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

[Lumas]

I agree with this. Nobody said there can't be BOTH elegant AND slave vampires. Look at Vampire Hunter D, where some bitten by vampires become more "savage slaves" to their masters, while the masters still remain very elegant and are considered the nobility of the world. If anything, as far as one would take modern vampire lore, vampire masters would have more control over their powers due to the hundreds of years used developing them, while recently turned vampires wouldn't have that kind of control.

Another example would be the Draculina monsters in OoE, which never showed their human forms. They were basically purple bat/demon who flew around trying to kill you.

Regarding the vampire picture, the only thing I don't like is the hair, but that might be to it being clumped together like dreadlocks. If the character ISN'T a rastaman(or Predator, hehe), I don't want them sporting dreads.  But if it's JUST clumped strands of hair, I could let it slide.

Totally agree with you on that. The vampires in the vampire hunter d novels are both extremely beautiful (Even D who is just a halfbreed is constantly described as being unearthly gorgeous or inhumanly beautiful.....wait a second IGA said the same thing about Alucard/Arikado in the Aria manual hmmm..) anyway and also being savage slaves.

[CastleDan]

Quote from: Sindra on Today at 04:09:49 pm
It seems very reminiscent of the original games, but I wouldn't go so far as to say its faithful. If it was faithful it'd have kept alot of the staples of the series that we already know for fact are going to be left out, like the candle-whipping. Regardless of how realistic you want a this game to be, candle-whipping has been in the games since the very first game. It's been parodied multiple times. That right there is being faithful.


*Grabs the mic from her*

YO sindra i respect you I really do and I'm gonna let you finish BUT Castlevania Lords of Shadow has stage by stage progression, whip swinging, gothic monsters as well as fantasy based one (If you recall there were orcs in CoD that had rapid fire crossbows and I've so far hadn't heard any bitching about that), we got a beefed up hero who is even wearing armor similar to what Simon wore on the cover of CV2, We seemed to have a very beautiful landscapes which I've heard "Oh that isn't very Castlevania" but in Rondo didn't Richter ride a wooden plank down a river that cut through a lush landscape while fending off skeletons in the  middle of the day? And also the first scene from rondo was the carriage scene fighting Death so there really shouldn't be any complaining about the horse back riding fights. We even have monsterous Vampires which haven't really been seen since the 64 titles.  Even when i seen the first trailer when it was announced as Lords of Shadow I thought "Well that looked more like a Castlevania game then the last fifty million SotN expansion packs I've been playing."  Mainly because one he kneeled infront of a cross (Trevor CV3) second was wearing bitchin armor and looked more beefed up then the pretty boys of IGA's time (Simon cv1) and third had a retractable flaming chain whip that tore off the head of a giant (im sorry but that was badass). And so far I haven't heard that there wouldn't be any of the classic monsters like medus heads, bone dragons, death and such so you can't really use that as an example against the fact this game isn't being faithful. Some things must be sacrificed in order to take a game to the next level while adding more rewarding ones.

(If you couldn't tell I was going for that whole Kanye West thing cause I thought I would lighten the mood a little)

So I'm sorry but I think this game is more faithful then what most "fans" are thinking. And another thing I dont get all this complaining about "It's ripping off God of War!! Wambulance!!!". SotN ripped off Metroid and Im not hearing anyone bitch about that. "Oh because it was a great game and had beautiful artwork and great music and Alucard is such a great hero of the cv series." You know you are right it didn't have all that and was one of the greatest if not the greatest Castlevania game but this game is just over 60% done so you can't really be bitching that its ripping off another game when the best game in the series did the same damn thing. If i decided "Well I dont like that game because it didn't have level by level progression like the original title."  or say the same about Simon's Quest then I would be a complete and utter retard because it took something like what Metroid did and took Castlevania into a new direction, abeit a direction that started to kinda get redudant, but regardless you can't call this game not faithful to the original just because of one thing like candle whipping.

Also Im Hideo Kojima. Did jew rike it?

*Runs off the stage*

eggfriggenactly.


