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 Latest Update! Castlevania: Lords of Shadow was a reboot of the Castlevania series, that was originally released for the PS3 and the Xbox 360 late 2010. It was designed to serve as a complete reboot to the Castlevania series and broaden the CV fanbase, as sales of the latest games had gone down and the series had seemingly stagnated under the IGA-formula. The game was developed by Mercury Steam and published by Konami, as well as having Hideo Kojima involved with certain aspects of the design. There were plenty of hurdles that the developers had to overcome during production, as well as with completely revamping the series, but we'll dive into a little bit of that during the game when certain events prompt it. Needless to say, while Lords of Shadow (LoS) does re-use certain aspects from the previous titles (such as names, and places), they are completely unrelated to the "classic" series in anyway outside of the name. They also took the art style in a different direction from the effiminate bishonen style of Ayami Kojima, towards a much darker, more realistic style. (No more red-haired, effiminate, BDSM vampire hunters here folks!) As a final note, the VA done for LoS is top-notch. Robert Carlyle, Patrick Stewart, Natascha McElhone, and Jason Isaacs just to name a few. (Seriously, half the loving budget must have went towards VA alone). Why are you doing this, and how will you be handling the LP? I chose to LP LoS because, even despite some of it's flaws, I really, REALLY enjoy this game. I'm hoping that given the proper showcasing, I might get a few more of you to check this game out. The story is often looked down upon (FAR down upon), and the gameplay on the surface resembles God of War (which in turn was based on a Castlevania game, Lament of Innocence,....full circle I guess), but once you get into the game, it's not bad at all. It just takes a bit of time to actually GET into it. Eventually, I'd like to get into the sequels for this game as well, Mirror of Fate, which was released on the 3DS, and Lords of Shadow 2, which was released February of this year. This LP will have dual commentary available, "Cut" will have no commentary during the cutscenes, while "Uncut" videos will feature commentary throughout. As you'll notice, the editing style used for this is influenced heavily I'll be doing a 100% run, on the hardest available difficulty (Knight). Yes, that's right, in order to play the game on the ACTUAL hardest setting, you have to beat the game first. Since that's the case, you can only play Paladin on a New Game+ setting, which means that all the items you picked up from the previous run will carry over. I had the idea of playing through the game once, without collecting anything, and then starting on Paladin difficulty, however, there are certain items, plot/game altering items, that you can't skip, and thus carry over. So for the purpose of this LP, I'll be playing through the game on Knight setting, while coming back at the end of every Chapter and completing the various challenges on Paladin. With me for this little trek, I'll have RSCNyx along for the ride. RSCNyx has not played or watched any of these games, so hopefully between my bit of  knowledge, and his fresh look, we can come up with something that will be entertaining for you all!Thread Guidelines1: Let's keep the discussion spoiler free until it's been shown in the LP. This includes spoilers of the sequels, Mirror of Fate, & LoS2. 2: This game garnered a LOT of mixed opinions. Some people loved it, others hated it. Unfortunately this tends to lead to the double-edged sword of good discussion, often times accompanied by said discussion devolving into hate/love spouting chaos. I'm all for discussing any aspect about what people may or may not like about this game, but let's make it a meaningful one. Don't simply post "Man, this game SUCKS/ROCKS" At least give the reasoning behind that opinion! Video ListChapter 1             Chapter 2        [img]http://lpix.org/1731670/Chapter%202%20Trials%202.png][/img]            Chapter 3       Chapter 4       Chapter 5             Chapter 6          Chapter 7       Chapter 8          Characters Gabriel Belmont As an infant he was found abandoned at the door of one of the Brotherhood of Light convents. It is not known who his original parents were. Some suspect that he was the unwanted bastard of a local wealthy landowner, most likely from the Cronqvist family, though this has never been proved. The order named the boy after the blessed Archangel Gabriel and raised him as one of its own. A precocious child, he quickly proved to be extremely talented, developing an unprecedented mastery of the fighting arts. Gabriel took the surname of Belmont from his love of the mountains and the high places of the world. Prone to dark moods and occasional ambivalence, Gabriel was deeply affected by the death of this childhood sweetheart, Marie. He has embarked on this quest at the request of the elders of the Brotherhood, and has a burning desire for revenge.  Marie Marie, the youngest daughter of a rich merchant family, was always attracted by the courageous nature of the Brotherhood of Light; curious and lively , she often escaped her duties at home in order to help the monks, baking and cleaning for them. During one of these visits she became acquainted with the boy that would later become her husband, an orphan by the name of Gabriel. The two youngsters were made for each other; they grew up together and made promises for the future. These promises were kept when, one idyllic morning, with the blessing of both her family and the Brotherhood, the couple was married. Marie provided a good counterpoint to Gabriel's dark moods, and often just her laughter was enough to blow away the gathering storm within him. Now Marie has been tragically murdered and Gabriel seeks revenge.  Pan Classic folklore tells of a mystical spirit that inhabits untamed woodlands, protecting them from harm. Legends tell of different forms to this spirit, often an eagle, a deer, a boar of even a horse, as well as many others. Some portray Pan as an evil satyr, while others tell a story of a benevolent and powerful demi-god, servant of Mother Nature herself. But Mankind, in its arrogance, pollutes and destroys the world, and the old spirits depart… and soon Pan must choose his own fate.  Zobek If the chronicles of the Brotherhood are to be believed, Zobek is one of their longest serving warriors. the list of heroic deeds attributed to him is as impressive as his vast knowledge of the art of war. Despite his age, he can deploy mighty fighting skills. His weapon of choice is a simple long sword which he handles with great skill. Unusually, he likes to wear the old-fashioned uniform of the Brotherhood of Light that, according to him, was inherited from one of his ancestors, one of the founding members of the Order.  Claudia Claudia is a mute orphan girl who lives in the ruins of Agharta, the destroyed capital of a once-great civilization. The race that created the city lived very long lives, often over many centuries, and Claudia shares this trait. Having endured innumerable years in the dust and decay, she has developed telepathic powers by communicating with her loyal guardian, the Black Knight. this is an ancient form of communication favored by her ancestors. The strong bond that she has developed with her armored protector has saved them both on many occasions. Claudia is brave and carefree, unafraid to confront danger. Yet deep within is a sadness that will never leave her, the loss of her beloved father.  