Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Discussion Thread

For those still on the fence about getting the game because of the "cutscene" trailers, here's one mainly about gameplay (fast forward to about 1 minute in)

WARNING - The trailer is long and full of spoilers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQtzxlZ0IAw

and for those who didn't see the Kojima Epic Teaser Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXV6oWKMcSU

I'm reading through Eurogamer's review right now. It sounds like it turned out pretty good.

I'm totally new to the series. Looks like this will be a good introduction for me.

I've never played any of the castlevania series, but my friends always played them in front of me. I love side-scrollers but never bought them in the past. With this title they shifted it to 3D platforming(not the first time there was a Castlevania for N64 and PS2) which is another genre I love.

They mention in the video, newcomers won't miss out on anything if they haven't played previous titles.

I'm reading through Eurogamer's review right now. It sounds like it turned out pretty good.

rragnaar

I felt that Eurogamer compared LoS a little too much with post SotN entries (the "Metroidvania" ones), when Cox (LoS executive producer) has said many times LoS is based more on pre SotN games (more specifically Castlevania IV).

Complaining about LoS not having an emphasis on exploration and multiple paths makes little sense when it's based on the linear action/platforming-focused entries of the franchise. Still good to see they still liked it despite of that.

For those still on the fence about getting the game because of the "cutscene" trailers, here's one mainly about gameplay (fast forward to about 1 minute in)

WARNING - The trailer is long and full of spoilers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQtzxlZ0IAw

and for those who didn't see the Kojima Epic Teaser Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXV6oWKMcSU

AtlanticRock

I'll avoid checking out the latest trailers for now. Suffice to say, I am VERY excited about this Casltevania!

[QUOTE="rragnaar"]

I'm reading through Eurogamer's review right now. It sounds like it turned out pretty good.

IronBass

I felt that Eurogamer compared LoS a little too much with post SotN entries (the "Metroidvania" ones), when Cox (LoS executive producer) has said many times LoS is based more on pre SotN games (more specifically Castlevania IV).

Complaining about LoS not having an emphasis on exploration and multiple paths makes little sense when it's based on the linear action/platforming-focused entries of the franchise. Still good to see they still liked it despite of that.

[QUOTE="IronBass"]

[QUOTE="rragnaar"]

I'm reading through Eurogamer's review right now. It sounds like it turned out pretty good.

vadicta

I felt that Eurogamer compared LoS a little too much with post SotN entries (the "Metroidvania" ones), when Cox (LoS executive producer) has said many times LoS is based more on pre SotN games (more specifically Castlevania IV).

Complaining about LoS not having an emphasis on exploration and multiple paths makes little sense when it's based on the linear action/platforming-focused entries of the franchise. Still good to see they still liked it despite of that.

What's even more disapponting is a ****c soundtrack to appear in LOS. That's very disappointing. That's part of the main reason why I love the CV series so much, so to hear that it's absent is sad news.

7.5 on GS. Review Here.

Sucks that people tend to compare games, instead of giving it an honest review as a stand-alone title.

7.5 on GS. Review Here.

Sucks that people tend to compare games, instead of giving it an honest review as a stand-alone title.

AtlanticRock

I guess, to be fair, that they have to compare the game to others just to give gamers an idea what to expect.

From what I'm reading, it certainly does take a lot of elements from other games and incoporates them here. Even the story is also a bit influenced from, say, Dante's Inferno (Murdered wife, hero has to get her back alive).

Bottom line from Gamespot - if it wasn't taking so many ideas from other games, it could have been great. In fact, if it was original enough, like God Of War, it should have been awesome, but it's not. Still, it's good.

[QUOTE="AtlanticRock"]

7.5 on GS. Review Here.

Sucks that people tend to compare games, instead of giving it an honest review as a stand-alone title.

Metamania

I guess, to be fair, that they have to compare the game to others just to give gamers an idea what to expect.

From what I'm reading, it certainly does take a lot of elements from other games and incoporates them here. Even the story is also a bit influenced from, say, Dante's Inferno (Murdered wife, hero has to get her back alive).

Bottom line from Gamespot - if it wasn't taking so many ideas from other games, it could have been great. In fact, if it was original enough, like God Of War, it should have been awesome, but it's not. Still, it's good.

