Castlevania - Lords of Shadow - Thoughts and impressions [Archive]

maxlords

10-03-2010, 01:29 PM

Anyone else frothing for this one?

I've been playing it and I'm midway through the first stage (don't ask how I got it, I just did). I'm playing it on hard and it's absolutely GRUELING! Totally and utterly unforgiving game

First things first though....the story is weird and not quite standard Castlevania at least so far. Same with the weapon...which is kind of a whip...kind of.

Mechanics - People keep comparing this one to God of War but the mechanics and finesse required in combat are IMO different enough that the comparison isn't really valid. There's a LOT of split second timing and really really fast enemies. But it's gratifying to have to work for it, unlike GoW and others like it. The camera is semi-fixed. It moves but you can't control it. It's weird in this era of total freedom in games but the game uses the angles to great advantage...makes it more dramatic and challenging IMO, but you DO get some enemies off screen!

Music - Pure Castlevania...absolutely haunting and beautiful. A total win!

Graphics - Again....BEAUTIFUL. It's not the best looking game I've EVER seen, but it's damned solid with a decent (but not stunning) framerate and good (but not stunning) textures. But it's the level design, the sheer creativity and originality that makes this one IMO. It's got so much ambiance that the above average graphics REALLY stand out as even better for it.

Replay value - This game is HUGE! I've been playing it for a few hours now and I've not seen near the end of level ONE...of TWELVE. Yeesh. That's mostly cause I keep getting slaughtered on Hard...but hey

Negatives - Honestly, you'll be mashing buttons like mad, but you'll actually USE combos. Other than tired thumbs....this is one great game so far! I can't see anything truly negative about it yet. The gameplay is solid, pacing is good, etc. It's NOT a side scrolling CV, but we didn't really expect that from Kojima anyway. It IS linear...but I think it makes it better than the mad backtracking of the Metroid-vanias.

Well worth grabbing people...go pick it up on Tuesday!

megasdkirby

10-03-2010, 04:02 PM

I want the Limited Edition version, but for $80 I will wait. If it had the content found in games like Dead Rising 2 and Adam Wake, I would be all over this. But th extras pretty much suck and not worth the $80 price tag.

I will wait until it lowers to something more reasonable, like $50 or so.

kupomogli

10-03-2010, 04:35 PM

I'd pick it up earlier if it was named Lords of Shadow instead of Castlevania Lords of Shadow. The developers stress how it's not in the same storyline as the rest of the Castlevania series so instead of shitting all over the series by creating an alternate universe, they could have easily left it as a new IP. Oh wait, it was going to be cancelled by Konami so they added Castlevania to the title.

By naming it a new IP it wouldn't be added to the already preexisting timeline before LoI where the Vampire Killer and Dracula originally made its appearance, or before CV3 where Trevor Belmont was the first to fight Dracula hundreds of years after LoI. Sure it's an alternate universe, but in a long running series an alternate universe will just end up confusing people.

If they have to really add Castlevania to the title. They should have just called it Castlevania: Lord of the Rings instead. Castlevania has always had a more realistic fantasy setting rather than the way out there fantasy setting with talking animals everywhere(in the trailers there have been three, a horse, dryad, some horned thing, and possibly a fourth if the goblins talk.

So yeah. I know I'm ranting about it and haven't played it. It looks really good, but I'm a huge Castlevania fan and it just didn't fit well with me as soon as the game took the Castlevania name just to make it still see a release. Regardless, I have a fairly large backlog so I'll pick on a sale or when it gets to $30 or less.

maxlords

10-03-2010, 04:54 PM

I think you guys are being TOO judgemental. Series always have to evolve, and continuities can't ALWAYS be followed, especially with a series as friggin HUGE as Castlevania. It just can't be done forever.

And they don't need to be. A reinvention of a classic series is a GOOD thing sometimes. I'm a huge CV fan too, but I like this one! LoI was feces in a PS2 case and you know it. Same with Curse of Darkness. It's fun, the story seems decent, and it plays well. It keeps the ambiance of Castlevania. That's really all you can ask for reasonably!

As for the price...yeah, the LE was a bit pricey, but it did come with a soundtrack (which I'd have happily paid $15 for anyway) and a t-shirt if you preordered it (fairly nice one too). I don't feel gypped.

megasdkirby

10-03-2010, 05:59 PM

As for the price...yeah, the LE was a bit pricey, but it did come with a soundtrack (which I'd have happily paid $15 for anyway) and a t-shirt if you preordered it (fairly nice one too). I don't feel gypped.

