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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow announced for PS3/X360. 3D reboot of classic CV.

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S

SovietStriker

Member
EmCeeGramr said:
45 minute cutscene at the end where Dracula suddenly resurrects himself and explains how he was really the good guy the entire time, CONFIRMED.
Click to expand...

Lmao, seriously idk what kojima has in mind for this story wise. But knowing him from past games (metal gear, policenauts, prob some "unexpected" twist at the end)
 
R

Raging Spaniard

If they are Dutch, upright and breathing they are more racist than your favorite player
manzo said:
But isn't that the hardest aspect when moving a game from 2D to 3D? I'd be interested to see some good examples of how to counter this.
Click to expand...

Demon Souls :)

Matter of fact, Demon Souls might be the perfect Castlevania game :O
 
L

lyre

Member
The fact that your character can't even climb a chest high platform automatically writes Demon's Souls off as the perfect CV game in three dees, imo. But it's a decent start.
 
S

StarEye

The Amiga Brotherhood
Castlevania does have a bit more exploring than normal hack'n'slash games, but the enemies were numerous and even respawned in the 2D versions. But the fact that it's an open-world game means exploration obviously will take a major part, otherwise what's the use of an open world?
 
R

revolverjgw

Member
Raging Spaniard said:
Demon Souls :)

Matter of fact, Demon Souls might be the perfect Castlevania game :O
Click to expand...

Atmosphere-wise, yeah.

Gameplay-wise, I really just want it to play like God of War, emphasizing the platforming elements a bit more and the combat a bit less. Honestly, the first 3D 'Vania (CV64) kind of had the right idea.
 
S

Scythesurge

Member
revolverjgw said:
Atmosphere-wise, yeah.

Gameplay-wise, I really just want it to play like God of War, emphasizing the platforming elements a bit more and the combat a bit less. Honestly, the first 3D 'Vania (CV64) kind of had the right idea.
Click to expand...
The N64 Castlevania seemed so promising to me back in the day, I really wanted to like it despite its horrific controls. I think if they took that foundation and rounded it out with the standards found in todays games it could turn out well.
 
J

Johnas

Member
I browsed the new OPM at the grocery store today for a couple of minutes and they had one page of new screens for this game.

Apparently the giant in the snowy area (shown briefly in the now old trailer) is fought
SotC style, in every way. Shows Gabriel riding a horse up to him, climbing up the guy (with apparently glowy weak spots) and ending up at his head
.

Probably didn't need to be spoilered, did it just in case.

I can't decide if it's a cool homage or a blatant rip-off. ;)
 
G

gunswordfist

Banned
steveovig said:
This game looks nice and all but why can't they ever make a 2D CV game for the consoles and make it disc-based? Just one game is all I want. One full high res game. NSMB proves that these games can sell disc-based.
Click to expand...
If they ever do that then it better be extremely long and 20 bucks. I'm just saying...
 
B

British Monsoon

Member
There's a little interview with the game producer over at OXM.co.uk;

http://www.oxm.co.uk/article.php?id=15533

The line of succession for Castlevania's development is nearly as complicated as the long-running series' fractured timeline.

Originally created by Konami in 1986, the developer has suddenly decided to reset the clock on the gothic adventure series. It has outsourced development to Spanish developer MercurySteam, which is working under the watchful eye of Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima.

More confusing is Lords of Shadow had already been showcased at last year's Game Developer's Conference without the Castlevania branding, which lead to speculation that Konami had appropriated an original title and simply rebranded it. Not so, according to producer Dave Cox.

"I think it is fair to say that there was some uncertainty in Konami about the title being called Castlevania and about what we were doing. The game was quite a departure and I think at that point it could have been either an original IP inspired by Castlevania or carried on as a Castlevania title proper, and there was some indecision around the time of GDC about that."

"After the showing at GDC, I was asked to present a work in progress at a high level meeting in Japan and that was really the turning point," Cox states. "There was a profound change after that meeting once everyone saw what we were doing, and it was after that meeting that Mr. Kojima approached me directly. The company got fully behind the title and any doubts as to whether this was going to be a new Castlevania or not were swept away."

Cox is very quick to point out that the game has not changed from the original concept that he and his team had pitched back in 2007, and while MercurySteam reports to Hideo Kojima for review builds, "[Hideo] believes in creative freedom and is very supportive of the direction we have chosen." That direction is really retaining the Castlevania roots, while pushing the series into 3D - something that has been met with mixed results in the past. However, the change, plus dropping the dense and complex 20-year history was necessary.

"It's fair to say that Castlevania wasn't garnering the attention, or indeed sales, that it had done in the past... we wanted to bring the franchise to a new audience and make it more fresh," he states. "Perhaps they simply felt that a 2D sprite-based game wasn't for them. In doing so, we knew we would have to drop the existing timeline and story. This would be a new story that would not tie-in directly to anything that has come before, so that new players could just jump straight in."

