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

[Kingshango]

We all knew the gameplay would bear a resemblance to God of War/Ninja Gaiden, but hey as long as it's good it doesn't matter right? At least the gameplay looks solid though.


And keep in mind that only the tutorial!

[Dremn]

We all knew the gameplay would bear a resemblance to God of War/Ninja Gaiden, but hey as long as it's good it doesn't matter right? At least the gameplay looks solid though.


And keep in mind that only the tutorial!

The tutorial level is usually a very reflective part of what the game plays like. I'm not going to like these combat sections if I'm forced to be boxed in certain moments fighting off hordes of enemies. That is NOT Castlevania.

[shelverton.]

We all knew the gameplay would bear a resemblance to God of War/Ninja Gaiden, but hey as long as it's good it doesn't matter right? At least the gameplay looks solid though.

And keep in mind that only the tutorial!

This.
Also, I love God of War, so I don't mind I always though the combat in God of War kinda did what Castlevania always should've done in 3D. And people would be mad to say that Gabriel rips off Kratos fighting style, when Castlevania had whips ages before GoW existed. And there's only so many ways to swing a whip in 3D. It will look like this.

[shelverton.]

I'm not going to like these combat sections if I'm forced to be boxed in certain moments fighting off hordes of enemies. That is NOT Castlevania.

That's what Lament of Innocence did. And Curse of Darkness.
Besides, Dave Cox already said it's not gonna be an "arena fighting" type game.

[Kingshango]

The tutorial level is usually a very reflective part of what the game plays like. I'm not going to like these combat sections if I'm forced to be boxed in certain moments fighting off hordes of enemies. That is NOT Castlevania.

Yeah being in a boxed area isn't a Castlevania norm but did you also consider the fact that he is locked in and surrounded by werewolves while defending a village?

[DingusBelmondo]

That's what Lament of Innocence did. And Curse of Darkness.
Besides, Dave Cox already said it's not gonna be an "arena fighting" type game.

Where did cox say that. I believe you but i find that EXTREMELY reassuring. I just want to be able to wave the proof in peoples faces.

[Aridale]

Im pretty floored by that trailer right now. gonna have to watch it a few more times to let it all sink in. The gameplay vid is nice too. Of course all anyones yellin is GoW GoW GoW!!!11one and yeah I can see it but cmon. Anyone swingin around any kinda anythin involvin a chain is gonna look like cause theres no other way it can fuckin look. I cant wait to play it mself

[Munchy]

Anyone see the credit for Baba Yaga? She's a witch from Russian folklore... glad to see them reaching in more Eastern European myths.

[Dremn]

Anyone swingin around any kinda anythin involvin a chain is gonna look like cause theres no other way it can fuckin look.

True.

[DingusBelmondo]

I really dig the animation showing how to do the moves.

[Dremn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AA-RNE80G0

More gameplay.

[Kingshango]

Goddammit OSM I was JUST gonna post that but you block me you so .........*calm down, calm down wooosa, wooosa

[DingusBelmondo]

The metal winged demon knight was super awesome. So.. Was that what they had planned though? I mean Should we even expect anything tomorrow.

[Thunderbrand]

The metal winged demon knight was super awesome. So.. Was that what they had planned though? I mean Should we even expect anything tomorrow.

Hopefully a final, confirmed release date?

Couple more screens? Interviews? Who knows. But a firm release date would make me happy at this point.

[Kingshango]

Gamespot hands on http://e3.gamespot.com/story/6265838/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-hands-on-?tag=topslot;img;4


Up until this point, we've only seen trailer of the latest installment of the Castlevania franchise, but we recently had a chance to go hands-on with the E3 demo on the show floor. But just as a quick recap: In development at Mercury Steam (with some assistance from Kojima Productions), Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a reboot of sorts for the classic franchise as it features new characters and, most importantly, 3D action. But whereas previous 3D Castlevanias fell short in terms of delivering the kind of action and adventure that fans of the series expect, Lords of Shadow looks like it just might change all of that.

The demo begins with a storybook presentation narrated by the recently knighted Patrick Stewart (of Star Trek fame). We're told that the year is 1047 and the world has become a dark place. After the setup, we see Gabriel Belmont walk into a small town overrun with werewolf-like creatures, and though the townspeople do their best to fend off the beasts with torches, they're no match. Naturally, this is an opportunity for Gabriel to strut his stuff as the demo guides us as to what he can do--the first being his two basic attacks. These attacks steam from a weak and strong system where pressing one button will produce the corresponding type of combination, but when you mix the two together you can perform an even more devastating combo (and you can also perform aerial combos, if you happen to juggle your foes into the air).

If you're thinking that this sounds a little bit like God of War, you'd be right--the combat system is pretty similar. But, in addition to his basic whip attacks, Gabriel can also pick up items left by fallen enemies. The first item we see is a set of daggers, which Gabriel can then throw at his attackers. They're not terribly strong and you have a limited amount (unless you pick up more), but they're strong enough to take out some of the smaller enemies in one shot. Lastly, Gabriel can also grab his enemies and throw them by pressing the right trigger and then waiting for a series of circles to align before pressing a face button. When done properly, Gabriel leaps into the air, enemy in-hand, and throws it to the ground. It's also worth noting that when you defeat enemies, you gain experience points, which you can then use to purchase new attacks and other abilities for Gabriel.

Of course, our hero also has a set of defensive moves. In addition to a regular block, Gabriel can also perform some evasive maneuvers by holding block down and pressing a direction on the analog stick. He can also execute counters if you happen to time a block just right. You can then mash a button to get a counter-combo off. Also, if you happen to need some health, you can run up to a health statue and press the right trigger to gain a little back, but these health statues seem somewhat few and far between--at least, in the demo.

After coming to grips with the controls, we take care of the creatures invading the town. This particular scene in the demo looks quite amazing as rain comes pouring down on Gabriel and the townspeople fighting at his side. In fact, it's one of the best rain effects we've seen, and when combined with the great lighting effects produced a nice sheen on everything. But we don't take too much time gazing at the environment--once we finish off the initial wave of enemies, a huge warg comes crashing through the town gates. This beast can't be defeated as easily as his smaller counterparts. You have to make extensive use of Gabriel's blocking and pay attention to when the warg is about to launch his unblockable attack and evade it at the proper time. We launch every combo we can at him and take his health down, but just as we're about to defeat him, the warg makes his way to the top of a small rockpile in the town. From here, we're told to grab a massive pike of sorts by pressing the right trigger just as the warg leaps towards Gabriel. The quick time event ends and the warg is defeated. Gabriel questions the townspeople before moving onto the forest.

Once there, we get our first taste of horseback riding in Lords of Shadow as a mythical0looking horse jumps from a portal and tells Gabriel he can guide him to his destination. The horse back riding is on a fixed path, and in the demo, you have to combat enemies that come running beside you. It seems as though you can stay on your horse, but in the demo, you fall to the ground if you get hit too many times. From here we fight more of the same creatures before the horse reappears and we move onto a similar section of the forest. The demo ends with the horse telling Gabriel he can't go any further, leaping through a crowd of wargs, across a ravine.


There's definitely a God of War influence of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, but it just fits the game so well. We're interested to see just how Gabriel's list of attacks grows over the course of the game as well as how the exploration element will fit into all of it. But at the very least, the game looks absolutely great at this point and we can't wait to see more

Looks like Gamespot really likes it, even if it does have a God of War influence.