Topic: The Lords of Shadow series has come and gone, time to reflect on it.

[Kale]

He, I think I remember you, too . By the way, have you tried to install a virtual machine in your work PC, if is permited? Is the way I follow. Windows 7 have one, and works really good. My PC filter block games sites, too, but in the virtual machine, I can see it . You could try this, if you wish .

I use my personal computer, it's blocked at the network level.

I'm probably gonna play the second one... but not mirrors of fate.

Anyway, how are those dreaded stealth sections? It seems really limiting like those later Soul Reaver games, where you can only do this at this spot or time.

[crisis]

i dont think the stealth sections are that bad, but its really subjective. you either like em or you dont

[Trevelyan]

With how good LoS2's Castle section turned out, I'm left wondering if it would have been better if Mirror of Fate was full 3D and had been 'LoS2', set 100% in the Castle.  Then the City/Modern day parts could have been a DLC/Add-on to finish the story.

[zangetsu468]

Also, Trevor calls himself Alucard for the exact same reason that Adrian calls himself Alucard and because the son of Dracula being called Alucard goes back to the 1943 film, Son of Dracula.

No he doesn't, Trevor can't beat Gabriel, Gabriel saves him by having him ingest some of his blood.
Trevor then wakes up x decades later for the first time in a coffin that says "ALUCARD" (who else but Gabriel would have made this coffin?)... He never called himself that in MOF infact Gabriel calls him that when the fight between Simon, himself and Dracula begins.
A few times prior to this Simon asked "Who are you?" and Trevor fled. He never named himself Alucard.

[Ahasverus]

With how good LoS2's Castle section turned out, I'm left wondering if it would have been better if Mirror of Fate was full 3D and had been 'LoS2', set 100% in the Castle.  Then the City/Modern day parts could have been a DLC/Add-on to finish the story.

I agree. MoF had the best story, it needed to be a full sequel but I guess they ran out of time as they needed to get rid of Castlevania before next gen.

[DragonSlayr81]

but for castlevania purposes, in the future, i kinda like the idea of Dracula usurping Satan for Hell's throne, but at the same time not actually showing him in any way shape or form, just imply it happened in the backstory. thus explaining why Dracula is considered the "ultimate evil" in the castlevania universe

This is why I want "evil" Dracula back again. Sympathetic, anti-hero Dracula's fine for LoS, but now that it's over, spare us a tragic backstory. Give us someone twisted, dark, vile and ruthless. He doesn't have to be 2-dimensional, either.

[Inccubus]

Anyway, how are those dreaded stealth sections? It seems really limiting like those later Soul Reaver games, where you can only do this at this spot or time.

Except for the first one and Agreus, they become completely absurd once you've beaten a couple of bosses. They really expect anyone to believe Gabriel needs to tiptoe around some fat demon guards after you've already killed full fledged Acolytes of Satan?

That is not to say they are innately bad. It actually looks kinda fun to run around as a rat. Where I find that MS has dropped the ball is in not incorporating it into the rest of the game play at all. You get to turn into "mist" at will, but that's it.

My reflections on the series...

LoS1 is a bit overrated by some. It borrowed too much from other franchises and not enough from the series it's supposed to be part of. Unfortunately the 'shout outs' to the old school fans ended up feeling more patronizing and self-serving than anything else. Hated the music direction. The setting was ok, story was pretty good, the voice acting was even better. Beyond the game itself the trailer and Cox's shenanigans felt like trolling more than marketing.

MoF is a half-assed mess that is only compounded by Cox's further shenanigans (fuck you. having a character you play for a short intro stage doesn't count as one of the playable characters) and the shoehorning of the 3D combat into a 2D game. The separation of combat and platforming made it too easy. The boss checkpoints made an already easy game even easier. No es bueno. The music still blows. The story was way too predictable. The setting wasn't bad looking and at least it was very Gothic.

LoS2 is better than LoS1 for exactly two reasons being able to turn off QTEs, and the ledges no longer glow brighter than the sun. Again, I'm not a fan of the music in the slightest. There's nothing open world about this game beyond what you get with a typical Metroidvania. When they mentioned open world I was expecting more along the lines of Xenoblade Chronicles. Yeah, none of that here. I felt the writing in this one was weak and often felt absurd, especially concerning Victor whose only real purpose is to make Gabriel "the first and last Belmont" which is a huge plot hole in that it contradicts the existence and continued survival of Alucard who no matter how you spin it is still Trevor BELMONT. The SotN gave me a sense of constipation in that they were so forced and just felt completely out of context. In the end after watching the game I'm left with no desire to play it. It's the same as LoS1 with some improvements, but not ones that matter to me in a meaningful way.

