dummydecoy
Member
THIS. Selling games that run lower than 30 fps should be a crime.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Konami puts up teaser page for Castlevania: Lord of Shadows sequel
- Thread starter jokkir
- Start date
THIS. Selling games that run lower than 30 fps should be a crime.
brandonh83
Banned
The PS3 version wasn't great either, but the 360 version... I don't recall the PS3 version being quite as bad, although still not good.
wait til you get to the final area that i mentioned in an earlier post. it seems that's one major part they didn't optimize.
brandonh83
Banned
nelsonroyale
Member
Yes I enjoyed the first game, but I remember the game fooking crashing on the final boss and deleting my save...worst bug I have every encountered in a game... very annoying
l2ounD
Member
Same. Hope their tech got better, really looking forward to this.
Teaser now, release 1 year later?
ll_l_x_l_ll
Banned
i hope there is a Vita version of this too :/
John Harker
Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
Played PS3 version. Loved it. Was in my top 3 of the year. Had no reportable framerate issues. What a gorgeous game.
I, for one, also enjoyed Robert Caryle and Sir Patrick Steward,... hope they are both bacl.
I, for one, also enjoyed Robert Caryle and Sir Patrick Steward,... hope they are both bacl.
Robot Pants
Member
I'm with this guy. LoS was just a gow clone with a license slapped on it. Wasn't that how the game started out anyway? Having nothing to do with Castlevania until konami decided to attach the name to it.
Anyway, no I don't believe it is a good Castlevania game by any means.
Well, at least it was a much better attempt than the Iga rehashes before it....
*BBUUUUURNNN IGA FANNNNS*
The weakness of IGAs games, in retrospect, are the castles. To keep variety for the Metroidvanias, they tend to have areas for the sake of variety, but in doing so, fail to keep a feeling of a consistent atmosphere the Classicvanias did, and as a result really pull create atmospheric, memorable castles. Lords follows suit with the older games with the castle, but sort of falls apart in every other location.
The Return of
Banned
I remember when the developers were constantly talking about how the game was around 20 hours long or some shit. Game took me about 10-12 hours and I still felt like the pacing or whatever was so fucking bad, so many parts just seemed like they were there to extend the lengths. I mean I don't mind long games, but the quality should be there if it will be that long.
Well we all know that's not true, so no burn, no foul.
Classic Castlevania > IGAvania > 3D'Vania
Give me a gorgeously animated 2-D platformer, with linear stages (and alternative routes, of course), dripping with atmosphere and classic Castlevania goodness.
GreggTheGrimReaper
Member
Net_Wrecker
Member
I don't get the hatred some people have for the first one. Dislike a game, sure, but people who didn't enjoy LoS seem to loathe it when it really wasn't that bad. The framerate was not good, and there were some design issues, but it was a solid foundation and I can see a sequel being really, really good. One thing I hope they DON'T go back on is the length. Yes it could've been a better designed experience, but I really felt like I got my money's worth with a 16 hour 1st playthrough compared to ~10 hours that most of these action/adventure titles max out at.
Respect.
Probably the holy grail and would do really well on PSN/XBLA, but we all know how much konami hates money.
Lol, that's so childish.
Did you read the youtube comments?? haha
LowEndTorque
Member
Yes.
I'm not a super hardcore CV fan like you and your friend are, but I did enjoy the classic CV's immensely. I honestly felt that LOS was a very nicely done modern re-imagining of the classic Castlevanias in 3d.
For me, the art style, music, story and level design all came together to re-create the same mood and atmosphere as the older games. The only other time a modern re-imagining of an old game series managed to capture the exact mood of the older games for me was with Deus Ex HR. The only way for it to be a "real" Castlevania game in the way series fans expected would be for it to have been a 2D platformer. Game wasn't perfect and had its legit flaws, but the overall experience from beginning to end was great for me and pretty unforgettable.
Even the soundtrack paid tribute to the older CV's. Anyone recognize this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWTdyE5kMcY
Also, played on PS3 and didn't find the framerate to be a problem at all.
brandonh83
Banned
One of the biggest complaints people have is that it's a God of War clone, and while there is merit to that complaint, I also feel that just calling it a GOW clone, writing it off, sealing it in an envelope and shipping it straight to hell is also a bit extreme. It may share similarities, but at the same time I feel that it's definitely its very own experience.
It may be a 3D action title with a similar camera style and similar combat mechanics, but even despite all of that, while playing the game I do not feel as though I am playing a God of War ripoff. I feel like I'm playing a new game that happens to share some similarities to another phenomenal franchise. Lords of Shadow has its very own distinct feel with enough differences in the combat, especially the weighty feel of the combat, that is different than God of War to me.
