Topic: Lords of Shadow Opinions (has Spoilers)

[thernz]

If you remove the whip from LoS, it will be the same because the Combat Cross is not a whip. *rimshot*

[RichterB]

No no... there is so much more than that. Maybe being that I am an older fan, and Simons Quest and CVIV are my faves, I get ALOT out of LoS, not just the whip..

I've been around the block for quite some time myself, actually. SCVIV and Simon's Quest are some of the entries I value the most, but I get little more than flashes from LoS in terms of "Castlevania." Personally, presenting Castlevania in 3D, the N64 titles did it better. In LoS, when it comes to the areas most associated with the old lore, I've gotten more flashes of the "Underworld" franchise: http://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/article/682/682520/underworld-evolution-20060120044556558-000.jpg
http://img.wallpaperstock.net:81/underworld-evolution-wallpapers_2103_1600.jpg
http://www.billnighy.info/img/films/underworldevolution.jpg (hey, that helmet looks familiar--scroll knights)
http://www.vfxtalk.com/feature/luma_pictures/underworld2/luma_underworld_header.jpg

If you remove the whip from LoS, it will be the same because the Combat Cross is not a whip. *rimshot*

And neither are Kratos' Blades of Chaos...Brum-bum!

Regardless, I'm going to keep playing and finish the game. It's not bad by any means. Very ambitious, but also suffers from modern action-game syndrome, and doesn't capitalize on the Castlevania name, IMO.

[Wallachia]

Thanks Richter. I TOTALLY see those Underworld parallels, too. To me, it just goes to show of how Mercury Steam pulled of so many tones. And I imagine it was a huge challenge to honor the old franchise and fans, yet do 'trendy' art choices, to gain mass appeal and create a new franchise, ahem. money maker

How far are you in the game?

[Alutwon]

Huh, so LoS is borrowing things from modern horror films you say?
Anyone heard anything new regarding the dlc? last i checked it's getting released with jap collectors edition, which i think comes out on December 16th.

[Thunderbrand]

Not only are there some Underworld influences, but am I the only one who thinks the castle layout is very similar to Drac's castle from the Van Helsing movie? I know I've said that on here a lot. Having 4 huge buildings all connected with big support chains...exactly how it was in the movie.

Ironically, Frankenstein's castle in the Van Helsing movie was laid out more like THE classic CV castle.

[corneliab]

Huh, so LoS is borrowing things from modern horror films you say?
Anyone heard anything new regarding the dlc? last i checked it's getting released with jap collectors edition, which i think comes out on December 16th.

No date has been announced or hinted at. You're probably misinterpreting one of Cox's tweets that mentioned a couple of exclusive art pieces being included with the Japanese CE.

[Ahasverus]

Not only are there some Underworld influences, but am I the only one who thinks the castle layout is very similar to Drac's castle from the Van Helsing movie? I know I've said that on here a lot. Having 4 huge buildings all connected with big support chains...exactly how it was in the movie.

Ironically, Frankenstein's castle in the Van Helsing movie was laid out more like THE classic CV castle.

Van Helsing was a big Castlevania Rip-off (sure, 2nd form drac? family  damned  to hunt drac for all Eternity? Vampie Castle at the top of a cliff? Drac AND Franksenstein toghether? hmmmm) but I really liked the "new" Castle though I see it more like an "expansion" of the Order of Ecclesia and Curse of Darkness "Cathedral type" Castle.
I also don't pay too much attention to the Castle's layout; it's too variable for me to have a "mental picture" of how it should be  If it's grey and it's kinda spiked, then it's fine for me (Yes, i really dislike Simon's Quest "castle")

[Thunderbrand]

Well to be fair, the castle in Simon's Quest was just the ruins of CV from CV1.

Drac's castle in CoD was just...weird. It looked like a big cathedral when it appeared, and then had that goofy spiral stairwell to the keep. The Abandoned Castle in CoD however, was awesome. My fav level in that game. It was a perfect recreation of the castle from CV1 I thought.

I just hope THE castle appears in the next game. I would love to see what MS could pull off with it's design.

[Ahasverus]

I just hope THE castle appears in the next game. I would love to see what MS could pull off with it's design.

This is THE Castle man, this is the Bernhard Castle, and we all know how it will turn out . Now, I will say it again, this was the caste at it's primitive stage, without Dracula's power giving demonic attributes to it (even if it already has Chaos inside according to scrolls) so I'm sure we'll see it turning into the demon castle when we see the whole "rise of Dracula" part 

[thernz]

CoD's Dracula's Castle was the test to see if you were really stupid enough to play through it despite how horrible you knew it was.