Vincent Dorin The abbey at Wygol had always been a place of peace and meditation. The monks that inhabited it were considered great scribes, and their wonderfully crafted manuscripts made the abbey a place of holy pilgrimage. The current abbot, Father Dorin, was an erudite scholar, devoted to the study of the old texts retained in the abbey’s vast library. Shutting himself away, he studied these ancient texts and prophetic scrolls for years, turning half blind and quite mad in the process. When the Vampires came, he discovered a holy relic hidden deep in the library that kept the evil creatures at bay. In order to preserve the holy books and himself, he banished everyone from the abbey and disassociated himself from his people, leaving them to their fate without the protection of the ancient relic.  Laura The child-like appearance of Laura has led many to their deaths, for she is a deceptive, ruthless killer who has murdered hundreds of innocents over many centuries to satiate her blood craving. Although she has the body of a child, she has the cunning and intellect of someone far older. She can be particularly cruel, often treating the killing of her victims as a game. However, when at rest and alone, she remembers a time long past, a time of warmth and comfort and a woman’s beautiful voice singing to her as she sleeps, comforting her in the darkness… a life lost long ago. Creatures Lesser Lycanthrope These creatures are humans that have been poisoned with an infectious disease known as the ‘werewolf influenza,’ which is transmitted, in most cases, by the bite of another Lycanthrope. There is an old saying that goes like this, ‘If you are bitten by a Lycan, better to let it gnaw,’ and like most proverbs, it is probably true. Once infected with the disease, the transformation process can be completed in only a few minutes, after which the victim’s mind will have been replaced with the savage instincts of a ruthless predator.  Warg Little is known about these fierce, wolf-like beasts, except that they appeared soon after the coming of the Lycanthrope Dark Lord. Despite their wild looks, Wargs are fairly intelligent creatures, capable of being tamed by lesser Lycanthropes, who ride them in battle. Wargs are ferocious creatures that attack opponents with razor-sharp claws and sharp, deadly teeth.  Great Warg Wargs are the principal strength of large Lycanthrope raiding parties. Some of them are ‘blessed’ by the Dark Lord himself which gives them new powers, such as improved strength and wound regeneration. Due to the nature of this ‘blessing,’ these powers are heightened by a full moon.  Goblin These diminutive, mischievous and crabby creatures usually avoid contact with humans. Goblins make their homes around tree roots and mossy damp areas, and like to hunt in packs. Although they can be aggressive when threatened, Goblins usually prefer to keep far from men and their dwellings. Goblins are a species on the verge of extinction, and before too long will pass into history, and then myth.  Naiad A large part of the danger in the swamps lies in the hands of creatures known as Naiads. These living things are usually passive, lying inconspicuously on riverbeds and in muddy, damp places, waiting until someone stumbles within range. When they attack, their unfortunate victims usually mistake their limbs for branches and are soon drowned… and eaten. In days gone by, these once beautiful creatures were worshipped and sacrifices were made to them, but they are now forgotten by humans and have become evil predators, plaguing both wandering man and beast alike.  Swamp Troll Swamp Trolls are a rare subspecies of the larger Cave Troll. Although similar in appearance to their dry land cousins, the thick fur has been replaced with a slimy coating, similar to wet mould, which better suits the damper weather of their habitat. Swamp Trolls are ferocious in battle and display a cunning that belies their outward appearance.  Ice Titan Buried deep below the surface of an ancient lake, waiting to be found, are the remnants of a once great European civilization, among them, a Titan of war! Before Rome, before ancient Greece, this great empire possessed technology that surpassed all others, and this Titan marks the pinnacle of their achievements. A great conflict known as ‘The Necromantic Wars’ obliterated this once thriving civilization and this great feat of engineering was lost. When the dark spell that isolated the heavens from our earthly plane was cast, the souls of the dead were drawn to this place and somehow gave new energy to the magic runes, reanimating the Titan one final time…  Giant Spider These monsters are the largest type of known arachnids, and they are much more aggressive than any of the normal-sized varieties of Spider. Giant Spiders can be found in almost any environment, but they usually prefer dark, soggy places, such as old forests or grottos. Like their smaller counterparts, Giant Spiders can weave webs of sticky silk that they use to trap their prey before eating them. In fact, Spider silk is extremely strong and can even be used to make rope of incredible durability. The Giant Spider population has shrunk in recent years due to mankind’s encroachment on their natural habitat.  Warthog The genealogy of these monstrous boars has been kept secret among Goblin tribes for centuries. It is a process that involves special breeding and feeding and large helpings of shamanistic magic. Warthogs are so scarce that having more than one of these mounts is something only a few Goblin tribes can aspire to. Goblins not only use them for riding into battle but also to consume all the rubbish and leftover scraps of food, thus helping to maintain a clean environment.  Greater Lycanthrope Greater or ‘pureblood’ Lycanthropes are those spawned from the Dark Lord himself. In these cases, their condition is not considered a disease, as the transformation process has been deliberately chosen. The endowment of lycanthropy, however, is not given to just anyone by the werewolf Dark Lord, and only a handful of his more loyal acolytes have received such a gift. The Dark Lord keeps these elite guards for special missions, and they are not only fearsome but incredibly intelligent and formidable foes in combat.  Small Troll Biologically speaking, small and great Trolls are more or less equal. However, their behavior couldn’t be more different; the large subspecies is fairly aggressive, whereas Small Trolls are cowardly and will quickly flee when outnumbered, often seeking the protection behind their bigger, more violent cousins, from where they will throw rocks at adversaries.  Cave Troll Trolls are a dying species living mostly in mountainous areas. They are aggressive and territorial. This can sometimes result in attacks on humans who are foolish enough to encroach on the Troll’s natural habitat. However, Cave Trolls are usually passive around their own kind and rarely attack each other, though they will often kill to protect their kindred. Men say that when Trolls die of old age they turn to stone and this can be clearly seen in certain rock formations if one looks closely enough.  