LE edition should have been at least $70, not $80. In other games, like Alan Wake, the buyer was treated with a fantastic array of items that made it worth the asking price. But to only get a soundtrack and an artbook feels like a rip, IMO.

I have no doubt that game might be excellent (can't really judge, since I haven't played it), but for $80 it should have come with a nice array of extras. Heck, the pre-order bonus to Portrait of Ruin seemed better and it was free! A shirt is nice, but it's not something everyone can enjoy.

Still, I would love to play this game, just hope for a slight price drop on the LE edition. Maybe Amazon will offer it as a super offer for $20 less. :)

Snapple

10-03-2010, 08:28 PM

I understand that franchises evolve, but this game wasn't even a Castlevania game for most of its development cycle. I think it kind of shows in the final product, because it doesn't look like a Castlevania game to me.

I watched the Gametrailers review for the game, and while they praised a lot of stuff about the game, they also siad the puzzles were kinda bad, platforming segments were bad, and a lot of times they'd stick you in an open area with no real clue of where to go. This was exacerbated like the lack of a mini-map. They said the game was better when you were motioned along a linear path full of enemies.

maxlords

10-03-2010, 09:21 PM

Well, I just finished the first Chapter, and parts of it do leave you a little lost as to where to go and other parts are extremely linear. I don't have much issue with the platforming but I don't care for the puzzles so far. I do like the learning curve for fighting enemies though.

It's definitely a fun game, no question, flaws or no, and I don't really see that many flaws! The graphics, especially during cinemas, could still use a bit of a facelift tho.

Kim Possible

10-04-2010, 12:34 PM

Have been very excited about this for some time, but had not heard all of the history about development and this not being a "true" Castlevania game. That is a little frustrating, particularly since this may be the game that gets me to buy an XBOX, but if the game is really good and it "feels" like Castlevania, then it might be worth it anyway. Looks really good.

I'll wait for more feedback before I make a decision.

maxlords

10-04-2010, 01:59 PM

Well, I'm curious to find out what others think tomorrow but I LIKE it. The change reminds me of the Metroid facelift for Metroid Prime, but not QUITE as faithful to the original as that.

exit

10-05-2010, 02:03 AM

I played the rather short demo that was released on the UK PSN and enjoyed it for the most part. I put this on my Goozex request list since I'm not too eager to play it and don't mind waiting the few weeks it'll take for me to get it.

Darko

10-06-2010, 04:35 PM

I've had a great time playing what I have of the game. I had the CE pre-ordered and yeah, it's pretty lackluster. I'm a CE whore these days so I had to get it.

The physical packaging of the CE is pretty awesome though!

Gameplay-wise, I'd have to agree with it sharing aspects from GoW, but I'm also getting a DMC vibe from it at the same time. I couldn't really ever get into GoW but I love the DMC series...maybe that's why. Either way, it's a really solid adventure game regardless of it being a re-vamped look at the Castlevania series.

I picked it up to tide me over until FO:NV comes out and I'm really glad I did!

Gooch3008

10-06-2010, 06:26 PM

I just played the demo. It's cinematic as hell. I feel like I just got yanked out of the theater during the first act of a great movie. I will be adding this game to my collection VERY soon.

ScourDX

10-06-2010, 11:50 PM

I'll wait for the collector's edition to drop. There are so many games coming out this month.

kupomogli

10-07-2010, 01:04 AM

Konami announced DLC after release. I'm waiting for the GotY edition.

thegamezmaster

10-08-2010, 03:15 PM

Konami announced DLC after release. I'm waiting for the GotY edition.

Why do they always do this? Don't they realize not everyone's hooked up for online play nor want to be? Not that there's anything wrong with online if that's what your into. But seems like they do this with games all the time now. So someone not online feels jeeped because they by the game when it comes out and before you know it there's a GOTY edition with more stuff than the original.

jbjabroni

10-09-2010, 09:40 PM

Lanzo

10-09-2010, 09:43 PM

Just played through the first chapter today. Fun game. Fighting feels similar to God of War and Ninja Gaiden to me. Only problem I have is the fact that its so linear, however I did miss a few things through some of the levels some how. Game play wise they didn't bring much of anything new compared to games like gow. The game looks amazing graphically. Definitely worth picking up.

jbjabroni

10-09-2010, 10:06 PM

FYI, if anyone is looking for the story of the game and wants to be totally SPOILED:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castlevania:_Lords_of_Shadow#Story

Read at caution, in fact if you are planning on playing this game I would suggest stay away from that page! If not you can catch up on the history of how this game came to be and how it could tie into the Castlevania timeline.

kupomogli

10-09-2010, 10:50 PM

Read at caution, in fact if you are planning on playing this game I would suggest stay away from that page! If not you can catch up on the history of how this game came to be and how it does tie into the Castlevania timeline.

