Topic: I knew it! Castlevania: Lords of Shadow!(SPOILERS HERE, PLZ USE THE SPOILER TAG)

[RegalX7]

Considering this is Castlevania, the linearity complaints don't concern me. Cox said they wanted to basically "create Castlevania 1 in 3D," so I don't see the problem, unless the levels are FF13 tubes.

[Thunderbrand]

Remember, CV 2 and 4 were huge influences in the development of LoS. I don't see that as a bad thing.

So map-wise it may be basically linear, meaning while each individual level/area is non-linear/free-roaming, we have a pre-planned path to follow through the game. (In other words, we can't just jump from the intro village level to the final area, etc.) I'm OK with that. And so we have to backtrack to get different items, weapons, etc., well so what? We've had to do that in every game since SotN.  

[thernz]

Well, non-linearity can also refer to alternate paths and levels like Rondo, which I think would be the best way to go with a stage format game like LoS.

[BigDotBomber]

Amazon is now offering $20 credit with pre-orders including collector's edition if any of you are interested.

[The Silverlord]

CVG preview/interview up
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=262752

Lots of new stuff.  14-minute end demo sequence.

"We have so much variety and we re-use very few assets."

"There's a big platforming element in the game that we're unfortunately not showing in the demo"

"I wanted to go back to that classic kind of feeling where the room is turning around and you're swinging on the chandeliers - that kind of spectacle."

"There's an awful lot of political stuff that goes on in a company like Konami. I think Mr Kojima became a guardian for the project. He was like the reassurance to the Japanese side that it was all going to be okay."

"I would talk to people and say 'do you like Castlevania?' And they were like, 'Castle what?' The management felt that the series had kind of lost its way a little bit; that it had been appealing to a smaller and smaller core fanbase with each release."

"In the days of the Super NES, Castlevania was a massive title - one of the biggest around - but over the years it kind of lost its place. Lords of Shadow is going to address that."

I can smell the 1997 fan from miles away.

Agreed.  But I'm looking forward to the crop of 2010.

Meanwhile, our new UK producer needs to get his backyard sorted.  I can't find this limited/collector's edition anywhere in the UK (tried Amazon UK, Gameplay, Game, Gamestation, Argos), and I don't want to miss it.

[RegalX7]

Amazon is now offering $20 credit with pre-orders including collector's edition if any of you are interested.

I guess I'm going with Amazon again. Between Other M and Lords Of Shadow, I'll have $40 in credit, how nice.

[Nox_A15]

I can't find any Collector's Edition in Poland either. I hope they'll show up soon.

[thernz]

Variety does seem to be the major strong suit for LoS. The chandelier quote has me intrigued as well.

[DragonSlayr81]

"We have so much variety and we re-use very few assets."

This is a good sign. For one, it means most locations within the game will not copy-and-paste rooms. And it also means my hope for the 45 different monsters all being unique and not palette swapped be assured. If there's any gripe I have about the last two gaming generations, it's that with the greater graphics, the more they reuse general monster models, but only apply different skins and palettes to them. IGA's 3D-vanias were a big culprit of this, as were Final Fantasy series(which used to have some of the GREATEST monster variety, which peaked in sheer number and variety around FFVI and FFVII)

[Dremn]

Fantastic preview, nothing we haven't heard before but I loved that little tidbit about recapturing the feel of SCIV.

[crisis]

All these previews suck, Cox always fumbling his words to please impressionable fans, I can't wait till Oct. 5th so I can judge for myself.

[shelverton.]

Can't find anything on the limited edition in Sweden either... Is there even a european LE?
I can only preorder the normal edition. Maybe i'll import. I'm getting the PS3 version anyway, because I don't think I have enough space to install the game on my 360. Sounds like installing is a must on the 360.

Anyway..
THIS:

"I wanted to go back to that classic kind of feeling where the room is turning around and you're swinging on the chandeliers - that kind of spectacle."

 

[thernz]

All these previews suck, Cox always fumbling his words to please impressionable fans, I can't wait till Oct. 5th so I can judge for myself.

Well, I mean in the previews without Cox, I can still see proof for "variety." Stop being a Chapeler.
He does fumble around his words a lot. Since the game is basically completely, I'm putting more trust into Cox's words now that development won't suddenly contradict what he says now. I can see why IGA doesn't speak much heh.

The cutscene thing irks me because from the demo it seems more like there will be a billion 30 second cutscenes rather than overly long cutscenes, and I am not sure which I prefer. The 2 discs, but ALL GAME comment was deliciously corny.

Castlevania's combat is more button-mashy than Bayonetta but less ham-fisted than God of War and isn't nearly enough to carry an entire game,

This also has me worried. I mean I know there's more, but that could be an indicator of a lot of things to do, but not anything actually done really well. This was also echoed in a few other previews.

Lords of Shadow's platforming is less Prince of Persia and more Super Castlevania IV.

I am not seeing this at all.

"The bosses are these giant enemies you can climb on and have to work out how to take down. All those boss fights are in real time; no QTEs. All of those battles are real because we didn't want players to be taken out of the game."

Instead of QTEs, giant text flashes telling you what to do.

It's pretty clear that Cox is still reading our messages, so it is angering me that he hasn't responded to my birthday thread about him. ;-;

[JR]

Meanwhile, our new UK producer needs to get his backyard sorted.  I can't find this limited/collector's edition anywhere in the UK (tried Amazon UK, Gameplay, Game, Gamestation, Argos), and I don't want to miss it.

This is irritating me, too. I've been planning on pre-ordering a Europe version for a God Mask, and I'm kind of shocked that it's not even available yet. I think this is a fairly big mistake on Konami's part.

[crisis]

If all else fails, i'm sure it'll turn up on ebay in numerous quantities. Just look at the Best Music Collections Box.



i said titties, heehee