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

[C Belmont]

isn't that tidbit about legends the reason a lot of people dont like the story

I know i've heard plenty of complaining about it!
which just makes Mercury steam plain stupid for making the same mistake only much worse

[Flame]

All I ever hear is complaints about Sonia being stricken because IGA is "Oh so sexist", and nobody ever bothers to bring up the fact that it has a crappy plot, and an even crappier implied ending, and that maybe THATS why he removed it from canon.

[Vampire Killer]

Last night while bored, I decided to look through this thread, starting at the beginning.  What really struck me was the amazing amount of enthusiasm and excitement everyone seemed to have from viewing the first trailer.  Some even implied that they had guessed (from seeing footage) that this game was a Castlevania game. I unfortunately cannot find the footage anymore, but I remember seeing what I suppose was test footage, and thinking that it would make a sweet CV game.  After seeing the trailer (which is very accurate to the final product), everyone seemed floored.

What I don't get, is what happened between then and now. I suppose you'll say gameplay, which I agree is a valid argument, but only to a point. I too was annoyed by certain things, like too much shimmying and I despise the beam and web walking.  What I really hated about the balance walking was the f'ing boundaries everywhere. So many times it would've been easy to just jump to where you wanted to go, but nooooo. Basically, the environmental-collision needed a fair amount of work. I would love to have a sit down with Cox (that doesn't sound good does it?), going stage by stage, pointing out where changes need to be made with collision, and how to fix them design wise.

But even so, with all it's flaws, I was able to see the beauty underneath. When I feel like just "mellowing out", I love playing through some of the more scenic chapters, and literally walking through, just taking my time admiring the landscape and I plod on to face my enemies. It's very relaxing.

Concernig combat, I don't care what you haters have to say, LoS had an EXCELLENT fighting system. Just like Ninja Gaiden, it's as deep as you decide to go. Yes, you can spam Guilloteen all day and night, but you could do the same thing with the Izuna Drop and a few other moves in NG. And LoI had the last second block countering, as did Mark of Kri. Yes, the ground stomp was way over abused by the enemies. If you're getting your ass kicked by it, learn to jump. Even if you instinctively dodge first, just spam the jump button, and 9 times out of 10 you'll jump in time to avoid the shockwave.

[Profbeanburrito]

All I ever hear is complaints about Sonia being stricken because IGA is "Oh so sexist", and nobody ever bothers to bring up the fact that it has a crappy plot, and an even crappier implied ending, and that maybe THATS why he removed it from canon.

Agreed!

[Sumac]

The fact that AOS and DOS happen in the future wasn't displayed in the designs of the stages.
Aside form minor references basically nothing tells that those game happen in 2035/2036.

I am talking about castle designs, not the story.

[Flame]

The fact that AOS and DOS happen in the future wasn't displayed in the designs of the stages.

Why would it? this is Dracula's castle. It remains perpetually the castle it was in Symphony.

[DragonSlayr81]

I think the depiction of the future is probably the most realistic in the Sorrow games. They don't jump the gun and try to say, in a few decades, we are all going to be super high tech, with giant robots and such(like a lot of anime and such). Hell, I recall old WB cartoons and such from how the people in the 1950s visualized that we'd be in hover cars and sky cities in the 1990s. Showing that the world hasn't changed much in a couple decades(the intro to DoS, particularly, which showed a normal looking Japanese street) probably isn't that much of a stretch to how the world will look during that time. I mean, people are kidding themselves if they think we are going to be all Robotech or a Jetsons-type society.

[Ahasverus]

You are kidding right? the sorrow had zerofuturistic aspects, you can't say it was an "acurrate portrayal" because we saw NOTHING, only some street in tokio and that was it, it had zero atmosphere.

[JR]

I really do like the restraint and practicality they used with the future setting (as far as no hoverboards yadda yadda), but I just wonder how far forward the timeline could be pushed, you know? The castle could stay the same, obviously, but then would the future setting still serve a decent purpose? It could be cool I guess...

[Mike Belmont]

You are kidding right? the sorrow had zerofuturistic aspects, you can't say it was an "acurrate portrayal" because we saw NOTHING, only some street in tokio and that was it, it had zero atmosphere.

Its true that niether Aria nor Dawn have too much future elements. In DoS I only remember the intro, the van in the Lost Village, the lights in the Pinnacle (necessary to call that moth creature), and in Aria the positron riffle... Ok, thats not enough future elements, but lets remeber that 99% of the games take place inside a replica castle (or inside a castle in the moon, in Aria). Maybe if we can walk outside the castle, we might see future elements (streets, cars, buildings).

[JR]

You are kidding right? the sorrow had zerofuturistic aspects, you can't say it was an "acurrate portrayal" because we saw NOTHING, only some street in tokio and that was it, it had zero atmosphere.

That's kind of the point, though. It could be seen as more accurate because of its absense of futuristic couches. That's what I liked about it...instead of being some "future castlevania," it was a castlevania game that happened to be set in the future. I dunno.

Lol, I meant cliches, not couches. Silly phone.

[Mike Belmont]

Let´s wait and see how MS manages the future in next Lords of Shadow sequels  .

[crisis]

look at the size of that thing!

i also like using the grenade launcher & terror bear in dos

[Ahasverus]

Let´s wait and see how MS manages the future in next Lords of Shadow sequels  .

it's actually the present, the phone the girl was using to record Dracul was an iPhone

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

I can somewhat believe the non-future thing with Aria, since the Castle was sealed in 1999 so you could have things from 1999 in the castle (ha ha!  Positon Rifle though)....
...but for Dawn of Sorrow, it's inexcusable.  THAT Castle, a supposed replica of Dracula's Castle, that Celia and her cult went and built (not the actual Dracula Castle even though the Silent Ruins resemble it) should have had more futuristic elements.  Either that or she was particularly meticulous about it not having any modern technology (but the Wizardry Lab shows otherwise).