Topic: Just another MoF review.... **SPOLIERS EVERYWHERE**

[cecil-kain]

Opinion by Cecil Kain

-----Introduction-----

This is Operation: Akumajo’s official response to Mirror of Fate, the second entry in the Castlevania Lords of Shadow series. As most of you already know, Operation: Akumajo has officially rejected the legitimacy of the Lords of Shadow reboot. The purpose of a reboot is to retell a familiar story for a new generation. But for many Akumajo fans, Lords of Shadow was an abrasive mutation that jeopardized Castlevania’s unique identity.

In spite of the Lords of Shadow juggernaut, we Akumajo fans held out hope that Konami would continue developing 2-D Akumajo Dracula games as a counterpoint to the 3-D Lords of Shadow series. That was until Konami infuriated the fanbase by completely ignoring Castlevania’s 25th Anniversary. We believe Akumajo Dracula is a treasure to be celebrated, but for Konami it was just an old corpse to be buried and forgotten. Thus Operation: Akumajo was born to speak out in defense of Akumajo Dracula.

So why should we be interested in Mirror of Fate, if it’s just another Lords of Shadow game? It’s because Mirror of Fate is Konami’s response to *us* the Akumajo fans who cried foul over the Lords of Shadow reboot and the failed 25th Anniversary. As an Akumajo fan, your decision to support or reject this game will have a long lasting impact on the Castlevania brand for many years to come. This review is being written to help you make an informed decision. For those who already bought the game, please read on --there's plenty to think about. But for those wary of spoilers, please leave now and come back after you’ve finished the game.


-----Akumajo Mythology Respected?-----

Konami’s first major concession is to restore the Belmont Vs Dracula storyline, but there are some major caveats. Although Akumajo Dracula is somewhat dutifully respected, Mirror of Fate is deeply troubled by the original Lords of Shadow storyline.

Gabriel Belmont was introduced as a courageous and noble holy warrior, the finest in Castlevania tradition. But the Lords of Shadow storyline completely desecrated the Belmont archetype by transforming Gabriel into the legendary Prince of Darkness, Dracula. Can this be explained in a few sentences? Let’s see.

Using a Satanic Devil Mask, the Dark Lord of the Necromancers manipulated Gabriel to unknowingly murder his own beloved wife, Marie. This drives the grieving Gabriel on a contrived quest to seek vengeance against the Lords of Shadow, who supposedly have the power to bring her back to life. Needless to say, poor Gabriel eventually discovers himself to be Marie’s murderer, and his ultimate failure to resurrect her leads to some pretty severe post-adventure depression. Aimless and nihilistic, he sort of stumbles into vampirism and steals god-like power from the Forgotten One, a Shadow Plane demon bad enough to make Satan his bitch. Thus Gabriel becomes “the Dragon” Dracula.

*Cue Sequel*

The entire purpose of the Mirror of Fate storyline is to restore the heroic Belmont archetype that Lords of Shadow so thoroughly destroyed. Unfortunately the original game left no shred of hope, no untied thread for this new game to grab onto. Therefore the premise of the Belmonts’ revival comes across as desperate damage control, instead of thoughtfully written drama. In a nutshell, this is how the new story goes.

Unknown to Gabriel, Marie had given birth to their only child while he was away on business. During this time, Gabriel’s superiors from the Brotherhood of Light pay an unexpected visit to advise Marie that her beloved husband has been prophesied to become a terrible demonic monster. Therefore the baby boy Trevor must be taken from his home and secretly raised as a weapon against his father, who would later become Dracula. Marie apparently accepts the elders’ prophecy, surrenders the baby, keeps their secret, and spends the rest of her days waiting around for Gabriel to murder her.

30 years later, Dracula has returned from the Shadow Plane and taken residence in Carmilla’s old castle to stage his war against humanity. Ready to meet Dracula’s challenge, the Brotherhood finally informs Trevor of all the skeletons in the Belmont family closet. Burdened by dishonor and shame, Trevor agrees to commit patricide and avenge the death of the mother he had never known.


-----Akumajo Characters Respected?-----

From the beginning, Lords of Shadow set out to completely “reinvent” familiar characters from the Akumajo Dracula canon. While some such as Carmilla were treated with respect, others such as Cornell were twisted and degraded into something less familiar. For the most part these characters were usually low-key NPCs --Dracula himself being the major exception.

The Lords of Shadow version of Dracula is actually very similar to Akumajo’s Dracula. The only major differences are in the origins and the relationships. In Mirror of Fate, Dracula is a somewhat soft-spoken and sympathetic villain. I just didn’t feel the hate. There are a few moments of menace, but the grandiose narcissism is completely gone. Considering the Mature rating, I was hoping to see the malicious Dracula getting high on his own genocidal bloodlust. What a wasted opportunity...

The original Lords of Shadow took the high road by introducing Gabriel as an entirely new Belmont, but this time Konami really went out of its way to capitalize on Akumajo fans’ nostalgia. Mirror of Fate proudly reinvents 3 of the oldest and most beloved characters in all of Castlevania history --Trevor Belmont, Simon Belmont, and Alucard. Each character has their own playable chapter, and each chapter offers a somewhat unique perspective on the overall storyline.

Trevor Belmont is completely trashed by this game. Gone is the bold and arrogant outcast who first destroyed Dracula, and in his place now stands a much more cerebral, brooding warrior. And why not? He’s not only burdened to commit patricide --he actually FAILS to do it! And far worse, Dracula transforms him into the vampire, ALUCARD! Many Akumajo fans saw this one coming, myself included. The Lords of Shadow games are obviously taking cues from classical Greek Tragedy, so there’s nothing to be surprised about. I really can’t think of a worse way to treat Trevor’s character. A new Belmont should have been created to fill this particular role.

The new Alucard is very much like the old Alucard. The origins are certainly different, but the new character is actually very faithful. Both are deeply conflicted, self-loathing vampires, who fight for humanity against their fathers. The problems I had with this new Alucard have much more to do with gameplay than characterization --but we’ll come back to that a bit later...

