Topic: Castlevania Lords of Shadow Mirror Of Fate HD

[Intersection]

I don't think they're trying to market it as a new game. They're just remarketing the game to all of the non-handheld, non-Nintendo gamers that didn't pick it up the first time. Obviously if you didn't like the gameplay you won't love the HD remake or anything, but I think you underestimate the # of LoS fans that skipped MoF on the 3DS because it was an entirely different console.

That's probably the biggest mistake they made: releasing a game's pseudo-sequel on a different console in a different market to the group of fans most hostile to the remake. The HD remake clearly isn't supposed to be an apology, it's just a rerelease for a different market.

You're probably right.
Even so, Mirror of Fate HD was still marketed as a marginally new experience. With its graphical enhancements and the few minor tweaks to its gameplay, it was presented as an anticipated, console-quality remix of a great 3DS title, instead of being shown as the last-ditch market relocalization of an unsuccessful handheld spin-off it actually was.
That's what I blame most about MoF-HD; it feels as if too much effort was spent on the unnecessary polishing and further distribution of a fundamentally mediocre game, especially since the project seems to have been undertaken for purely economic reasons.

[e105beta]

You're probably right.
Even so, Mirror of Fate HD was still marketed as a marginally new experience. With its graphical enhancements and the few minor tweaks to its gameplay, it was presented as an anticipated, console-quality remix of a great 3DS title, instead of being shown as the last-ditch market relocalization of an unsuccessful handheld spin-off it actually was.
That's what I blame most about MoF-HD; it feels as if too much effort was spent on the unnecessary polishing and further distribution of a fundamentally mediocre game, especially since the project seems to have been undertaken for purely economic reasons.

I know it's an unpopular opinion here, but I don't think the game is fundamentally mediocre. You act like something needed to be fixed, but I know that a enough people, myself included, like it the way it is.

Some people actually liked the game in its entirety, believe it or not.

[DoctaMario]

I'm downloading it right now. 214MB down, sooo many more to go.

I can vouch for the idea of folks not buying the 3DS version because it was on 3DS. I'm past the point of buying a new console just for one game these days, especially a 3DS, so it was great to hear that they were re-releasing it on consoles.

And as luck would have it, I had $13 left in my PSN account from a gift card that was just sitting there so if it turns out that the game sucks as hard as some say it does, I won't be out much money. 

[Bergaron]

I know it's an unpopular opinion here, but I don't think the game is fundamentally mediocre. You act like something needed to be fixed, but I know that a enough people, myself included, like it the way it is.

Some people actually liked the game in its entirety, believe it or not.

I do not like MoF, is good for a 3DS game, one more of the bunch, but it's not the experience I wanted, wants it all and does not stand out at all, wanted to be a metroidvania, wanted to be a 3D game but in 2D and wanted to be a hack & Slash on a 3DS. At the end is a mixture that does not work well, not bad but it is totally forgettable. I understand that developers have to learn but not ... is a castlevania, was the A team which had to do it but they were very busy with the new Mercury Engine. But this happens to all small studies, not enough people and new ones have to learn .. even at our expense.

[Maedhros]

MoF is worse than LoS in every single fucking way, EXCEPT the Castlevania feel. 6/10 game. The type of game I'll play once and never play again.

[Intersection]

I know it's an unpopular opinion here, but I don't think the game is fundamentally mediocre. You act like something needed to be fixed, but I know that a enough people, myself included, like it the way it is.

Some people actually liked the game in its entirety, believe it or not.

Well, that's my opinion, of course. I'm not about to force anyone to subscribe to it.

For that matter, I'll echo Bergaron's thoughts; Mirror of Fate wanted it all, but delivered none of it. In the end, it's an entirely forgettable game, and I don't even believe it holds up on its own: as a lone 3DS title, it's simply mediocre.
In the end, this is what MoF comes off as:

MoF is worse than LoS in every single fucking way, EXCEPT the Castlevania feel. 6/10 game. The type of game I'll play once and never play again.

