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Castlevania: Harmony of Despair |OT|
- Thread starter Shard
- Start date
Reused sprites or not, I still love all the fun touches in this game.
Casting up papers as you walk on books, jewels as you walk atop mounds of money... and Jonathan and Charlotte's little "hold up for a while" poses (Alucard seems to do his "Rigidly standing on a platform" stance at times, too.)
Even though Alucard and Soma share weapons, they each use them in their own unique ways.
Watching Soma get souls from someone elses kills is pretty funny. "Oh, Axe Knight? where'd that come from?"
Single player is great for character like Charlotte and Shanoa. It's not all that easy to absorb skills while fighting with a group. It works perfectly as a grinding mode for the main attraction, though it could have been that much better with 2 players offline.
With a steady stream of content, this game really could go on forever. The boss gimmicks in each stage are pretty nice, the fact each character brings different gameplay to the table keeps things fresh, and it just feel good to play a fun 2D game like this on a console. These characters still ooze more personality than most other comparable games.
And I love the fact it still keeps the castlevania flavor with things like breakable walls and platforms revealing food items, or that jumping/standing in certain little areas makes food/items appear. These things have spoken "Castlevania" to me, ever since the Nintendo days, so it brings a smile to see those little details appear.
In all the time of playing, I've had only 1 freezeup. Other than that, the netcode seems absolutely great. Not one randomly teleporting player character. Not one spell that was cast out of nowhere. I can shoot things from across the screen, and assist people with damage from my spells.
It might not be the most high-budget production, but what's there feels like it's of a high level for what it is. Playing with others, and seeing what weapons, spells, and subweapons they have keeps making me want to come back and play with that character, or go to that stage, and see how I can get THAT item.
Quite happy with the purchase, moreso than with Puzzle Quest 2, and Deathspank. Playing hopscotch on a bosses head with dropkicks, casting fleamen and Bat familiars with Soma, poisoning monsters with Bubbles with Charlotte, all the little voice samples as character thank each other and use Dual Strikes, while calling each others names... It just has all the little elements that I love about Japanese-born gaming ^_^
Why is Castlevania one of the few series where everything has their own REALLY DRAMATIC death animation? Why is it so rare for games now to have such personality? It looks SO much better than more satisfying than "Ragdoll, stage left!"...
Sign me up for DLC / Sequels!
Casting up papers as you walk on books, jewels as you walk atop mounds of money... and Jonathan and Charlotte's little "hold up for a while" poses (Alucard seems to do his "Rigidly standing on a platform" stance at times, too.)
Even though Alucard and Soma share weapons, they each use them in their own unique ways.
Watching Soma get souls from someone elses kills is pretty funny. "Oh, Axe Knight? where'd that come from?"
Single player is great for character like Charlotte and Shanoa. It's not all that easy to absorb skills while fighting with a group. It works perfectly as a grinding mode for the main attraction, though it could have been that much better with 2 players offline.
With a steady stream of content, this game really could go on forever. The boss gimmicks in each stage are pretty nice, the fact each character brings different gameplay to the table keeps things fresh, and it just feel good to play a fun 2D game like this on a console. These characters still ooze more personality than most other comparable games.
And I love the fact it still keeps the castlevania flavor with things like breakable walls and platforms revealing food items, or that jumping/standing in certain little areas makes food/items appear. These things have spoken "Castlevania" to me, ever since the Nintendo days, so it brings a smile to see those little details appear.
In all the time of playing, I've had only 1 freezeup. Other than that, the netcode seems absolutely great. Not one randomly teleporting player character. Not one spell that was cast out of nowhere. I can shoot things from across the screen, and assist people with damage from my spells.
It might not be the most high-budget production, but what's there feels like it's of a high level for what it is. Playing with others, and seeing what weapons, spells, and subweapons they have keeps making me want to come back and play with that character, or go to that stage, and see how I can get THAT item.
Quite happy with the purchase, moreso than with Puzzle Quest 2, and Deathspank. Playing hopscotch on a bosses head with dropkicks, casting fleamen and Bat familiars with Soma, poisoning monsters with Bubbles with Charlotte, all the little voice samples as character thank each other and use Dual Strikes, while calling each others names... It just has all the little elements that I love about Japanese-born gaming ^_^
Why is Castlevania one of the few series where everything has their own REALLY DRAMATIC death animation? Why is it so rare for games now to have such personality? It looks SO much better than more satisfying than "Ragdoll, stage left!"...