Simon Belmont really gets the best treatment. No longer a distant descendant generations removed, Simon is now Trevor Belmont’s own son. And after 30 years of waiting, he has a personal score to settle with Dracula for murdering his beloved father. Simon has no idea that Trevor has become a vampire, nor does he recognize Alucard when their paths repeatedly cross. The developers clearly intended for the player to experience the game’s drama through Simon’s eyes --this is why his chapter is the first instead of the last. Trevor’s transformation is intended to have an emotional impact, and it certainly could have. Unfortunately Konami’s marketing department got greedy and revealed Alucard way too early. And once revealed, Akumajo fans knew exactly where this story was going...


-----2-D Gameplay LoS Style-----

Unlike the original Lords of Shadow, Mirror of Fate fully embraces 2-D gameplay. This is by far Konami’s biggest concession to Akumajo fans, but then again there are some major caveats that need to be pointed out.

First of all, character movement was mapped to the Circle Pad instead of the traditional D-Pad, and the player has no option to switch it. The D-Pad was designed for precision 2-D gameplay, just as the Circle Pad was designed for analogue 3-D gameplay. Forcing players to use the Circle Pad for 2-D gameplay is a cardinal sin that only an amateur game developer would dare to commit. Real gamers adapt to this sort of thing, but the quality of gameplay is impacted and an awkward tone is set for the rest of the game to overcome.

Anyone expecting Symphony of the Night’s fluid and responsive play-control will be sorely disappointed here. Most of the PC movements feel somewhat sluggish, similar to the old-school Classicvanias. Jumps are also a bit floaty, but thankfully you can still control the direction you fall mid-jump. The wall crawling, ledge leaping, grappling, and rappelling introduced by the original Lords of Shadow have returned in full force. These are literally the same gameplay mechanics executed in 2-D, and I must admit they work very, very well. The only problem is that the wall-crawling dominates stage exploration at the expense of traditional platform-jumping. It feels like the PCs spend half the game hanging by their fingertips...

Mirror of Fate also offers just a couple of interesting innovations that are new to Castlevania gameplay. First and long overdue, the PCs can finally swim underwater. In the Classicvanias rivers and lakes were senseless deathpits, and in the Metroidvanias the PCs walked and breathed underwater just as senselessly. But now the player can dive into the murky depths to explore unique aquatic stages that were previously unknown to Castlevania. The human PCs require air to breath, so an O2 gauge challenges the player to manage air supply. Although the swimming controls are intuitive and effective, it should be noted that the PCs are defenseless in the water. Dangerous creatures dwell in the deep, and it’s not very safe or satisfying to just swim away all the time. Some form of underwater combat should have been implemented.

Another interesting innovation is the addition of a magnetic rail system. Using the Combat Cross as a “pulley” the player can cling to these rails and zip past hazardous stage environments with relative ease. Although I honestly enjoyed this gameplay mechanic, it really felt way too futuristic for the Castlevania setting. An old fashioned rope would have been far more appropriate. And there are in fact ropes that the PCs use to cross large chasms, but without the zippy gameplay mechanics. It’s hard to understand why these ideas were never combined...

The Lords of Shadow combat system is also back in full force, with a dozen complex combo attacks seamlessly translated for a 2-D gameplay experience. Although each strike of the Combat Cross can lash out at lightning speed, complex combo chains can leave the player vulnerable to certain enemy attacks. Once a combo chain is activated, there’s no way to cancel. So if the player tries to evade an enemy attack by jumping mid-combo, yet another unwanted attack is unleashed instead of the quick and thoughtfully controlled jump that the player actually desired. Some combo chains also force forward movement when there may be unexpected tactical reasons to hold your ground or even retreat. During boss battles I often had the feeling that the enemy was moving faster than the PC could react, and that’s NOT a good thing. Sluggish controls are poison where quick reflexes are required. Excessive combo chains really hurt the combat experience in my opinion. Please don’t misunderstand, combo attacks can certainly work in 2-D, but Konami really needs to keep it simple and adaptable --if not altogether optional.

Way back in the NES era, subweapons were created as a powerful alternative to Simon’s whip. The Dagger, Holy Water, Axe, Cross, and Stopwatch were tactical weapons, designed to be used judiciously in battle. But now the Combat Cross has such speed, power, and range that subweapons serve almost no practical purpose. The original Lords of Shadow effectively addressed this problem by tailoring enemy weaknesses to specific subweapons, but Mirror of Fate has abandoned this approach entirely. Now the player can charge up their subweapons for more powerful attacks --similar to Megaman’s Mega Buster. Unfortunately charging up leaves the player vulnerable, and the results usually don’t justify the risk. It’s much faster and safer to focus on devastating combo attacks. It’s a shame that nobody ever considered implementing subweapons in any of those combo chains.

And finally, the infamous Lords of Shadow Quick Time Events have returned. At best, QTEs are completely unnecessary --and at worst, destructive to an otherwise positive gameplay experience. Can someone, can anyone, please explain why the player should need to spam the B button for something as mundane as opening a treasure chest? The 3DS has only one set of buttons, and I really don’t want to abuse them on account of foolish and wasteful gameplay like this. While most QTEs are petty and annoying, the most offensive are tedious and completely unavoidable. How are the players supposed to enjoy cinematic battle scenes, while enduring an unwanted plague of dubiously timed “press A/B/X/Y to win” prompts? Konami really needs to make QTEs optional, or just get RID of them completely.


-----Character Gameplay-----

Although Mirror of Fate offers three PCs, their primary weapons, combat techniques, and other essential movesets are almost exactly the same. There’s a very generic cookie-cutter feeling that cheapens these characters. Thankfully each PC offers 2 unique magical arts and 2 unique subweapons to help establish some identity and justify their existence. So let’s take just a moment to examine each individual character’s gameplay in proper context.

Simon has the most basic moveset of all the PCs. He begins his quest armed with a Beast Hunter Whip that must be upgraded to a Combat Cross in order to grapple and rappel through the later stages. Although each of the PCs collect their own unique Relics to expand their movesets, Simon and Alucard must earn many abilities that Trevor possesses naturally. Thankfully all Combat Skills, HP, MP, and Ammo upgrades are carried over from one chapter to the next.