Gremlin Gremlins are small, winged imps, famous for causing havoc wherever they go. Gremlins travel in large groups, infesting buildings until the occupants either escape in fear or die. Gremlins are able to breathe fire, an ability inherited from their demon ancestors, but their small bodies cannot withstand too much punishment. They are very volatile and tend to explode if hit hard enough.  Stone Idol Titan The Mage-Smiths were an order of Aghartian wizards who specialized in the creation of powerful artifacts. Most of their inventions were objects of common use, such as magical clothing or enchanted weapons and armor, but probably their most impressive creations were the Titans. These golems of gargantuan proportions were built for defensive purposes, but mages were forced to use them in the course of the war against the Dark Lords, during which most of them were destroyed.  Black Knight Golem This Golem was created using similar techniques to those involved in the construction of the Titans. However, a human body was needed to imbue the armor with great power, so Claudia’s father used the corpse of a mute killer and weaved his soul within the armor to forge this magical being. The Black Knight requires souls in order to function, so Claudia lures evil creatures so that he may devour them. Despite this, the Black Knight is not evil; the soul of the killer inside the armor hopes for redemption by protecting his ward, and sees a kindred spirit in the mute daughter of his creator, whom he has eventually grown to love.  Cornell The three founding members of the Brotherhood of Light were brave warriors who sacrificed their physical bodies in order to become spiritual beings, able to fight God’s wars against evil. They performed a mystical ritual to transform themselves into angelic creatures. Their intentions were honorable, but they were deceived and their spirits were fractured; their good sides were transported to heaven as angelic beings, while their dark sides were left behind. Cornell was the youngest of the three, but he was also the strongest. Unlike his companions, he rarely used his magic powers, preferring to fight using a great sledgehammer that none but he could wield. On that fateful night, the spirit of Cornell left his body, and the strength and anger left behind gave birth to the Lycanthrope Dark Lord.  Lycanthrope Dark Lord The Dark Lord of the Lycanthropes is the personification of hate and violence. In his werewolf form he has superhuman strength and speed, far greater than even his mighty lieutenants. In addition to his natural abilities, he can also use the power of the Cyclone Boots, magical relics worn by his human counterpart. With them, he is able to jump great distances and perform powerful charge movements that can tear down most obstacles.  Ogre The Anubian Giants are an ancient species, as old as the Earth itself. This particular Ogre is one of the last of his race left in the world. He lives amongst the walls of this deserted mountain fortress, waiting for misguided travellers to stumble in, so that he can grind their bones to make his bread. However, this particular Ogre hasn’t had much man flesh for quite some time, having to settle for the odd Cave Troll. Ogres have an extremely keen sense of smell and can sniff a man from half a mile away, making them very successful trackers. Fortunately their size and clumsy nature means that their prey can often see them coming!  Chupacabras Often portrayed as evil, blood-sucking monsters, the Chupacabras’ only real obsession are magical relics. When in the presence of such artifacts, they will do anything to get them. However, the Chupacabras are not inherently evil creatures, and most of the time, after a short game of hide and seek, they will return anything they have stolen.  Swordmaster The spirit of a brave fighter never dies,’ according to a popular saying and, in some places filled with foul magic energy, the souls of slain warriors don’t leave the material plane and remained trapped, their sole mission to torment living beings. These restless souls usually cover themselves in ragged clothes, maybe as a remnant of their living past. Apart from their fighting skills, they have lost all vestiges of humanity.  Crow Witch Malphas It is said that this monster was once a beautiful woman, a Witch who inhabited the mountains that surround the fortress. She was treated with respect and admiration, with many people travelling from distant regions for her sage advice. During this time she fell in love with a Prince who lived in the Keep. Besotted with him, she used her powers to concoct potions of love and enchantment so that she could have him for herself. Alas, another Witch entrapped him and he met a most gruesome end. Mad with grief, Malphas threw herself from the top of the tower and landed on the rocks below. Incredibly, she survived the fall, though her body was horribly broken. The crows fed on her and she on them and over many centuries her powers grew until she transformed into the twisted, bird-like creature she is now, intent on feeding on corpses for food. Her cries of maddened rage fill the long, dark valleys below the fortress and echo around the tower that was once a place of love and hope.  Witch Child These half human, half bird-like creatures are the progeny of the Crow Witch, Malphas. The Witch-children are able to breathe fire and are extremely volatile, oftentimes dying in a blazing explosion. However, like most magically-summoned entities, their existence is short-lived and they tend to die naturally a few days after their ‘birth.'  Ghoul Despite most people believing otherwise, Ghouls are not undead creatures. In fact, their ancestors were human, but a diet of corpses and rotten flesh transformed them into horrible monsters that dwell in burial grounds and cemeteries. Ghouls usually live underground, but sometimes venture outside in small groups to scavenge for carrion. The vomit of the Ghoul is highly poisonous, but can be dispelled using Light Magic.  Vampire Warrior A Vampire can be born from many different creatures; the ceremony itself involves the exchange of blood between the ‘host’ and the soon-to-be Vampire. However, vampirism has to be accepted by the recipient, so it remains exclusive to intelligent creatures. The lowest ranked Vampires usually take the form of a creature with a bat-like appearance. Over the centuries, as they become more powerful, Vampires appear more human-like and are able to transform at will from hideous creatures into human form. One can usually ascertain the power of a Vampire by its appearance and any Vampires that appear totally human are usually incredibly powerful and extremely dangerous. These particular Vampire warriors show the signs of being recently turned and cannot hide the fact that they are low level creatures bent to the will of the Vampire Lord.  Animated Armor These empty suits of armor have been given a temporary ‘life’ due to possession by a poltergeist. They serve the Vampire Dark Lord by patrolling and protecting the Castle’s halls and corridors. The spirit of this poltergeist can move from armor to armor if it so wishes, though it can take many days for the spirit to recover when doing so. Once established within a suit of armor, the poltergeist can travel between dimensions at will, causing a huge electrical outage that signals an opening between our world and the spirit world. You can tell when armor is possessed because a strange unearthly, reddish glow emanates from within the suit, indicating that its ghostly inhabitant is awake.  