games and new. And when you look to the indie and small-time developers, current gaming is certainly not far from the glorious 8- and 16-bit days; several download-only titles capture that greatness, like Mutant Mudds and so on. Nintendo also has a flair for offering old school but new-feeling games like Super Mario 3D Land: it's updated for current play controls and technology, but has that fun feel of old SNES/N64 greats. Nintendo's always been good at keeping that spirit alive while everyone else is all too concerned with making games "realistic" and gritty, and all too often the gameplay suffers from the "grown up" presentation because you can't do something as fun and simple as jumping on a guy to defeat him.
But it'll be a long while before I get a U, probably a couple years. I waited till Galaxy came out to get a Wii, and while there are games out on the U that I'd really like to play, I'll wait for that "ZOUNDS MUST HAVE!!!!" title and hopefully a cheaper and higher-capacity model before I buy.
I can honestly say, out of the current gen of consoles(PS3, X360, Wii), I probably own the most games on the Wii, and the most games I own for PS3/X360 are downloaded titles(mainly the indie stuff). That, alone, should tell you why, with the next gen, my support for Sony/Microsoft is waning and my reluctance to get a PS4/X720 is on high. Hell, like I said, I'm cautiously look towards Wii U, only because, right now, I usually skip the whole launch gen(I always wait until there's a good selection of games, mainly).
Though yeah, I never understood people ragging on Nintendo. I've always been a fan of Nintendo, even the years I really didn't invest in some of their consoles(N64 and GCUBE). It's kinda pathetic, actually, how people rag on Nintendo for being kiddie or not trying to inch away from their comfort zone with Mario games, LoZ games and such. First, the whole kiddie thing, whenever I hear people using this, I almost always envision an adult acting like a big kid and picking on elementary school kids. "Nah nah, you like KIDDIE GAMES! You little babies probably wear DIAPERS!! Me, I love Call of Duty, Halo, GTA, because I'm a BIG PERSON! I'm MATURE!!! But you? Wah wah, little poopy babies with Mario and Link!". IMO, true maturity is not being afraid what anybody else thinks. A true, mature adult, is comfortable liking whatever they do, even if it's something cute and coloful, like Mario! I'm also not afraid to admit, I almost cried several times when I watched Wreck-It Ralph. :'( I'm a MAN!!! ;)
I do admire Nintendo's belief regarding the direction gaming should head. It's not about the graphics, it's about the gaming experience. They've openly said they have no interest partaking in the graphics race with Sony and Microsoft, but are focusing on other aspects of gaming(what they believe are more essential than making the most realistic looking game as possible). I actually don't mind that one bit. I think I've said this, but I actually don't want games that look SUPER realistic. Sometimes, it's just plain creepy(really "uncanny valley" stuff). Besides, I watch movies for that, and they, more conveniently, have REALLY great looking realistic characters(because, well, they are REAL people) and no freakin QTEs!!!! Yeahoo! Besides, like I've said, the race to make more realistic looking characters/environments comes with a sacrifice, and I don't think the sacrifice is worth it. I see it as a virtual Tower of Babel. They keep building the tower up and up, and each level gets smaller and smaller, that eventually, it's just gonna fall like a loosing Jenga turn.
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If there's any game that's gonna push me to get the Wii U is this game
Wii U - The Wonderful 101 Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XzUct7SpdE#ws)
Oh and some other odd game called Bayonetta 2 or something.
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digital games are the best option for you dude "XBLA , PSN and Wiiware or steam"
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I liked Aria of Sorrow. I felt it was real good, and a pretty solid end point to the timeline. (I mean, it would have been pretty silly to keep on fighting Dracula into the far flung future, so it's pretty neat how they managed that.) The Shinto stuff felt a bit forced, but the way everything was presented, recounted, and managed just blended together so well that you never really feel it until you really start to break down the story and isolate it's weak points. The gameplay was not THAT grindy either. Only if you really wanted a particular soul or weapon. other than that it had a pretty easily accessible arsenal of both,(DAT SWORD WHIP) with real good soul drop chances early on. And real good souls too. (DAT RED MANTLE)
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Whew, there is a lot to read in this thread. Big posts, I'll try to get through them.