Simon’s magic consists of 2 familiar spirits that assist him in battle. The first is the spirit of his deceased mother Sypha Belnades, who shields him from enemy attacks. And the other is the spirit of Michael Gelhart Schneider, who fights alongside Simon with his trusty crossbow. Both of these familiars also function as Key Items that are necessary to advance past certain stage obstacles. I tend to be a more defensive player, so I found myself using Sypha much more than Schneider. Unfortunately, Simon’s subweapons are the most disappointing in the game. The Throwing Axe was somewhat useful against airborne enemies, but not nearly as powerful as I expected. Likewise, the explosive Oil Flask sounds like a good idea, but these undead are no longer weak against fire attacks --it doesn’t even slow them down. These subweapons just can’t compete with the versatility of the Combat Cross...

Alucard’s gameplay is a major disappointment. And it’s not because the gameplay itself is broken --it’s because the gameplay is unfaithful to the character. Anyone expecting Symphony of the Night or even Dracula’s Curse are in for a shock. Alucard has NONE of his traditional attacks. He has no Sword, no Hellfire, no Dark Metamorphosis or Soul Steal --he can’t even change into a Bat. Alucard uses a Combat Cross just like the Belmonts, and it feels VERY inappropriate for the character.

Alucard’s magic consists of 2 Key Item transformations. The first is his Mist Form which can be used to pass through “mist door” barriers, just like Symphony of Night. Strangely, this ability can also be used against enemies to recover HP. I may be crazy, but I’d expect a vampire to recover HP by sucking blood --just another example of how the Mature rating has gone to waste, but I digress... Alucard’s second transformation is a new anthropomorphic Wolf Form which increases his attack power and bestows the ability to destroy “wolf door” barriers. In spite of the werewolf-like appearance, there are no bestial attacks gained by using this form --it functions more like a glorified Shadow Magic actually... These transformations certainly have their merits, but I’m very upset the iconic Bat Form was cut. Prioritizing the Wolf over the Bat really makes Alucard feel much more like a werewolf than a traditional vampire.

Alucard’s subweapons are a mixed bag. The first is a Bat Projectile that blasts the enemy with a swarm of cavebats. This could have been an excellent tactical weapon, but these bats don’t stick around to distract or annoy the enemy. It’s a very sad day when Gabriel’s silly pixies are setting the better example... Thankfully Alucard’s Stopwatch is the best subweapon in the entire game. Although it no longer stops time, the Stopwatch does slow the enemy down AND it works against bosses. I was also very impressed to see it used as a Key Item to solve a puzzle in the Clock Room stage. It’s a shame none of the other subweapons were used in such creative ways.

One last thought on Alucard... There was actually one major improvement to his moveset that deserves recognition and praise. Some of you may remember how Alucard sprouted demonic wings during his double jump in Symphony of the Night. Well this time those wings can be used to glide across large chasms, very similar to Soma’s Flying Armor soul. This is a golden example of how old ideas can be perfected with a little imagination. Bravo.

And finally we’ve come to Trevor... Although Trevor begins his quest with the most advanced moveset, he does collect just a couple Relics. The first is a Spur attachment for his Combat Cross, which is used to destroy “spur door” barriers. And other is a pair of Speed Boots, which grant super-human momentum to leap across large chasms. Although the Speed Boots provide a perfectly sensible skill, the Spur is a cheap excuse for more of these generic door-barriers. “Mist doors” “wolf doors” and now “spur doors”? Seriously, if locked doors are going to be a major theme, why not just use an old-fashioned lock and key?

Much like Gabriel before him, Trevor uses the Light and Shadow Magic from the original Lords of Shadow. While Light Magic restores HP by inflicting damage on your enemies, Shadow Magic simply increases your attack power. The only real change here is that the subweapons are no longer enhanced. And that’s just fine --Trevor’s subweapons are decent enough. The Boomerang is definitely a tactical weapon because it sticks to the enemy it hits to continue inflicting damage over time. Unfortunately this also means that it can’t hit multiple targets, nor can it return to you once it successfully strikes the enemy. Trevor’s Electric Bomb was a guilty pleasure of mine. After tossing this bomb on the ground, everything standing near it becomes hopelessly distracted by extreme electrocution. If only the other subweapons tried to have some fun...

[cecil-kain]

-----2-D Action-Platforming Explained-----

In spite of its dedicated 2-D gameplay, Mirror of Fate has an insidious design flaw. Many Akumajo fans will notice it subconsciously, but then struggle to identify what’s feeling off. Those asking about the absent Medusa Heads are closer to the truth than they know. This is one of those times where arrogant, hotshot producers really need to pay very close attention. Are you listening Mr Cox?

2-D Castlevania gameplay is defined by a seamless action-platforming experience. But Mirror of Fate quietly erects the Berlin Wall between the action and the platforming to create two distinct and completely separate gameplay experiences. While one experience focuses on battling Dracula’s minions in relatively flat boring environments, the other explores a wide variety of stage designs with platform-jumping, wall-crawling, ledge-leaping, grappling, rappelling, rail-riding, and even swimming. There’s no honest attempt, or even the faintest desire to unify the action and platforming elements into one cohesive action-platforming experience. Mr Cox, you claim to love the Classicvanias --you would have done very well to have gone back and played a few.


-----Yes Mr Cox, It IS Metroidvania-----

Ever since Symphony of the Night restored the non-linear game design first introduced by Simon’s Quest, Castlevania games have been incessantly compared to Super Metroid. As a Metroid and Castlevania fan, I find the use of this word “Metroidvania” somewhat annoying because there’s no substantial gameplay similarity to justify the term. Sadly ignorance prevails and Simon’s Quest gets no respect. So be it --Metroidvania it is.

Mirror of Fate is clearly another non-linear Metroidvania game. Each chapter offers several interconnected stages that require the player to collect Key Items in order to advance. These Key Items come in the form of Relics, magic, and even a subweapon. The major difference here is that the traditional Metroidvania savepoints have been replaced by autosaving checkpoints. I am extremely unhappy with this change.