Lietenant Brauner This Vampire is a powerful demon, turned by the Dark Lord long ago. It is well known that young Vampires are bestial in appearance, but as they become stronger, they are able to regain human form. Indeed, many of the oldest Vampires are mistaken for high-born aristocracy. However, this creature was never human and thus cannot take that form. Rather, he is a spawn of Hell, possessing vampiric powers, which make him a formidable foe.  Skeleton Warrior The human inhabitants of the Vampire Castle suffered a cruel fate once the Dark Lord set up her lair inside. While most of them changed into Vampire Warriors, a few, mainly those who were the Dark Lord’s most loyal retainers when she was human, were made into Skeleton Warriors by the spell of the Puppeteer. Unlike other beings animated by this magic, the vestiges of a once human soul make Skeleton Warriors difficult to command and they are therefore rarely found in groups greater than two or three. Despite being dead, the remains of these warriors retain an echo of what they once were when alive and so continue to defend the castle. Loyal to their new lord, they keep watch tirelessly over every corner of the fortress, hunting intruders and never abandoning their posts for as long as their bones endure.  Mandragora Common ingredients in the creation of magic potions, mandrake roots are an important resource for alchemists and mages the world over. However, the harvesting of mandrake roots is a dangerous activity; when the root is dug up, the plant will scream loudly, killing anyone near it. When they are fully grown, mandrakes become Mandragora, sentient beings who survive by draining the life force of nearby creatures.  Evil Butcher This monster of unknown origin has somehow become the ‘official cook’ for the Vampires. The Dark Lord uses the Evil Butcher to feed the Ghouls, Wargs and other creatures that live within the castle grounds. He carries a huge iron cleaver as his main weapon. He is not really a fighter but is dangerous and skilled with the tools found in his kitchen. However, due to his size, he needs constant ‘refueling’ in order to maintain his stamina.  Mechanical Monstrosity The Vampires were not the first tenants of the castle; the previous owner was a scientist known as Friedrich Von Frankenstein. He used the castle to conceal his horrific experiments into artificial life. The Mechanical Monstrosity was one such foray. Frankenstein created this giant scorpion-like machine using the brain of a malformed medical experiment gone wrong. However, his creature proved difficult to control and now rampages through the castle killing anything it can get its claws into.  Deadly Toys Laura, the ‘daughter’ of the Vampire Lord, has brought these puppets into existence using a dark spell of her own making. She is able to control these toys and transfer the temporary life force from toy to toy, thus making them very difficult to defeat. However, so long as the ‘spirit’ within is defeated, they cannot return. Inside the crude stitching is the source of the spell and, by opening up the deadly toys, one can destroy the spell. This, in turn, will destroy the spirit forever, rendering the toy useless.  Commander Olrox Another demon-spawned Vampire, he and his younger sibling were both inhuman before the Dark Lord found them and turned them. In fact, they didn’t belong to this earthly plane at all, being lesser nether demons begat in the deepest corners of Hell. How they came into our world is still a mystery but what is known is that the Vampire Dark Lord found them and used her influence upon them.  Carmilla The second of the founders, Carmilla, was a highly skilled healer, and her talents knew no equal. Pure of soul and chaste in mind and body, she was renowned for her love of all living creatures. When the spirit left her body on that fateful night, her love for life and her purity were corrupted, giving birth to the Vampire Dark Lord.  Vampire Dark Lord Just like the Lycanthrope Dark Lord, the Vampire Queen was granted an animal-like manifestation of the dark parts of her spirit. It is pitifully ironic that for a healer with such a love of life, she would be transformed into a blood-sucking monsters that consumes the energy of living creatures in order to survive. This ungodly bat demon uses the Seraph Shoulders to fly and can conjure up Vampire warriors at will from anywhere in the Castle to do her bidding. Weapons Combat Cross While most of the Brotherhood utilizes more conventional armaments, Gabriel has been gifted with the Combat Cross, a heavy iron crucifix which hides a retractable chain inside. The cross body was one of the first relics the Brotherhood acquired centuries ago; its full origin is unclear but it is rumored to have been forged from the nails used to crucify martyrs.  Spiked Chain Rinaldo Gandolfi built two different chains for the Combat Cross but this one was never approved by the Brotherhood, for obvious reasons. The elders thought that the spikes were too cruel for the holy nature of the weapon. However, instead of destroying it, the artisan hid the links in one of the mausoleums of the Order, believing that one day it might be needed. With the spiked chain, the Combat Cross can be used to saw through obstacles and to ‘tame’ dangerous monsters by looping it around their necks.  Stake The artisan who made the chain and hook tip for the Combat Cross, Rinaldo Gandolfi, wanted to give the weapon even more options for hand-to-hand combat, especially against supernatural creatures of the night, and so he designed the stake attachment which eventually gave the Combat Cross the nickname of ‘Vampire Killer’.  Brotherhood Medallions (Life, Light, and Shadow Gem) These are usually worn by warriors of the Brotherhood of Light, in order to increase stamina, as well as the ability to convert Neutral Element Orbs into both Light and Shadow Magic. Magical gems can be inserted into the empty slots and imbue the wearer with increased Life (Green), and Light Magic (Blue), and Shadow Magic (Red). When all five slots are filled with gems, the respective capacity is increased. The Light Medallion was given to Gabriel by Zobek during their first encounter. The Shadow Magic Medallion, while feared and shunned by most members of the Brotherhood for it's dark powers and corruptive influence, is embraced by others who believe a balance between Light and Shadow is needed.  Dark Gauntlet This piece of Aghartian mage-smith technology was not originally part of the design for the Black Knight Golem but was somehow magically melded with the construct during the final stages of its creation. Claudia's father included it because of the sheer power and brute force that it gave the Golem and he deemed it necessary in order to protect his beloved child but, in truth, it has a much darker purpose...  Cyclone Boots A gift to Cornell, these powerful boots were forged long ago. They allowed him to travel vast distances at tremendous speed. However, after he became the Dark Lord of the Lycans, he improved upon their design, using Shadow Magic to turn them into a powerful weapon, enabling him to charge down his enemies with incredible speed.  