But, people will continue to slam it for being a GOW "clone" without actually trying to appreciate it for what it is, and that's a shame. Again, the complaint has merit and I'm not saying that people are wrong, but I do believe it to be an overall very different gaming experience than GOW. That being said I do hope the next game changes things up, even if only so I don't have to hear people bitching about it being a clone.
AlphaDragoon
Member
This guy knows what's up.
LoS wasn't a bad game (it was actually really fun), but Christ was the story garbage
(and they fucked up the Belmonts forever by making Gabriel Dracula)
My favorite song from Lords of Shadow. Guess it helps that its also one of my favorite track from Super Castlevania.
I don't honestly see what's the problem here.
Gabriel wasn't "really a Belmont". He just took the surname from his supposed "love of high places". Meanwhile, it's hinted at that he's actually the bastard child of the Cronqvist family. In essence, Gabriel was more or less a retread of Mathias from the IGA continuity than anything else. Right down to him ending up with cursing God, turning his back on everything he used to be and becoming the new Dark Lord, because he lost his boo.
If anything, I think they probably will have it so that some other guy takes up the name Belmont in "tribute to the legendary hero", and we'll still have a more "traditional" Belmont family from that point. Or at least, that's what I expect, if Mirror of Fate really is expected to have Trevor, who then is the father to Simon, who is supposedly the star of this game, if rumors are to be believed.
If anything, I think they probably will have it so that some other guy takes up the name Belmont in "tribute to the legendary hero", and we'll still have a more "traditional" Belmont family from that point. Or at least, that's what I expect, if Mirror of Fate really is expected to have Trevor, who then is the father to Simon, who is supposedly the star of this game, if rumors are to be believed.
There are exactly three songs in LoS I can remember even now (and I like them): this one, Belmont Theme and the last boss one.
evilromero
Member
I definitely do not want a 'deeper' combat system. I like simple and easy to understand from the start. Why do we need to memorize a bunch of combos? Just make it fun to play like the older Castlevanias.
dancrane212
Member
I really enjoyed that part of the plot, it puts a cool spin on this reboot's universe.
AlphaDragoon
Member
The problem is,
There aren't any Belmonts now. Sure, Gabriel's name was something he made himself, but as it stood in that continuity he was a Belmont. But now he's Dracula. So unless the next game has us playing as Alucard and all future Belmonts are his offspring, or like you said someone else just so happens to take the name (which would be kinda goofy to do twice) then we're screwed on Belmonts.
And I really hope what I said doesn't happen, because it was retarded when they did it way back when with the Sonia/Alucard bullshit and cheapened Belmonts by making them have to be part vampire in order to kill one.
And I really hope what I said doesn't happen, because it was retarded when they did it way back when with the Sonia/Alucard bullshit and cheapened Belmonts by making them have to be part vampire in order to kill one.
dancrane212
Member
Couldn't they be inspired by Gabriel? Maybe no one knows what happened to him after he saved the world?
EDIT
Isn't Gabriel still a pretty good guy by the end of the DLC? I can image the 3DS game dealing with Gabriel turning on humanity, using the SotN story of Alucard's mother getting killed by a mob of humans.
Would it really be any goofier than a
whole series of games dedicated to multiple princesses and heroes in green tunics, who are each assigned the same names as their respective ancestors for each of their generations? :lol
I mean, funnier things have happened.
Plus, if they do go along the lines of what I'm thinking, it would be a nice bit of irony. Time and time again, Gabriel/Dracula would get a constant reminder of the "man he used to be", in the form of a successor to the Belmont name who would come around to spank him with a whip and put him back down for nap. That CAN'T be good for the ego, much less his sanity.
I mean, funnier things have happened.
Plus, if they do go along the lines of what I'm thinking, it would be a nice bit of irony. Time and time again, Gabriel/Dracula would get a constant reminder of the "man he used to be", in the form of a successor to the Belmont name who would come around to spank him with a whip and put him back down for nap. That CAN'T be good for the ego, much less his sanity.
That's pretty much what I was going for. Gabriel likely never returned to the order, so it's highly likely that after he saved the world, his name was still something that was seen as "heroic" and something to strive for. Enter some new kat that calls himself or is assigned the name "Belmont"...
Which translates to 'son of the Devil'
Manmademan
Member
I didn't buy the DLC (too many negative reviews) but that's generally my impression.
as far as anyone knows, Gabriel is still a hero, and not the monster he turned himself into during the DLC. As far as the order is concerned, he's just MIA. "passing down" the Belmont name to someone else as an honorary thing would make perfect sense in this case, and would REALLY throw a twist into the Belmont/Dracula relationship.
but then again, LOS was a complete reimagining of the series, so who knows what they'll do.
As amazing as CV Adventure: Rebirth was, I can't help but want a full, HD, 2-D Castlevania. I don't think being a downloadable game will do it justice.
