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

[Ahasverus]

I understand your point, and I like it, but I've read comments like "This won't be Castlevania" or "Castlevania is dead" or "Mainstream crap". That is annoying and pointless, like I said before, WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING. It's too soon. We could watch the combat system, but we don't know if that's the main focus of the game; if you read well, tha thing that says "This game will be focused in action" is made by the writters of the articles, nor Cox, nor Nacho, nor Kojima said that. Let's wait. I'm saying is nearer to a old school CV because of the concept, the prsentation, don't get me wrong. Just imagine, the first CV in 3D, how it would result? And that's near to the footage we saw.

[justin312]

I think it is going to be almost impossible for them to please everybody, as everyone seems to have different views on the key "must-have" elements that make Castlevania what it is.

[sad6666]

I rather want to discover something 'new' about my beloved series, than watching awesome and memorable characters to be wasted...

What if we get IGA's Alucard game, and LoS turns out to be a better game? Would people accept that?

[cecil-kain]

I think it is going to be almost impossible for them to please everybody, as everyone seems to have different views on the key "must-have" elements that make Castlevania what it is.

[justin312]

In Reply To #751

True, but platforming in what form?  Timing jumps to avoid enemies and falling into death pits are a crucial element of the older games, but that element is totally absent in the Metroidvanias.  (And it seems as if whip swinging is present in LoS, which would imply some sort of platforming aspect...we hope).  I think even the major elements like platforming are still defined in very different ways by different people.

[cecil-kain]

In Reply To #751

True, but platforming in what form?

[Giz]

Unsurprisingly... people don't seem to understand.

I'm saying IGAfans because you seem to be that. Why? because (some)you are judging the game saying it's not a true CV, because it hasn't any Kojima's artwork? because the protagonist isn't an orgasm faced pseudo-goth? because it has not a repetitive non-melodical Yamane soundtrack? That's IGA's era. LoS is more approachable to the old school CV's, a brave warrior fights a horde of huge legendary monsters with a chain (The VK looks cool in leather, but it's a chain at the beggining). That's all, is more CV than the Ecclesia or the AOS. You are alarmed because it kills IGA storyline (if it reboots), but, what if this result to be a better storyline? IGA killed old storyline (About 100 years resurrection, the Belmont as the main Dracula's enemies etc) Cox has the same right than he had once.
I can only say, be patient, I'm trying to be it; I trust in Nacho's words: "This Castlevania is made for fans and foreginners, you won't be dissapointed".

You're missing the point entirely. It has nothing to do with A. Kojima, nor Yamane, nor even Iga himself. It's about the consistent style and emphasis of the series. It's creatures. It's gothic/fiction undertones. The character archetypes. The environments. And most importantly, the atmosphere.


One of the things about Castlevania that struck me, back when I first jumped into the series, was the remarkable consistency in music despite various different composers, eras and games. So, to justin who said:

Some fans have already written the game off as "not true Castlevania" because it doesn't have Ayami Kojima's art and Michiru Yamane's music, even though those individuals had nothing to do with the original games.

Deal with that.

Here, a list I compiled.

Some music over the ages; mostly just dealing with primary titles in the series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA9FhBwRtoc&feature=related - heart of fire, cv1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfLdYZFdFfw - bloody tears, cv2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qcxIgDlM04&feature=related - riddle, cv3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KqUbTi6jN8 - theme of simon, scv4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10UlrIlDFIs&feature=related reincarnated soul, cv bloodlines
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpS0EabmUIU&feature=related illusionary dance, rondo of blood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4XIizeAXOA - marble gallery, symphony of the night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsqiYe51Bl4&feature=related skeleton cave, HoD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAgShhbugi0 entrance hall, AoS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6EEuBN3dvA&feature=related melancholy joachim, los
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luAI_SI_O3g cursed clocktower, dos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtXWSxPrDrY&feature=related mortiva aqueduct, cod
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3wk8t4QC1Y&feature=related the gears go awry, por
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g60Z8bWuLK8&feature=related jaws of a scorched earth, ooe

Alter the instrument quality and variety in the song to suit the game, and I could imagine almost any of those songs in almost any other Castlevania game, easily. Why do you think they can get away with so many remixes?