Seraph Shoulders Carmilla, being one of the founders of the Brotherhood, received these magic shoulders as a gift from the Order for her devotion and purity of spirit. Crafted with the feathers of an Archangel, originally the Seraph Shoulders allowed their wearer to fly short distances but now, after centuries of misuse by the corrupted Vampire Dark Lord, only a fraction of their true power remains.  Silver Dagger These Daggers have been balanced to be thrown with extraordinary precision. They are made of silver, and have small bones of saints hidden in their grips; both characteristics give this weapon its destructive power against supernatural beings, especially those who are descendants of the Lycanthrope Dark Lord.  Dark Crystal These crystalline formations are the result of a phenomenon that occurs in zones with a high concentration of Shadow energy. In these places, the land, impregnated in magic, erupts abruptly creating the characteristic geode-like patterns. The crystals are pure Shadow Magic, and so they are much more volatile and dangerous than the gems from the medallions. They are so powerful that just one full crystal can be used to summon a demon from the Shadow plane.  Fairies Fairies are a race of mystical beings that have been driven into hiding by the spread of mankind and civilization. Sometimes called the ‘Sidhe,’ they dwell in forests and meadows, hiding amongst the flowers and blossoms there. Fairies are born of the soil, and take the form of beautiful flowers before emerging as fully-grown creatures. According to legend, the Fairy Queen sometimes bestows mortals with the care and protection of the Fairy folk.  Holy Water Flasks At first glance, these vials appear to be empty. However, when opened, there will always be a few drops of blessed water at the bottom. These are the endless tears of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, and can be used to sanctify water which, in turn, serves as an excellent weapon against creatures of the night. The bottle breaks on impact and holy flames are released upwards, which are devastating to Vampires! BMS fucked around with this message at 18:23 on Mar 10, 2015 |
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Lore    -Chapter 1-
-Chapter 2-
-Chapter 3-
-Chapter 4-
-Chapter 5-
-Chapter 6-
-Chapter 7-
-Chapter 8-
Artwork --Chapter 1-- [timg]http://lpix.org/1645663/Villagers.png]Villagers[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645692/Gabriel's%20Mount.png]Gabriel's Mount[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645690/Great%20Warg.png]Great Warg[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645693/Gabriel's%20Arrival.png]Gabriel's Arrival[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645665/Village%20Backdrop.png]Village Backdrop[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645664/Village%20Sketch.png]Village Sketch[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645686/Intro%20Cinematic%20I.png]Intro Cinematic I[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645685/Intro%20Cinematic%20II.png]Intro Cinematic II[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645671/Pan's%20Horse%20Form.png]Pan's Horse Form[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645682/Lesser%20Lycanthrope.png]Lesser Lycanthrope[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645700/Chase%20Cinematic%20I.png]Chase Cinematic I[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645696/Chase%20Cinematic%20II.png]Chase Cinematic II[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645689/Hunting%20Path%20Sketch.png]Hunting Path Sketch[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645688/Hunting%20Path.png]Hunting Path[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645674/Old%20Water%20Mill.png]Old Water Mill[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645698/Camp%20Cinematic.png]Camp Cinematic[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645678/Mausoleum.png]Mausoleum[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645679/Mausoleum%20Interior.png]Mausoleum Interior[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645670/Swamp%20Concept.png]Swamp Concept[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645669/Swamp%20Sketch.png]Swamp Sketch[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645677/Naiad%20Attack.png]Naiad Attack[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645668/Swamp%20Troll.png]Swamp Troll[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645691/Goblin.png]Goblin[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645695/Dragon%20Corpse.png]Dragon Corpse[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645699/Broken%20Bridge.png]Broken Bridge[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645694/Forest%20Entrance.png]Forest Entrance[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645672/Pan's%20Forest.png]Pan's Forest[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645667/Temple%20Entrance.png]Temple Entrance[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645666/Temple%20Interior.png]Temple Interior[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645673/Pan's%20Faun%20Form.png]Pan's Faun Form[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645684/Lake%20Entrance.png]Lake Entrance[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645676/Oblivion%20Lake%20I.png]Oblivion Lake I[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645675/Oblivion%20Lake%20II.png]Oblivion Lake II[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645683/Lake%20Shrine%20I.png]Lake Shrine I[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645681/Lake%20Shrine%20II.png]Lake Shrine II[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645687/Ice%20Titan.png]Ice Titan[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645662/Zobek.png]Zobek[/timg][timg]http://lpix.org/1645680/Marie.png]Marie[/timg] --Chapter 2--                                                   --Chapter 3--              --Chapter 4--               --Chapter 5--                                                    
BMS fucked around with this message at 22:40 on Feb 8, 2015 |
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Mar 21, 2014 23:32
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Fan Art Appreciation Post FeyerbrandX  StoryTime  BMS (Since he's the world's biggest LoS fanboy who doesn't work at MercurySteam)     Neruz  (Seriously Mandragora Bros. are kinda scary)
RSCNyx fucked around with this message at 07:35 on Nov 2, 2014 |
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Mar 21, 2014 23:32
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By "IGA stagnated the CV series", assume you meant that the last Castlevania that he made, Order of Ecclesia, was the best Castlevania ever made. 
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Mar 22, 2014 00:05
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Yeah, there's a difference between stagnation and not changing what works. Personally I didn't really mind the last 2 3D CVs either, but the N64 ones are rear end on basically every level. As for this game, I'm fine with it, although it did do some questionable design decisions, which will be seen later. The things I really don't like about the basic combat is the fact that the wide attacks have zero hitstun and they do very little damage per hit, as well as the fact that jumping to avoid enemy attacks is never really worth the trouble since every enemy seems to have infinite vertical reach with their attacks regardless of their size and you'll just end up getting hit regardless.