At this point, I'd be fine if it was a Metroidvania as long as it was a console game on the big screen in 2D. I want amazingly detailed sprites and stages, the likes of Odin Sphere or Muramasa:
Hell, Lords of Shadow already has some great 2-D stuff going on; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlefPGlUs6s
Let me say the same thing I said in the last thread (before it was locked): LoS is not a bad game. It is not even a bad Castlevania game. It's just not the direction I would want to see the series go in. That applies to pretty much everything; gameplay, music, story, etc. None of these things are bad, just different.
The gameplay is flashy combat (though much less spammy and twitchy than, say, GoW); Castlevania is a platformer, though, and whip-based puzzles between platforms do not make up for it. LoS was fun, but it suffers from the same thing all 3-D'vanias do; emphasis on combat instead of platforming (which is obviously a weakness of 3-D, all the more reason not to do it.)
The Music is great, some really good, haunting tunes, but very much on the atmospheric, ambient side. Castlevania is known for more melodic tones, obviously. LoS had a great soundtrack and I listen to it a lot, but it just doesn't fit the rest of the series.
As for the story... I don't like the Kojima-esque twist in LoS any more than I like IGA's attempt at rebooting things in Lament of Innocence. Feel free to call me a crotchety old fan, but I actually liked the cyclical nature of Castlevania before IGA started picking and choosing what is and isn't canon.
I liked that there would always be Dracula, always a Belmont descendant, always a castle formed from chaos. Yeah, it gets a bit silly to sit back and go "Oh, Dracula resurrected AGAIN", but that's kinda the point; there's a great evil that arises every 100 years and the Belmonts must persevere. Following the bloodlines through history was part of the charm, at least for me.
Um. No.
Dracula (the surname of Vlad III) translates to "Son of the Dragon", as his father was Dracul (Vlad II). Vlad II received the title upon induction into the Order of the Dragon, a chivalric order established by the Holy Roman Emperor and charged with fending off the Turks. Vlad II, as prince of Wallachia, was on the front lines of this battle. It was basically done to prevent Wallachia from allying with the Turks, since Wallachia was constantly at odds with neighboring Transylvania.
It was a holy order like the Crusaders. They had nothing to do with the devil in any way, shape or form.
How can you tell a Castlevania fan from a Hardcore Castlevania fan? They know too much shit about Dracula.
As amazing as CV Adventure: Rebirth was, I can't help but want a full, HD, 2-D Castlevania. I don't think being a downloadable game will do it justice.
At this point, I'd be fine if it was a Metroidvania as long as it was a console game on the big screen in 2D. I want amazingly detailed sprites and stages, the likes of Odin Sphere or Muramasa:
Hell, Lords of Shadow already has some great 2-D stuff going on; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlefPGlUs6s
Let me say the same thing I said in the last thread (before it was locked): LoS is not a bad game. It is not even a bad Castlevania game. It's just not the direction I would want to see the series go in. That applies to pretty much everything; gameplay, music, story, etc. None of these things are bad, just different.
The gameplay is flashy combat (though much less spammy and twitchy than, say, GoW); Castlevania is a platformer, though, and whip-based puzzles between platforms do not make up for it. LoS was fun, but it suffers from the same thing all 3-D'vanias do; emphasis on combat instead of platforming (which is obviously a weakness of 3-D, all the more reason not to do it.)
The Music is great, some really good, haunting tunes, but very much on the atmospheric, ambient side. Castlevania is known for more melodic tones, obviously. LoS had a great soundtrack and I listen to it a lot, but it just doesn't fit the rest of the series.
As for the story... I don't like the Kojima-esque twist in LoS any more than I like IGA's attempt at rebooting things in Lament of Innocence. Feel free to call me a crotchety old fan, but I actually liked the cyclical nature of Castlevania before IGA started picking and choosing what is and isn't canon.
I liked that there would always be Dracula, always a Belmont descendant, always a castle formed from chaos. Yeah, it gets a bit silly to sit back and go "Oh, Dracula resurrected AGAIN", but that's kinda the point; there's a great evil that arises every 100 years and the Belmonts must persevere. Following the bloodlines through history was part of the charm, at least for me.
Um. No.
Dracula (the surname of Vlad III) translates to "Son of the Dragon", as his father was Dracul (Vlad II). Vlad II received the title upon induction into the Order of the Dragon, a chivalric order established by the Holy Roman Emperor and charged with fending off the Turks. Vlad II, as prince of Wallachia, was on the front lines of this battle. It was basically done to prevent Wallachia from allying with the Turks, since Wallachia was constantly at odds with neighboring Transylvania.
It was a holy order like the Crusaders. They had nothing to do with the devil in any way, shape or form.
How can you tell a Castlevania fan from a Hardcore Castlevania fan? They know too much shit about Dracula.
I hope Mirror of Fate looks good. I know it won't be as good as that, but... my interest in MoF is bigger than LoS2 actually.