First of all, the checkpoints are completely invisible, so there’s no way to know when or where the game is autosaving. And the game will save quite frequently whether you want it to or not, because the checkpoints are EVERYWHERE. When your PC dies, you will always respawn very close to the hazard that killed you. Even the boss battles have multiple checkpoints! And while you may think this is a good thing, it really cheapens the whole experience. Death is supposed to punish and harden the player. What punishment is there when each failure is followed by an instant retry? And to make this flaw even worse, the respawns are handicapped. Whoever thought it was a good idea to respawn the player with only half of their HP? I’d rather be sent all the way back to my last savepoint with my HP fully restored, than to be stuck in a killer boss battle respawning over and over with only half of my HP! If death is supposed to punish the player, then respawning is supposed to be a fresh start.

Although Mirror of Fate is clearly a Metroidvania game, there is one major Classicvania feature that makes its triumphant return. This should be a very simple feature with a very simple commentary, but the developers have done something contemptible...

Deathpits have returned in all of their glory, but Mirror of Fate goes one step too far by introducing FALL DAMAGE. Therefore any major fall can become an instant deathpit. There’s a very good reason why 2-D Castlevania has never gone down this road before. It’s because traditional platform gameplay is defined by the fantasy of superhuman jumping and falling. Fall damage is a misguided attempt to inject reality into what should be a purely fantastic gameplay experience. The results of this sad experiment are about as sadistic as you might expect --with all sorts of cheap unforgiving accidents delivering severe damage and death when you least expect it. If you want fall damage, go skydiving without a parachute --the rest of us want to play video games.

One last thought on the overall design... Some of the puzzles in this game were downright brilliant. Using a chandelier to smash open the floor... Raising the water level to swim to the stage exit... I really hope the next team is taking notes.


-----That Akumajo Atmosphere-----

Mirror of Fate has a much darker gothic atmosphere than the original Lords of Shadow. Gone are the lush forests, majestic mountains, and lost civilizations of Middle Earth. The sun has finally set on its high fantasy trolls, goblins, and titans. Even the annoying chupacabras are long gone. Dracula has retaken his throne from Satan, and the children of the night have finally come home to roost. This time the Castle isn’t just another place on the map, the Castle IS the map. Could this be Akumajo Dracula’s triumphant return? Sadly no...

Although these concessions are very real, Mirror of Fate never strays too far from the original Lords of Shadow. This is a very cold-blooded game that never hesitates to put western standards ahead of Akumajo traditions. I’ve already explained the impact on storyline, gameplay and design, but there is more... Candles no longer drop hearts or treasure. Health Fonts have replaced Wall Meat. And the legendary Demon Castle that was once alive with character, soul, and culture --is now generic, monotonous, and terribly boring.

Thankfully Mirror of Fate has a much darker soundtrack than the original Lords of Shadow. Unfortunately, the modern Hollywood Symphony reinforces the generic atmosphere. I’m not one of these guys that needs to hear Vampire Killer or Bloody Tears remixed ad nauseum, but I do expect to hear some classical influence and a healthy variety of instrumentation and style.

As I wrap up this review, let me tell you it’s been exhausting. Please pardon my personal wanderings and uneven writing. I spent more time writing about this game than I did playing it --such a short, short game... If I spent too much time on topic X and not enough time on topic Y, I’m sorry --but now I’m nearly spent...


-----The Verdict-----

Operation: Akumajo is officially endorsing Mirror of Fate.

In spite of some harsh criticism, this game is a MAJOR improvement over the original Lords of Shadow in almost every way that matters. This game embraces 2-D gameplay, restores the Belmont Vs Dracula storyline, darkens the atmosphere, and even offers a few thoughtful innovations. Make no mistake this ISN’T Akumajo Dracula, but it IS a big step in the right direction.

Akumajo fans that hate Lords of Shadow really need to think this over. Konami has condemned 2-D Castlevania to inferior portable systems for 17 years. Like it or not, we need to show Konami the money to nudge them in the right direction. Without robust fan support, Mirror of Fate’s poor sales may be used as a contrived excuse to kill off 2-D Castlevania for good. And that’s NOT what you want. The 2-D artform needs your support, and needs it now. If you need to vent wrath, then please-please-please save it for Lords of Shadow 2.

Regardless of your decision to support or reject this game, it would be a very good idea for all of you to contact Konami directly to voice your own unique opinions. Here is their contact information --please make the most of it.


Email
webinfo@konami.com

Facebook Pages
http://www.facebook.com/konami
http://www.facebook.com/castlevania

Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/Konami

US Office
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
2381 Rosecrans Ave, Suite 200
El Segundo, CA 90245
USA
Tel: (310) 220-8100
Konami USA
9am - 5pm PST, M-F,
Fax: (310) 220-8200

European Office
Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH
Frankfurt Head Office
Berner Str. 103-105
60437 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
TEL: +49 (0)69 985 573 0
FAX: +49 (0)69 985 573 62

Japanese Office
KONAMI CORPORATION
9-7-2, Akasaka
Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-8323
Japan
Tel: 03-5770-0573
Fax: 03-5412-3300


-----Dear Konami-----

This endorsement has not been given lightly.

Mirror of Fate is NOT the game that Akumajo fans have been asking for. Nearly ten years have passed since Aria of Sorrow, and half a dozen more games have teased and whet our appetite for Igarashi’s 1999 Demon Castle War. It was grossly irresponsible for you to reboot the Castlevania brand without giving the Akumajo Dracula series a worthy and proper closure --but we'll save that discussion for another time....

Konami’s treatment of the Castlevania brand has been deplorable. Your own polling has shown that over 85% of Castlevania fans prefer traditional 2-D gameplay, and yet even Mirror of Fate has been condemned to inferior portable hardware! Why do you continue wasting valuable resources pushing 3-D Castlevania games against the grain of popular opinion? Legacy of Darkness and Curse of Darkness both suffered poor sales compared to their immediate predecessors, and we are confident Lords of Shadow 2 will eventually suffer the same fate. And it’s not because the fans have left Castlevania, it’s because Castlevania has left the fans.

