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

[RichterB]

What if this was the first Castlevania game ever to be released?  What would you think about it?  
BTW, here is another well written review.  Enjoy.
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/06/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-review/

I think that noted review brings up an interesting spin on your question. That reviewer asks if the game had just been called "Lords of Shadow," a new IP, would it have gotten more credit from the media as a sort of fantasy, action mash-up game.

I think some of the criticism would have indeed been dropped, but then people would have said it ripped from Castlevania ironically enough, and I'd be sad that CV was overlooked for such a Konami effort of budget and talent. I've only played the demo and read some reviews/seen some trailers. From that limited experience, I can't say it does everything I'd want in a Castlevania as far as pacing, scenario, setting, music, and camera...but still, it has intrigued me a great deal to where I'm going to try to be more open to this experience when I get to it. All and all, I think it's a huge improvement over LoI and CoD. However, outside of combat and graphics, I'm not sure it goes as far in the 3D department as CV64 and LoD. If you blended more of what was done on the N64 in terms of a largely non-fixed camera, suspense & the pacing of action and atmosphere with what I've seen/played on LoS, I think Castlevania would be nailed in the 3D.

I haven't had a chance to see much of the whip gap-swinging in the game, but Munchy mentioned the 2009 3D "Bionic Commando" reboot a little bit ago on this thread, and that had amazing swing mechanics, with the character front and center, no fixed camera. I kind of think that'd be ideal for major sections of a 3D Castlevania.

I kind of like to breakdown the series into different sections so to speak. I'm referring to console games ONLY here:

- CV, CVII, CVIII and SCVIV would be the 1st section. These are THE true, timeless classics, the staples of the series. These games never get old and every time I revisit them they feel fresh and fun. Even though I've been through them a million times, there's just something about them...whether it's just nostalgia or not I don't know, but these first 4 games are just something special. The atmosphere and music in each of these first 4 are just fantastic. I'll throw Chronicles in this group too, even though it came out years after the first 4. I thought Chronicles was a very nicely done remake, a good homage to the classics. It was fun and having both original and arranged modes on the disc was a nice feature.

- DracX and SotN are another section. Great for what they were, innovative, epic, and colorful. SotN was sort of a re-boot when it came out and it skyrocketed. There's a reason many consider it the pinnacle of the series. DracX on the SNES was lacking a bit but the original was excellent.

- CV64, LoD, LoI and CoD are another section. All have their good & bad moments, but they largely tried to go in a direction that just didn't quite work for everyone. For me personally, I really liked all of the games in this group, particularly LoD and LoI. Those 2 games in particular had good atmosphere, were fun to play and had excellent soundtracks.

That brings us to LoS. I'm still early in the game but so far I like what I see alot.

You forgot Bloodlines. Does that go in the second section for you?

[Thunderbrand]

Doh! I KNEW I was forgetting one...it's been a long week 

Yes, Bloodlines would probably go in my 2nd section, mainly because it was new & different at the time. New characters, new story, and they tried to tie it in with Stoker's novel. Those aren't bad things at all, and I liked Bloodlines. It's not one of my favorites, but it's a pretty solid game.

[undeadknight777]

thanks for all the information guys. could you guys do me a favor? do you know which # is gabriel's theme song on the soundtrack and if this song is in the game?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siYaYe9d_C                  thanks

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

Wh00t!  Just finished the game.  There's lots of 'game' left, though, since I just did a runthrough and did not go back to previous stages to pick up stuff.

[DragonsAndCarpetBags]

Have you done any of the trials?

[CastleDan]

So take this for what it's worth but I asked Cox if he'd ever be willing to do a metroidvania...or a game with alucard...and he said


Metroidvania? no......but Alucard? ---Cox


Makes me think ....alucard might be part of the DLC.. didn't someone post artwork of alucard somewhere in this topic?...
Either way something seems interesting about that...!

[Ahasverus]

I see Alucard and Simon coming... together. Most amazing CV pair ever IMO. Hope this Alucard is not a pussy though.

What do you think about the whole game master Jorge D.? I would really appreciate your opinion

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

Have you done any of the trials?

Only two of the very early ones.

[e105beta]

So I'm on the chapter right after Carmilla, and I can only say this is the most fun I've had playing a Castlevania game since SotN. Sure, it's not the exact same as the Castlevania I've come to know and love, but it's close enough for me. I guess I've just been consumed by the spirit of the reboot. Even if it's something that was never really even in a previous Castlevania, I've been drawing ties to it. A small part of me occasionally pops up looking for a bit more familiarity to the same ol' same ol', but it just gets stepped on by a stampede of "OMG THIS IS GREAT".

The platforming is refreshingly expanded considering the genre it's in, and the combat is intense, rhythmic, and engrossing. It destroys GoW, IMO, and I enjoy it more than DMC or Bayonetta (the games it's been compared to mostly). I love the voices, the cinematic feel, and everything. Near the end you start getting that pimped out feeling you have at the end of a Metroidvania, but it still has that straightforward action of a Classicvania.

I came at it from the perspective of ignoring the rest of the series post-SCIV, and it actually makes sense as a sequel if you look at it like that. I think "What if Konami had stopped making Castlevania games after SCIV?" I don't think this game wouldn't be so argued over. Sure it doesn't have hearts and whatnot, but it wouldn't have that knee jerk reaction some fans get due to the highly stylized gothic art style and heavy RPG elements of the Metroidvanias they have grown so accustomed to.

I think this game might be a new SotN. Sure, IGA may continue with others on handhelds, but I think LoS is going to dictate a new direction for the series as a whole. It's going to draw in new fans who had the series pass completely under their radar up until now, and while some may disagree with the direction, I think expanding the fanbase is always a good thing. Maybe it's because I'm a "fan of video games" more so than a "fan of Castlevania". Doesn't mean I think this game is flawless. The platforming could use some work, but I very much love the game as a whole.

