Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 demo impressions thread

Anteater said:
8

Seems that the reviewer disliked all the filler content but thought the combat was pretty decent for 2
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Wait you mean they disliked the filler on LoS1 or 2? Surely they didn't pad out LoS 2.

I tend to like B tier action cames as long as they don't outstay their welcome, but LoS was just sooooo fuuullll of unnecessary segments. I ended up quitting and watching the last couple of chapters on youtube.

This demo was fun for me. By the end of it I was thinking, "I'm tired of punching shields and void-swording," and, "this climbing sucks," and, "none of what I'm seeing makes sense," but I still wanted to keep playing. I don't think I can sit through 40 hours of this, though.

EDIT:

symphonask said:
It's just sad that a team so obviously talented is let down by bad direction. I think everyone here would have taken a great 10 hour action game instead of a 20 hour bloated mess with bland environments and poor stealth/platforming segments.
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Yep. I don't even mind the use of the Castlevania license, unlike a lot of folks. I just wish they'd settle on a concise style.
 
BlackEyes said:
edge magazine gave the game 4/10 -_- wtf konami how did u screw this up
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They complained about the stealth sections as well as having to fight in the sewers a lot or something. I honestly wouldn't be surprised though if it's just a pacing/platforming problem. Even in the demo it had platforming that kind of seemed like "what's the point?" since everything was either highlighted by bats or by holding LT.
 
Sanctuary said:
As awesome of a soundtrack that SoTN has, it definitely wouldn't fit on either of the LoS games. It also seems like more often than not, the music keeps getting compared to what it's not, instead of judging it for what it is.
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SOTN isn't the only CV music worth noting when comparing to LOS. The other 3D CVs, namely 64, had good music. LOS felt like they wanted a clean slate across the board even in areas where CV shined. Most people are judging the music on its own merit and it's simply not up to snuff.
 
Camp Lo said:
SOTN isn't the only CV music worth noting when comparing to LOS. The other 3D CVs, namely 64, had good music. LOS felt like they wanted a clean slate across the board even in areas where CV shined. Most people are judging the music on its own merit and it's simply not up to snuff.
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If you say so, yet the majority of the time what happens is people list games that had better music, and in general it was the rock/poppy kind.
 
As I said in the DK thread (it got a 7), Edge gonna Edge. They are probably the most inconsistent reviewer out there, you never know if they're going to give something a 10 or a 2. I have no idea why people love them so much.
 
TheSpaceBetween said:
As I said in the DK thread (it got a 7), Edge gonna Edge. They are probably the most inconsistent reviewer out there, you never know if they're going to give something a 10 or a 2. I have no idea why people love them so much.
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What would actually be an ironic twist is if Polygon ended up giving it a 9, since they usually seem to go out of their way to give every single game ever, a score lower than every other site just for clickbait, or because it somehow makes them "more hardcore".
 
Sanctuary said:
If you say so, yet the majority of the time what happens is people list games that had better music, and in general it was the rock/poppy kind.
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That genre could have worked, it's not like LOS helped the pacing of the game, the background music felt more like a sound effect that only ramps up during a new discovery. It worked in the past but they chose to go with this ambience that ends up being forgettable.
 
Camp Lo said:
Most people are judging the music on its own merit and it's simply not up to snuff.
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People judging the music in its own merit give it awards

So you may not like it, but it's good. And as I stated earlier in this forum, Araujo tried some classic CV music in LOS and everybody on the team agreed it didn't fit and new music needed to be created
 
Vitet said:
People judging the music in its own merit give it awards

So you may not like it, but it's good. And as I stated earlier in this forum, Araujo tried some classic CV music in LOS and everybody on the team agreed it didn't fit and new music needed to be created
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I get that the team didn't feel like old melodies didn't have a place but that doesn't mean they were correct. I gave props for the Dracula Theme, I just wished more tracks had that feel.
 
Sanctuary said:
What would actually be an ironic twist is if Polygon ended up giving it a 9, since they usually seem to go out of their way to give every single game ever, a score lower than every other site just for clickbait, or because it somehow makes them "more hardcore".
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No they don't.They still have a higher averange review score than IGN and Gamespot.
 
This quote from the Edge review says it all, really:

LOS2 review said:
But for all its litany of crimes, pacing is the biggest. There might be a half-decent ten-hour game in here somewhere, but instead what we have is stretched beyond breaking point and padded with dreary filler.

Halfway through the game, with a mutant infection threatening humanity's existence and a shady group making preparations to summon Satan to conquer the planet, Dracula spends a couple of hours finding Mirror of Fate fragments because the ghost of his dead son says he needs it to play with his toys. This sojourn to the netherworld hosts the nadir of a game with copious low points: another instafail stealth section in which you must evade Agreus, the goat-headed brother of Pan, as you traverse a garden littered with dead leaves that will alert your pursuer if you step on them. If he catches you, his whirlwind attack sends you back to the start. It's tortuous stuff, but the biggest insult is that you fight him immediately afterwards and it's a cakewalk.
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They also cite problems with the combat system:

- attacks feel weightless
- lack of hit-stun on enemies
- no invincibility frames on dodge move
- wonky camera
 
Szadek said:
No they don't.They still have a higher averange review score than IGN and Gamespot.
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Must be all of those indie games that I don't pay attention to, because if it's a highly anticipated new released, almost 100% of the time they give a lower score than anyone.

Originally Posted by LOS2 review

But for all its litany of crimes, pacing is the biggest. There might be a half-decent ten-hour game in here somewhere, but instead what we have is stretched beyond breaking point and padded with dreary filler.
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Ugh. Why didn't they learn from all of the feedback about the first? Pacing was the largest problem with that game too.
 