You summed everything up that I was thinking quite nicely. I'm surprised the hardcore fans aren't claiming its a return to form. Sure it's too soon to say that but based off the footage so far it looks quite impressive. All the platforming parts they have shown look well done and totally vania.

Plus I see PLENTY enemies that are classics, the quick moving spiders, the wolves ( new look to them tho), the HUGE SUIT OF ARMOR, the titans have been in old castlevanias too...the one in aria of sorrow, the one in lament of innocence. Seriously if you look at the trailer and pause the numerous parts you could see plenty of enemies.

[RichterB]

Hey, I am a Classic Castlevania guy: Castlevania III, IV, and Dracula X (SNES version) are my favorites. I greatly appreciate the return to the old-school setup, but I think we're exaggerating some points.

...I'll wait to see more, but thus far, I don't think the 3D atmosphere is as stylistically gripping as CV64/LoD. I think this will be a good game, but I'm not sure it will encapsulate my mental image of what a perfect 3D Castlevania should be--and remember, that's coming from a big Classic Castlevania fan. Time will tell.

PS: For the record, CoD was not a trend setter in any way. The music was probably its best asset.

[e105beta]

If he's really a Classicvania fan, maybe he's pulling the giant golem from Haunted Castle...
http://castlevania.wikia.com/wiki/Giant_Rock_Creature

[Aridale]

The music was probably its best asset.

EASILY the best. I still listen the soundtrack daily

[shelverton.]

The CoD soundtrack is definitely one of Michiru Yamanes finest hours. It's up there with SotN and Bloodlines if you ask me, and (dare I say it?) sometimes surpassing both. Shame about the game though.

[Aridale]

I actually kinda like the game. If it had been broader in all the rpg aspects it woulda been alot better

[CastleDan]

The CoD soundtrack is definitely one of Michiru Yamanes finest hours. It's up there with SotN and Bloodlines if you ask me, and (dare I say it?) sometimes surpassing both. Shame about the game though.

I actually think I like her Lament of Innocence soundtrack better.

There's a lot of songs on there that give me a true sotn feel..  By that I mean the songs give off great feeling... Like the opera mansion place, the underground water systems, the garden theme...etc..etc... ( Forgot the name of the areas)...

COD had a great soundtrack to but idk.. there was just so much feeling in laments. Especially leon's theme!

[RichterB]

If he's really a Classicvania fan, maybe he's pulling the giant golem from Haunted Castle...
http://castlevania.wikia.com/wiki/Giant_Rock_Creature

...And Koronot, too, right?  Seriously, I do not have a problem with giants in Castlevania. What I do take some issue with is that you allegedly stab glowing points on it to climb up it and slay it. Moreover, battles like that are being highlighted right now as the "sale points," when, as a Classic Castlevania fan, I want to see "Castlevania," not pieces of other games with a Castlevania character.

...While we're talking about the game, do we really need the super powers/super combos where he's spinning around like Link in Wind Waker or dropping into the ground with a flaming fist/boot ala King of Fighters? That kind of over-the-top action generally makes the enemies seem redundant and takes away from the sobering atmosphere. Just because God of War and DMC drop you in a room full of baddies that you have to obliterate, doesn't mean you need that as a main element in a 3D Castlevania. I mean, what's the point of strategically using the classic Sub-weapons and x2/3 then? Oh, that's right...maybe they're not in this game, just like the Candles. But a Hammer is...a giant Hammer...

As much of an action game as "Classic-vania" is, it wasn't ever in-your-face, non-stop action like Contra. The enemies were placed strategically, becoming obstacles just as much as the platforms. It wasn't about how many enemies you could whip at once, which is why LoI and CoD had design issues.

It's little things like this that are hanging me up on LoS. They're not making it a bad game, but they're preventing it, at least for me, from being a mind-blowing game. I see things I like (a whip as the main weapon, swing-platforming, a darker world), but I don't see a cohesive package yet that screams "Castlevania has come to a new age!" My impression may indeed change, though. After all, we've hardly seen any of the game, and most of what we've seen is in the 'Lord of the Rings' Fantasy-style areas.