However, Cox is aware that there are some veterans of the series out there. "We didn't want to completely alienate the fan base that exists for these games and so we have kept many elements that will feel familiar to them - but we are not slaves to the past." It means new twists on old rope. Main character Gabriel inherits the iconic Belmont surname, pulling him in line with the previous protagonists whose family has battled Dracula over the millennia, and he'll be wielding the whip-type weapon, but with some new changes.

"As you progress you will learn new moves and combos," Cox explains. "[You'll] upgrade the weapon to allow additional attacks and features. For example, you get a grip ability that allows you to latch on to scenery in the game and indeed on to enemies too."

Despite talk of upgrades, this new, streamlined Castlevania is ejecting the heavier RPG elements the series has picked up in recent years, keeping the game more focused on the action side of tackling a horde of fantasy creatures such as werewolves and vampires. "The game is in linear stages and is level-based, much like the original Castlevania games," Cox explains. "Some levels are huge and offer multiple routes while others are more 'go from A to B.'"

From the information we've gathered, it sounds like Castlevania may be more relevant than it's been in years. Hopefully, as it's under the watchful eye of the series' creators and tutored by one of the industry's respected designers it might mean the vampire tale could have some bite.
Click to expand...
 
B

BMX Bandit

Member
Callibretto said:
the bolded parts make it sound more and more like god of war... what happened to open world? now we got linear stages and some with branching paths.

well, I hope the multiple path thing is not just path A and B, but much much more.
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I hope it is more like the path selection in Castlevania 3, but I kind of doubt it.
 
S

sphinx

the piano man
that report is sad.

.- No storyline
.- No explorable world ( Going A to B in a supposed Epic 3D, HD game, open world? you got to be kidding me )
.- More button mashing than platforming
.- Combos?

Hype -1000
 
C

Cheerilee

Member
Cox is very quick to point out that the game has not changed from the original concept that he and his team had pitched back in 2007,
Click to expand...
Hideo Kojima very publicly told David Jaffe that he'd like to see the God of War team make Castlevania back in 2005. Somebody needs to ask David Cox if that had anything to do with his decision to pitch a 3D Castlevania to Kojima. Also, did it help that his name was "David"?
 
R

Ranger X

Member
Jeez people, don't get worked up on Sphinx stupid comments.

This game right now is EXACTLY described like God of War. It's totally a GOW clone. Story will be in the background and not foreground, it will be more action than platforming yet interesting envirronements. Some level are completely linear and some with some path forks. You gain powers and new combos and the game progress.

Seriously, when you look at this, it's the description of God of War.

.
 
R

RavenFox

Banned
Callibretto said:
the bolded parts make it sound more and more like god of war... what happened to open world? now we got linear stages and some with branching paths.

well, I hope the multiple path thing is not just path A and B, but much much more.
Click to expand...
Did you not read this
Some levels are huge and offer multiple routes while others are more 'go from A to B.'"
Click to expand...
You just wrote something completely different.
 
J

jett

D-Member
"The game is in linear stages and is level-based, much like the original Castlevania games," Cox explains. "Some levels are huge and offer multiple routes while others are more 'go from A to B.'"
Click to expand...

Thread title needs editing. :p
 
L

Luigiv

Member
ruby_onix said:
Hideo Kojima very publicly told David Jaffe that he'd like to see the God of War team make Castlevania back in 2005. Somebody needs to ask David Cox if that had anything to do with his decision to pitch a 3D Castlevania to Kojima. Also, did it help that his name was "David"?
Click to expand...
This was posted on the previous page. http://www.gamereactor.de/News/796/Castlevania:+Lords+of+Shadow/

To paraphrase Cox, he said GoW is what 3D Castlevania should of been, pretty much in those words. So to answer your question, yes.
 
M

MattyGrovesOrMe

Member
OXM Interview said:
Cox is very quick to point out that the game has not changed from the original concept that he and his team had pitched back in 2007, and while MercurySteam reports to Hideo Kojima for review builds, "[Hideo] believes in creative freedom and is very supportive of the direction we have chosen." That direction is really retaining the Castlevania roots, while pushing the series into 3D - something that has been met with mixed results in the past. However, the change, plus dropping the dense and complex 20-year history was necessary.

"It's fair to say that Castlevania wasn't garnering the attention, or indeed sales, that it had done in the past... we wanted to bring the franchise to a new audience and make it more fresh," he states. "Perhaps they simply felt that a 2D sprite-based game wasn't for them. In doing so, we knew we would have to drop the existing timeline and story. This would be a new story that would not tie-in directly to anything that has come before, so that new players could just jump straight in."

However, Cox is aware that there are some veterans of the series out there. "We didn't want to completely alienate the fan base that exists for these games and so we have kept many elements that will feel familiar to them - but we are not slaves to the past." It means new twists on old rope. Main character Gabriel inherits the iconic Belmont surname, pulling him in line with the previous protagonists whose family has battled Dracula over the millennia, and he'll be wielding the whip-type weapon, but with some new changes.
Click to expand...
So, it's Castlevania in that its Castlevania, but its not 'Castlevania.' Got it.