[The Puritan]

MoF is worse than LoS in every single fucking way, EXCEPT the Castlevania feel. 6/10 game. The type of game I'll play once and never play again.

Couldn't have put it better myself. MOF just.... has nothing to come back to. Not even the final bosses, which all the Metroidvanias let you fight again if you so wished.

[e105beta]

Couldn't have put it better myself. MOF just.... has nothing to come back to. Not even the final bosses, which all the Metroidvanias let you fight again if you so wished.

MoF lets you fight all 3 final bosses and HD has a boss rush

[The Puritan]

...oh geez, I stand corrected then.

Those aside, there's still nothing to come back to once you've gotten all scrolls/upgrades.

[Belmontoya]

My biggest problem with MOF is the game play. The floaty physics might make sense of Castlevania took place on the surface of the moon. I was expecting something like the 2.5D Rondo remake and instead we got a floating, sluggish, icky feeling Metroidvania wannabe. Not only did MOF miss the mark with the controls, but the castle design is bland and just not interesting. The music is also incredibly boring. It sounds like a group of musicians sitting in a room playing random chords every 20 seconds or so with some ambient sound effects playing in the background.

I'm also very annoyed with the new Simon Belmont design. Pretty much everything about him bothers me. Simon is my boy, and they made him into someone I dislike.

Another thing that bothers me about MOF is the art style change in the cinemas. I don't understand what the point is to switch to a comic book style look just for cinemas and then switch back again. I think they should have chosen one artistic style and just stuck with it. It's just weird.

Hhhmmm... I guess MOF missed the mark on damn near everything IMO. I hate to admit that because I love LOS and what I've played of LOS2. But even after giving it a second chance on the consoles, MOF still leaves much to be desired. I would say it's the biggest let down a Castlevania game has given me since HOD. But still, even with that said, I think it's worth the money and worth playing through one time.

What wasn't worth the money was buying a 3DS just for this game. : /

[uzo]

Sticking with the comic style, following the DLC chapters for LoS1, would have been amazing. Gameplay probably wouldn't have changed though, haha.

[Flame]

Yeah I kinda dug the art for those cutscenes in the DLC. Reminds me of MGS artwork, which isn't surprising, given who owns Castlevania. (and LoS already had 2 nods to MGS)

I'm also very annoyed with the new Simon Belmont design. Pretty much everything about him bothers me. Simon is my boy, and they made him into someone I dislike.

What's wrong with his design? Personally, I loved it, it was like a fusion of Ayami kojima and classic Simon elements. He was a muscular barbarian, but had the fur collar and red hair.

What about it did you dislike?

[VladCT]

What's wrong with his design?

*cough*WWE Belt*cough*
Joking aside, I personally felt that his design was...kinda meh.

[Belmontoya]

I've never been a fan of red haired Simon, or the fur. I didn't like his design in the arrange mode of chronicles either. But MOF Simon was even worse to me. I just didn't like the design of the character, his costume, his face, everything about him just looked really wrong to me. I think Gabriel's design in LOS would have been way better for Simon than what we got in MOF.
My favorite Simon designs are Simon's Quest and SCV4. I'm a fan of blonde Simon.

Trevor's design was better, but something about the shape of his coat and how stiff he looked really bothered me too.

I'm totally cool with the new Alucard design though. There's nothing deductive about the way he looks.

[Flame]

Well Trevor does not look all that different from classic Trevor. I'd say he looks identical to kojima's Trevor, just slightly broodier. and green.

Alucard is the big departure, but even then he's not that different in overall design. White hair is no stranger to Alucard, and he has similar black/gold colors to SoTN. He does look more Belmont-ish though, but overall, his design is believable for Alucard.

I liked Kojima's Simon, and classic simon, so thats why i didnt mind the fusion, i always liked redhead Simon best, because it's just unique. There's no other redheaded Belmont. Meanwhile, theres a Blonde or two in the family. Blonde and brown are the common Belmont hair colors. (Juste has white, which makes him stand out)