I'll need to play the game myself before making a final call but my major gripe with the notion of this (or any other game) being called out for derivativeness is that you can just as easily foist that criticism onto most games, including sequels to established franchises. The fact that Lord of Shadows plays similarly to GOW isn't really much of a surprise given that GOW is somewhat derivative of DMC and Ninja Gaiden. As long as the designers (with Kojima overseeing the development) imbue their combat with elements that differentiate it from other action titles, I really don't see the problem. Perhaps when I play the game for myself I'll see that it is more akin to something like Dante's Inferno, but the other reviews don't seem to suggest that Lord of Shadows is that painfully stale.

The funny thing is that these complaints about this game being a clone of other games would go away if it was in the FPS or RPG genre.rragnaar

[QUOTE="rragnaar"]The funny thing is that these complaints about this game being a clone of other games would go away if it was in the FPS or RPG genre.CarnageHeart

The funny thing is that these complaints about this game being a clone of other games would go away if it was in the FPS or RPG genre.rragnaar

I personally couldn't care less about how original it is. Especially because GoW was always how Castlevania was meant to be done in 3D.

The other "big" complaint is its pacing, it seems there are some slow moments.But I don't think that's a big deal.

Anyways, the game's getting great reviews so far, and it looks quite awesome.

I'd definitely be interested in a demo, but beyond that, no promises. The combat certainly looks like a complete God of War rip-off and I don't appreciate fixed camera angles and timed platforming tasks.

What I mean is that for a while every sandbox game was called a GTA clone until there were enough games like it to just become a sub genre.rragnaar

I wouldn't say that it's a matter of there simply being enough games. Open-world action/adventure games stopped being designated as GTA clones (True Crime, Saints Row, The Getaway) when they stopped being GTA clones (Crackdown, Just Cause, Infamous). Same with FPSs. In the early 90's everyone called them Doom clones because they were Doom clones. Then came Half-Life and Tribes and evolved the genre.

I'm not seeing that with action games. They don't really seem to be going anywhere, in my opinion.

[QUOTE="CarnageHeart"][QUOTE="rragnaar"]The funny thing is that these complaints about this game being a clone of other games would go away if it was in the FPS or RPG genre.rragnaar

Maybe he meant the game needed to have its own identity rather than being "more of the same" you know. Putting aside technical issues, whether the gameplay was full of "derivatives" or not is subjective so the reviewer might have thought that segment of the game was boring but this might not be the case with many. Just stick to what you enjoy regardless of what other might think of the game.

[QUOTE="rragnaar"]The funny thing is that these complaints about this game being a clone of other games would go away if it was in the FPS or RPG genre.CarnageHeart

Yeah, but that's a rare exception. I played and beat Singularity, and it is indeed a note-for-note clone of Bioshock. It was almost hard taking the game seriously at all, it was so derivative. That's the most extreme example possible, and I don't think it's a fair one. It could easily be said that most of this generation's FPSs owe alot to games like Half-Life, Call Of Duty, or Halo, but it's rarely mentioned. Butreviewers seem to get bent out of shape about an action game usinga good idea or twofrom another title, which I agree with Rrag on.

And so far, from the reviews I've read, it doesn't seem that derivative, with most reviews in the 8.5-9.0 range, and hardly any of them leveling that criticism.

I decided that I may as well stick with it and give this game a shot. If it ain't all that great, I'll just return it for store credit and use it to pick up something else instead.

[QUOTE="CarnageHeart"][QUOTE="rragnaar"]The funny thing is that these complaints about this game being a clone of other games would go away if it was in the FPS or RPG genre.Jbul

Yeah, but that's a rare exception. I played and beat Singularity, and it is indeed a note-for-note clone of Bioshock. It was almost hard taking the game seriously at all, it was so derivative. That's the most extreme example possible, and I don't think it's a fair one. It could easily be said that most of this generation's FPSs owe alot to games like Half-Life, Call Of Duty, or Halo, but it's rarely mentioned. Butreviewers seem to get bent out of shape about an action game usinga good idea or twofrom another title, which I agree with Rrag on.

And so far, from the reviews I've read, it doesn't seem that derivative, with most reviews in the 8.5-9.0 range, and hardly any of them leveling that criticism.