[CastleDan]

...And Koronot, too, right?  Seriously, I do not have a problem with giants in Castlevania. What I do take some issue with is that you allegedly stab glowing points on it to climb up it and slay it. Moreover, battles like that are being highlighted right now as the "sale points," when, as a Classic Castlevania fan, I want to see "Castlevania," not pieces of other games with a Castlevania character.

...While we're talking about the game, do we really need the super powers/super combos where he's spinning around like Link in Wind Waker or dropping into the ground with a flaming fist/boot ala King of Fighters? That kind of over-the-top action generally makes the enemies seem redundant and takes away from the sobering atmosphere. Just because God of War and DMC drop you in a room full of baddies that you have to obliterate, doesn't mean you need that as a main element in a 3D Castlevania. I mean, what's the point of strategically using the classic Sub-weapons and x2/3 then? Oh, that's right...maybe they're not in this game, just like the Candles. But a Hammer is...a giant Hammer...

As much of an action game as "Classic-vania" is, it wasn't ever in-your-face, non-stop action like Contra. The enemies were placed strategically, becoming obstacles just as much as the platforms. It wasn't about how many enemies you could whip at once, which is why LoI and CoD had design issues.

It's little things like this that are hanging me up on LoS. They're not making it a bad game, but they're preventing it, at least for me, from being a mind-blowing game. I see things I like (a whip as the main weapon, swing-platforming, a darker world), but I don't see a cohesive package yet that screams "Castlevania has come to a new age!" My impression may indeed change, though. After all, we've hardly seen any of the game, and most of what we've seen is in the 'Lord of the Rings' Fantasy-style areas.

Super abilities have been a part of the 3d vanias.

[e105beta]

...And Koronot, too, right?  Seriously, I do not have a problem with giants in Castlevania. What I do take some issue with is that you allegedly stab glowing points on it to climb up it and slay it. Moreover, battles like that are being highlighted right now as the "sale points," when, as a Classic Castlevania fan, I want to see "Castlevania," not pieces of other games with a Castlevania character.

...While we're talking about the game, do we really need the super powers/super combos where he's spinning around like Link in Wind Waker or dropping into the ground with a flaming fist/boot ala King of Fighters? That kind of over-the-top action generally makes the enemies seem redundant and takes away from the sobering atmosphere. Just because God of War and DMC drop you in a room full of baddies that you have to obliterate, doesn't mean you need that as a main element in a 3D Castlevania. I mean, what's the point of strategically using the classic Sub-weapons and x2/3 then? Oh, that's right...maybe they're not in this game, just like the Candles. But a Hammer is...a giant Hammer...

As much of an action game as "Classic-vania" is, it wasn't ever in-your-face, non-stop action like Contra. The enemies were placed strategically, becoming obstacles just as much as the platforms. It wasn't about how many enemies you could whip at once, which is why LoI and CoD had design issues.

It's little things like this that are hanging me up on LoS. They're not making it a bad game, but they're preventing it, at least for me, from being a mind-blowing game. I see things I like (a whip as the main weapon, swing-platforming, a darker world), but I don't see a cohesive package yet that screams "Castlevania has come to a new age!" My impression may indeed change, though. After all, we've hardly seen any of the game, and most of what we've seen is in the 'Lord of the Rings' Fantasy-style areas.

Richter in SotN was pretty damn flashy with all of his super powers/super combos
Cox also said there were going to be sub-weapons.

[Ahasverus]

Some of you people are CRAZY!, I mean, complaining because the game doesn't have the SAME EXACT ESTRUCTURE THAT OTHER CV HAD IN THE PAST 20 YEARS and we ALREADY KNOW?, I mean, do you REALLY WANT THE VERY SAME EVERY GAME? Is that what you want? The same estages? Weapons? Progression? level Design? Not a single place for innovation (Titans), changing of pace (Horse rides) location (The REAL medieval europe) different art design? (REAL vampires) Seriously, this kind of attitude make developers being AFRAID of trying new things, this kind of attitude made Iga repeat the formula almost 15 years, some of us want a change, innovation, trial and error, but with the feeling that they TRIED to change, the time corrects mistakes, we all love the saga, but that love inspires me to demand a change, to make it as gloriu¡ous as it was. That requires sacrifices, but many other sagas have done it (POP, Metroid, Ninja Gaiden, Tomb Raider - Almost - and a LOT more)
And this one has potential, a lot