As for games dying, I understand the sentiment but it is somewhat misplaced. Sure, big budget titles are getting less risky. It seems the major publishers want to focus their resources on safe games, or even making games safer. Modern Warfare is the obvious choice here, but other companies seem to be trying to steal it's thunder (EA in particular with the modernization of Medal of Honor and the casualization of Battlefield...and the turning of Dead Space from a genuine horror game into Gears of War for Dead Space 3...).
Still, even if they aren't the main focus of the gaming world anymore, there are still some awesome titles coming out these days. Dark Souls, BlazBlue, the Shin Megami Tensei series and a load of other titles that scratch that hardcore itch. Also, The Walking Dead games have amazingly well-crafted characters and plots (and as someone who has only read a little bit of the comic and watched like 2 episodes on AMC, I can say the story stands out in its own right.) They're harder to find out about since they don't get that much attention, but honestly, as a Castlevania fan who discovered the series in the 2000's, finding games that weren't popularized was the norm for me anyway, and surely a lot of my fellow forumgoers.
I think the awesome games are still coming out. It's just that they're less apparent than they have ever been in a very long time.
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OK, I am a bit late for the party, but since this topic is like an annoying toothache, I'd really liked to state my own opinion on this "generic rant".
This rant has to do with the crap i keep dealing with, when it comes to morons on youtube and in general anywhere, who never touched a CV game before LoS, and how they think LoS is epic, yet for me it's not epic cause it threw everything i loved about CV games out the window, little things actually.
Bad start. It could be summed up as "stop liking, waht I don't like", which never was mature or constructive stance. Everyone have right for their own opinion. Hating other people for the fact that they don't uphold your values is stupid.
Also, things change. CV wasn't the same 10 years ago as it was 20 years ago already. Now it changed again. Deal with it or leave. As simple as that. I am, myself really tired from people on Youtube and other places who constantly complain that "things are not like they were, when they were little kids and green was greener and blue was bluer". It's like they don't grow up and never learn basic logic. And basic logic tells us, that things change and its inevitable. No matter how much acid and grief you produce. However, nobody will take your precious old games / cartoons / movies from you or delete them from your memory, if new games will not be like the games of old.
I am sad that they never will be games with the same graphics like Donkey Kong Country, for example. And so...? Should I go on a lengthy rant, that EVUl RARE who was bought by EV0l Micro$oft will never make another title like that. Nope. I value those three games as gems they are. And the fact that there will never be produced Rare-created DKC4 with the same style of graphics does little effect on me, it's sad, but three games is more than enough for me to play. And besides other things, I value moderation. If there were produced too many similar DKCs, then I wouldn't uphold those three games at the same volume as I do now, becuase they've lost their uniqueness. This is the reason why I don't have high opinion on the MegaMan series. There are so many exciting games over there to play and follow. Open your mind, the whole world is there to see.
Another example is TMNT. I was a big fan of 87 cartoon. But when it's ended it was obvious that they will never create something like that. This time (80s) has gone forever. It was sad, but I accepted it, since those treasured memories are still with me and no-one will be able to change that. And old cartoon still exist. I can rewatch it whenever I want. Later I've become big fan of 2003 cartoon, that was VERY different and in certain aspects even better, than the old one. And it ended too.
What I am trying to say: there is no point to hate logical evolution. There is no point in concentrating so much on one stuff. Of course, some people perefer to be grouchy whiners. But it's their choice and while I am sad that their decided to wreak their nerves for such petty reasons...well, why should I follow them? No reasons really.
In the end, LOS is a modern Castlevania. This is what the series needed to not to become obscure third-rate title for handhelds only, that copy itself over and over. I don't want Castlevania to be reptitive sub-thing, like MegaMan or Mario. Castlevania desrves better than that and because of it it needs change itself once in a while. Though, I sadly see some people, that would be OK with opposite outcome, for reasons I couldn't even fathom. I guess, they just want to play the same game over and over. Strange choice considering what 2D Castlevania were for the last ten years or so.
