[Shin Johnpv]

UGH I was really hoping this would be good, specially since I did not like Lords of Shadow at all. Multiple minutes spent fighting a single enemy, no thanks.

Looks like I have to add Castlevania to the list of series that are now dead to me. :(

[Desty]

Where is IGA?

IGA is crying :`|

[Infinite]

I'm glad I skipped pre-ordering this. Really sad about this though.

[ZoddGutts]

Seriously this is more God of War than Castlevania. The fodder enemies take too many hits to kill, they need to lower it to two hits tops to kill. Doubt the devs will change it due to their philosophy design choice, "more hits to kill, more immersive!" is probably what their thinking.

[Shion]

You have to remember, this is based on Lords of Shadow, the most successfull (commercially) Castlevania game OF ALL TIME. There's been dozens of bland 2D castlevanias over the years, so complaining that Konami is going with what sells (LoS combat and story, etc) is gonna fall on deaf ears.

wat?

It's too bad OoE fell on so many deaf ears. It was IGA's best since SoTN and got rid of the anime shit, plus the uninspired level design. You guys should try it out. pls respond

The truth is strong with this one.

[JMPerona]

This is what Dave Cox answered to my tweet. I just complained about the hits on the enemies:

"If you play play poorly some enemies will take a lot of hits. If you use the combat system well two or three hits should do it."

[redcrayon]

Problem is whoever is playing that demo is just button mashing the same keys with no use of Magic powerups, holds/grappling, or Sub weapons. Enemies in LoS have a Scissor/Paper/Rock formula that corresponds to your Knife/Holy Water/Fairy etc, subweapon. For example you can whip the hell out of werewolves in LoS, or just throw a knife and they explode. It actually makes combat more interesting.

OK, fair points.

I think the weapons should have more impact though- it looks like the whip goes straight through him a hundred times or more. I want bone-shattering crunching sounds from the vampire-killer whip, not some weak sound like I'm throwing a piece of string for the cat! :D

[Synless]

It would take like 300 hrs to beat sotn if you progressed as slowly as it looks here.

The character is hauling ass across those screens, what are you talking about?

[watershed]

Looks good so far except the enemies take way too many hits.

[Phonomezer]

Looks terribly boring. What a shame.

[watershed]

This is what Dave Cox answered to my tweet. I just complained about the hits on the enemies: "If you play play poorly some enemies will take a lot of hits. If you use the combat system well two or three hits should do it."

Nevermind apparently! This is good if true.

[JMPerona]

Nevermind apparently! This is good if true.

Well, Im not sure what he means with "use the combat system". Maybe is just using the different options of the combat in the game, like combining all the combact movements. Hope its true. Its a waste of time to stay in the same room with three common enemies and cant continue before they are dead, like it happen a few times in the video.

[Zertez]

I enjoyed LoS and this looks a lot like it except it is more 2d side scrolling, instead of 3d open areas like LoS. I was expecting a handheld version of LoS to play like this, so Im not disappointed. LoS is much different than most other Castlevania games, so I didnt think the handheld version would deviate much from the LoS formula.

It looks like Im in the minority, but Im looking forward to playing this and Im really hyped to play LoS2. Hopefully they will have another studio work on a game in the Castlevania series that fits the old model and gameplay for those who did not like LoS. LoS is one of my favorite games this generation and while I enjoy the old school Castlevania games, it is nice to play a different take on the series. I just hope for LoS2, they focus a little more on their original ideas and not rely so much on game mechanics from other popular games.

[Ahasverus]

Cox blocking users from Twitter? What a dick. Not buying the game now.
And yes you all know I''m the biggest fanboy in the history of Lords of Shadow fanboys but I can't stand this behavior.

Still, I'm at home now and I'll try texting Alvarez, he's a lot less cocky (coxy?) and he usually responds politely even negative criticism.

[Mlatador]

I really hope no one buys this game, so that there is still a chance of a true 2D Castlevania on 3DS.

To me, if it's not 2D and or Metroidvania, it's not Castlevania - sorry.