You clearly don't know "anything" about the Castlevania timeline do you? Let's not forget that the developer couldn't stress enough during most of their interviews that this is not tied in anyway with the regular Castlevania series.

You should do some research on the CV timeline. Also learn to read what information you post. The wiki article you linked even states that the game isn't canon. Atleast the person who posted the wiki article did their research and doesn't go around misinforming people.

The 1 2 P

10-09-2010, 11:22 PM

I'm still waiting for the demo to download so I can give this one a try. Even if I end up liking it I won't be picking it up anytime soon because theres way too many good games coming out this holiday season. And currently I'm still playing the first great holiday game--Halo Reach. But I will post my thoughts on the demo when I finally get around to playing it.

pseudonym

10-09-2010, 11:44 PM

I bought it a couple of days ago and I'm in chapter 3 right now. I'm really enjoying it so far.

sidnotcrazy

10-10-2010, 02:04 PM

Downloaded the demo, and to be honest I didn't really like it. Leveling up to get more advanced moves is a good idea, but I don't feel like I have good control over my character. I just basically pounded on the buttons, and killed everything.

Does LOS get better as the game progresses, or does it simply muddle on?

phantomfriar

10-10-2010, 02:18 PM

I'm really enjoying the game. The graphics are excellent, atmosphere, music score (which is phenomenal), creature design -- all of it well worth the ride IMO. I realize CV die-hards may not care for it, but as an adventure game in its own right I think it's terrific.

My main gripe are the problems you run into at times not knowing where to go or precisely what to do. It's not entirely frustrating but I admit I bookmarked a walkthru on IGN for the few times I've run into trouble.

Otherwise, I think the game is really good. The people trashing it seem to be, mostly, picking on what it's not instead of what it is, if that makes sense.

jbjabroni

10-10-2010, 05:43 PM

You should do some research on the CV timeline. Also learn to read what information you post. The wiki article you linked even states that the game isn't canon. Atleast the person who posted the wiki article did their research and doesn't go around misinforming people.

The article states its a reboot. And that it's not part of the "original" timeline. This would be an alternate timeline such as how Ocarina of Time started alternate timelines in the Zelda universe. Castlevania as a whole is a mixture of two different canons, the games and then the Bram Stoker novels, your idea that this game can't be another canon to the original series is rediculous.'

Also, for the purist who say there wasn't enough "Castlevania" tie-ins. The developers did try to die this game into the series. Gabriel is the supposed son of a Mathias Conqvist, which makes a direct link to the Lament of Innocence game. Also, his combat cross is made by Rinaldo Gandolfi, the same person that gives Leon Belmont his whip in Lament of Innocence. Lament of Innocence being the next game that would have been in the timeline (LoS takes place in 1407, LoI takes place in 1094). I'm not trying to start a canon-non canon argument just stating that attempts were made. Even the developer says the the timeline is confusing even for fans.

http://www.videogamer.com/ps3/lords_of_shadow/preview-1975.html

maxlords

10-10-2010, 07:14 PM

I'm just happy that now that people are playing it, they're realizing it's fun :D Less bitching, more gaming I say!

phantomfriar

10-12-2010, 11:03 AM

I'm just happy that now that people are playing it, they're realizing it's fun :D Less bitching, more gaming I say!

Kotaku's review nails most of it --

http://kotaku.com/5661436/review-castlevania-lords-of-shadow

The 1 2 P

10-12-2010, 07:54 PM

I played the demo and have to agree that it plays like a straight GOW clone. It doesn't seem very much like Castlevania to me. I still thought the demo was ok, just not great. I'll still pick this up once it comes down in price because the one thing the demo ensured me of is that this game isn't worth a full $60.

phantomfriar

10-14-2010, 10:05 AM

Well I have to amend my earlier posts. I loved the first few chapters but frustration finally set in for me after Chapter 3. Too much redundant combat, the levels are too long, and even though I had it set to easy, when I have to spend more time reading a walkthrough about all kinds of things (routes that aren't easy to find; bosses and puzzles so obtuse the solution is either unbelievably easy or difficult) than playing the game, that's enough for me. Traded it in for $39 at Amazon and feel bad I spent as much time with it as I did.