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Mar 22, 2014 01:10
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Gimbal lock posted:By "IGA stagnated the CV series", assume you meant that the last Castlevania that he made, Order of Ecclesia, was the best Castlevania ever made. AnotherGamer posted:Yeah, there's a difference between stagnation and not changing what works. Personally I didn't really mind the last 2 3D CVs either, but the N64 ones are rear end on basically every level. See, that's where I disagree though! I thought that Order of Ecclesia was a good, and fun game, if not wearing a little old. However, I don't see that changing the fact that it was almost the EXACT same formula used for 90% of the games since SotN. Let's not forget that wonderful adventure game known as Judgement! SotN was a fine game, certainly not the greatest, but it worked well, and was an interesting break from the classic games. I really enjoyed looking at the SotN enemy sprites in 90% of the forthcoming games as well. I'll certainly tip my hat to IGA for OoE though, at least the majority of the enemies weren't copy/pasted from a previous game! But that alone, coupled with the fact that it was a handheld only title, PLUS the drop in interest to the series from all but the hardcore fans...I see that as textbook definition of stagnation. It was just too little too late, which is partially what pleased me to see that IGA had left Konami. If there ever is another CV game produced, the odds say that it won't be a return to the exact same formula that was used for 7 games under IGA. I actually thought the atmosphere captured by the N64 Castlevanias was perfect. A 3D version of a classic CV game, it's just a shame it had all the mechanical problems with it. Lament of Innocence suffered from the IGA Copy/Paste design more than any other game. Except this wasn't with enemy design, but rather level layout. 90% of the stages featured THRILLING level layout. Square forced fight sequence room-->rectangular hallway---square forced fight sequence room etc. etc. Curse of Darkness was better than LoI was, but still suffered from this in a few aspects. Here's an example of what I'm talking about with the copy/paste level design from LoI  I haven't paid 100% attention in any of my previous plays of this game, but I thought I remembered the wide area attacks having a hitstun ability on some of the lesser enemies. The combat in and of itself feels solid to me, with the exception of a few minor twerks, such as the vertical reach limit, which while there is one, it's much, MUCH higher than the actual sprite or animation.
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Mar 22, 2014 01:32
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I admit that the previous 3Dvanias had pretty terrible copypaste levels but I didn't honestly mind them that much, the lack of any real combat variety and horrible bullshit like the magic nitro schenanigans in the N64 games are much worse problems. But enough about those, will be interesting to see someone beat this on a higher difficulty level and maybe use a more interesting variety of moves than I did.
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Mar 22, 2014 01:52
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For me, the combat in the game seemed like it gave you a lot of tools that had little real usage other than if you wanted to be fancy. In the end it seemed like I could beat 90% of the game by just using the same basic three hit attack (especially with the fact that having to dodge or block attacks forced your combo to reset, so the exceedingly long combos that are obtained later are rarely able to be pulled off fully). I also felt that the anemic and easily forgettable sub-weapons was a bit of a shame in the game; there were so many times when I was playing that I forgot I had daggers that were super powerful. Honestly I think the thing that bothered me the most about the combat was just that it didn't seem visceral enough; maybe it was the sound work or the animation, but even when doing certain finishers on enemies, like breaking an arm or ripping their mouths open, it just didn't have any sense of power behind it. The only time that really came across it seems is during cutscenes, which was a shame all in all. VVVVV Coulis had done an LP of it which is still on the archives if you're interested. discworld is all I read fucked around with this message at 02:49 on Mar 22, 2014 |
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Mar 22, 2014 01:55
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Wasn't there an earlier LP of this? Anyways, at least you are having fun with it.
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Mar 22, 2014 02:43
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I find it bizarre that people lump 'the 3d Castlevanias' together. I played both the PS2 one and the 64 one. The 64 one was, in my opinion, unplayable poo. The PS2 one was an extremely decent and enjoyable game that wasn't perfect but was good enough that I felt of it as an actual Castlevania game instead of a failure. I'm glad to be following this LP. I gave this game a chance, but after a while the enemies just took so many hits to take down it was like everything ground to a halt every time a monster showed up. This is probably just my old-Castlevania fanboyism talking but if something takes more than a combo or two to take down it's making the game too freaking slow.
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Mar 22, 2014 03:10
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Niggurath posted:For me, the combat in the game seemed like it gave you a lot of tools that had little real usage other than if you wanted to be fancy. In the end it seemed like I could beat 90% of the game by just using the same basic three hit attack (especially with the fact that having to dodge or block attacks forced your combo to reset, so the exceedingly long combos that are obtained later are rarely able to be pulled off fully). I also felt that the anemic and easily forgettable sub-weapons was a bit of a shame in the game; there were so many times when I was playing that I forgot I had daggers that were super powerful. Yes, there are quite a few combos available that have more than a few button press requirements, making a good portion of them hardly useable in most situations, and like you mentioned, just about every enemy is completely manageable with the starting combos. The best use I've gotten out of the combos would have to be on Paladin or Knight difficulty, as some of them have some exceptionally strong finishers attatched to them, which is great as dispatching the enemies as quickly as possible is Priority Number 1 considering the damage they can do! The sub-weapons I agree with you were easy to overlook, and HIGHLY situational. grandalt posted:Wasn't there an earlier LP of this? Anyways, at least you are having fun with it. Yes! As Niggurath pointed out Coulis did an LP of this back in 2011! Just checked and it's up on the Archives. You'll have to use the Internet Archive if you want to watch any of them, as they were originally hosted on blip, which has since fired all guns at anything LP related.
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Mar 22, 2014 03:14
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Saints body parts all up in this bitch. Just casually finding sanctified, popeified daggers on rando werewolves.
