Topic: Which is Better ?

[Lumi Kløvstad]

*stuff*

*reads*

Erm... um... not even sure how to...

Did someone PAY you to say nothing but good things about Lords? I want that job. What's the hourly rate? Or is it by post?

In any case, I freely admit Lords is the better game, in terms of physical construction. The combat is tight, the whip feels like it's got some force to each strike, and so on and so forth.

On a gameplay front, I won't complain. I love Lord's gameplay. Didn't originally, but it's grown on me as I've come to like God of War recently.

I hate Gabriel's design though. I really do. Why? LOOK. AT. HIS. HEAD. It's the size of a grape compared to his torso in cutscenes, and most of his head's lack of size is made up for with improbably supported hair. And I don't think they had perms back then.

His physical proportions are an absolute MESS, and it's disturbing to see his front for a guy like me who spent over a decade trying to master realistic proportions with paper and pencil.

I much prefer the gothic fantasy designs of Ayami Kojima in the IGAvania era. Flawed in proportions as her artwork tended to be, the in game models did a great job of correcting those flaws. All the little flourishes and intricate designs were products of a talented artist creating a cohesive universe that was dark and grim, and yet had a romantic fantasy feel to it.

The music of Lords is a drunken slur of a soundtrack; nothing really stands out. It all just sloshes together and hemorrhages into itself with incredibly bland mediocrity, whereas Curse of Darkness has some of Michiru Yamane's finest compositions present. I don't think anyone on this forum would have anything to stand on if they were to make the claim that Lords had a better soundtrack.

As for the story, when you say that

LoS has an unique retelling of the Castlevania world

you conveniently forget that it is only an original tale by virtue of trying as hard as it can to pass off some slapped on names and references in a story that's as unrelated as you can get as "a unique retelling of the Castlevania world". Take out the "Belmont" in Gabriel, and I'd honestly have no idea it was a Castlevania game by watching the story unfold. It's a game that takes a few cues from Castlevania for it's story, but is otherwise unrelated.

Lords is good. It's a fun game, and I greatly enjoy my time on it. But Curse of Darkness is a much better defined game that can call itself a proper "Castlevania" game. It has an identity of it's own, and a well established one while the story, music, and visual designs all link it to other entries in the series; Lords of Shadow has a few forced names and references to barely remind you that, yes, this IS part of the same series that started way back in 1986.

On those grounds, I hold Curse to be a better game. Sorry.

[Ahasverus]

Asides from Ayami aesthetics I'm not sure in how COD is really honoring its castlevania name. How you can say a game with not so good gameplay even for its time is better than a critical darling is beyond me.

Making Trevor-You-can't-be-as-badass-as-him Belmont being stabbed in the back like a careless lamb by a pussy does not do it many favors. Seriously WTF?

[Flame]

His physical proportions are an absolute MESS,

CoD's character designs would like to say Hi.

particularly Trevor's art.

[Green Stranger]

Curse is the one I'm biased towards, since it's the game that interested me in the series in the first place.

Lords is better constructed, but FUCK if I ever go against the origin of my fandom.

Wow after reading this statement I believe your credibility is shot.

Like many CV fans I remember back in the late 80's playing Castlevania for the first time and falling in love with it. I've appreciated this series from it's very roots. You can keep your undying love for CoD as your initial interest in the franchise, I'll keep 25 years of watching the series develop. I've seen it's good times and bad times.

"origin of my fandom"

Lol, give me a break.

As for your other comment on the "storyline" bid it holds very little substance and is the same typical angry drivel you hear out of all the disgruntled nay sayers who think "their idea of Castlevania" is ruined from this reboot.

How much more do you expect to suck out of the lifeless husk of the original canon? Remakes at best right? Oh wait, there's a whole lot of those.

[Lumi Kløvstad]

CoD's character designs would like to say Hi.

particularly Trevor's art.

I much prefer the gothic fantasy designs of Ayami Kojima in the IGAvania era. Flawed in proportions as her artwork tended to be, the in game models did a great job of correcting those flaws. All the little flourishes and intricate designs were products of a talented artist creating a cohesive universe that was dark and grim, and yet had a romantic fantasy feel to it.

My original post would like to say hi.

Like many CV fans I remember back in the late 80's playing Castlevania for the first time and falling in love with it. I've appreciated this series from it's very roots. You can keep your undying love for CoD as your initial interest in the franchise, I'll keep 25 years of watching the series develop. I've seen it's good times and bad times.

Lol, give me a break.

How old was I in '86? Oh right. I wouldn't be born for another 3 years. Good for you. You've been a fan from the beginning. That changes nothing. Time spent on an activity does NOT directly relate to how credible your skills are at it.

If I spent 6 hours a day playing videogames and got 9 kills on an online deathmatch, and someone ELSE got 18 kills, I could not logically assume that they spent 12 hours a day playing. It's stupid, and a logically unsound assumption.

Likewise, I've only been a fan since 2006. You've been a fan since 1986. Whoop-di-fucking-doo. That doesn't make you any more or less a fan than I am, so please don't come to me with a "well I was here first" argument. It's not classy, or even relevant. I've played every game in the series. I may not have finished some of the rougher titles like Haunted Castle, but I've at least given them all a fair swing. Just because Curse introduced me to the franchise does not damn me in any way as your words and tone suggest.

