Topic: What 'Lords of Shadow' did right.

[Lelygax]

LOL

[kadosho]

Nicely said, waiting on the Collectors Edition to catch up on what I have missed.
I will be sure to add some input to this thread ASAP!

[jestercolony]

I'm not gonna list much, because all has been said. But what I personally enjoyed about Lords of Shadow (especially MoF) is that, we are taken back to a time, when fairy-tale creatures exist (Trolls/Goblins/Ogres/Fairies/Demi Gods/Witches), these events of a Pre-Dracula had shown us a magical world, a world that was starting to slowly fade into myth. As Gabriel's quest continues, we see him killing off (some) of these mythological creatures, to eventually confronting a witch, to watching (well hearing) about another being slain. Eventually, it starts from fairy-tale light, and then...

The game just gets darker...

....and darker...

....................and darker....

............. (MoF) and darker...


...Yeah you get the idea.

[Inccubus]

Art direction and the story's tone.

[Shiroi Koumori]

Oh and Robert Carlyle. 

[Chernabogue]

Oh and Robert Carlyle. 

So much this.

[Lumi Kløvstad]

I was initially ambivalent about Lords of Shadow, but it has seriously warmed on me.
It's "serious business" Castlevania done absolutely right, which I feel was only possible by making it a reboot unconnected with a series that had developed a penchant in the DS years for getting rather silly. The Trolls and Ogres were the only desings I truly question now. The world feels authentic and breathes, the tone stays consistent without being overbearing, and the acting is the best we've ever seen from the series. The combat doesn't stray too far from God of War, but I now view this as a feature, as it makes it easier for new fans to pick up the game without getting lost, and well, the Xbox 360 deserved ONE good game with that system (hashtag: TrollingYall).

I didn't realize how much I enjoyed the game until later. It was really fridge brilliance at its finest when I realized that when I was building roleplaying game characters off of Castlevania templates, I was using Lords of Shadow more than the classic series. This still happens regularly. Gabriel, the Lords of Shadow themselves, and the monsters all lend themselves well to storytelling, with rich backstories that needn't be lengthy at the same time, good characterizations and interactions, and designs that pop and remain memorable for years (and for once, I'm NOT talking about Carmilla's cleavage window!).

Also, Hideo Kojima is a Chupacabra.

I cannot stress how awesome that is.

[Flame]

Haven't we had this thread before?

[Lumi Kløvstad]

Haven't we had this thread before?

Well, things and opinions change. Mine certainly did.

[JayDominus]

Alrighty...
The art style and graphics. The character designs are good, especially on Gabriel, the monster designs are great and the environments are downright gorgeous.
The way the tone shifts from being a heroic fantasy and goes darker and darker with every step is real good.
The voice acting is, again, gorgeous. Robert Carlyle is great, Patrick Stewart is the best narrator a game could ask for and Lucius Malfoy as Satan is genius.
The genre choice - a POP/GOW action-platformer, IMO, relfects really well what Classicvanias were for its time.
The soundtrack, while not melody-based like Classic Castlevania fare, is really well done.
The references to the old CV timeline are all cleverly written in. Gabriel becoming The Dragon is very cool IMO and it's pretty clever that he is a bastard of Cronqvist family, which is a cool piece of foreshadowing.

[kadosho]

Been indulging with the game since I picked it up yesterday. Simply superb, I really enjoy:
the soundtrack
level design
attack + skill setup
beastial variety
atmosphere
and the voice talent! (where else can you get Robert Carlyle and Patrick Stewart in the same project!?)

Making my post short, so much to describe, it is an awesome game. I love it!

[Hiryu]

Initially I was disappointed like some here, but it really grew on me.  I definitely admired the locations and timeline of events. Stepping back, I now view it as a wonderful launchpad to the next game that will probably please more longtime fans.  (I hope)

[zangetsu468]

Aside from the visual feast, Gabriel's character design and general strong, silent demeanour was the best element imo. I was worried the new Belmont would just be a brute brainlessly swinging a chain, but MS did their job in this department.

[theANdROId]

I felt it did a great job "pulling me in" and immersing me in the experience...so much so that several of the foreground movements startled me!  That seems like a bigger deal to me knowing I used to play Eternal Darkness in total darkness and with headphones to try and make it creepier.
I also really enjoyed the background music throughout the game.