Konami needs to understand that the video game industry is changing. This market has been growing non-stop for almost 30 years, but now disruptive technologies, stagnant economies, and aggressive competition threaten your cozy business model. You can’t afford to continue taking loyal customers for granted, and you certainly can’t afford to alienate your hardcore fans. It’s time to get serious about improving your customer engagement. Why not solicit your fans for feedback and ideas? Why not ask us thoughtful and pertinent questions to gain from our perspective? Social media can be a powerful tool, if you make an honest effort to build those bridges.

If Konami really wants to restore the Castlevania brand, it’s our opinion that you need to get serious about delivering traditional 2-D gameplay, superior quality, fan service, and a robust Akumajo Dracula experience that truly honors the Castlevania name. Another half-hearted portable game will NOT be satisfactory --you know you can do better, and so do we. Please bring our beloved Akumajo Dracula series back to home consoles, and we will support you above and beyond your expectations.

[X]

You're rarely here Cecil-Kain what gives?    Quite the read in itself. I watched a you tube video review of Mirror of Fate the the man giving the review said he was very disappointed in the game due to it's poor quality, rough translation, generic music, etc. Even now I still have no desire to buy it.

[Lelygax]

Apart from the "Spoliers" typo I've found this interesting to read. But I've one objection here.

Deathpits have returned in all of their glory, but Mirror of Fate goes one step too far by introducing FALL DAMAGE. Therefore any major fall can become an instant deathpit. There’s a very good reason why 2-D Castlevania has never gone down this road before. It’s because traditional platform gameplay is defined by the fantasy of superhuman jumping and falling. Fall damage is a misguided attempt to inject reality into what should be a purely fantastic gameplay experience. The results of this sad experiment are about as sadistic as you might expect --with all sorts of cheap unforgiving accidents delivering severe damage and death when you least expect it. If you want fall damage, go skydiving without a parachute --the rest of us want to play video games.

Thats not a bad idea for platforming, what they did wrong is that "Prince of Persia" thing. If they really tried they could make this work. I dont played this game, but if you are complaining about that they probably exaggerated this damage or the height you need to fall to take damage.

[Maedhros]

Fall damage is a travesty in 2D platformers. That was his point.

I don't consider LoS: MoF a platformer anyway... it's more like a 2D action game than an action platformer game.

[cecil-kain]

You're rarely here Cecil-Kain what gives? 

I've been lurking a little bit, but mostly busy with Operation: Akumajo projects...  One one hand I'm collaborating with an artist to develop characters for Redemption (aka the Demon Castle War proposal) and more recently I'm remastering Aria of Sorrow's Stage Maps and testing ideas for a tribute for Aria's 10th Anniversary...  And then there's family and gaming...  It's a busy life! lol 

[Lelygax]

I wish that you have more free time to pay us a visit more often in the future.

[Inccubus]

I mostly agreed with everything you wrote.
The soundtrack... I downloaded it so I could here it all in one go and it put me to sleep.
There's something wrong with a sound track that does that. Can't even remember enough of it to hum anything.

[X]

The soundtrack... I downloaded it so I could here it all in one go and it put me to sleep.
There's something wrong with a sound track that does that. Can't even remember enough of it to hum anything.

This sounds like the music is operating on the bate wave format. Beta waves are what causes the human brain to relax and eventually sleep. Country western music has this effect on me, lol! A true CV soundtrack should keep the mind active and engaged at all times. The last thing you need is to fall asleep whilst in the middle of a game.

[K.G. Morder]

No offense Cecil, I dig your review somewhat, but you and OA REALLY come off as having an attitude problem. You guys tend to come off as real high and mighty when regarding LoS vs Classic CV.

This is Operation: Akumajo’s official response to Mirror of Fate, the second entry in the Castlevania Lords of Shadow series. As most of you already know, Operation: Akumajo has officially rejected the legitimacy of the Lords of Shadow reboot. The purpose of a reboot is to retell a familiar story for a new generation. But for many Akumajo fans, Lords of Shadow was an abrasive mutation that jeopardized Castlevania’s unique identity.

I mean, really? "rejecting legitimacy"?

That said, That's the reason it has shifted from a reboot, to more of an alternate universe, stated by Cox himself I do think. Him and MS have really fully embraced the idea of the LoS series as a parallel universe to the original timeline (IOW, it doesn't replace it)

Also, i disagree. it's hardly an abrasive mutation. I personally, found LoS much more like classicvanias. The problem, was it was nothing like the metroidvanias that followed, thus alienating most of those fans.

We believe Akumajo Dracula is a treasure to be celebrated, but for Konami it was just an old corpse to be buried and forgotten

You make it sound like LoS is at fault them ignoring the anniversary.

Cornell were twisted and degraded

>becomes a boss with an epic beard and huge ass warhammer
>transforms into a far more beastial werewolf form
>degraded

opinions, opinions, I know, But I never really felt much fondness for the original Cornell. He very much felt like a one shot disposable character in LoD. I liked the complete remake he got. He also had an actual overarching part in the story, being one of the original founders of Gabriel's order, and the first guy who really mocks Gabriel for his foolish quest, hinting at the futility and irony of it. He feels MUCh more relevant to the story than the random pretty boy werewolf who's off to save his sister from Dracula (again proving anyone can defeat Classic CV Drac)

Gone is the bold and arrogant outcast who first destroyed Dracula

is this going by CoD? Im not quite sure how that game portrays him.