I wish Konami improved their 2D Symphony of the Night Engine, that's been used in so many 2D Castlevanias.

WHY do you have to go 2,5 D? WHY do you have to go full 3D?? It's so fucking annoying! Sometimes the transition works, but in the case of Castlevania, I feel the franchise lost all it's appeal!

Just look at Rayman Legends or Muramasa the Demon Blade - that's how Castlevania should have evolved graphically!

I want a SOTN 2 in all it's 2D GLORY!

[DonasaurusRex]

.....why is it taking so long to kill stuffs.

[Spieler Eins]

WHY do you have to go 2,5 D? WHY do you have to go full 3D?? It's so fucking annoying! Sometimes the transition works, but in the case of Castlevania, I feel the franchise lost all it's appeal! Just look at Rayman Legends or Muramasa the Demon Blade - that's how Castlevania should have evolved graphically! I want a SOTN 2 in all it's 2D GLORY!

That's what I was fearing with the 3DS announcement. Especially with its 3D possibilities, that developers would drop sprite based games.
Though I was hoping it would at least still be IGA/Metroidvania...

[Ahasverus]

I really hope no one buys this game, so that there is still a chance of a true 2D Castlevania on 3DS. To me, if it's not 2D and or Metroidvania, it's not Castlevania - sorry. I wish Konami improved their 2D Symphony of the Night Engine, that's been used in so many 2D Castlevanias. WHY do you have to go 2,5 D? WHY do you have to go full 3D?? It's so fucking annoying! Sometimes the transition works, but in the case of Castlevania, I feel the franchise lost all it's appeal! Just look at Rayman Legends or Muramasa the Demon Blade - that's how Castlevania should have evolved graphically! I want a SOTN 2 in all it's 2D GLORY!

Oh come on just wait 2 years until the LoS series is finished and I assure you you'll have your regurgitated IgaVanianimes in annual iterations.

[DigitalRicket]

I played this at E3 and did not like it at all.

Same here, though I wasn't horribly disappointed by it. I knew what I was getting into but I just wish they would fix up some of those wonky controls, and not to mention give enemies less health. I mean, a skeleton should be taken down with a one hit or two hit combo not a string of hits!

[Boney]

This is what Dave Cox answered to my tweet. I just complained about the hits on the enemies: "If you play play poorly some enemies will take a lot of hits. If you use the combat system well two or three hits should do it."

That's what I was saying earlier, the video posted doesn't make use of Heavy attacks (x buttons) and the game consists on basically stunning the enemies so you can finish them off with those QTE's

I don't think it's an ideal prospect for a platformer but it's a lot better than what I was led to believe on that preview.

[Foffy]

This is what Dave Cox answered to my tweet. I just complained about the hits on the enemies: "If you play play poorly some enemies will take a lot of hits. If you use the combat system well two or three hits should do it."

I have not seen a single enemy in either Lords or Mirror of Fate go down that quickly, unless you use a subweapon that instantly kills them.

Then again, Cox was the same guy that said Lords wouldn't have quicktime events, and almost every boss in the game requires a quicktime event to eliminate...

[Zertez]

I really hope no one buys this game, so that there is still a chance of a true 2D Castlevania on 3DS. To me, if it's not 2D and or Metroidvania, it's not Castlevania - sorry. I wish Konami improved their 2D Symphony of the Night Engine, that's been used in so many 2D Castlevanias. WHY do you have to go 2,5 D? WHY do you have to go full 3D?? It's so fucking annoying! Sometimes the transition works, but in the case of Castlevania, I feel the franchise lost all it's appeal! Just look at Rayman Legends or Muramasa the Demon Blade - that's how Castlevania should have evolved graphically! I want a SOTN 2 in all it's 2D GLORY!

There is market for both. LoS is successful, no reason to kill it off. Let Mercurysteam work on LoS series and put another studio on old school 2D Castlevania games, cash in on both crowds.

[Foffy]

There is market for both.

