Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

It comes out on Tuesday, and the reviews so far are all positive. I've got preordered at Gamestop, which means I get a free T-shirt, apparently.

Awesome.

I played the demo, and it's pretty good. The graphics are gorgeous, the gameplay's solid, and the story has me interested.

Only one problem:

It's God of War.

So, God of War clone confirmed for a game that already barely resembles Castlevania as well? Yeeeeaaaaahhh... I bloody well called it. Pass. I already have Bayonetta, no doubt an infinitely better game. Plus, I'm still rather bitter over the highly-unnecessary reboot thing when they haven't even touched 1999 yet.

Might as well grab Ho D instead, it's cheaper, for starters.

edited 3rd Oct '10 10:41:39 AM by Cronosonic

How is a Reboot a wall banger? It allows them to make new stories without being cluster****ed by existing canon.

Also, if you liked one game of the same style, why wouldn't you want another?

Only one problem:

It's God of War.

Meh.

You know, eventually "God of War clone" will be replaced by an actual genre label. Like how "Doom Clone" became "First Person Shooter" and "GTA Clone" became "Sandbox Game".

^ Isn't it already called Hack 'n Slash? Or is that too general?

I'm not sure. I've heard everything from Hack n Slash to Spectacle Fighter (though this one doesn't always include God of War when it's used) to simply Action.

I liked the phrase God of War clone back when it was called Devil May Cry clone, and I liked the phrase Devil May Cry clone back when it was called Castlevania in 3D.

Reviews are in the 7/B- mode.

"How is a Reboot a wall banger? It allows them to make new stories without being cluster****ed by existing canon"

I said it's because it's unnecessary. There are plenty of spaces to place a new Castlevania game without having to bother with existing canon, though there are places where it wouldn't be such a bad idea either to work with existing canon, like, I dunno, 1999? If the games were going on a downward spiral ala Spyro, sure, but this seems to be for the hell of it.

"Also, if you liked one game of the same style, why wouldn't you want another?"

That's the thing - I think God of War's combat style is boring, and has absolutely nothing on Devil May Cry and Bayonetta.

"I liked the phrase God of War clone back when it was called Devil May Cry clone, and I liked the phrase Devil May Cry clone back when it was called Castlevania in 3D."

Funny, that, IGA thinks DMC's gameplay style suits Castlevania best, and I personally agree, though Your Mileage May Vary on his attempts at replicating that style.

edited 4th Oct '10 3:08:30 AM by Cronosonic

A God Of War clone?

...

Guess it's worth checking out.

Funny, that, IGA thinks DMC's gameplay style suits Castlevania best, and I personally agree, though Your Mileage May Vary on his attempts at replicating that style.

If I remember, that comment was before Castlevania Lament Of Innocence, which is before God Of War. Even Castlevania Curse Of Darkness came out the same year as God Of War. Maybe Castlevania fits God Of War now. Considering how poorly Bayonetta did and how even Devil May Cry is following Kratos now, perhaps God Of War is a good game and formula to follow.

edited 4th Oct '10 9:51:39 AM by GameGuruGG

Bayonetta Did poorly? It sold over a million copies in two months, hows that poor?

Oh so it did. Extremely hard to find sales information on games, but then it sold a million on two systems so it likely went under the radar of those who give that info. That's actually about as good as any action game of the type does, especially a new IP so okay, I'll correct my assessment and admit Bayonetta did well.

edited 4th Oct '10 12:53:58 PM by GameGuruGG

Yeah Bayonetta did well. I still vastly prefer God Of War, but at least Bayonetta didn't follow most action games in aping it.

How anyone can prefer God Of War baffles and confuses me.

That said, I played this game's demo at E3 and it seemed interesting. I'm checking it out for review today.

I am so torn about this game. I hear it opens up to exploration later, and even if it doesn't, the old Castlevania games didn't use any exploration, but on the other hand, it's not Metroidvania, and the God of War fighting is kinda weird.

To be fair, there's only so many ways to make a character fight with a weapon like that in an action game..

I think it's pretty ironic that this is considered a God of War clone when God of War wouldn't exist in gameplay terms without Castlevania. This game is more of a reclamation of very old-school Castlevania. But does it work?

PROS

• The Western game design and theme styles are more appropriate for something based on Western mythology, believe it or not.
• The main character has a cool voice and definitely looks the part, armour design inclusive. Bonus points for making an Irish accent badass and probably pretty sexy to the female audience.
• The famous 'Vampire Killer' whip isn't strictly a whip. The concept has become infinitely cooler; the weapon is now an iron cross with an internal chain that extends, turning it into a sort of extending stake that can be swung like a whip for follow-up strikes.
• The combat is fantastic and the gameplay design around it rewards considered, observant decisions rather than pure button mashing.
• Werewolves, vampires, zombies. Fuck yeah.
• Possibly one of the coolest ending cutscenes I've ever seen, including a great twist that makes an otherwise standard ending very interesting.
• The Rule of Cool factor in this game is just absolutely fucking astounding, from magic horses to crow witches to titans to demons to paganistic deities to dragons to to to to to to to
• 10/10 graphics.

CONS

• Purists will obviously dislike many of the changes.
• A level select design probably wasn't a fantastic idea; Castlevania is half of the term 'Metroidvania' for a reason. Having a Closed Circle style castle environment would've been way better, and you could still mix it up by having stuff like chapels, mountainous cliff facings, internal courtyards, libraries and the like.
• Some enemies are just pure fucking annoying and I loathe them with every ounce of my being.
• The game could've benefited from the old Castlevania music. What we get is more reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings (film). Still good, but not quite what it ought to have been. Some of the old music gets a subtle showing, though.
• Bad writing and a pretty average plot. Most of the stage introduction monologues tell you absolutely nothing that hasn't been said before many, many times.

But honestly, the only disappointing element of this game was the lack of a consistent environment. Then again, I'm not heavily experienced with Castlevania, so I don't have any real attachment to some of the elements that were changed. What I do have attachment to, though, is general Germanic mythology and it handles that with flying colours as well as treating us to a very Draculian style of vampirism. Warhammer Fantasy players will spot a shitload of stuff that's lifted from the setting, too.

Castlevania is half of the term 'Metroidvania' for a reason.

Actually Classicvanias were linear and stage based as well.

Metroidvanias are a modern change.

edited 4th Jan '11 10:16:31 AM by JotunofBoredom

I'm aware of that.

Personally I thought having a consistent, Metroid-style world was a change for the better, though.

We've gone back to the linear stage based formula? At least in this?

...!

Which, all things being fair, works within the scope of the game.

But I like games with consistent worlds.

I never cared too much about consistency in my Castlevania. It always felt consistent enough to not make me go "Ok what the fuck is up with this place?". Consistent enough that I could ignore any possible problems with said consistency. I don't care too much for the Metroidvania style of progression and never have really so it's a treat for me when the series does go back to the linear stage based style.

Save for the Villa from the 64 games...Why is that thing where it is? Why is it behind the castle walls? WHY DOES IT EXIST

edited 4th Jan '11 10:58:01 AM by Aondeug

I don't know, but there was an Arwing in Ocarina of Time so clearly the Nintendo 64 is a massive conspiracy.

I haven't played any Castlevania game all the way through except for this one. ._.