Alucard’s gameplay is a major disappointment. And it’s not because the gameplay itself is broken --it’s because the gameplay is unfaithful to the character. Anyone expecting Symphony of the Night or even Dracula’s Curse are in for a shock. Alucard has NONE of his traditional attacks. He has no Sword, no Hellfire, no Dark Metamorphosis or Soul Steal --he can’t even change into a Bat. Alucard uses a Combat Cross just like the Belmonts, and it feels VERY inappropriate for the character.

he can actually become a bat, the only thing is it's used as just a story power in the secret ending. The not using a sword is also story related here. For two reasons, one, he is most familiar with the Combat Cross, so The Soul gave him an equivalent weapon, and secondly, because The sword is forged later from The death spike used on Carmilla. So basically, MoF Alucard is more merely to introduce the character. I assume in loS2 he will be more akin to the one we know, with a sword and maybe some different powers. (though given he might not be playable, who knows)

I agree though, Kind of disappointed that Wolf Form was just shadow magic. Then again, Mist form was light magic. but at least it gave you some neat abilities. Would have rocked if Wolf form gave you claw attacks.

I may be crazy, but I’d expect a vampire to recover HP by sucking blood --just another example of how the Mature rating has gone to waste,

Well he does chomp down on the Daemon Lord's neck as a finishing move, gaining his wings from that. it WOULD have been nice if it was a more common finisher though.

And finally we’ve come to Trevor... Although Trevor begins his quest with the most advanced moveset

I kind of felt Trevor's moves were the MOSt contrived of the three. I mean, he basically starts with every move that Alucard and Simon has, with no reasonable explanation. "Oh he can double jump. why? because Trevor that's why." "Oh, he can grab walls without Alucard's Claws. Why? Because Trevor that's why."

I find the use of this word “Metroidvania” somewhat annoying because there’s no substantial gameplay similarity to justify the term.

Are you REALLY telling me SoTN is NOT like Super Metroid? The open world stage progression and power up progression are EXACTLY like Super Metroid. you find relics that give you powers, strewn about the map, and you cannot access every area until you have new powers. Even the map is similar. Only difference is Super metroid didn't have warp points. Sure it had RPG elements, (levels, equipable items and weapons,) but the base style was undoubtedly Super metroid. In fact, Doesn't HoD have a giant skull that looks suspiciously like Crocomire's thrown in there?

Sadly ignorance prevails and Simon’s Quest gets no respect.

Because Simon's quest is not Metroidvania. It's just an open world RPG.

majestic mountains

What's wrong with mountains? With a family named BELMONT, I would EXPECT at least a few mountains somewhere. Personally, I dig Vampire Castles high in dark snowy mountains. A corpse? that hates the sun? would actually kind of make sense to live in an area with high cold and bleak snowy conditions.

Gone are the lush forests, majestic mountains, and lost civilizations of Middle Earth. The sun has finally set on its high fantasy trolls, goblins, and titans. Even the annoying chupacabras are long gone.

Just 2 Cents, but Cox did say that LoS1 had more high fantasy elements because it was "pre-Dracula".

This time the Castle isn’t just another place on the map, the Castle IS the map. Could this be Akumajo Dracula’s triumphant return?

You seem to imply that being set almost entirely within the castle makes it more Castlevania, when some Classicvanias would make you EARN the right to go to the castle by traversing the path there first.

western standards ahead of Akumajo traditions

Western Standards like which? and Just for the record, it would be European Standards, to be very technical, unless you generically group all of the Asian countries and oriental ones into "the East" and Europe+Americas etc as "western"

Candles no longer drop hearts or treasure. Health Fonts have replaced Wall Meat.

Personally, I had no issue with this. Be glad they actually brought hearts back though, which was one of the BIGGEST concessions to the people whining about "not castlevania enough"

And for the kind of angle the LoS series is going, (not so much campy or anime but a more "realistic fantasy" approach) those elements would really be out of place, and they DO feel out of place in MoF to me. (partly because they are not implemented as integrally as previous titles)

is now generic, monotonous, and terribly boring.

This I have to agree with. LoS1's castle, had far more atmosphere and looks to it than this one, despite this one having a few great places and not being ENTIRELY frozen.

[justin312]

I agree with many of Flame's points. I think you are being over-critical of this game for what it isn't, rather than what it is. Lords of Shadow was never supposed to be anything but a re-imagining of the old school (late 80s-early 90s) Castlevania, but done in a modern game style. If this series lacks a feel of "Akumajo traditions" to you, I would say that's by design. Dave Cox has been very clear in interviews that with the LoS series they wanted to use the basic elements of those original games but interpret them in their own way and in a way they felt would best capture western audiences, and steer clear of the kitschy Japanese feel the series had adopted over the past decade which has made it more appealing to a small dedicated niche fan base but has lessened it's appeal to the masses.

I also don't understand your conclusion. You spend many paragraphs mostly trashing this game in every respect, but then you recommend that people should buy it. Why? Somehow, Mirror of Fate selling well is supposed to pave the way for IGA's return and back to the "Akumajo traditions"? Lets say Mirror of Fate sells a million copies (whereas the three prior DS installments were lucky to reach 300k). If anything, that only validates the idea that the kitschy Japanese vibe has been holding it back all along. The next dev team would likely have strict instructions from Konami to keep the "western standards" as the top priority, and leave out the kitsch that drags down sales.

Bottom line, if you like the direction they've gone, buy it; if you don't, then don't buy it. Endlessly thrashing the creative direction they've taken on message boards while at the same time buying the collector's edition of the games on day 1 of release is not going to encourage Konami to give the series back to IGA.

[cecil-kain]

No offense Cecil, I dig your review somewhat, but you and OA REALLY come off as having an attitude problem. You guys tend to come off as real high and mighty when regarding LoS vs Classic CV.

I mean, really? "rejecting legitimacy"?

That said, That's the reason it has shifted from a reboot, to more of an alternate universe, stated by Cox himself I do think. Him and MS have really fully embraced the idea of the LoS series as a parallel universe to the original timeline (IOW, it doesn't replace it)

Hardcore Fan Activism rubs some people the wrong way -- I get that.

Cox has gone back and forth on the Reboot Vs Alternate Universe thing depending on who he's talking too.  Whenever talking to the media it's a Reboot, but whenever he's dealing with fans it's an Alternate Universe.  As a practical matter, Konami's ignored the 25th Anniversary AND prioritized 2 LoS games over Akumajo Dracula, so that's ruled out any Multiversal approach --at least for the time being.