Every game (and I don't mean IGA titles, I mean the series as a whole) had its own take on the style, ranging from the melancholy LoI, to the gloomy and earthy SCIV and OoE, too the energetic Rondo and the chaotic HoD; they were all unique yet simultaneously Castlevania. They didn't have to desecrate upon its inner sanctum in order to accomplish what it wanted to do. Unfortunately, LoS (because some are bitching and can't read between the lines, IN WHAT WE'VE SEEN THUS FAR) has deconstructed and ultimately bastardized and destroyed that core. The music, style, atmosphere... have all been bastardized and replaced with something generic, bland and comparitively speaking, mainstream.

Yes, Ahas, I said it - mainstream - but I'm afraid that's the case. The gothic fiction style - whether in camp or melodrama - has been replaced and substituted with something much less niche and much more popular - "high fantasy".

The thing with IGA is, he respected the originals. He didn't remove them entirely. He expounded upon them, and when it came time for his own storylines, he lovingly built around them. He understood that core of Castlevania and instead built his own vision around it. His love of the series and general humility surrounding what came before him will certainly be missed, if he is surely gone and Lords of Shadow is the new era of Castlevania.
 

[The Silverlord]

It's reading fan boards like this that I can understand where the likes of Treasure come from when they (Maegawa) say:

The team doesn't seem too interested in it [revisiting classic franchises]. I've been pitching them on ideas here and there, but they would rather work on new titles. Sequels have certain expectations attached to them and they'd rather not be limited by those.

They obviously had their reasons, but had Konami left Lords of Shadow as fresh IP, it would have probably remained uncontaminated by fanatics of the Castlevania series.

[justin312]

In Reply To #754

I agree that music has always been an important component of any Castlevania game, but I only expect the games to have great music that fits the game, not a particular style of music that sounds like music from the previous games.

[uzo]

because it has not a repetitive non-melodical Yamane soundtrack?

Excuse me, what?

[Giz]

And both LoI and to a lesser extent CoD were both fairly cinematic as well*; and yet, as said before it still possesses the Castlevania style. You don't have to sacrifice that just to get something "cinematic".

Notably, tracks like "Dracula Appears" and "Toccata into blood-soaked darkness".

And as far as the tone and atmosphere of the rest of the game, I think it is a bit too early to presume that they have "bastardized and destroyed" the core of the original series.  We've only seen a very short teaser trailer and know very little about it.  What they showed probably only scratched the surface as far as bestiary, environments, bosses, and musical score goes.  I think we all need to give it a little time and see more of what they are working on before we rip this new team for "bastardizing" Castlevania.

Like I said before;

In everything we've seen. Which is more then just a trailer, it's a plot summary, artwork, trailer and all that goes with it, interviews, etc.

[justin312]

In Reply To #758

Well, I personally like the direction they have gone in with the artwork, and I think it is reminiscent of and fits Castlevania (older iterations anyway).  The music does sound different, but like I said, it may work well with the game, and they also may utilize some older tunes but with a new sound.  It looks like much of the game will be the adventure to the castle, so maybe the more familiar enemies (skeletons and such) and environments will take place later in the game, and all we are seeing in the trailer is a first level forest and a couple of bosses.  All indications are that they are going their own way story-wise, and I can understand why that might ruffle some feathers among longtime fans.  But story has always taken a back seat to gameplay in this series anyway, so I don't think that is much of a concern.  If they think they can tell a better story by starting fresh, I say go right ahead.

[CastlevaniaX]

According to the last week issue of Famitsu, Castlevania : Lords of Shadow is only %40 complete and it's titled as castlevania in Japan too.

[DingusBelmondo]

In Reply To #760

If this is true, than I think we may be seeing a large re-vamp of the game. Hopefully.

[Oralox]

In Reply To #760

Damn
this might end up being a huge game loaded with shits loads of shit. lol jk

But yeh this might end up being a huge game.

So since they are %40 complete Im pretty sure they are going to fit Dracula and some cv enemies into it.