When shooters clone or borrow heavily from another shooter, that tends to be noted in reviews (CoDesque online leveling system, two weapon system borrowed from Halo, cover system borrowed from Gears, etc.).

*Shrugs* Anyway, all the online reviews(Edge, IGN, Gamespot, Eurogamer) I've read indicate that Castlevania borrows heavily from God of War, though most mention a couple other games (including SoTC, a game which GoW2 and 3 borrowed from) it also borrows from. Also, even before reviewers told me thatCastlevania borrowed heavily from GoW,the gameplay footage made that pretty clear.

I don't think borrowing from GoW or any other game is a problem, so long as Castlevania is executed well (something Dante's Inferno failed at). I look forward to trying the demo and forming my own opinion (direct experience >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> reviews).

[QUOTE="Jbul"]

[QUOTE="CarnageHeart"] I don't think that's true. One of the knocks against Mistwalker's entire body of work (and I suspect the big reason they have yet to make a hit game) is that they are all extremely derivative. And a standard criticism of Singularity was how clearly it wore its inspiration (Bioshock) on its sleeve.CarnageHeart

Yeah, but that's a rare exception. I played and beat Singularity, and it is indeed a note-for-note clone of Bioshock. It was almost hard taking the game seriously at all, it was so derivative. That's the most extreme example possible, and I don't think it's a fair one. It could easily be said that most of this generation's FPSs owe alot to games like Half-Life, Call Of Duty, or Halo, but it's rarely mentioned. Butreviewers seem to get bent out of shape about an action game usinga good idea or twofrom another title, which I agree with Rrag on.

And so far, from the reviews I've read, it doesn't seem that derivative, with most reviews in the 8.5-9.0 range, and hardly any of them leveling that criticism.

When shooters clone or borrow heavily from another shooter, that tends to be noted in reviews (CoDesque online leveling system, two weapon system borrowed from Halo, cover system borrowed from Gears, etc.).

*Shrugs* Anyway, all the online reviews(Edge, IGN, Gamespot, Eurogamer) I've read indicate that Castlevania borrows heavily from God of War, though most mention a couple other games (including SoTC, a game which GoW2 and 3 borrowed from) it also borrows from. Also, even before reviewers told me thatCastlevania borrowed heavily from GoW,the gameplay footage made that pretty clear.

I don't think borrowing from GoW or any other game is a problem, so long as Castlevania is executed well (something Dante's Inferno failed at). I look forward to trying the demo and forming my own opinion (direct experience >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> reviews).

I found it interesting that the IGN review recommended it for non-Castlevania fans, but warned Castlevania fans to stay away from it.

I guess I've been spoiled up to the point of where the 2D games have been much better than its 3D incarnations. Dante's Inferno wasn't all that fantastic and I now have doubts with Castlevania: LOS....hmm...

[QUOTE="UpInFlames"]

I'd definitely be interested in a demo, but beyond that, no promises. The combat certainly looks like a complete God of War rip-off and I don't appreciate fixed camera angles and timed platforming tasks.

dvader654

That may or may not be the case, but either way, there isn't anything better or more substantial to go by.

If a developer releases a demo completely unrepresentative of the final game, that's their problem, not mine. There are so many games I'm interested in that I'm basically looking for excuses not to buy any given game and a crappy demo will achieve just that.

The demo is up on the Euro PSN store. I'll check it out when I get home.

The demo is up on the Euro PSN store. I'll check it out when I get home.

rragnaar

I'm not bothered about gameplay concepts being borrowed from other games as long as execution of such concepts is good.

If nothing else, the game is gorgeous. The combat seems really good. It is different enough from God of War, especially when compared to Dante's Inferno which pretty much copied everything. Disclaimer: The following sentence is not a joke. Right now I'm riding a lightning pony with the voice of a Spaniard while fighting werewolves riding on top of wargs. That counts for something in my book.rragnaar

[QUOTE="rragnaar"]If nothing else, the game is gorgeous. The combat seems really good. It is different enough from God of War, especially when compared to Dante's Inferno which pretty much copied everything. Disclaimer: The following sentence is not a joke. Right now I'm riding a lightning pony with the voice of a Spaniard while fighting werewolves riding on top of wargs. That counts for something in my book.SteelAttack

You know what? I decided not to buy CV LOS. I'll get that credit transferred over to the Dragon Age Ultimate Edition. I'll be getting more bang for my buck with it.