I'm glad it's over. Now go back to your roots Konami.

[e105beta]

I agree. MoF had the best story, it needed to be a full sequel but I guess they ran out of time as they needed to get rid of Castlevania before next gen.

MoF is hands down my favorite LoS game.

[Viskod]

No he doesn't, Trevor can't beat Gabriel, Gabriel saves him by having him ingest some of his blood.
Trevor then wakes up x decades later for the first time in a coffin that says "ALUCARD" (who else but Gabriel would have made this coffin?)... He never called himself that in MOF infact Gabriel calls him that when the fight between Simon, himself and Dracula begins.
A few times prior to this Simon asked "Who are you?" and Trevor fled. He never named himself Alucard.

I had forgotten about his coffin already having Alucard on it. Well throw it up to poorly written continuities then, because in Lords of Shadow 2, Gabriel calls him Trevor and he says "No father, Trevor is dead, I am Alucard." But that aside, Castlevania is always going to call the son of Dracula in any version, Alucard.

[zangetsu468]

That's really poor writing seeing Gabriel names him in MoF.
Yes he may be Alucard's equivalent in the MSverse, but it doesn't excuse poor storytelling when they've made a whole 3 games.. God people used to slam the og canon for chronological anomalies like the centennial resurrection, and how many games did that have..

[Viskod]

"Dracula rises but once a century* and my role is over..."

1094 - Lament of Innocence
1476 - Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
1479 - Curse of Darkness
1576 - The Adventure
1591 - Belmont's Revenge
1691 - Castlevania
1698 - Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
1748 - Harmony of Dissonance
1792 - Rondo of Blood
1797 - Symphony of the Night
1830 - Circle of the Moon
1897 - Dracula
1917 - Bloodlines
1944 - Portrait of Ruin
2035 - Aria of Sorrow
2036 - Dawn of Sorrow

*Some conditions may apply.

[Shinobi]

"Dracula rises but once a century* and my role is over..."

1094 - Lament of Innocence
1476 - Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
1479 - Curse of Darkness
1576 - The Adventure
1591 - Belmont's Revenge
1691 - Castlevania
1698 - Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
1748 - Harmony of Dissonance
1792 - Rondo of Blood
1797 - Symphony of the Night
1830 - Circle of the Moon
1897 - Dracula
1917 - Bloodlines
1944 - Portrait of Ruin
2035 - Aria of Sorrow
2036 - Dawn of Sorrow

*Some conditions may apply.

Circle of the Moon should be replaced with Order of Ecclessia, it's already removed from or isn't really a part of canonical timeline in the first place as some people said.

Back to the topic, IMO maybe it was not Gabriel who write the name "Alucard", maybe another case of breaking the fourth wall or some sort to show the player a hint what will become of Trevor afterwards.

[crisis]

kid dracula takes place in 11797

time reaper says he comes from 10000 years in the future

[zangetsu468]

"Dracula rises but once a century* and my role is over..."

1094 - Lament of Innocence
1476 - Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
1479 - Curse of Darkness
1576 - The Adventure
1591 - Belmont's Revenge
1691 - Castlevania
1698 - Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
1748 - Harmony of Dissonance
1792 - Rondo of Blood
1797 - Symphony of the Night
1830 - Circle of the Moon
1897 - Dracula
1917 - Bloodlines
1944 - Portrait of Ruin
2035 - Aria of Sorrow
2036 - Dawn of Sorrow

*Some conditions may apply.

Yeah rises once every century, but forced (early) resurrections are a grey area, because it was never stipulated whether the count needed to be physically resurrected or whether he would simply rise after 100 years of slumber. IGA himself made the comment in an interview that every century humanity 'loses faith in god' which indirectly leads to resurrections, thus it doesn't need to be 100 on the money.
Richter says he rises but once every century, but he's not saying when in that century. Furthermore, I've not played LOS2 so please don't spoil - I have no idea how resurrection works in the MSverse.

[Flame]

to make Gabriel "the first and last Belmont" which is a huge plot hole in that it contradicts the existence and continued survival of Alucard who no matter how you spin it is still Trevor BELMONT.

Simon and his descendants don't know Alucard was Trevor. They only know Dracula was a Belmont.

On the naming of Alucard- Dracula names him after killing him, because he never learned his name. He did however, go against him, and so he named his tomb "Alucard", in memory of the unknown son that opposed him, Dracula.

Trevor himself adopted the name at some point, probably after MoF, or during it when he learns thats what his father calls him.

The question is where Dracula learned Trevor's real name. I suppose it couldn't be too difficult for him to figure it out eventually, by the time the siege happens.