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The Castlevania Dungeon Forums => Hardcore Gaming 101 => Topic started by: TheouAegis on October 19, 2016, 07:10:21 PM

Title: Finally playing CV:MOF
Post by: TheouAegis on October 19, 2016, 07:10:21 PM

Well, not playing it yet, but I ordered it from Amazon (had gift cards). So now at least I will be able to say I've played all the CV games except the other Lords of Shadow ones.

Title: Re: Finally playing CV:MOF
Post by: Lelygax on October 19, 2016, 09:51:03 PM

You've played Encore of the Night? ;D

Title: Re: Finally playing CV:MOF
Post by: Claimh Solais on October 19, 2016, 10:56:33 PM

I thought it was at least a pretty decent game. And even if you wind up hating it, at least you played it and can back up the claim.

Though since you ordered it, I'm guessing you're getting the 3DS version. I heard that version has quite a few problems that the HD versions fixed up (namely removal of a lot of annoying QTEs and button-mashing, and a more smooth frame rate).

Title: Re: Finally playing CV:MOF
Post by: TheouAegis on November 01, 2016, 04:42:29 AM

I don't like it. I mean, there's some strategy involved with fighting the bosses and the boss fights are varied. And the exploration bits are reminiscent enough of SOTN. However, the boss fight with that first boss guy after he transformed made my hand cramp up and I raged so hard because my hands were cramping so much. It's basically a button mashing game and the 3DS (yes, I have the 3DS version) isn't meant for button mashing. But the level design I actually kinda liked. One thing that irked me, although it fit in with the IGAvanias, is that the technology didn't seem quite appropriate for the time.

I give it a 4. It's entertaining enough as a game and I won't pawn it off to GameStop, but has just enough flaws that I probably won't play it more than twice. At least I'm more likely to complete it than I am to beat Donkey Kong Country Returns...

Title: Re: Finally playing CV:MOF
Post by: Claimh Solais on November 01, 2016, 06:04:58 AM

At least you tried it.

The HD version made it marginally better, but if you don't like the game to begin with, I don't think the HD version would improve your opinion by all that much. I do have to ask, though, what else besides that particular boss fight and the button-mashy gameplay did you not like?

Also, is DKCR that bad?

Title: Re: Finally playing CV:MOF
Post by: Lelygax on November 01, 2016, 05:39:21 PM

I'm not him, but I don't think DKCR is a bad game, but it surely felt... "different". I didn't finished it, but it was fun to play with friends.

Title: Re: Finally playing CV:MOF
Post by: TheouAegis on November 19, 2016, 05:27:59 AM

Okay, I decided I like the level layouts and the platforming elements (even though I keep missing my jumps a lot of the times). Except for a few bosses that cause me to cramp up during the fights, I can suffer through most of them and I like how even though the boss fights are so drawn out, it saves mid-fight.

But

the

one

thing

that's

pissing

me

off

is

the

QTE.

Push the button 1/2 second too late, you die. Hold the button too early, you die. Don't push the button fast enough, you die.

Title: Re: Finally playing CV:MOF
Post by: Shiroi Koumori on November 19, 2016, 09:12:06 AM

You are not alone. Everyone hates the QTEs. I just wish we had the option to remove it from the game.

Title: Re: Finally playing CV:MOF
Post by: zangetsu468 on November 19, 2016, 02:45:22 PM

The thing which actually annoys me the most on the 3ds version (not sure if it exists on other versions) is the frame drops. Normally this isn't a problem, but one example; I remember fighting the one boss in particular

(click to show/hide)

(the 3 headed thing at the bottom of the lift) which you're supposed to parry its attacks when it strikes. By the time you go to parry, so many frames have dropped that it's hard to judge, when it uses unblockable attacks you barely see the flash prior to the attack for the same reasons. You wind up getting cheap-shotted and the fact the camera pans out so far

you can't really see what is happening (on the 3ds version anyway).

I don't care whether it's 2d or 3d or 2.5d but the camera shouldn't be panning in and out because the game operates in 2 dimensions, yet the camera behaves like the boss is in 3d. Why? Also as was mentioned this may have been fixed in the HD, but stand still and you notice the camera moves and shakes or staggers... Why? Was it that hard to make a stationary camera?

(click to show/hide)

I'm so guilty of whaling on MOF, in truth I score the game 49%. 33% of the game (Trevor's campaign) seems like it had more effort put into it than the entire game I score than portion 8/10 = 26.6%. Trevor was the only character who had a personality, which made me want to play his game more so than other others.
The rest of the game was less than half arsed and I'd say I enjoyed 1/3 of Simon's campaign (33.33%) and 1/3 of Alucard's campaign (33.33%) i.e. 26.66 + 11.11 + 11.11 = 48.88%

Title: Re: Finally playing CV:MOF
Post by: Claimh Solais on November 20, 2016, 02:40:57 AM

Quote from: Shiroi Koumori on November 19, 2016, 09:12:06 AM

You are not alone. Everyone hates the QTEs. I just wish we had the option to remove it from the game.