My credibility is not shot because Curse was my first game, or because I enjoy it. To even claim such is the gaming equivalent of "I dislike scrambled eggs, so if you like scrambled eggs, you're an awful person and you'll never be right about anything."

I gave Lords a pretty favorable review, actually. As I've already said, I enjoy it a lot. But to me, Curse is still better, because it carries the gothic fantasy feel I most strongly associate with the series, and because Curse was the game that popped my Castlevania cherry, it sticks out in my mind far more than any other title.

There are younger generation gamers than you, GS. Get used to it, and don't judge them based on their "lack of experience".

And with that, I have nothing more to add to this thread.

[Green Stranger]

My credibility is not shot because Curse was my first game, or because I enjoy it. To even claim such is the gaming equivalent of "I dislike scrambled eggs, so if you like scrambled eggs, you're an awful person and you'll never be right about anything."

Read your entire previous statement please. You lack credibility because you openly admited to having a bias about "which game is better" without evaluating why. Also your attitude, tone and expressions like..

"Did someone PAY you to say nothing but good things about Lords? I want that job. What's the hourly rate? Or is it by post?"

..clearly states that you're irratated that I'm not giving the praise to your game of choice, while instead judging it for it's short comings. A pretty immature response because you felt someone struck a cord with a game you love. Almost as if you feel it's unbelievable that someone could like LoS more than CoD.

You're passionate about CoD and you're taking it to heart, it popped your CV cherry we get it, and you default it as your game of choice without hardly any foundation or justification. "Hey guys I prefer my tea served warm because the first time I tasted tea it was warm, cold tea might be awesome or even better but by default I'm gonna prefer warm tea because it's my first and only choice".

You're not allowing something a chance when you have a "bias". I'm sorry you put your foot in your mouth initially, but there's no back pedaling here friend.

I'm not looking down on you for not having the amount of time with the series as I have, I'm simply saying that I'm no stranger to it myself. Also I personally feel that people newly introduced to the series tend to lean towards the games they first come across. It's just an observation.

In total you can't stand much ground when you're openly biased nor do you have much a place to speak of "logic" when you're showing lapses in logic and consistency yourself. Your approach could be better fine tuned in terms of tact because you're quite an ass.

[Lumi Kløvstad]

And I'm not sure what you hope to accomplish with that post. I've said all I intend to say in this thread, and you are wasting your time if you think I will continue this discussion. I've said what I have to add. My part in this thread is over.

Resume discussion please. Nothing to see here.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

Both of you have some valid points to make.

However (@Graf):
I cannot say I'm pleased with the whole "I've got nothing so say so I'm not going to listen anymore **covers ears and starts to babble**" attitude, Graf Van Rainbow Shy.

Green Stranger clarified his post and toned down the rhetoric and explained himself and you're being a dismissive child about it.  While you are right that your time spent being into CV is not to based on how old you are or what old game you got into, his argument was more akin to "Listen to what you're saying: You have a soft spot for a game so you have a bias toward it".... which you did say, outright.  That indeed hurts your credibility because it puts a huge bias at start-up.

I got started into the series with Castlevania 1 for the NES, but I'm not going to go ahead and say, in a COMPLETELY OFF-THE WALL COMPARISON THREAD LIKE THIS (which I still don't get why exists; maybe the guy wants to shop and can only afford one game and is asking us which one he should get ahaha), something like "Well I got started with Castlevania 1 and no way Lords of Shadow is better because CV1 is what I started with."

See how crazy that sounds?

[billrizer]

i like curse of darkness much more, the monster desings called my attention.

[Soulsteal]

I... and....I....

You know what, Im taking the third option, Castlevania Judgement is better that Curse of Darkness, Lords of Shadow, Lament of Innocence, Legacy of Darkness and Vanilla Castlevania 64 combined.

Castlevania Judgement is truly the superior 3D Castlevania with the best art direction and character design the series has ever seen, trumping Kojima's "manlady" art style. The combat is better, the music is masterful and the story is on par with Citizen Kane, a true work of art and the Castlevania game we deserve and the Castlevania game we need.

*Note: this is not sarcasm*

Wait until the trolls roll in.
DEY SEE NE TROLLIN, DEY HATIN.

[Lumi Kløvstad]

*sees Shango's post*

OOOOOOOHHH GOD.

[e105beta]

Well seeing as Curse of Darkness was perhaps the worst game in the series just shy of the glorious Order of Shadows, I'll go with Lords of Shadow.

But I actually liked Lords of Shadow.

EDIT: Wait, I forgot about Haunted Castle. That makes it third worst.

[crisis]

Haunted Castle is arguably the most challenging in the series, but I wouldn't call it the worst. Vampire Killer for DOS takes that title, unyuu~

[Flame]

Dat DOS soundtrack. :B

[e105beta]

Haunted Castle is arguably the most challenging in the series, but I wouldn't call it the worst. Vampire Killer for DOS takes that title, unyuu~

I consider Vampire Killer more of a shoddy port, but I see your point.

As for Haunted Castle, it's not just that it's challenging, it's that its difficulty is completely unintuitive. I mean, I love a hard game, Haunted Castle isn't hard because it's set up to be hard, it's just hard because it seems like the developers were just overlooking a lot of crucial things, like jump height and sprite size.