[RichterB]

Seriously, this kind of attitude make developers being AFRAID of trying new things, this kind of attitude made Iga repeat the formula almost 15 years, some of us want a change, innovation, trial and error, but with the feeling that they TRIED to change, the time corrects mistakes, we all love the saga, but that love inspires me to demand a change, to make it as gloriu¡ous as it was. That requires sacrifices, but many other sagas have done it (POP, Metroid, Ninja Gaiden, Tomb Raider - Almost - and a LOT more)
And this one has potential, a lot

Oh, don't get me wrong, I've been asking for "change" for years. The SotN formula probably should have been "one and done," and certainly after Aria, if not after Circle, that style should have been put on the shelf. Really, at the end of the day, I just want a fitting and innovative "Castlevania game" that's not overly derivative. Castlevania inspired many, but what will Castlevania inspire from here on out? Is it a follower, or a leader? IMO, to be a leader, it needs to have a definitive identity. (To that end, I wish the developers the best. I know they're trying hard. As I've said prior to this post, they have some elements right for me as a fan, I'm just not sure about the whole package from what little we've seen).

PS: to clarify, the "super powers" used to be limited to heart-sensitive, sub-weapon-focused item crashes; all that stuff with SotN Richter and the introduction of the floaty double jump is when things started to get over-the-top, which made survival less important and enemies more redundant. Anyway, I'm glad to hear that there will be sub-weapons.

[CastleDan]

Some of you people are CRAZY!, I mean, complaining because the game doesn't have the SAME EXACT ESTRUCTURE THAT OTHER CV HAD IN THE PAST 20 YEARS and we ALREADY KNOW?, I mean, do you REALLY WANT THE VERY SAME EVERY GAME? Is that what you want? The same estages? Weapons? Progression? level Design? Not a single place for innovation (Titans), changing of pace (Horse rides) location (The REAL medieval europe) different art design? (REAL vampires) Seriously, this kind of attitude make developers being AFRAID of trying new things, this kind of attitude made Iga repeat the formula almost 15 years, some of us want a change, innovation, trial and error, but with the feeling that they TRIED to change, the time corrects mistakes, we all love the saga, but that love inspires me to demand a change, to make it as gloriu¡ous as it was. That requires sacrifices, but many other sagas have done it (POP, Metroid, Ninja Gaiden, Tomb Raider - Almost - and a LOT more)
And this one has potential, a lot

I have to agree it is pretty ridiculous.

I mean, there's plenty of things they are retaining down to using subweapons that involve daggers, crosses, and holy water as stated.

He's went on record that classic enemies such as skeletons, wolves, medusa, and various other familiar villains will be back with new looks.

Now yeah they might look different but I'm glad, it's nice to see a group of game developers NOT rehashing the same designs over and over which the old developers did.

Environments are extremely faithful to classic castlevanias. Hell this is the most shocking complaint to me... There's tons of gothic buildings based off of pics, beautiful dark towns that are on fire ( dracula x), whip swinging from platform to platform ( super castlevania 4).... I mean damn the list goes on and on...  People even complain about the character design which actually shares quite a similarity to OLD castlevania art.

You have a whip weapon that will get upgraded ( fire,ice..Etc...)

Where are these complaints coming from?

This is the first castlevania in 3d that seems to be getting more effort put into it, and it seems to be following the CLASSIC castlevania guidelines ( Minus breaking candles) and people are flipping out over it.

Boggles my mind sometimes.

I'm stoked personally.

[e105beta]

I really have to agree with you. I've been a long time Castlevania fan, my first being CV3 on the NES, and I haven't been this excited for a release since, well, ever. Sure it looks different, sure it's not the exact same thing as we've gotten time and time again, but, to me, it still feels like Castlevania and I can't help but thinking this may be one of, if not the best in the series.

I have never and will never understand why people rag on such minor things, like no candles. I mean, to me, as long as you're breaking something, it's fine. They're just candles. It's just another piece of furniture.