I still say there's a great game in there. The graphics and production values are excellent. But it's like they needed to do more quality testing -- it shouldn't be that hard at times to understand what you're doing or where you're going, and the levels are unnecessarily long, especially the further in you go.

Jehusephat

10-15-2010, 04:26 PM

I still say there's a great game in there. The graphics and production values are excellent. But it's like they needed to do more quality testing -- it shouldn't be that hard at times to understand what you're doing or where you're going, and the levels are unnecessarily long, especially the further in you go.

I'm enjoying the game immensely on the 'knight' difficulty setting, and have made it to the seventh chapter without having to resort to a walkthrough once. I think that, on knight difficulty, the game is just hard enough that I can't seem to stay alive for any considerable amount of time during fights against some of the larger monsters, but I also feel as though I can always win with just a little more practice. I haven't had a single issue with level navigation, as nearly every level is set up as a linear path with a few short branches to make room for the game's various power-ups. One of the earlier chapters had a circular level full of crystal shards that required a sharp eye at one point in order to spot the flashing grip on the wall, but I just thought: "I'm not getting anywhere by walking, so I should probably look at the walls." That was probably the longest I wandered, and even then I can't imagine I was stuck for more than five minutes. I remember getting stuck for hours in the NES games I used to play as a kid, and some of them were considered classics--Metroid and The Legend of Zelda were always two huge offenders in that department--and yet I had the patience to sit there and figure out where I needed to go, as I felt that was part of the challenge. If anything, I feel this new Castlevania holds my hand far too much, as everything I'm supposed to be looking for is flashing, or has some kind of text prompt reminding me of what I'm supposed to be doing. Also, after I die--even during boss battles--the game restarts me from a checkpoint no more than 30 seconds before where I was when I died. There's so much guidance and hand-holding that I almost felt as though that was the game's most annoying feature for quite some time. Maybe I'm just a child of the NES (and Atari) era, and expect games to challenge me and make me search for things. Maybe that's why I don't play games on easy.

I absolutely love this game, though. It made me appreciate action games again, after years of focusing on RPGs and Monster Hunter games.

exit

10-27-2010, 06:50 PM

I was originally going to wait for this on Goozex, but ended up just buying it at K-Mart since it's $40 there this week. I don't see why people keep on comparing it to God of War, sure it shares similar aspects, but I find the combat to be a lot better since you actually have to put the skills you gained to use. My problem with God of War was that it just felt like button mashing majority of the time, but with this game if you start mashing buttons, you're going to get yourself killed rather quickly.

I do agree that the fixed camera angles can be awkward at times and had me running in circles at one point until I accidentally stumbled on the path I had to go into. Other than that, I've been enjoying the game more than I thought I would.

Lanzo

10-29-2010, 02:06 PM

I've finally made it to Chapter 6 and I still am enjoying this game. I'm playing on the hardest setting you choose at first and I find that to be pretty challenging, or at least it would be if there weren't so many checkpoints. Yes the game does hold your hand quite a bit although some of the levels are so detailed that It might be hard to notice a single ledge you need to climb, which is probably why they did that. I have also gone back and done levels up to 3 times to get powerups that I missed. It is similar to god of war but there are many, many more combos to choose from (so many that it is impossible to remember them all). I also feel like there is more variety overall, I haven't got bored yet because there is always new enemies and new tactics to use to kill them. I think the game is worth the money. One thing they should have taken from GOW though is the ability to absorb orbs automatically. I find it difficult in LOS to catch a breath and hold the thumbsticks in when I need to, while fighting a lycan or worg so I can fill up my magic before the orbs disappear.

exit

10-29-2010, 09:29 PM

I think the game is worth the money. One thing they should have taken from GOW though is the ability to absorb orbs automatically. I find it difficult in LOS to catch a breath and hold the thumbsticks in when I need to, while fighting a lycan or worg so I can fill up my magic before the orbs disappear.