Sign me up for DLC / Sequels!
Soundtrack remix list so far:
Aria of Sorrow
Ruined Castle Corridor
Dawn of Sorrow
Into the Dark Night
Portrait of Ruin
Hail from the Past
Gaze Up at the Darkness
Piercing Silence
Order of Ecclesia
Ebony Wings
Order of the Demon
Symphony of the Night
Dance of Illusions
The rest of these, i've never heard before or just cant place the game where the remix is from:
The Colossus
Symphony of Battle
Ein Weltherrscher
Piercing Battle Fury
Tanz mit einem Clown
After Confession
Phantom of Fear
Esquisse of Violence
Crimson Blood
Not sure how the tracks are unlocked, since I know we only beat up to Chapter 4, or if this is the complete soundtrack.
Aria of Sorrow
Ruined Castle Corridor
Dawn of Sorrow
Into the Dark Night
Portrait of Ruin
Hail from the Past
Gaze Up at the Darkness
Piercing Silence
Order of Ecclesia
Ebony Wings
Order of the Demon
Symphony of the Night
Dance of Illusions
The rest of these, i've never heard before or just cant place the game where the remix is from:
The Colossus
Symphony of Battle
Ein Weltherrscher
Piercing Battle Fury
Tanz mit einem Clown
After Confession
Phantom of Fear
Esquisse of Violence
Crimson Blood
Not sure how the tracks are unlocked, since I know we only beat up to Chapter 4, or if this is the complete soundtrack.
Darkmakaimura
Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
Very well said. BTW, I think I did see one "teleporting" character. He appeared on one platform and then on another, no magic mirror or anything.SAB CA said:
Are there any tips to leveling up Alucard's scrolls and Soma's souls? It seems like a nightmare for me to get anything for these characters, and considering Soma gets souls from bosses, there has to some item or some trick to it other than grindgrindgrind.
I'm really liking the game so far. It's like a stage based Castlevania with the collectathon vibe from the newer games. It feels like a good time to be a Castlevania fan with this, Lords of Shadow, and the Simon's Quest fan remake down the pipe.
I'm really liking the game so far. It's like a stage based Castlevania with the collectathon vibe from the newer games. It feels like a good time to be a Castlevania fan with this, Lords of Shadow, and the Simon's Quest fan remake down the pipe.
Darkmakaimura
Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
Alucard's scrolls? Haven't seen anything like that in the game and all I've been playing is Alucard. I would like to know how you get his Marital Arts ability/abilities. It's still grayed out and I've already been to Stage 5.Foffy said:Are there any tips to leveling up Alucard's scrolls and Soma's souls? It seems like a nightmare for me to get anything for these characters, and considering Soma gets souls from bosses, there has to some item or some trick to it other than grindgrindgrind.
I'm really liking the game so far. It's like a stage based Castlevania with the collectathon vibe from the newer games. It feels like a good time to be a Castlevania fan with this, Lords of Shadow, and the Simon's Quest fan remake down the pipe.
Darkmakaimura said:
I got a Summon Spirit scroll after defeating Gergoth, so I guess certain abilities are found in rare chests. That's also how I got Jonathan's Dodge Roll move. Alucard's scrolls are red and Jonathan's are blue, from what I noticed.
If all of these abilities are found in rare chests, I would have wished the game kept the largely unnecessary online shop system from the DS games. It would be useful here, considering the online component being much more important. Of course, this is coming from me, someone who doesn't even have Gold. :lol
Son of Godzilla
Banned
Everything about this game is horrible but I can't stop playing it.
Darkmakaimura
Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
Oh ok, his spells. I just got Hellfire.Foffy said:
thetrin
Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion
I've been playing Alucard and Johnathon for the most part (I use Morris more than Alucard because I have Martial Arts than spells).
I'm liking the game a lot, especially in groups with people I know.
I'm liking the game a lot, especially in groups with people I know.
Son of Godzilla
Banned
Does more stuff open up in the Store as you open up chapters? I've only gotten as far as Chapter 4 and I went into the store for the first time and bought the highest tier of everything and only spent half my cash.