Sounds like this is aiming to be the series' Batman Begins that distances itself from the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher movies... But I'm not sure that model can be successful if in distinguishing itself from itself, it becomes a clone of something else (God of War).

Alls I know, if I can't spam enemies by throwing vile after vile of holy water at them, I'm uninterested.
 
O

Oneself

Member
GodofWarVania! I'm in for sure.
The first time I played GOW and GOW2 I kept telling myself "the GOW team should do a 3D Castlevania" ... especially when smashing skeletons in GOW2. Awesome.:D
 
R

Ranger X

Member
For some reason, this game probably being a God of War clone is the best thing to happen to 3D Castlevania just as much as the worse thing to happen too. :/

.
 
R

Ridley327

Member
Well, IGA has shown that he's utterly incapable of developing a competent 3D game, let alone a 3D Castlevania game, so having a fresh perspective on the concept can only be an improvement over what we have gotten in recent times. The only thing we really need to worry about is how good this game will turn out; last time I checked, Jericho was still god-awful.
 
R

Ridley327

Member
Didn't a lot of reviews for DMC1 and Rygar point out that they were what they imagined a 3D Castlevania would be like? The GoW comment doesn't really seem that off base, unless we're thinking that they're just going to add tons of gore and QTEs.
 
T

thetrin

Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion
DMczaf said:
bgbhg5.jpg
>>>>>>>>>>
2rp70hu.gif
Click to expand...

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I completely disagree. I like Kojima's Belmont designs much much more (including Simon).
 
E

Epic Tier 3 Engineer

Banned
I want to go from point A to point B, as long as the game keeps me moving and interested. Uncharted 2 is a perfect example of this. I'm so sick of games adding 20 hours to my playtime because I'm running back and forth.

Well, unless the game is Metroid.
 
T

thetrin

Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion
I don't understand why people are all pissed it's not open world. The best Castlevania games ever made were not open world...
 
L

LaneDS

Member
I don't mind the new storyline (in fact, I kind of like that they're re-imagining it), but I do hope the game at least has enough elements of what long time fans of the series associate with Castlevania. We know the guy is named Belmont and he uses a whip, but beyond that everything else is questionable. Is Dracula even the villain? A few familiar elements, especially musical ones, would go a long way for long time fans such as myself I think.

Here's hoping.
 
T

thetrin

Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion
I'll be pissed if you don't whip candles.
 
C

Chemo

Member
I love everything I hear about this.

Castlevania was my favorite franchise through Symphony (or Chronicles, rather, which I adore), but since then it's been major disappointment after major disappointment to the extent that I finally abandoned the series completely after Portrait of Ruin. If this can actually A) turn Castlevania into something worth playing again and B) reignite the franchise's star power, I will be both very impressed and supremely thankful.
 
N

NeoUltima

Member
It was never an open world game. It's been said in the past it is not an open world/sandbox game.

Though I had always imagined a central hub(ala Demon's Souls), so that you could backtrack, for some reason.

Being linear/level based is a bit disappointing. Though the branching paths could be good news if it leads to significant differences/totally different levels.

That interview doesn't mention them abandoning the platforming/exploration like some of you are making it seem though. Cox has explicitly said that the game is less combat-centric and more platforming/puzzling than GoW.


And there is no "candle whipping"(also explicitly said) sorry. Yeah that bit is disappointing.

GT interview(old) from GC: http://www.gametrailers.com/video/gc-09-castlevania-lords/55714
 
D

DRock

has yet to tasted the golden nectar that is tag
thetrin said:
I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I completely disagree. I like Kojima's Belmont designs much much more (including Simon).
Click to expand...

Really? I cannot begin to comprehend how you could feel that way.
 
T

thetrin

Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion
DRock said:
Really? I cannot begin to comprehend how you could feel that way.
Click to expand...

Kojima has been the artist for CV for so long that it's part of the game now. The style is much more gothic, and fits the mood of the series.

The beefy Simon looks like Arny in ill-fitting clothing. Also, the games take place in the end of the 1600's. Why is Simon dressed like he fell out of a Conan movie?

Also, I don't wretch and the sight of a feminine looking male character, like the rest of GAF seems to. I don't need my video game characters to be testosterone oozing tree trunks.
 
N

NeoUltima

Member
LaneDS said:
We know the guy is named Belmont and he uses a whip, but beyond that everything else is questionable. Is Dracula even the villain? A few familiar elements, especially musical ones, would go a long way for long time fans such as myself I think.

Here's hoping.
Click to expand...
Yes Dracula is in, watch the end of the GC trailer. Orchestral versions of classic 'vania tunes are also confirmed to be in. The lore/setting is still Castlevania. They are just abandoning the storyline of the previous games. The core story is still there though, you are a Belmont and Dracula is the enemy. Though the story does seem more complicated than simply "go slay Dracula".
 
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