Also, i disagree. it's hardly an abrasive mutation. I personally, found LoS much more like classicvanias. The problem, was it was nothing like the metroidvanias that followed, thus alienating most of those fans.

I'll agree LoS1 was more abrasive to Metroidvania fans, but the Classicvania fans also had plenty to complain about too.  Reinvented Mythology, Middle Earth atmosphere, Hollywood music, QTEs, weak Platforming, etc...  Metroidvania and Classicvania have much more in common with each other than they do with LoS1 --and MoF has more in common with both...

You make it sound like LoS is at fault them ignoring the anniversary.

It's a matter of context in this case.  If LoS hadn't happened, Konami's failure to celebrate the Anniversary would have looked much more like an honest oversight, instead of a conspiracy to kill off Akumajo Dracula.

>becomes a boss with an epic beard and huge ass warhammer
>transforms into a far more beastial werewolf form
>degraded

opinions, opinions, I know, But I never really felt much fondness for the original Cornell. He very much felt like a one shot disposable character in LoD. I liked the complete remake he got. He also had an actual overarching part in the story, being one of the original founders of Gabriel's order, and the first guy who really mocks Gabriel for his foolish quest, hinting at the futility and irony of it. He feels MUCh more relevant to the story than the random pretty boy werewolf who's off to save his sister from Dracula (again proving anyone can defeat Classic CV Drac)

Really gets into the name dropping issue as much as respecting the characters.  Keeping heroes and villains straight is a pretty big deal as far as honest reboots go.  LoS's Cornel would've been fine as an original character --no need to offend the original's fans.  Same for Trevor...

is this going by CoD? Im not quite sure how that game portrays him.

Yes.  CoD and Judgment.  Dracula's Curse didn't give him much characterization.  Although he was clearly established as an outcast...

he can actually become a bat, the only thing is it's used as just a story power in the secret ending. The not using a sword is also story related here. For two reasons, one, he is most familiar with the Combat Cross, so The Soul gave him an equivalent weapon, and secondly, because The sword is forged later from The death spike used on Carmilla. So basically, MoF Alucard is more merely to introduce the character. I assume in loS2 he will be more akin to the one we know, with a sword and maybe some different powers. (though given he might not be playable, who knows)

Like I said, my issues with Alucard were all about gameplay...  I wan't aware of the connection between the spike and the sword.  Interesting...

I agree though, Kind of disappointed that Wolf Form was just shadow magic. Then again, Mist form was light magic. but at least it gave you some neat abilities. Would have rocked if Wolf form gave you claw attacks.

That's what I was thinking. :-)

Well he does chomp down on the Daemon Lord's neck as a finishing move, gaining his wings from that. it WOULD have been nice if it was a more common finisher though.

I was actually thinking more in terms of regular gameplay than QTEs.  I never understood why Dark Metamorphosis needed to be "turned on" A vampire should always absorb HP from blood.

I kind of felt Trevor's moves were the MOSt contrived of the three. I mean, he basically starts with every move that Alucard and Simon has, with no reasonable explanation. "Oh he can double jump. why? because Trevor that's why." "Oh, he can grab walls without Alucard's Claws. Why? Because Trevor that's why."

That's the problem splitting the game up into 3 separate chapters.  They were trying to give the player a strong sense of gameplay continuity regardless...
 

Are you REALLY telling me SoTN is NOT like Super Metroid? The open world stage progression and power up progression are EXACTLY like Super Metroid. you find relics that give you powers, strewn about the map, and you cannot access every area until you have new powers. Even the map is similar. Only difference is Super metroid didn't have warp points. Sure it had RPG elements, (levels, equipable items and weapons,) but the base style was undoubtedly Super metroid. In fact, Doesn't HoD have a giant skull that looks suspiciously like Crocomire's thrown in there?

Yes, there are superficial similarities in the format, but none in the actual gameplay.  Where are the Castlevania Morphaballs, Screw Attacks, and Shinesparks?  Where are the Castlevania Missles, Plasma Beams, and Power Bombs?  Meanwhile none of the media types that first made these comparisons EVER gave any credit to Simon's Quest.  MoF is more of a Metroidvania than a Classicvania --and it's much more like Simon's Quest than SotN or Super Metroid...

Because Simon's quest is not Metroidvania. It's just an open world RPG.

Open world design with Key Item advancement = Metroidvania IMO

What's wrong with mountains? With a family named BELMONT, I would EXPECT at least a few mountains somewhere. Personally, I dig Vampire Castles high in dark snowy mountains. A corpse? that hates the sun? would actually kind of make sense to live in an area with high cold and bleak snowy conditions.

I understand the rational behind the snowy mountain Castle, but snow is such a transformational element --just like sunshine and rain...  And that's a big deal for Castlevania where atmosphere is so important.

Just 2 Cents, but Cox did say that LoS1 had more high fantasy elements because it was "pre-Dracula".You seem to imply that being set almost entirely within the castle makes it more Castlevania, when some Classicvanias would make you EARN the right to go to the castle by traversing the path there first.

The Castle was always the destination though, not just another dot on the map.

Western Standards like which? and Just for the record, it would be European Standards, to be very technical, unless you generically group all of the Asian countries and oriental ones into "the East" and Europe+Americas etc as "western"
Personally, I had no issue with this. Be glad they actually brought hearts back though, which was one of the BIGGEST concessions to the people whining about "not castlevania enough"And for the kind of angle the LoS series is going, (not so much campy or anime but a more "realistic fantasy" approach) those elements would really be out of place, and they DO feel out of place in MoF to me. (partly because they are not implemented as integrally as previous titles)

The focus on gritty realism and cincematics over gameplay are very western ideals.  Things QTEs, Constant checkpoints, Health Fonts, and Fall Damage tend to be western staples.  This is why iconography like the traditional hearts feel somewhat out of place.

This I have to agree with. LoS1's castle, had far more atmosphere and looks to it than this one, despite this one having a few great places and not being ENTIRELY frozen.