Also I can't figure out what the hell leveling up Dark Metamorphasis does. It's heal is as pathetic at level 4 as it was at level 1.
Also I can't figure out what the hell leveling up Dark Metamorphasis does. It's heal is as pathetic at level 4 as it was at level 1.
Is it just me or are Johnathan's Martial Arts utterly useless? Hey look, I can input silly street fighter moves to hit for less then my whip, yea booooyyyyy.
EDIT: Oh and what the hell triggers the massive time loss on Chapter 5? It'll be at 25 minutes then all of a sudden it shoots down to 5. Every run I've made on chapter 5 has ended in failure due to time out.
EDIT: Oh and what the hell triggers the massive time loss on Chapter 5? It'll be at 25 minutes then all of a sudden it shoots down to 5. Every run I've made on chapter 5 has ended in failure due to time out.
Sent a friend request to the GAFlevania GT. I like this game, but I seem to be crashing/disconnecting a lot. It could be because the gf was streaming Netflix and killing my bandwidth. Have to test more tomorrow. I play as Shanoa, if anyone needs her in a party. She seems to have no weapons to purchase. Her sole attack is stealing magics via glyphs and leveling them up.
Son of Godzilla
Banned
people mindlessly flipping the elevator switch in chapter 4 as they run past make homer something something...
Hank The Tank
Neo Member
Sinatar said:
If someone gets skeletored and then dies I think you lose five minutes. Keep those skeletons alive!
BMX Bandit
Member
This is probably the best XBLA game I've played in a long time. It's pretty amusing to think about all the whining/complaining this game was receiving prior to release(this is the internet after all), but now that it is out and people are giving it a chance the user feedback seems mostly positive.
Yesterday basically went from me playing by myself with strangers and praising the game to a friend. To that friend buying it and me switching over to a new character. To another friend buying it and all of us playing a new character. To another friend buying it and all of us playing a new character again.
I love finding out the little things in the levels you can do to make the boss fights easier/finding new loot (everyone wearing invisibility cape is pretty amusing but a pain in the ass to do dual crushes)/to just trying out and leveling the abilities of the different characters.
I had a feeling this game would be a lot of fun co-op, but this is quite a bit better than I was expecting. Looking at the character stat screen, I put in five hours just in the first two levels yesterday. As someone that is yet to buy any DLC for any game...I really hope the sales are going to justify adding more castles/loot/characters(Richter/Maria). And I'm saying that without having finished the six chapters and of course Hard mode after. Here's hoping more people that enjoy co-op give this a shot and maybe bring a friend or two with them.
Yesterday basically went from me playing by myself with strangers and praising the game to a friend. To that friend buying it and me switching over to a new character. To another friend buying it and all of us playing a new character. To another friend buying it and all of us playing a new character again.
I love finding out the little things in the levels you can do to make the boss fights easier/finding new loot (everyone wearing invisibility cape is pretty amusing but a pain in the ass to do dual crushes)/to just trying out and leveling the abilities of the different characters.
I had a feeling this game would be a lot of fun co-op, but this is quite a bit better than I was expecting. Looking at the character stat screen, I put in five hours just in the first two levels yesterday. As someone that is yet to buy any DLC for any game...I really hope the sales are going to justify adding more castles/loot/characters(Richter/Maria). And I'm saying that without having finished the six chapters and of course Hard mode after. Here's hoping more people that enjoy co-op give this a shot and maybe bring a friend or two with them.
snoopeasystreet
Member
Confirmed everyone who added The GAFlevania HD tag.
If you want to be added immediately, send me a PM.
If you want to be added immediately, send me a PM.
Only playing with one other person last night I can honestly say that this game is f'n awesome! We completed the first 3 chapters and replayed chapter 1 and 3 a few times. I really like how all items that you find are sharable between all your characters, even the equipped items. I played up to chapter 3 with Jonathan and then replayed 3 with Soma and didn't feel too weak.
Great game, I hope more people aren't turned off by the sprites.
Great game, I hope more people aren't turned off by the sprites.
The netcode in this cannot be praised enough. How strange that in a low budget game like this the netcode is probably the best out of whole XBLA. I'm playing with dudes with flags I have never even seen before. :lol Just a hour ago played on a Vietnamese server (had to google the flag, heh) and no lag whatsoever.