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Mar 22, 2014 03:58
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I remember exactly two things about this game: how amazingly pretty it is... And how completely idiotic the story gets. edit: Also OoE is the best 2D castlevania and anyone who disagrees is a CV64 fan since they clearly have no taste whatsoever. anilEhilated fucked around with this message at 19:51 on Mar 22, 2014 |
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Mar 22, 2014 19:42
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I'm not that fond of LoS. I really enjoy the Metroidvanias and while I do think they needed a shakeup, this isn't what I wanted. It's a very pretty game, but the gameplay is just so forgettable.
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Mar 22, 2014 19:53
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Rigged Death Trap posted:Saints body parts all up in this bitch. Retrieving them from less successful hunters perhaps 
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Mar 22, 2014 20:13
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Rigged Death Trap posted:Saints body parts all up in this bitch. It's not that impressive, they were Sunday mass produced.
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Mar 22, 2014 20:31
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I think LoS is my least favorite game just for what it represents.
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Mar 22, 2014 23:53
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anilEhilated posted:I remember exactly two things about this game: how amazingly pretty it is... And how completely idiotic the story gets. Jokes on you. I liked both games.
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Mar 23, 2014 00:15
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I actually enjoyed Legacy of Darkness, but then again, I played it on Project64 and could quickload during the nitro run.
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Mar 23, 2014 00:36
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Seyser Koze posted:I actually enjoyed Legacy of Darkness, but then again, I played it on Project64 and could quickload during the nitro run. deadicons posted:Jokes on you. I liked both games. drat straight! Legacy of Darkness all the way thank you very much, even with it's flaws, and that damned Nitro segment. Anatharon posted:I think LoS is my least favorite game just for what it represents. I'm curious as to what you mean by this. What exactly does it represent that puts you off? Are you talking about the fact that it's a complete reboot? The strong Christianity theme? I MUST KNOW. Chickenfrogman posted:It's a very pretty game, but the gameplay is just so forgettable. I can agree with this. The combat, while not buggy (quite opposite, it works pretty well and is a fairly solid system for this type of game), it's nothing special. The visuals on the other hand, are top notch, and a breathe of fresh air from that of the old series. anilEhilated posted:Also OoE is the best 2D castlevania and anyone who disagrees is a CV64 fan since they clearly have no taste whatsoever. Dracula's Curse man, Dracula's Curse.
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Mar 25, 2014 04:15
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This'll be interesting to follow along with, both the LP videos and the thread chat. I've only ever played SotN and parts of Rondo of Blood, so Richter is really the only Belmont I know anything about. I considered picking up Judgement until I discovered he wasn't in it. Ah well. Bullet dodged. Kaboom Dragoon posted:It's not that impressive, they were Sunday mass produced. 
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Mar 25, 2014 04:43
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Oh man. I've been meaning to watch an LP of this game. I've heard ridiculous things about the story. I also enjoyed you LP of Castlevania 3 you did awhile back for the Hard Games Thread, so count me onboard! What is your plan for an update schedule? Are going with a Chip Cheezum plan with updates every week? Or just whenever you get around to it?
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Mar 29, 2014 06:59
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I wouldn't really say that IGA stagnated the series, especially since OoE was a step in the right direction. One of the reasons the games reused a lot of the assets from previous games and one of the reasons the series didn't expand much was because IGA was often given very small teams, tight deadlines, and an equally small budget to work from. Hence why he often reused assets because, frankly, its the most cost efficient way to do things. That combined with little to no marketing doesn't exactly make the game fly off the shelves. As for LoS, personally I have my own problems with it, not that I hate it mind you, just its heavily flawed. The story has some massively bad writing/characterization if you pay close attention to whats being said vs whats being shown, but I can't really explain until the game ends. The combat system came off as somewhat weak, with the lack of hit stun on enemies through normal means. Though I do know theres a way to allow for that with an ability I don't think we have yet, personally I thought it made attacks feel very weak in general unless you used it a lot. It was, however, fun to dodge and the combat felt fluid enough beside that issue issue. Also the enemy design was so amazingly bland and music wasn't really nearly as good as any game prior in the series. Yes, even Judgement was superior in that regard. Overall the game wasn't bad, but I felt it wasn't good either. Very middle of the road. DeliciousCookie fucked around with this message at 22:35 on Mar 29, 2014 |
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Mar 29, 2014 22:23
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I'm a pretty big Castlevania fan, and I loved Lords of Shadows. The atmosphere is fantastic and definitely hits the nostalgic Universal classic horror movie motifs that the original game did. The gameplay is solid if not wildly original. It's no Bayonetta, but it's certainly better than Dante's Inferno. It worked for me. Not to say the series needed a reboot, but it certainly is about as good as I could have expected
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Mar 30, 2014 01:09
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Kaboom Dragoon posted:It's not that impressive, they were Sunday mass produced. Bravo. Bra. Vo.
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Mar 30, 2014 01:36
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I liked this well enough but i remember HATING the DLC for some reason, probably because i paid $30 for a few hours of post-game content. I really don't remember the combat being this bland though even later in the game it doesn't get much better and the QTEs range from alright to abysmal but it was interesting to hear that at the start they didn't want them and i guess they got thrown in early enough so they don't look like they were thrown in at the last minute.
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Mar 30, 2014 02:52
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Your title image is distorted (as is your avatar, I think). Make sure you're keeping the right aspect ratio when you change stuff.
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Mar 30, 2014 06:23
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OG17 posted:Your title image is distorted (as is your avatar, I think). Is this better? But I can dig it, consider it changed. dizaero posted:Oh man. I've been meaning to watch an LP of this game. I've heard ridiculous things about the story. I also enjoyed you LP of Castlevania 3 you did awhile back for the Hard Games Thread, so count me onboard! What is your plan for an update schedule? Are going with a Chip Cheezum plan with updates every week? Or just whenever you get around to it? The story for this game definitely gets wild/out of hand, especially later on. Plus Patrick Stewart really starts hamming it up for those pre-level readings. and... Kaboom Dragoon posted:It's not that impressive, they were Sunday mass produced. yeah, that's pretty much directly in line with the quality of story this game delivers! Update schedule should be once maybe twice a week, barring scheduling conflicts with RSCNyx and myself (the reason for the delay here actually, but that should be rectified Monday!).