In terms of story, it's pretty much all fucked at this point. The traditional starting point was Castlevania: Legends (Sonia Belmont), but IGA threw a hissy fit about the Belmonts starting with a 'weak' female character and retconned her out of existence.
IGA's starting point was Leon in Lament of Innocence, but that was such a hamfisted approach with Alchemy, the Philosopher's Stone and a dude named Walter. Bleh. I mean, Legends was light on the story (as befits the series) but at least you could put two and two together and realize that Alucard was Trevor's father and that the Belmont power was actually a result of the merged bloodlines.
And then Lords of Shadow tries to establish Gabriel as the Belmont Origin story, but the ending completely screws that up. It pretty much reconned out all previous games in the series. I'm not sure the story they're replacing it with is much better.
So... yeah. I dunno. Story was never a major part of the series, but just enough to be endearing, apparently. And to see them kinda wipe it away with LoS's plot just... feels wrong.
Just my two cents.
I'm kinda tired of 2-D Castlevania games being relegated to handheld status, but I understand why they do it. That said, I don't own a 3DS nor do I think I'll rush out and buy one just for MoF.
Then again, I said the same thing about buying a DS and I ended up getting one for Dawn of Sorrow.
IGA's starting point was Leon in Lament of Innocence, but that was such a hamfisted approach with Alchemy, the Philosopher's Stone and a dude named Walter. Bleh. I mean, Legends was light on the story (as befits the series) but at least you could put two and two together and realize that Alucard was Trevor's father and that the Belmont power was actually a result of the merged bloodlines.
And then Lords of Shadow tries to establish Gabriel as the Belmont Origin story, but the ending completely screws that up. It pretty much reconned out all previous games in the series. I'm not sure the story they're replacing it with is much better.
So... yeah. I dunno. Story was never a major part of the series, but just enough to be endearing, apparently. And to see them kinda wipe it away with LoS's plot just... feels wrong.
Just my two cents.
I'm kinda tired of 2-D Castlevania games being relegated to handheld status, but I understand why they do it. That said, I don't own a 3DS nor do I think I'll rush out and buy one just for MoF.
Then again, I said the same thing about buying a DS and I ended up getting one for Dawn of Sorrow.
If the recent rumor of the trailer details are anything then
Simon Belmont is indeed a child related to Gabriel, potentially making him related to Dracula.
EDIT: In fact, I'll post the supposed details here.
Ugh. If that's true then they're erasing
Trevor, not to mention Christopher andSolieyu
Gabriel is Dracula, how would he give birth to a human child? And if this Simon is actually half-vampire, doesn't that kind of replace Alucard?
Such a clusterfuck. I hate the idea that MercurySteam has just casually erased almost 30 years of Castlevania for one lame 'twist'.
goldenpp72
Member
I was under the impression the LOS series isn't meant to try and connect to the other games, which really aren't that impressively connected either.
The main problem I have is that blurbs seems to directly conflict with the basic outline of the 3DS "companion game" Mirror of Fate:
I've outlined my sentiments for above. As for the latter? Honestly? I've been used to
getting the bitch-hat by now. For example, I like how IGA chose his own two Belmonts, Leon and Juste, for that "Greatest Five" attack in POR, while one of the Classic Belmonts got utterly shafted. :lol
Which, if that rumor is to be believed, seems to be a revamping of CV3, right down to Trevor and at least Alucard teaming up to take down Dracula. Hopefully Sypha and Grant would be in the mix too. Oh, and apparently Trevor would be Simon's father in this new continuity.
I'm honestly hoping more for this train of thought, rather than the latter. I hated the "demi-demi-Vampire" angle from Legends and would rather not see it again.
I'm honestly hoping more for this train of thought, rather than the latter. I hated the "demi-demi-Vampire" angle from Legends and would rather not see it again.
I've outlined my sentiments for above. As for the latter? Honestly? I've been used to
Christopher
True. There's large gaps in the Belmont lineage, but that's to be expected with 100-year gaps between games. But the connective tissues are there;
Sonia > Trevor > Christopher > Solieyu > gap > Simon > Juste > Richter > gap > Reinhardt Schneider > John Morris > Jonathan Morris > gap > Julius Belmont
Sonia and Reinhardt were retconned out by Iga, of course, and there's no respectable in-game explanation why there was no Belmont family between Richter and Julius, with all of these offshoot bloodlines stepping up (it's obvious someone at Konami wanted to cash in on the Bram Stoker's Dracula flick, which was released two years earlier).
IGA came along and dropped those two characters and inserted Leon at the front.
MercurySteam came alone and wiped away everything and inserted Gabriel at the front.
If they say that the LoS storyline is an 'alternative timeline' or 'alternative universe', that's fine. Cool even. But I hope the rest of the series doesn't fall within it because it's kind of a flimsy start.