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

[Chernabogue]

To be honest,anyone can enter but only dark beings survive.That's why this member of brotherhood died.

Yes, that's what Laura said.

[bucky]

I cleared it long ago on its hardest setting, but I just popped in LOS the other night to play a few levels and see if I could get some extra fun out of its gameplay and atmosphere...and you know what? I found that rather than growing on me, the game has soured on me. I never outright loved it, but as I played it after walking away from it for a while, I just felt an indifference to it. There's a reason I didn't get the DLC and this reinforced that. I realized how un-Castlevania it is in its usage of practically on-rails "platforming," and how repetitive the combo-based enemy scenarios are, battling in what largely amount to glorified LoI arenas. The game isn't bad, but its level design doesn't inspire a Castlevania pick up and play/replay value. It's just hard to explain...this is a bit of an exaggeration, but a lot of the levels feel like re-skins, and you're doing the same things over and over again, and those things, as designed, are not very appealing in the long run.

My feelings/ experience exactly. I enjoyed clearing the game out once, but by the time the DLC came out, I couldn't return to it. The replay value just isn't there for me.

[Flame]

I found LoS to have great replay value. I love going to earlier stages and using my moves that i didnt have when I originally passed through.

[darkwzrd4]

I found LoS to have great replay value. I love going to earlier stages and using my moves that i didnt have when I originally passed through.

Yeah, me too.  I also like revisiting areas to admire their beauty.  I mean the Mountain Fortress is just beautiful.

[Flame]

That was Malphas' stage right? That was my FAVORITE stage.

Hey, who did TFO's voice? Sounded real cool. Almost Vader-like.

[darkwzrd4]

That was Malphas' stage right? That was my FAVORITE stage.

Hey, who did TFO's voice? Sounded real cool. Almost Vader-like.

No, it's the stage before.  You know, with the giant orge.  Though the stage with Malphas is cool too.  The inside areas of her stage truly look like they belong in a castlevania game.  (keep in mind that even though this game is called castlevania, I don't consider it one.)

And, yes TFO's voice was great.

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One more thing.  In the second part of chapter 14, there are enemies aside from TFO.  They are called flaming skeletons.  And yes, they are skeletons on fire.  But, just reading the name got me thinking.  If these enemies were rainbow colored instead of on fire, you could still call them "flaming skeletons".  Get it?

[Tanatra]

I found LoS to have great replay value. I love going to earlier stages and using my moves that i didnt have when I originally passed through.

Agreed. I just started playing through LoS again and I'm enjoying it even more the second-go around. I'm convinced that just about everyone who hates this game made up their mind before it even came out that they were going to hate it no matter what. (Even if they do have some valid arguments.)

[Alutwon]

I'm also replaying it with a brand new save just for resurrection. I must say, this game is way better the second time around (I only played through it once).

[Gecko]

Yeah, I've been replaying it from the ground up on other Xbox profiles with a fresh save file, and in replaying levels on my original profile to find all the upgrades and complete the more reasonable challenges. Forget the challenge for

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Forgotten One.

Though I really like that the Forgotten One gives the game a great classic feeling of accomplishment upon finishing the game due to difficulty. It's the same feeling as when I beat Dracula in the first Castlevania for the first time. I do wish that having the DLC installed would move the future Dracul/Gabriel & Zobek cutscene to play after the Forgotten One's demise, but whatever. Good game all the same. I would have liked a few less puzzles though.

[Vampire Killer]

Well, I've beaten both challenges, and gotten 110% on stage 1 of chapter 14.

For those of you having trouble with TFO, here's some advice....

(click to show/hide)

You have to attack only when it's prudent. Getting up in his face and just spamming will get you killed.

The easiest way to attack him is to stay a fair distance from him (but not too far), and wait till he executes his spinning chain move. While the chain is still spinning, run in and attack. When his leg is the weak point, it's easy, just do some high damage attacks, then GTFO before he smashes you. Later on, when hit weak point is higher, I usually do a Whirlwind Flap followed by either a few hits or a Guillotine, then I move away from him. After attacking, it's best to just move back to the distance at which he'll attempt his swinging chain move again or that move where he throws five of those flaming javelins in a row. Rinse, repeat. Just remember to not stand there like a dumbass, and beating him on Paladin isn't that difficult.

[Gecko]

Well, I've beaten both challenges, and gotten 110% on stage 1 of chapter 14.

For those of you having trouble with TFO, here's some advice....

(click to show/hide)

You have to attack only when it's prudent. Getting up in his face and just spamming will get you killed.

The easiest way to attack him is to stay a fair distance from him (but not too far), and wait till he executes his spinning chain move. While the chain is still spinning, run in and attack. When his leg is the weak point, it's easy, just do some high damage attacks, then GTFO before he smashes you. Later on, when hit weak point is higher, I usually do a Whirlwind Strike followed by either a few hits or a Guillotine, then I move away from him. After attacking, it's best to just move back to the distance at which he'll attempt his swinging chain move again or that move where he throws five of those flaming javelins in a row. Rinse, repeat. Just remember to not stand there like a dumbass, and beating him on Paladin isn't that difficult.

That's become my strategy as well.

(click to show/hide)

I replayed it today because my girlfriend wanted to know what I was talking about, and ended up beating him very easily in the first stage. The second stage he killed me once(after the battle started), but I came back and finished him off much more easily using the strategy I'd defeated him with the other day.

I think I'm ready to try it on Warrior difficulty! 

I really love this game though. The more I replay it the more I enjoy it. I love the cutscenes, the graphics, the combat, the plot... Just about everything about this game other than the occasional overabundance of puzzles. It feels like what I expected of a 3D Castlevania originally. I know others disagree hardcore with what I'm saying, but I'm definitely happy with this entry into the series. There was a thread here a few years back about what we thought could make Castlevania work well in 3D. I wanted a 3D Castlevania that mixed LoI's style of combat with a better version of the 64 games' stage design and platforming. Throw in a few QTE's(which are cheap at times) and remove a lot of backtracking through levels, and that's Lords. My opinion.

[Chernabogue]

I really love this game though. The more I replay it the more I enjoy it. I love the cutscenes, the graphics, the combat, the plot... Just about everything about this game other than the occasional overabundance of puzzles. It feels like what I expected of a 3D Castlevania originally. I know others disagree hardcore with what I'm saying, but I'm definitely happy with this entry into the series. There was a thread here a few years back about what we thought could make Castlevania work well in 3D. I wanted a 3D Castlevania that mixed LoI's style of combat with a better version of the 64 games' stage design and platforming. Throw in a few QTE's(which are cheap at times) and remove a lot of backtracking through levels, and that's Lords. My opinion.

Agreed on that. Now that I saw Resurrection, I think LoS is a very good game and a great CV game too. My opinion too.

(Also dude, "King for a 1000 Years on Occasion Avenue" = win. Awesome musical tastes too )

[Trussingbook]

This game makes me happy

[Inccubus]

Makes me shed bloody tears.

[Ahasverus]

Makes me shed bloody tears.

Of joy