Okay so.. i am sick of how the word "epic" is thrown around now days, it's so damn subjective, and if you tell someone it's not "epic" to you, they argue you to death cause they think they're stating fact, and the FACT of the matter is, what might be epic to these wannabe CV fans is not epic to me, and i been playing the CV games for years, since the NES, i seen it evolve all the way up to the SOTN games, and then de-evolve into what LoS is.. yes.. that's right, to be LoS is not an evolution of the series... it's something else... and for good reason.
You are not the one to decide who are CV fans. The fact that you are playing CV since NES doesn't make you more CV fan, than people who started playing series since DOS or LOS. It's immature nonsense.
LoS is just that.. LoS.. the only thing making it a CV game is the title, because as we all know.. CV games place you as a belmont fighting DRACULA! Not Satan!
Aria of Sorrow = Magical School Boy vs. the Embodiment of Chaos
Dawn of Sorrow = Magical School Boy vs. the Embodiment of all Dark Powers
Your argument is invalid. Sorry.
I think the biggest thing though that bothers me is the fact that they took little things that make a CV game a CV game, and threw it all out!
So what "true" CV game should have?
For me its level by level progression, simple controls, high difficulty, a lot of platforming, interesting level design, good boss fights, and dark mood.
Hm...I guess, that LOS for me is more CV, than everything produced after Dracula X, save for CV64 and partially LOI. =)
Am I not a true CV fan after that, though my first CV was CV1 on NES?
Let's start with Music.... what the hell happen there?!
LoS does not have epic music, i keep arguing with people, it's not epic to me... .
All the actual CV games before LoS were actual CV games, they had this music that mixed things up, it took symphony and more and just... made it all awesome!
That is the BIGGEST argument i have though with people.... to me the music was horrid!
It was like .. a hollywood movie!
I don't want to play a hollywood movie!
I want to play a GAME! Not a MOVIE!
I don't think i would complain if a CV movie DID come out and had music like that, cause that would be a MOVIE... but i don't like that kind of thing in a GAME!
Too late. Games became more and more movielike. It's not a bad thing and just natural evolution of things. This particular direction was obvious even in the middle of 90s, when movie-games and didgitizing made attempts to dominate market. Back then it was badly realized, but it was direction in which games would went anyway, like it or not.
As for LOS, yes, it was a movie-like Castlevania. For CV it was first experience like that. And dare I ask few simple questions: Weren't there 30+ games prior to it not enough to sate your lust for that kind of music? Don't you want to see something new? Even if you don't, you still have your old games to enjoy them. And most likely there will be produced some new "old-ish" titles to calm the nerves of poor "devoted fans". Why be so sour and hate people who enjoy something new?
Let's look at other games from other companies... Nintendo for instance, you STILL go through Zelda games almost always hearing some sort of awesome constant music! It rarely brakes up and goes silent! And the music never sounds hollywood!
Same with mario games, and ever with the music and how it sounded in Super Mario Gallaxy, you still knew it was mario's music, you could just tell.. and it still sounded good! It still had it's identity and was enjoyable.
Zelda and Mario are bad examples of this. They're in their own little one-game subgenres. Castlevania wasn't like that, since it was more or less generic platfromer, but with remarkable theme and a whip as a weapon. Besides, Castlevania had enough changes within itself over the years, whereas Mario, to my knowledge, mostly was playing it save and rarely had radical changes in style or core mechanics.
I am almost done with japanese companies, cause they lost their way!
Capcom... What happane to Megaman? Ta hell?! Since i no longer get my fix of megaman games, i'm done buying anything else that comes from Capcom!
I'm just about done with all those companies.... just... i'm sick of it!
I'm going to end up playing old games.. over and over.. and never spend another dime on newer games.. and i don't think these companies would like that too much.
I'm fairly sure i'm not the only CV fan who feels this way... sure they brought in other fans to the series, but people like me got alienated!