A nice idea.rhfb said:
Otherwise, some guys here on GAF would be level 30 already, and i'd be like level 8.
By the next time i play online, i would be left out. (like in Castle Crashers if you try to play it nowadays)
Looking forward to play some games with GAFlevania HD at 11 PM (GMT+2... i'm sure there will be some of you guys online).
Spirit of Jazz
Banned
I'm pretty sure Martial Arts are just there so you can shout out Shoruken in the game, his projectiles make up for it though.
Just went against Dracula for the first time, we got to 3rd form and nobody knew what to do. I decided to start bouncing on his head and all 5 other players followed suit, amidst our constant jumping nobody saw the lines his was tracing in the air and suddenly every single one of us got 1 hit killed :lol
Just went against Dracula for the first time, we got to 3rd form and nobody knew what to do. I decided to start bouncing on his head and all 5 other players followed suit, amidst our constant jumping nobody saw the lines his was tracing in the air and suddenly every single one of us got 1 hit killed :lol
Scarecrow
Member
I tried Alucard for a long bit, but I couldn't seem to find any spell scrolls for him besides one that sucks up blood for health.
I tried the first level as Soma and was able to get a bunch of souls on one run through. Might try to build him up some more.
I also can't seem to find many glyphs for Shanoa, nor can I find anything that gives me a better weapon.
I tried the first level as Soma and was able to get a bunch of souls on one run through. Might try to build him up some more.
I also can't seem to find many glyphs for Shanoa, nor can I find anything that gives me a better weapon.
godhandiscen
There are millions of whiny 5-year olds on Earth, and I AM THEIR KING.
Best XBLA game ever!
I actually like this game so much that I am a bit scared about the "low" sales. Only 23k players registered in the leaderboards is awfully low. I am hoping for a couple hundred thousand so that there is a never ending flux of DLC and I never have to stop playing.
They can do new characters, items and levels. I would be willing to shell out $60 for 20 more levels or so, each one more challenging than the last.
My previous favorite XBLA game was SOTN
I actually like this game so much that I am a bit scared about the "low" sales. Only 23k players registered in the leaderboards is awfully low. I am hoping for a couple hundred thousand so that there is a never ending flux of DLC and I never have to stop playing.
They can do new characters, items and levels. I would be willing to shell out $60 for 20 more levels or so, each one more challenging than the last.
AndyMoogle
Member
I need to play this more, but I can definitely see this game in my top 5 down the road.godhandiscen said:
So I did a couple of runs on my own today and I noticed that I raised my health with food. I'm assuming that's permanent, right? Are the stats increments also permanent? Unless I'm blind it doesn't say anything about the food in the "Help & Options" section.
You have to consider that some people play this in single player only. Perhaps only a couple of thousand or so, but I'm sure the sales are a bit higher than what the multiplayer leaderboards show.
EDIT: Also, the budget for this game is really really low. Wouldn't surprise me if they've already gotten their money back :lol
Darkmakaimura
Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
If you loved SotN, try Shadow Complex if you haven't. Nowhere near the level of SotN, but great Metroidvania game nonetheless.godhandiscen said:
I'm also hoping the sales pick up. I would love to start seeing CV 2-D games become a norm on XBLA.
Hank The Tank
Neo Member
What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets! Now, have at you!
Ganondorfo
Junior Member
Teknoman said:
So all remixes from previous game, damn I thought that yamane would create a very new soundtrack for this game.
Is this worthwhile at all single player? I usually play games in the early morning hours (EDT) and there aren't that many GAFers or other friends around.
As long as next week's Team Fortress-looking game is decent I'll pick this up anyway as the "buy four, get one free" Summer of Arcade promotion, but still, if it's not at all worthwhile in 1p, I'd need to really convince myself.
As long as next week's Team Fortress-looking game is decent I'll pick this up anyway as the "buy four, get one free" Summer of Arcade promotion, but still, if it's not at all worthwhile in 1p, I'd need to really convince myself.
theMrCravens
Member
Gah! No one online wants to do Hard mode.
Always 4 - 5 - 6, then team dissolves.
Seems map 5 is the one where most people fail.
My favorite chapter and music though.
Always 4 - 5 - 6, then team dissolves.
Seems map 5 is the one where most people fail.
My favorite chapter and music though.