This. It gets frustrating when fighting a boss and getting killed because I'm trying to absorb the orbs so I can get my light/dark magic filled up a bit. Also, the blocking/countering seems a bit off at times as well.

kupomogli

12-25-2010, 08:13 PM

For anyone who got the Limited Edition, does it come with an outside box and then a PS3/360 plastic box inside it? Or is it an oversized box with the discs and artbook inside the same box? Amazon is selling the PS3 Limited Edition for $39.99 right now and since I still haven't picked the game up yet just want to know how the packaging is. That way with the Limited Edition stuff I can put it away with the rest, and the game itself I'd put it with my other PS3 games.

megasdkirby

12-25-2010, 08:15 PM

I picked it up this morning because I saw the special too. But since I had a $15 credit, it's like paying $25 for it. :D

I knew it was worth waiting for a price drop! :D

Lanzo

12-25-2010, 11:39 PM

kupomogli

12-25-2010, 11:54 PM

Thanks Lanzo. I'll be picking up the regular version once it gets a price reduction. Every picture on Google images were the promotional images so wasn't sure if it came with a seperate plastic box or not.

maxlords

12-26-2010, 09:07 AM

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/Lanzo888/IMG_00991.jpg

I thought that background was a misty fog-covered mountain range....and then I realized it was a poorly made bed. My bad.

LaughingMAN.S9

12-26-2010, 10:04 PM

i got up to the part where you get to ride the giant spider in lycan country, and to be honest, the game is fun, but i have no real motivation to play it, this game so far feels like 1000 other games i've played b4 that have also done it better

supposedly the story picks up around 20 percent of the game, but i dont see me sticking around to find out, i havent even picked up the controller to play this since like late october/early november

Dire 51

12-29-2010, 04:48 PM

I went into it with an open mind back when it came out. I left with a shrug. It's okay, but not my cup of tea. I've since sold it, hopefully to someone that will appreciate it more.

megasdkirby

01-06-2011, 01:27 PM

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/Lanzo888/IMG_00991.jpg

I just opened my copy and noticed that the PS3 version comes in one entire disc, which is pretty neat.

Still, overall the "Collector's Edition" was pretty terrible. It was cool that it came in a mock book, and when opened revealed the mini art book, cardboard slip where the music CD is stored in, the manual and game disc. Still, at $80 it is mind boggling horrid. This "CE" edition should have been only $10 more the retail price, not $20 more.

Of course, this is a matter of opinion, but the LE/CE edition is not worth the $80 price tag. I got it for $25 through Amazon ($40 - $15 credit I had), so it was excellent. But I feel for those who purchased it for $80 when it came out.

The game, on the other hand, is awesome. I really like it, a tad hard (need to practice a bit), but overall a great game. Does not resemble much Castlevania as it reminds me of GoW for some odd reason. Otherwise a great game, crappy LE packaging.

Lanzo

01-07-2011, 08:44 PM

I just opened my copy and noticed that the PS3 version comes in one entire disc, which is pretty neat.

Still, overall the "Collector's Edition" was pretty terrible. It was cool that it came in a mock book, and when opened revealed the mini art book, cardboard slip where the music CD is stored in, the manual and game disc. Still, at $80 it is mind boggling horrid. This "CE" edition should have been only $10 more the retail price, not $20 more.

Of course, this is a matter of opinion, but the LE/CE edition is not worth the $80 price tag. I got it for $25 through Amazon ($40 - $15 credit I had), so it was excellent. But I feel for those who purchased it for $80 when it came out.

The game, on the other hand, is awesome. I really like it, a tad hard (need to practice a bit), but overall a great game. Does not resemble much Castlevania as it reminds me of GoW for some odd reason. Otherwise a great game, crappy LE packaging.

About the packaging, yeah the artwork isn't really worth it, but for me the soundtrack if offered is a must. I would definitely have preferred more plastic than paper for the package as a whole. Overall I thought the game was good although it is indeed very similar to God of War. At least they didn't make to game too short.

Robust

01-09-2011, 11:06 PM

This game ain't so bad, nothing special though.

Fuck Konami for sending out one of their best franchises to be developed outside of Japan. Just like Street Fighter, Castlevania games should always be produced by Japanese developers. If you can't be bothered to make it yourself, don't make it at all.

kaedesdisciple

01-12-2011, 07:09 AM

About the packaging, yeah the artwork isn't really worth it, but for me the soundtrack if offered is a must. I would definitely have preferred more plastic than paper for the package as a whole. Overall I thought the game was good although it is indeed very similar to God of War. At least they didn't make to game too short.

If there is one word you cannot use to describe this game, it's short. I've been putting a ton of hours into this game, and I still see a lot of closed dots on my world map. I've generally been going through chapters only once as well.

Each time I finish a chapter, even if I get all of the gems on the first run, I still seem to get only about 60% complete max. Not sure if I'm going to go back and re-complete these other chapters. If anyone has, is it really worth it?