LoS is not a CV game for a long time fan... not for a fan like me, it's a CV game for everyone else the company could not reach!
It needed to be a game for all of us! And for me it was not.
And Megaman and CV games are not the only thing pushing me away, i used to LOVE Final Fantasy games, it's gone that way as well! What the HELL happen to that series? The last good FF game is one i will never get to play cause it's on iPad and iPhone! I am ofcourse talking about Final Fantasy Dimensions!
This part sounds like generic old school mostalgia blinded rant-obsession over the past. No comments needed.
LoS is not a CV game for a long time fan... not for a fan like me, it's a CV game for everyone else the company could not reach!
I am long time CV fan. LOS is a CV for me. Your argument is invalid.
But COME ON! I can't be the only one noticing this all happening, can i?
I love newer graphics.. i love what computers and technology brings us.. but that does not mean we should let go of what was great!
There is no turning back.
No matter how much you hate it, games will change, since techonology becomes different and more expensive than before. It's logical evolution.
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I wouldn't say it's pure "evolution" more than it is trend. It could bank off evolved ideas, but anything that is "big" now is not necessarily evolved from past trends. Example, HD movies ARE an evolved form of cinema, but the whole "shaky camera" trend and "let's make every movie with a sepia/yellow tone/blue toned filter" are trends. They aren't "evolved forms of movie making" more than "ideas that are popularized and everybody else starts to immitate because of their popularity". That really has nothing to do with progression/evolution, but changed taste, and not all change of taste is an evolved one. Just because the works of Stephanie Meyers are hot, does that mean her books are an naturally evolved taste from anything made a decade, two, or even centuries ago, JUST because they are made and accepted in the here and now?
It might be idealistic, but I do think there is a place for everything and all tastes. The cynical modernist might not agree, but just looking at humanity at a whole, it's apparent it still exists. Hell, the fact that so many indie games are popular(and that a game like Angry Birds, which has the simplicity that you'd find in old school arcade games, can still resonate with a broad casual gamer base) shows that "one type of gaming" hasn't dominated just yet.
It IS a conundrum, but what if this, the whole cinematic game thing, IS a trend? Hear me out on this one. If it's a trend, people will get tired of it. Not every generation will accept the trends of the last. Some even go and rebel against it, either because they are disenfranchised by it(or grow to be disenfranchised by it), or want individualize themselves from it as something different. Just because one says "THIS" is the way things are looking to go doesn't mean the next generation won't say, "Look, old man, that's YOUR ways, but we are going a DIFFERENT way". It's the change fo the changed. Because of that, and humanity's strange way to bounce back and forth between trends, it's really unpredictable. Even a lot of trend experts can get the rug pulled from beneath them regarding such shift in generational taste. I never take one's opinion regarding the "headed future" as fact. It's always one possible outcome of many. Mankind has been known to "turn on a dime", hence to actually "roll" with change means you have to be open-minded enough that whatever horse you bet on, make sure you aren't betting your house on it.
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One thing people need to note is that while yes, LoS is following the trend of games lately, Castlevania on the NES wasn't that different. It followed the trend of challenging side-scrolling action platformers that were coming out, a la Super Mario, Metroid, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Contra, Sonic, etc. alongside the lesser known ones like 8 Eyes and Getsu Fuma Den.
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IMO, (some) video games almost always tried to shape themselves as close to cinema or cartoons as possible. The thing is, that technology for that was limited and developers were forced to somehow bypass this problem, that lead to the games being something unique. In the 90s developers tried to merge video games and actual movies with digitizing and, finally, FMV games, however, once again, technology got old too fast and the results were less than good most of the time.
Nowadays, technology put out such limitations out of the way and games ultimately can be, what they wanted to be from the start - cinematic, epic experience. Of course it doesn't mean that all games were attempted to be like that or that all of them should be like that. There is always place for God of War and there is always place for Pac Man (blossoming of casual games on IPads and such is the proove of it). However, biggest franchises will ultimately stay as cinematic as possible. It was their destiny from the begining. For people who don't want such thing - there is always Nintendo condoles, smartphones and the like.