[corneliab]

I thought i was near the end at least 10 times

[Thunderbrand]

This is THE Castle man, this is the Bernhard Castle, and we all know how it will turn out . Now, I will say it again, this was the caste at it's primitive stage, without Dracula's power giving demonic attributes to it (even if it already has Chaos inside according to scrolls) so I'm sure we'll see it turning into the demon castle when we see the whole "rise of Dracula" part 

Not saying you're wrong, but I'm not sure Carmilla's castle "becomes" Drac's castle. Carmilla's, Walter's, and Drac's castles are 3 different places. Besides, Drac's castle is almost always on a precipice overlooking a lake. Carmilla's castle is tucked away between mountains and Walter's was in the middle of a forest. I know it's all different timelines but we haven't seen MS do a take on THE castle yet. That's not to say Drac dosen't "take over" Carmilla's castle, it was never destroyed afterall, but it's just not quite the same place.

[Ahasverus]

You have a point! Yep, they are very different in "placement" (Though Carmilla's castle and Walter's Castle are the same, except in case that Walter's family had yet another castle with demonic powers). But Castlevania has not been commonly placed CV1 had it in a cliff, but CV2 did not, not Order of Ecclesia, SOTn had it at the coast but LoI did not, SCVIV had it at the top of a lake, COD at the middle of it... you see? it's not constant at all However, if you take that the last canon CV was OOE and Drac's Castle was located near Wygol Villlage and this one is too, so we might be into something... It could be said that after Carmilla's Death her spell that turned the surrounding areas into a snowy mountain dissappeared too, letting the forest overtake the surroundings of the Castle. Also, we don't see the bottom of the mountain it is located so it could be well a lake or the sea

[RichterB]

Thanks Richter. I TOTALLY see those Underworld parallels, too. To me, it just goes to show of how Mercury Steam pulled of so many tones. And I imagine it was a huge challenge to honor the old franchise and fans, yet do 'trendy' art choices, to gain mass appeal and create a new franchise, ahem. money maker

How far are you in the game?

I'm in the "Fire Cemetery" working out the chupacabra/dark crystal puzzle. Is is just me, or every time they need to pad a level, they pull out the chupacabra to do his funky little dance? (This area, with the overhead view, brings back memories of the fire stages from Bomberman 64). Anyway, I don't mean to bash the game with the modern movie parallels (I could also bring up Pan's Labyrinth!), I just was expecting a different tone... I liked those legged coffins in the Titan Graveyard, but some of the jumping and camera angles in that stage were atrocious. Ever since DMC1, modern action games stick with these ideas of primarily beat-down arena-type fights spaced out and surrounded by invisible walls that make for token/clunky platforming more often than not.

In the N64 era, whether it was CV64 or Mario 64, or Banjo Kazooie, you at least knew where you could and couldn't jump, and could move the camera to see so. Somehow 3D games became more about the "cinematic experience" and less about the game; designs went from large open worlds sculpted within one giant 3D box to corridors with varying degrees of depth and a greater illusion of open space that is actually less interactive. LoS doesn't go to the extremes of CoD as far as corridors, but it's still far less open than it should be and doesn't hide its invisible walls well. I honestly just think the whole model of modern action games, as fun as they can be at times, is flawed.

Still, if nothing else, I give this LoS game credit for a more than competent combat system (if in indeed CV needs to be modern combo heavy), and for the breadth of its diversity in stage themes. It certainly isn't without fun and artistic beauty. As I said before, though, it feels like they went for more of a high-fantasy/Grimm's fairy-tale vibe and put a Gothic topping on that which was influenced more by modern horror films (Underworld/Van Helsing) than old-school horror films. This fire cemetery is the perfect example. It's basically a typical volcano/mountain--like a Rygar stage--rather than having much anything particularly creepy. The zombies are the only thing holding this stage together in terms of Castlevania.

[DragonsAndCarpetBags]

In the N64 era, whether it was CV64 or Mario 64, or Banjo Kazooie, you at least knew where you could and couldn't jump, and could move the camera to see so. Somehow 3D games became more about the "cinematic experience" and less about the game; designs went from large open worlds sculpted within one giant 3D box to corridors with varying degrees of depth and a greater illusion of open space that is actually less interactive. LoS doesn't go to the extremes of CoD as far as corridors, but it's still far less open than it should be and doesn't hide its invisible walls well. I honestly just think the whole model of modern action games, as fun as they can be at times, is flawed.

 Couldn't agree with you more. It's been a problem I've had since it spawned in the last console generation.