TL;DR This game is an awesome Castlevania game, and I love it, and I want sequels. I haven't had this much fun with a game for ages.

[Ahasverus]

^Guy, yur words ot me more hyped than anything else before... this 12 hours game is killing me

[CastlevaniaX]

So I'm on the chapter right after Carmilla, and I can only say this is the most fun I've had playing a Castlevania game since SotN. Sure, it's not the exact same as the Castlevania I've come to know and love, but it's close enough for me. I guess I've just been consumed by the spirit of the reboot. Even if it's something that was never really even in a previous Castlevania, I've been drawing ties to it. A small part of me occasionally pops up looking for a bit more familiarity to the same ol' same ol', but it just gets stepped on by a stampede of "OMG THIS IS GREAT".

The platforming is refreshingly expanded considering the genre it's in, and the combat is intense, rhythmic, and engrossing. It destroys GoW, IMO, and I enjoy it more than DMC or Bayonetta (the games it's been compared to mostly). I love the voices, the cinematic feel, and everything. Near the end you start getting that pimped out feeling you have at the end of a Metroidvania, but it still has that straightforward action of a Classicvania.

I came at it from the perspective of ignoring the rest of the series post-SCIV, and it actually makes sense as a sequel if you look at it like that. I think "What if Konami had stopped making Castlevania games after SCIV?" I don't think this game wouldn't be so argued over. Sure it doesn't have hearts and whatnot, but it wouldn't have that knee jerk reaction some fans get due to the highly stylized gothic art style and heavy RPG elements of the Metroidvanias they have grown so accustomed to.

I think this game might be a new SotN. Sure, IGA may continue with others on handhelds, but I think LoS is going to dictate a new direction for the series as a whole. It's going to draw in new fans who had the series pass completely under their radar up until now, and while some may disagree with the direction, I think expanding the fanbase is always a good thing. Maybe it's because I'm a "fan of video games" more so than a "fan of Castlevania". Doesn't mean I think this game is flawless. The platforming could use some work, but I very much love the game as a whole.

TL;DR This game is an awesome Castlevania game, and I love it, and I want sequels. I haven't had this much fun with a game for ages.

Well written 

Yousef

[shelverton.]

How HARD is this game? Could someone maybe compare it to something? Also, is there a big difference between easy, normal and hard? Oh, and if I play on easy, can I still see everything the game has to offer, or is it a "Congratulations! Now try a harder mode to see the final 45 stages!" kind of affair? If the game is 20 hours, I don't wanna get too frustrated on my first playthrough... (yes, I'm a wuss   )

Also, why do people complain about the titans? Is it because they rip off SotC? That can't be it, can it? I've seen gameplay videos and the ice titan looks mildly frustrating, but not too bad.. In fact, it looks rather epic!

[whitedragon_nall]

I really need to get the thoughts of older Castlevania out of my head and try playing this with an open mind.

I'm loving the game so far, but it's not quite the Castlevania I was hoping for. I'm only at the start of ch. 3, so hopefully this changes. The combat is pretty fun and not button-mashy....Titan battles are awful though. The exploration is neat, but a map would've been nice. I don't find the music to be anything special either, but it does it's job. It seems Gabriel's greatest enemy in this game is the crappy camera. Also, I hope the story doesn't go down the path I think it is.

Right now, I'd probably give the game around and 8/10 if I were to review it. Wish it was the weekend so I can give it more time.

[Zobias]

It was obvious that Gabriel was this Castlevania's version of "Mathias"
as the bigger picture unfolded.

[Alutwon]

So I'm on the chapter right after Carmilla, and I can only say this is the most fun I've had playing a Castlevania game since SotN. Sure, it's not the exact same as the Castlevania I've come to know and love, but it's close enough for me. I guess I've just been consumed by the spirit of the reboot. Even if it's something that was never really even in a previous Castlevania, I've been drawing ties to it. A small part of me occasionally pops up looking for a bit more familiarity to the same ol' same ol', but it just gets stepped on by a stampede of "OMG THIS IS GREAT".

The platforming is refreshingly expanded considering the genre it's in, and the combat is intense, rhythmic, and engrossing. It destroys GoW, IMO, and I enjoy it more than DMC or Bayonetta (the games it's been compared to mostly). I love the voices, the cinematic feel, and everything. Near the end you start getting that pimped out feeling you have at the end of a Metroidvania, but it still has that straightforward action of a Classicvania.

I came at it from the perspective of ignoring the rest of the series post-SCIV, and it actually makes sense as a sequel if you look at it like that. I think "What if Konami had stopped making Castlevania games after SCIV?" I don't think this game wouldn't be so argued over. Sure it doesn't have hearts and whatnot, but it wouldn't have that knee jerk reaction some fans get due to the highly stylized gothic art style and heavy RPG elements of the Metroidvanias they have grown so accustomed to.

I think this game might be a new SotN. Sure, IGA may continue with others on handhelds, but I think LoS is going to dictate a new direction for the series as a whole. It's going to draw in new fans who had the series pass completely under their radar up until now, and while some may disagree with the direction, I think expanding the fanbase is always a good thing. Maybe it's because I'm a "fan of video games" more so than a "fan of Castlevania". Doesn't mean I think this game is flawless. The platforming could use some work, but I very much love the game as a whole.

TL;DR This game is an awesome Castlevania game, and I love it, and I want sequels. I haven't had this much fun with a game for ages.

These words should be etched in stone or made a sticky or something.