This is why I'm thankful the HD version removed most of them. Not ALL of them, but most of them are gone. Like, 75% of them. I know one QTE-heavy segment in the 3DS version was just a cutscene in the HD version.

Quote from: zangetsu468 on November 19, 2016, 02:45:22 PM

The thing which actually annoys me the most on the 3ds version (not sure if it exists on other versions) is the frame drops.

Can't say for other platforms, but it's a solid and consistent 30 on PS3. The consistent frame rate and higher resolution also make most of the camera issues mostly non-issues.

Quote from: zangetsu468 on November 19, 2016, 02:45:22 PM

Also as was mentioned this may have been fixed in the HD, but stand still and you notice the camera moves and shakes or staggers... Why? Was it that hard to make a stationary camera?

I was unaware of this. I don't think this is in the HD version.

Title: Re: Finally playing CV:MOF
Post by: Shiroi Koumori on November 20, 2016, 03:53:02 AM

Quote from: zangetsu468 on November 19, 2016, 02:45:22 PM

The thing which actually annoys me the most on the 3ds version (not sure if it exists on other versions) is the frame drops. Normally this isn't a problem, but one example; I remember fighting the one boss in particular

(click to show/hide)

(the 3 headed thing at the bottom of the lift) which you're supposed to parry its attacks when it strikes. By the time you go to parry, so many frames have dropped that it's hard to judge, when it uses unblockable attacks you barely see the flash prior to the attack for the same reasons. You wind up getting cheap-shotted and the fact the camera pans out so far

you can't really see what is happening (on the 3ds version anyway). 

I played the 3ds version and I recall that boss fight. Sigh. I think I played it on easy mode just to get it over with.

Title: Re: Finally playing CV:MOF
Post by: zangetsu468 on November 20, 2016, 07:47:18 AM

Quote from: Shiroi Koumori on November 20, 2016, 03:53:02 AM

I played the 3ds version and I recall that boss fight. Sigh. I think I played it on easy mode just to get it over with.

I'm not generally one to pick at things like frame rate issues, I'm not overly "tech savvy" when it comes to things like that, although I'm trying to learn. While I wouldn't consider myself a pro gamer, I'm also not shit at games and can account for things like lag once I get momentum going.

LOS1 was heckled and dissected for frame rate issues and I can honestly say I never experienced ANY.(The only time I noticed any frame drops were directly after command grabs)
MOF was another story, and this boss was the worst of the worst of examples. However, the fact stands that taking any hit from this boss was like watching AVGN lose at the original Street Fighter, once he'd hit you once, you'd just get flogged like you were in the stocks and there were frames of animation missing noticeably.

I myself refused to tone the difficulty down, so I made the conscious effort to backdash pre-empting every attack, because it was the one place where the game's framerate was broken. I have to say that the rest of the game was actually playable, though some areas displayed shittier framerates than others.

Title: Re: Finally playing CV:MOF
Post by: Shiroi Koumori on November 21, 2016, 03:28:23 AM

Quote from: zangetsu468 on November 20, 2016, 07:47:18 AM

I myself refused to tone the difficulty down, so I made the conscious effort to backdash pre-empting every attack, because it was the one place where the game's framerate was broken. I have to say that the rest of the game was actually playable, though some areas displayed shittier framerates than others.

I'm a cop out when the going gets tough. Hahaha.
Well, I play for the story, so that maybe a reason.

Title: Re: Finally playing CV:MOF
Post by: TatteredSeraph on December 07, 2016, 03:57:57 PM

The PS3 HD version of MoF definitely fixed a lot of the issues reported on the 3DS version.  I certainly wouldn't have liked to try playing it on that size screen at all.
  I think my biggest issues came down to: too short overall, with the three 'Acts' (not counting the brief prologue) only further making it feel even shorter; not enough effort put into Simon's and Alucard's acts.  I think that the idea that Trevor's act had the most effort put into it is spot on.  Alucard's section was just puzzle after puzzle, which, considering that you're playing as a (albeit newly risen and starved) vampire, didn't make much sense.  I also felt that areas suffered big time from lack of enemy variety.  Heck, an overlack of variety of enemies was one of the big shorcomings of the LoS trilogy.  That said, it did have its high points, Trevor's ending in particular.

Title: Re: Finally playing CV:MOF
Post by: zangetsu468 on December 07, 2016, 11:01:23 PM

Quote from: TatteredSeraph on December 07, 2016, 03:57:57 PM

I think that the idea that Trevor's act had the most effort put into it is spot on.

Yet this was the only portion which was playable in the demo.

Trevor was the only character that looked the part both in artwork and in-game.

Title: Re: Finally playing CV:MOF
Post by: TatteredSeraph on December 07, 2016, 11:55:12 PM

I noticed as well that for the HD version, they recoloured and tweaked Alucard's portrait, to match how in the final LoS2 game, he had ghastly white/pale grey skin, whereas in the earliest trailers he had darker grey skin, like he does in the MoF game.  I thought that he looked almost drow-like with such dark grey skin to begin with, so I was glad for the colour adjustment.  I found it odd though that they didn't adjust the model itself.