Agreed.  But LoS1's Castle also had the advantage of being just a handful of stages...  MoF has a much heavier burden to showcase its Castle throughout the entire game --and that requires variety and imagination.

[cecil-kain]

I agree with many of Flame's points. I think you are being over-critical of this game for what it isn't, rather than what it is. Lords of Shadow was never supposed to be anything but a re-imagining of the old school (late 80s-early 90s) Castlevania, but done in a modern game style. If this series lacks a feel of "Akumajo traditions" to you, I would say that's by design. Dave Cox has been very clear in interviews that with the LoS series they wanted to use the basic elements of those original games but interpret them in their own way and in a way they felt would best capture western audiences, and steer clear of the kitschy Japanese feel the series had adopted over the past decade which has made it more appealing to a small dedicated niche fan base but has lessened it's appeal to the masses.

This review was written with hardcore Akumajo fans in mind --they understand Cox's angle on this.  Personally I think it's interesting that he still needs to explain this to the mainstream audience years after the fact.

I also don't understand your conclusion. You spend many paragraphs mostly trashing this game in every respect, but then you recommend that people should buy it. Why?

Because the fans' complaints were acknowledged and meaningful concessions were indeed made.  If Akumajo fans refuse to reward these improvements, Konami has an excuse to write them off.

Somehow, Mirror of Fate selling well is supposed to pave the way for IGA's return and back to the "Akumajo traditions"?

Not necessarily.  Our main interest in Igarashi is for the 1999 Demon Castle War.  Beyond that, it may be time for him to move on.  I'm confident other producers can do Akumajo Dracula justice.

Lets say Mirror of Fate sells a million copies (whereas the three prior DS installments were lucky to reach 300k). If anything, that only validates the idea that the kitschy Japanese vibe has been holding it back all along. The next dev team would likely have strict instructions from Konami to keep the "western standards" as the top priority, and leave out the kitsch that drags down sales.

MoF won't sell even HALF a Million copies unless it gets ported to consoles.  The mature mainstream that bought LoS1 won't be reached through the 3DS, and hardcore Akumajo fans are ambivalent towards the reboot...  Some have such contempt toward LoS1, that they won't give MoF a fair chance...

Bottom line, if you like the direction they've gone, buy it; if you don't, then don't buy it. Endlessly thrashing the creative direction they've taken on message boards while at the same time buying the collector's edition of the games on day 1 of release is not going to encourage Konami to give the series back to IGA.

This has nothing to do with Igarashi.  There's a bigger picture here that you're not looking at.

I'm not worried about MoF beating the DS games' 300K sales, I'm worried about MoF being an outright failure --and the impact that failure would have on the Castlevania brand in the years ahead.  If Mirror of Fate fails, Konami's analysts won't necessarily understand or even care why. Once 2-D Castlevania looks like a bad investment, that's all it's gonna take to kill it off.  And what do you think would happen to Castlevania if MoF bombs, and Lords of Shadow 2 sells another Million copies? Do you really think Konami will ever listen to the fans again while the mainstream market is holding out their wallets?

[K.G. Morder]

The focus on gritty realism and cincematics

I liked the cinematic nature of LoS. I think uzo once described it as LoS feeling like "The game of the movie of the game". I think the kind of "realistic cinematic" angle it took was the natural modern progression of the classic "movie" style that Classicvanias tended to have. They had film sprockets and used universal style monsters. LoS has a camera that behaves as if it were being held by someone. And it does the thing of water/snow/etc effects on the "lens"  (lol Zobek was the cameraman for LoS)

[jestercolony]

Alright, so - I just recently picked me up a 3DS just to play MoF (I might collect more titles later down the future.) Personally, to people who do not understand what exactly is going on - I suggest replaying LoS before digging their fangs and nails into this title. When going back to LoS after playing MoF, a lot of things make a tad bit more sense, but there are still over-shadowy things in which a lot of people are not paying attention to.

First off either in MoF or LOS period - Learn the combat system inside and out; if you're complaining about monster's taking way too many hits, you are obviously not comprehending the combat system that is in place. I am currently on Trevor's chapter and mowing things down easily from my knowledge of the LOS combat system (again, same system but 2.5D.) Subweapon's are actually very useful if one is able to figure out which enemy that they are best used on. An example - the Axe will occupy an enemy, allowing you to catch it off guard and bring in more attacks.

Secondly, Alucard's move set and while watching Dracula's move set, these are just a taste of things to come for LoS2 (imo.) An example of this is Mist Form + Time Stop = Evil combo. It makes you feel very vampiric, my only beef is the finishers because I figured Alucard would acquire some health back from his actual thirst, but I guess I was wrong.

Now, the magic system is what really irritated me. I enjoy being tactful in the games I play and most of the magic abilities used in this game consume far way too much MP. Elemental Orbs are only acquired during certain portions such as not having any magic activated, to using the elemental fonts, synchronize blocking and certain periods when an enemy is knocked down. But I will continue on messing with this until I figure out the game's overall forumal.

The music imo - is good. I enjoy the fact that the music has gotten darker and more ambient, since now the lights have gone out on the beautiful country side of Europe, it honestly does bring back the classic feel, IF you play the game on hard/hardcore mode. Enemies will indeed 2-3 shot you, yes there are brutal pit falls and fall damage, but it is to be expected. Heck, even in LoS, when Gabriel had fallen from a certain degree of height, he would suffer damage.

I enjoyed the platform element, but I don't get how this 'feels' like Prince of Persia. It's not like you're walking around with a dagger of time. My issue with the game mainly is

1. You can't refight the bosses (which kinda irritates me because I <3 boss fights.)
2. The game felt like it held your hand during deaths (it would take you back to check points)
3. The platforming needed more enemy harassment (crows, medusa heads...etc.)
4. The teleport system - is mainly more designed to make you backtrack to areas once you have gotten new power ups.


Oh, btw - rolling does not get you by faster. The only speed increase you get in game is Alucard's wolf form, and mist form.

Over all, I enjoy it. It makes a lot of sense to LoS, especially when playing back on it and you simply have to just shake your head and actually feel bad for Gabriel.