It is the same as evolution of cinema: mute cinema -> black and white -> colour. You can't seriously think, that most movies in the world will all of sudden go black and white or mute, do you? Such movies will possibly be still realised, but they will nothing more, but experiments and throwbacks to the past. The same thing with video games. There is no turning back and I honestly can't believe, that developers will completely stop using motion capture, cutscenes, voice acting, HD graphics and will return to the 90s standarts. It is pretty much impossible right now.
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As long as there will be more Castlevania titles, no matter what the gameplay or feel may be, Castlevania won't die.
Lords of Shadows might not the same as the NES Castlevania games, but it's still Castlevania. The series isn't dying, because it's still getting new games.
That's how I see it, anyways.
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As long as there will be more Castlevania titles, no matter what the gameplay or feel may be, Castlevania won't die.
Indeed.
Finally somebody understands how reality works.
Somebody started a campain against me? As far as I remember, I haven't insulted anyone in the past few months. Seemingly somebody take my opinions too close to a heart. :rollseyes:
What a clear demonstration of the openness of mind and maturity. ;D
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IMO, (some) video games almost always tried to shape themselves as close to cinema or cartoons as possible. The thing is, that technology for that was limited and developers were forced to somehow bypass this problem, that lead to the games being something unique. In the 90s developers tried to merge video games and actual movies with digitizing and, finally, FMV games, however, once again, technology got old too fast and the results were less than good most of the time.
Nowadays, technology put out such limitations out of the way and games ultimately can be, what they wanted to be from the start - cinematic, epic experience. Of course it doesn't mean that all games were attempted to be like that or that all of them should be like that. There is always place for God of War and there is always place for Pac Man (blossoming of casual games on IPads and such is the proove of it). However, biggest franchises will ultimately stay as cinematic as possible. It was their destiny from the begining. For people who don't want such thing - there is always Nintendo condoles, smartphones and the like.
It is the same as evolution of cinema: mute cinema -> black and white -> colour. You can't seriously think, that most movies in the world will all of sudden go black and white or mute, do you? Such movies will possibly be still realised, but they will nothing more, but experiments and throwbacks to the past. The same thing with video games. There is no turning back and I honestly can't believe, that developers will completely stop using motion capture, cutscenes, voice acting, HD graphics and will return to the 90s standarts. It is pretty much impossible right now.
I find it really fun that the original 3 castlevanias were heavily into being movie parodies, complete with film sprockets in the openings and title screens, indicating it was some kind of classic horror movie, and even retains monsters from them. LoS meanwhile, also feels like a movie, but in a completely different way. It feels like one of those big budget fantasy types. It definitely has some unsteady cam to it, though it's only really noticable if you stand still, and it could be argued that it's because you are watching from Zobek's PoV.
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LoS is just that.. LoS.. the only thing making it a CV game is the title, because as we all know.. CV games place you as a belmont fighting DRACULA! Not Satan!
This is the stupidest argument I have ever heard. there are plenty of classical CV elements in LoS, aside from the title, and someone OTHER than Dracula the final boss is NOT uncommon. Like Sumac noted, Aria and Dawn did it first, and you even play as Dracula reincarnated in the form of a high school kid. And yet Aria is often considered a great castlevania game, gameplay and storywise.
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OP is right, though. LoS music is pretty much atrocious and is an insult to Castlevania. Keep your "epic" generic sounding shit in your shitty hollywood films, not my Castlevania games.
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I liked LoS' music. I would not mind hearing more of it- so long as they do not fall into the repetitive pitfall LoS fell into. Theres only so many times I can hear the same stage music in different stages. try anbd make the soundtrack bigger and a bit more diverse, make it more area specific. or at least different tunes for the different areas would have been nice. (one set of tracks for each of the 3 areas)
Another thing was I really liked the orchestra redone themes like the Dracula battle and the Waterfall and Courtyard. More orchestrated CV themes would be totally boss.