I'll rent CV LOS instead. Better to do in the long run!

[QUOTE="SteelAttack"][QUOTE="rragnaar"]If nothing else, the game is gorgeous. The combat seems really good. It is different enough from God of War, especially when compared to Dante's Inferno which pretty much copied everything. Disclaimer: The following sentence is not a joke. Right now I'm riding a lightning pony with the voice of a Spaniard while fighting werewolves riding on top of wargs. That counts for something in my book.rragnaar

[QUOTE="SteelAttack"][QUOTE="rragnaar"]If nothing else, the game is gorgeous. The combat seems really good. It is different enough from God of War, especially when compared to Dante's Inferno which pretty much copied everything. Disclaimer: The following sentence is not a joke. Right now I'm riding a lightning pony with the voice of a Spaniard while fighting werewolves riding on top of wargs. That counts for something in my book.rragnaar

Damn, you got me looking forward to this. How do I get on "Euro" PSN? I want to try this out before it comes out in a few days.

I haven't played the demo yet (I may create a UK account this afternoon) but from what I gather the demo is based on an incredibly early E3 build and is a fairly lackluster representation of the final product.

What's interesting is that the IGN and GS reviews are currently among the lowest, with most everyone else giving this game a AA or AAA score and what both of those two particular reviews have in common is that both reviewers are clearly big fans of the old school, Symphony of the Night type Castlevania games despite the fact that every indication points to this being a much more straightforward action experience like Castlevania1, 3 and 4.

People seem to forget that before Symphony of the Night, this was primarily an action series with fantastic set pieces and from what I've seen thus far, this looks very much like the true successor to Castlevania IV, which is my personal favorite.

All you need to do is make a new user on your PS3 and then go to the 'sign up to the PSN' section and pick the UK as your region. You'll need a valid email address that isn't tied to another PSN account, but you can make up every other detail. According to my Euro PSN account, my name is Langdon Chowd. It shouldn't take more than five minutes.rragnaar

[QUOTE="rragnaar"]All you need to do is make a new user on your PS3 and then go to the 'sign up to the PSN' section and pick the UK as your region. You'll need a valid email address that isn't tied to another PSN account, but you can make up every other detail. According to my Euro PSN account, my name is Langdon Chowd. It shouldn't take more than five minutes.F1Lengend

Hahaha! I'll go check this out this afternoon for sure.

It's not a bad review the game got, though. A 7.5 makes it a solid game, and from what I saw and read, it seems to be just that. I mean, the biggest let down for me is the lack of exploration. Like, I loved the Castlevania games on the DS and exploration was everything to them.I was hoping this game would have the God of War combat style with a huge and open world to explore. And then they threw in the Shadow of the Collosus bits to even further pull itself away from its own mechanics. From what I can tell, it really deserves what it got. I think I'll probably pick it up over the summer. At least it's starting to get somewhere. :)

I reserved the game about a month ago. I haven't played the demo yet but I'm getting the game no matter what. Castlevania 4 was the last castlevania I played that I liked. I agree with some of the other people that gamespot and IGN reviews seem biased tward SOTN. The gamespot reviewer actualy said the game was too liniar. Which isfunny because most games now adays are linair. I didn't hear any complaining about Uncharted 2 even though it was liniar and only 8 hours long. And they justannounced a game of the year addition. As far as I'm conserned that content should have been included with the game when it original released. But you don't hear reviewers copmplaining about stuff like that. What ever Castlevainia looks great and I getting it. It looks better then the non stop bombardment of genaric shooters hitting the market. You never hear any compliants about that either. SOTN wasn't even castlevaina if you ask me where was the whip?

[QUOTE="rragnaar"]All you need to do is make a new user on your PS3 and then go to the 'sign up to the PSN' section and pick the UK as your region. You'll need a valid email address that isn't tied to another PSN account, but you can make up every other detail. According to my Euro PSN account, my name is Langdon Chowd. It shouldn't take more than five minutes.F1Lengend

lol lmao.