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Mar 30, 2014 07:59
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BMS posted:I'm curious as to what you mean by this. What exactly does it represent that puts you off? Are you talking about the fact that it's a complete reboot? The strong Christianity theme? I MUST KNOW. Complete reboots and the Japanese obsession with "COD numbers". Metroidvania games were selling acceptably, and OoE was the best selling portable one, iirc. I bet they'd have done even better if they got a bigger budget then the average high school science fair project, but Konami wanted to turn Castlevania into a multi-million copy selling thing and thus became this abomination.
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Mar 30, 2014 08:27
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This game really is the AAA reboot with all its vagaries - playing it safe by cramming as much elements from other popular games/movies as possible, more grim/dramatic story (by high school fanfic writer standards of drama), beautiful graphics, standard mix of combat-platforming-puzzles, fairly polished gameplay, varied but simplistic action setpieces and of course QTE's up the rear end. it's a competent brawler, but for me Castlevania, for all of its supposed stagnation, is still one of the most unique experiences in gaming, and it's a shame it was replaced by something so bland. LoS copies so much from so many sources that it should start feeling fresh again by way of being such an eclectic mish-mash, but somehow doesn't. Also, aside from its failings as a reboot, this is what kept me from really enjoying the game: Niggurath posted:For me, the combat in the game seemed like it gave you a lot of tools that had little real usage other than if you wanted to be fancy. In the end it seemed like I could beat 90% of the game by just using the same basic three hit attack (especially with the fact that having to dodge or block attacks forced your combo to reset, so the exceedingly long combos that are obtained later are rarely able to be pulled off fully). I also felt that the anemic and easily forgettable sub-weapons was a bit of a shame in the game; there were so many times when I was playing that I forgot I had daggers that were super powerful. By the way, is Mirror of Fate on the table after this? It's flawed in its own ways, but I enjoyed it more than LoS. Pizdec fucked around with this message at 15:04 on Mar 30, 2014 |
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Mar 30, 2014 14:57
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I would really like to see a metroidvania style 3D Castlevania game done properly; the N64 games were loving atrocious but imagine if you had Lords of Shadow style graphics, God of War style combat, Symphony of the Night style items\upgrades\powers to mix up said combat and a chunk of land in pseudo-europe with Dracula's castle (itself an extensive environment) and the game just sets you loose with the overarching goal of 'defeat Dracula' I would play the poo poo out of that. Hell you could even splurge and get an actual writer to write real plots instead of using the lead dev's 12 year old child.
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Mar 30, 2014 15:31
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Neruz posted:I would really like to see a metroidvania style 3D Castlevania game done properly; the N64 games were loving atrocious but imagine if you had Lords of Shadow style graphics, God of War style combat, Symphony of the Night style items\upgrades\powers to mix up said combat and a chunk of land in pseudo-europe with Dracula's castle (itself an extensive environment) and the game just sets you loose with the overarching goal of 'defeat Dracula' I think you'd really like Dark Souls, which to me is kind of the platonic ideal of a 3D Castlevania should be, old school difficulty included. Anyway, I started playing Lords of Shadow 2. I'm obviously not going to spoil anything, but I think we can all agree Castlevania didn't really need to add stealth sections to the mix.
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Mar 30, 2014 18:07
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Ambitious Spider posted:I think you'd really like Dark Souls, which to me is kind of the platonic ideal of a 3D Castlevania should be, old school difficulty included. Yeah, Dark Souls is pretty much a 3D metroidvania. I still miss the 2D games though; definitely wouldn't mind seeing more of them released. They had a good thing going with the co-op online one whateveritwascalled but having a full-fledged 2D metroidvania or a system that doesn't limit map design would be a treat.
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Mar 30, 2014 19:07
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Ambitious Spider posted:I think you'd really like Dark Souls, which to me is kind of the platonic ideal of a 3D Castlevania should be, old school difficulty included. There's an earlier example even, Metroid Prime.
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Mar 30, 2014 21:42
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Anatharon posted:There's an earlier example even, Metroid Prime. That too. Which reminds me that I should probably play MP3 at some point.
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Mar 30, 2014 22:42
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Ambitious Spider posted:I think you'd really like Dark Souls, which to me is kind of the platonic ideal of a 3D Castlevania should be, old school difficulty included. I do really like Dark Souls, but what I'd really like is Dark Souls with a fluid movement\platforming engine. Dark Souls turned up to 11 so to speak.
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Mar 30, 2014 22:59
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Neruz posted:I do really like Dark Souls, but what I'd really like is Dark Souls with a fluid movement\platforming engine. Dark Souls turned up to 11 so to speak. Dark Souls is fluid enough so long as you have ground under your feet. Dodge rolls and movement in general flows well and you're always in control of where you're going. The jumping/platforming though… That's the real nightmare. Then again, would you manage the jumps most protagonists can do? Not really, and Dark Souls reflects that.
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Mar 30, 2014 23:49
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Say what you want about stagnation, but at least IGA never stooped down to the level of making yet another tired and formulaic God of War clone.
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Mar 30, 2014 23:50
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So, when is the next update? Anyways, the game does have a lot of references to other castlevanias, but its so early in the game that we haven't seen most of them yet.
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Mar 31, 2014 00:05
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Delta Green posted:Dark Souls is fluid enough so long as you have ground under your feet. Dodge rolls and movement in general flows well and you're always in control of where you're going. Dark Souls combat is weighted more towards the realistic end of the scale with the player not really capable of anything particularly superhuman, imagine Dark Souls but with Symphony of the Night style combat; you're dashing between undead in bullet time and then you explode and daggers of energy fly everywhere while you hurtle into the air to come crashing down on any survivors. Dark Souls is great, I love it and I fully expect I'll love DS2 as well. That said I would also a more action oriented game with the same style of world setup as Dark Souls because I am a greedy gently caress and a good metroidvania game in 3d has been something I have wanted for over a decade.
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Mar 31, 2014 03:26
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