Not to Konami. Konami actually dislikes the effeminate image the series has had since Symphony of the Night. In fact, that's the entire reason they went with an entirely different musical direction, and why Oscar Araujo makes the type of music he has for the games.

[rozay]

Cox blocking users from Twitter? What a dick. Not buying the game now. And yes you all know I''m the biggest fanboy in the history of Lords of Shadow fanboys but I can't stand this behavior. Still, I'm at home now and I'll try texting Alvarez, he's a lot less cocky (coxy?) and he usually responds politely even negative criticism.

There are worse reasons to not buy a game than a producer being immature when it comes to criticism, such as the gameplay itself being a poor fit for a 2D platformer. Hopefully mercurysteam and the ability to properly play the game can mitigate what we see in these videos.

Still, it was a bit like a kick in the face seeing as I purchased the CE for LoS day one!

[BassForever]

Comments above give me a tad more hope, will wait for some impressions of the final build particularly from people who aren't LoS fans to see if the game holds up well on it's own.

[Ahasverus]

There are worse reasons to not buy a game than a producer being immature when it comes to criticism, such as the gameplay itself being a poor fit for a 2D platformer. Hopefully mercurysteam and the ability to properly play the game can mitigate what we see in these videos. Still, it was a bit like a kick in the face seeing as I purchased the CE for LoS day one!

I'm a sucker, I even bought Judgement day one :(

[Jaded Alyx]

I don't think Capcom has much say in that decision.

It's a mistake, but I could see how you made it :)

Whoosh!

[gfdoom]

wow some of you guys are really bugging out over this game, saying stuff likes it's bad, looks terrible, etc. you'd swear that some of ya'll played the full complete game already. Why don't you just except the fact that konami chose to go in a slightly different direction with this castlevania? most of you want the same exact castlevania you've been playing for years. You act like konami hasn't satisfied you guys enough with the countless versions of castlevania's that play exactly the same as the one before it albeit with a new game play mechanic.

I'm a castlevania fan period, I've played every game in the series and will continue to, even giving new ones a try before I slam the hell out of it. I loved Lords of shadow, it was a great entry into the castlevania series. I wasn't gonna bitch and complain that it didn't play like the other 100's of other castlevania's that been out before it. I've played those ones to death, I welcome something new and i'm glad that konami has/ had the guts to try something new with the franchise regardless of all the whining and crying fans do. If you always listen to fans, we'll never play anything new...

[commanderpepper]

This looks nothing like the Castlevania I know of. I'm not giving up on this game because, if the game is good then I'm glad that another good game is on the 3DS. I just wonder what the developer is thinking?

[gfdoom]

I really hope no one buys this game, so that there is still a chance of a true 2D Castlevania on 3DS. To me, if it's not 2D and or Metroidvania, it's not Castlevania - sorry. I wish Konami improved their 2D Symphony of the Night Engine, that's been used in so many 2D Castlevanias. WHY do you have to go 2,5 D? WHY do you have to go full 3D?? It's so fucking annoying! Sometimes the transition works, but in the case of Castlevania, I feel the franchise lost all it's appeal! Just look at Rayman Legends or Muramasa the Demon Blade - that's how Castlevania should have evolved graphically! I want a SOTN 2 in all it's 2D GLORY!

If no one buys this game, what would be the motivation for konami to produce another castlevania game, regardless if it's sprite based or not?

[Cow Mengde]

That's what I was saying earlier, the video posted doesn't make use of Heavy attacks (x buttons) and the game consists on basically stunning the enemies so you can finish them off with those QTE's

Oh that makes me feel sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much better.

[Diomedeskun]

It is rather disappointing to think that we won't see a sequel to OoE, the first of the IgaVanias to really shake things up and provide a new direction. That said, I'm willing to give this game a shot. I love most of the 2D games in the series, although I vastly prefer the best of the Metroidvanias to the classic games, and I enjoyed what I played of LoS, and while I'm just as worried as anyone else that the combat from LoS isn't a good fit for 2D, the video still looks ok. Not great, but ok.

[rozay]

If no one buys this game, what would be the motivation for konami to produce another castlevania game, regardless if it's sprite based or not?

