Topic: is Castlevania: OoE possibly better than Symphony?

[DoctaMario]

I disagree with the premise of this topic. Why?

Well, for one, OoE is piggybacking on what SoTN started. Yes, it does some things better, but on the whole, it just doesn't have that "je ne sais quois" that SoTN has.

The story is bad. The characters are not compelling in the least because we get very little back story on them. Shanoa just shows up, does her thing, then leaves, and we know little more than we did when the game started about her. Not that I'm really one to play for the stories, but they could have at least made an attempt. SoTN's story isn't great, but it's certainly better.

The battle system is quite underwhelming. If you're going to massively scale back the inventory list, at least give us something in its stead that's worth a damn. Instead, we have a few different kinds of glyphs whose upgraded versions are basically the same thing, only stronger. It would have been nice if we'd gotten some more glyph unions or could have had a few interesting ones pop up with the right combination of glyphs, but instead we got about as many unions as there were glyph types.

The level design was still bad. Better than it has been, but still bad. I liked the idea of many shorter stages because that cut down on the copypasta but it was still there in full force. Dracula's Castle has probalby some of the best material in ANY castle post Symphony, but they copypasta'd it all and wore it out pretty quick.

The game's mood and soundtrack are among the high points. We finally got back to that dreary vibe after the Sorrow games and PoR which was nice. The music was a lot less on the happy poppy side and I think the theme that comes up at the title screen is the best thing Yamane's composed since LoI.

[personal complaint]There's also no whip user. Sure the story doesn't NEED one, but I think the game would have been more fun to play through with an extra mode whip user. Note that this is the first CV game to not include a whip in any way.[/personal complaint]

That said, the game has the same problems that every post Symphony game has had. There are a handful of good ideas that are bogged down by poor design in other parts. To me, that's the REAL Castlevania formula as of late. Why can we never get it right all at the same time? Certain games do a couple things right and leave the rest to rot as if it's of no consequence, and OoE, while it is good, is no exception.

SoTN is far from a perfect game, and is quite overrated, but it blows OoE out of the water because you can tell that it was made with love. Konami as a company has changed quite a bit in the last 10+ years and it seems like they care more about the bottom line than ever, which is why I'm not sure that even if they had the time and resources, that a game as good as SoTN could even be made these days.

[Shadowserg]

Of course OoE is crappy game, and worst game in the series. People who think that OoE better than SotN, must be crazy or something.

[Battler Ushiromiya]

In Reply To #35

You have just destroyed whatever credibility you ever had in one post. Good job.

[True Sorrow]

In Reply To #35

Care to explain why the fuck you feel that way?

Just, y'know, kinda infuriated curius...

[uzo]

In Reply To #35

Kupo is back under a new name?

[Giz]

ORDER OF ECCLESIA IS SHIT. :picture of a toilet with SHIT in it with CASTLEVANIA: ORDER OF ECCLESIA written on:

Kupomogli.

Certainly the epitome of humor, he has reached a pinaccle of cleverness and wit that I'm afraid none of us shall ever attain. Lament, fellow man, for Kupo will always be better then us.

[Rugal]

I'm sorry but.. I just.. I can't...

MY NAME IS KUPO LOL

*runs away giggling like school girl*

Anyway, I haven't played OoE yet, but I'm sure it isn't crap. X(

[cecil-kain]

Of course OoE is crappy game, and worst game in the series. People who think that OoE better than SotN, must be crazy or something.

[True Sorrow]

In Reply To #41

Christ! Is there something wrong with you guys?!

[Giz]

Hahahaha.

There is no way that games like PoR and DoS and CotM are better then HoD and OoE.

[Battler Ushiromiya]

In Reply To #41

...You've been smoking marijuana, haven't you?

[Azmodan]

There's some things I prefer in SotN, and some things I prefer in OoE. I generally like SotN's areas better, but I had more fun in terms of combat in OoE, which also had the best bosses in the series.

So I guess OoE edges SotN out a little bit.

[cecil-kain]

In Reply To #42 #43 and #44

Sorry Guys, DoctaMario is right on the money with his criticism.

[Battler Ushiromiya]

In Reply To #46

Docta also sid the actual combat system was better in OoE than SotN. That puts it a bit higher than just "Cheap knockoff".

[cecil-kain]

In Reply To #46

Docta also sid the actual combat system was better in OoE than SotN. That puts it a bit higher than just "Cheap knockoff".

Of course, the game has its merits --I didn't see the point in regurgitating his entire post.  And to be fair, all of the post-SotN castleroids are a knock-off to some degree or another.  But the operative term here is "cheap" which can be chalked up to such things as the copypasta asthetics, cookie-cutter combat glyphs, linear gameplay, weak bonus modes, etc...