Topic: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia *** NO SPOILERS

[Ciel]

 I don't get how you guys are saying various spritework is "lazy" or certain background graphics are "poor". I'm not expert spriter but I have studied it a bit and I'm generally very big on 2D graphics. CV has always looked beautifully ornate and detailed to me. IGA's team is probably made up of some of the best industry professionals where 2D graphics are concerned. I don't get how some random people on an internet forum are so knowledgeable about these supposed shortcomings of this professional team. If there really is something wrong with the graphics could someone please explain it to me and compare them to an example of how the graphics should be?

[A n t r a x x]

In Reply To #481

Most people that say those things are largely comparing the current sprites back to the higher-quality and more professionally-executed Symphony of the NIght sprites.

Also, where platforming is concerned, the Castelvanias prior to Symphony featured much more intense and more suspensefully laid out level designs. These new games rely too heavily on the same level structures Symphony had. You might even say they're now all copying AOS.

And where level design is concerned, many fans have not gotten over the fact that the new Castlevnaias lack any form of the bottomless pits from the series' past.

I for one thought POR's painting stages would bring pits back. The idea of the main castle being a hub and the paintings being self-enclosed themes is a very similar idea to what Mario 64 did. And what happened when you fell off the stage in that game? -- you fell outta the painting. I believe POR's difficulty could have utilized such design; but alas it didn't.

[Steve]

In Reply To #481

Most people that say those things are largely comparing the current sprites back to the higher-quality and more professionally-executed Symphony of the NIght sprites.

Yes.  Rondo and Symphony are the standards to which all successive Castlevania games must be compared.

[A n t r a x x]

Yes.

[Algernon]

OoE looks like it'll have plenty of new pixel art that'll look great, I just hope that the copied sprites are kept to a minimum. Because of how big the game is (and I'm really glad the areas will have more variety) I'm sure I'll find myself enjoying the environments and enemies same as I always have, even if the level design could be better, mostly because of the amazing backgrounds and tilesets. But until I play it I want to make sure IGA delivers.

[geoff429]

Music-wise, the composition is lacking, but it is evident that Michiru Yamane (finally) took a leap forward in sample quality. She is using the same samples used to make the Castlevania Chronicles game on the PSP. It's called "East West Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra." I would know, because I use them myself and i'd recognize those strings anywhere.

The improvement in quality, and somewhat lackluster composition from Yamane is making me wonder...

There is probably a next-gen Castlevania in the works. Of course, there are rumors of the Wii Castlevania. I remember in an interview that if there were to be a next gen Castlevania, IGA wanted it to look "absolutely beautiful," and Michiru Yamane promised it will "sound beautiful" so it makes sense that they would adopt new sound samples for a next gen game.

Yamane hasn't gotten comfortable with how to use the samples to their full potential, but so far she's sounding good. The reason why I believe her music for Order of Ecclesia is sounding...average, is because she working hard on her next-gen soundtrack.

Anyway, yeah, that's what I think.

[Algernon]

Music-wise, the composition is lacking, but it is evident that Michiru Yamane (finally) took a leap forward in sample quality. She is using the same samples used to make the Castlevania Chronicles game on the PSP. It's called "East West Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra." I would know, because I use them myself and i'd recognize those strings anywhere.

The improvement in quality, and somewhat lackluster composition from Yamane is making me wonder...

There is probably a next-gen Castlevania in the works. Of course, there are rumors of the Wii Castlevania. I remember in an interview that if there were to be a next gen Castlevania, IGA wanted it to look "absolutely beautiful," and Michiru Yamane promised it will "sound beautiful" so it makes sense that they would adopt new sound samples for a next gen game.

Yamane hasn't gotten comfortable with how to use the samples to their full potential, but so far she's sounding good. The reason why I believe her music for Order of Ecclesia is sounding...average, is because she working hard on her next-gen soundtrack.

Anyway, yeah, that's what I think.

I still say the animated intro's theme sounded great. But the gameplay theme sounded meh. Not bad in any way, but not intriguing.

I really hope you're wrong, but somehow, I doubt it.

[superDioplus]

About the new artist for this game, I think it should be Masaki Hirooka. His drawing style is very unique, he has done various illustrations for arcade card games and novels.


Examples:

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y90/superDioplus/20080530_ffe86156b01fcb4435e16WsGSS.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y90/superDioplus/20080530_81b4e72880f2f0bfd4273NNWXu.jpg


His official site
http://backfire.jp/

[impulse]

In Reply To #488

That guy has some good stuff on his site, but seriously, don't you think the guy already doing the art for OoE is alot better?

[superDioplus]

In Reply To #488

That guy has some good stuff on his site, but seriously, don't you think the guy already doing the art for OoE is alot better?

That's because he gets money for doing the works, of course he has to be more serious, those works on his site just for practise reasons, not commercial ones, otherwise he will not put them on the site, because the companies wont allow him to. But some companies allow that, and he has to put on the copyright notice.

[jimmay17]

I just now finally watched the trailer, and I must admit I'm disappointed. The overall presentation seems fairly bright and cartoonish. The 'glyph' magic animations are fairly novel-looking, but the general effect of the art design-outside of the great character portraits-is kind of flat and uninspired. Hopefully, this will be one of those games that trailers just don't do justice to.

[Algernon]

I just now finally watched the trailer, and I must admit I'm disappointed. The overall presentation seems fairly bright and cartoonish. The 'glyph' magic animations are fairly novel-looking, but the general effect of the art design-outside of the great character portraits-is kind of flat and uninspired. Hopefully, this will be one of those games that trailers just don't do justice to.

They don't usually show the best areas in the trailers anyway. I'm sure there'll be some great areas as well as some duds.

[A n t r a x x]

In Reply To #488

Those're great. The first one especially reminds me of Shanoa's style. The eye-spacing and the demure expression and all.

[DragonSlayr81]

So, the artist is Masaki Hirooka? I agree, the first art looks similar to Shanoa. And yeah, I was thinking it might've been Akihiko Yoshida or Hideo Minaba(the first artwork of Shanoa amid the spires looks like something Minaba could've done).

My reaction to the video is mixed. Some of the backgrounds are beautiful. The village background looks up to par with SotN. Some look lackluster. I agree with whom ever said some look straight out of AoS, cause some do. Others look out of Dracula XX and SCV4.

Shanoa's looking really cool.

The music doesn't stand out as anything amazing. But, it still has it's horror feel to it. The second piece sounds like something from the late 60s/70s Scooby-Doo cartoons. "Come on, gang! Let's go explore that haunted amusement park!".

In all, I'm liking this game, though the vertical areas seem too tight. They are almost NES Wizard & Warriors tight.

[Gunlord]

I'm really likin it so far, as I said in other topix. However, I'm one of those who sees more than a bit of influence from AoS on da level designs V_V