It's a lose-lose situation for anyone who doesn't enjoy these games, I'm pretty sure Konami's management will tell future developers after mercuysteam finishes their trio to create games in the same style as LoS. They don't seem to really have any interest in cultivating their current crop of franchises other than metal gear, pro evo and pachinko and they'll likely pay for it at some point. At least they picked a decent European developer for the LoS series.

[SquiddyCracker]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRlY6hcWAWU Looks pretty bad. Typical Euro-style action beat-em-up where enemies take like 1000 hits, the attacks seem like they have no impact, and it just seems.... boring all round. The team making this keeps saying they're inspired by Castlevania 3... but I'm really not seeing it at all. Looks more like a side scrolling God of War. I had one on my phone years ago, and it was a lot like this! :(

That kinda sounds like fun, totally bargain bin pick-up though.

[FrostuTheNinja]

So, it's basically a 2D conversion of the combat system from LoS? Way to miss the point. And the whole, "if you play it right" comment from Cox is pretty patronizing.

Was it ever answered why the attack animations cover half the screen? Everything seems so haphazard and poorly thought out.

[rozay]

So, it's basically a 2D conversion of the combat system from LoS? Way to miss the point. And the whole, "if you play it right" comment from Cox is pretty patronizing. Was it ever answered why the attack animations cover half the screen? Everything seems so haphazard and poorly thought out.

He'll block you if you try and ask, I would suggest doing it in person if you get the chance rather than over the internet.

[Dorfdad]

Ill buy it, I'm not picky! I also like fat girls...

but on a serious note it seems they are trying to make it a God of War game on the 3DS.. If you go inot it thinking it's a new IP you might like it..

[hitsugi]

what is this......?

looks like the handheld Castlevanias, my last hope for 2d Castlevania, is now.... whatever this is.

for shame, Konami. Now please bring Suikoden 2 to PSN.

[FrostuTheNinja]

for shame, Konami. Now please bring Suikoden 2 to PSN.

Hahahaha! Best segway, ever!

[Cow Mengde]

BTW, the main complaint about the combat is just one of the problems from that video. People also overlooked the long boring hallways. The shiny objects the signify the right direction/objects you can interact with, and quicktime finishing moves. The music blow donkey dicks.

[Boney]

Oh that makes me feel sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much better.

well they're more like cinematic grabs

kinda like sfxt?

[Crusader]

Guys, must it be a choice between a hellish slogfest that misses the point and IGA trying AGAIN to rehash a 15-year-old game. Is there not a third way?

[TruePrime]

Guys, must it be a choice between a hellish slogfest that misses the point and IGA trying AGAIN to rehash a 15-year-old game. Is there not a third way?

Given the last game he tried to Rehash is my favorite in the entire Franchsie I would prefer the Rehash honestly.

[beelzebozo]

looks so awesome i think i'll play a bunch of old castlevania games that are really, really good, hoping they'll have an antiemetic effect, and that i'll never have to see that video again or to ever play this game, and that i'll eventually regain full vision.

[Brettison]

So my most anticipated 3ds series starts off with a craptastic entry. Ugh..

[vincent vega]

So my most anticipated 3ds series starts off with a craptastic entry. Ugh..

this is a complete disappointment. hopefully fire emblem is good

[@MUWANdo]

It looks and sounds exactly the same as it did when it was announced--that is to say, it's basically LoS turned sideways--so why are people dogpiling the game now, all of a sudden?

Guys, must it be a choice between a hellish slogfest that misses the point and IGA trying AGAIN to rehash a 15-year-old game. Is there not a third way?

Harmony of Despair was hardly a rehash in terms of design.

[manipulate]

Wow, this looks bad.

And Castlevania was pretty much the main reason I bought a 3DS (and Pokemon, of course). I'm an idiot =/

[Incitemaybe]

Looks fun to me with the exception of the enemies taking too many hits to kill........hopefully they can do somthin' 'bout that :-)

[Amalthea]

IGA was a one trick pony but at least he did his trick well.