Camp Lo said:
I get that the team didn't feel like old melodies didn't have a place but that doesn't mean they were correct. I gave props for the Dracula Theme, I just wished more tracks had that feel.
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If you're like me, you really want more Castlevania-ish themes. I feel, based on the soundtrack rip from the demo (I would avoid for you to look for it as it leaks details on some DLC...), that this is indeed in the game. Some of the electro-orchestral music sounds pretty amazing. Many of the remixes in the game come from Lords of Shadow 1 and Mirror of Fate, with
Vampire Killer being in the game as well, but it's the LoS1 music box version
.

I will commend Oscar for making music that sounds more like Castlevania with this game, but it seems there are issues stemming from the core game that will be more of an issue than sound design..
 
Mr. RHC said:
But a 4/10, holy shit how bad can it be??

Not even Lightning Returns scored that low..
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Because LRs team knew they were bad and made the game they could do. Mercury is a Z tier developer who thinks it's Naughty Dog and crams every brilliant idea into the game sense and progression be damned. Watch Alvarez say in twitter that the edge review is bullshit too. If this game kills the series I'll retire from gaming.
 
Disappointing to hear, but I'll play it at launch and judge for myself.

It's not even that I am convinced it will be good or that I think reviews are wrong, I just want to play a shiny new game at launch, even of questionable quality.
 
Levyne said:
Disappointing to hear, but I'll play it at launch at judge for myself.

It's not even that I am convinced it will be good or that I think reviews are wrong, I just want to play a shiny new game at launch, even of questionable quality.
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Can't wait for the embargo to be lifted, if there is one.. gonna be interesting..
 
really don't know if i should cancel my pre-order. these reviews man...
To be honest, i'm really invested on the plot, and although LoS had pacing problems, i still liked it, so not really sure :/
 
But for all its litany of crimes, pacing is the biggest. There might be a half-decent ten-hour game in here somewhere, but instead what we have is stretched beyond breaking point and padded with dreary filler.

Halfway through the game, with a mutant infection threatening humanity's existence and a shady group making preparations to summon Satan to conquer the planet, Dracula spends a couple of hours finding Mirror of Fate fragments because the ghost of his dead son says he needs it to play with his toys. This sojourn to the netherworld hosts the nadir of a game with copious low points: another instafail stealth section in which you must evade Agreus, the goat-headed brother of Pan, as you traverse a garden littered with dead leaves that will alert your pursuer if you step on them. If he catches you, his whirlwind attack sends you back to the start. It's tortuous stuff, but the biggest insult is that you fight him immediately afterwards and it's a cakewalk.
Click to expand...

Okay, this sounds awful. Now I'm worried.
 
Ahasverus said:
Because LRs team knew they were bad and made the game they could do. Mercury is a Z tier developer who thinks it's Naughty Dog and crams every brilliant idea into the game sense and progression be damned. Watch Alvarez say in twitter that the edge review is bullshit too. If this game kills the series I'll retire from gaming.
Click to expand...

let the hate flow through you
 
Ahasverus said:
Because LRs team knew they were bad and made the game they could do. Mercury is a Z tier developer who thinks it's Naughty Dog and crams every brilliant idea into the game sense and progression be damned. Watch Alvarez say in twitter that the edge review is bullshit too. If this game kills the series I'll retire from gaming.
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Naughty Dog was once closer to Z tier than Mercury has ever been (see: Rings of Power and Way of the Warrior)
 
Another 10 hour action adventure game streeeeeeeeeeetched out to 20 hours of decent action game design mixed with tedious filler fetch quests and boring diversions

Mercurysteam...not again...
 
You know I didn't hate the first Lords of Shadow at all. I actually felt it was a strong, gorgeous looking action game. It wasn't up to snuff for my tastes, as I'm a huge fanboy of the Castlevania franchise, but it wasn't a bad game for what it was. It peaked in the middle sure, and the Titan battles were horribly designed...but it was a good game.

I am starting to think that it was actually lightning in a bottle for that team.. Mirror of Fate was a colossal disappointment and now it seems that Lords of Shadow 2 ain't shaping up much better.

I know that MS and Cox kept hinting that Konami was having them reboot Contra, and I hope they get their shit together for that one. Don't drop that ball. Don't.
 
Im actually happy the game is long. I loved the length of LoS (Screw you haters) I had fun the entire time. Dat clock tower level.

Also I hope to see more Castlevaina like bosses this time, like Legion, Medusa and Slogoria
 
Why am I the only one that doesn't think this stelath sequence sounds so bad. Especially if it's a one or two time thing and it's over. Meh. Well I still have a pre-order for it. Will see how it goes.
 
Eh. I tried to change the resolution to 2560x1440 and when I apply it the demo crashes to desktop. I'm not going to waste my time with it.
 
The key for stealth sections is apparently the mist form, it's just that it's only used one time before they happen so people tend to forget it, I've read that like from 4 people these days
Mr. RHC said:
I still don't know one thing:

Why would Zobek team up with Gabriel, and why would Satan wanna take revenge on Zobek when it was him how lit Zobek on fire in the first place
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I think Zobek and Satan are working togheter. It's CV, your friend is betraying you, always.
 
prudislav said:
camera and combat felt fine in PC demo for me
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Yeah. I felt everything was on par with LoS1 in the demo. Nothing felt off at all.

Ahasverus said:
At this point I'm convinced LoS1 was a matter of luck.
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Maybe. I wasn't a fan of LoS1 when I played it on the PS3. I definitely would have given it a low rating back then. The PC version feels and plays way better, and today I would give the game a 7 or 8 at most.

PepsimanVsJoe said:
Insta-fail stealth sections?
That is straight-up garbage design.
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Seriously. It's dumber than having QTEs in the last game. Thank god you can turn those off in this.
 
I'm just sad now. I was willing to think that the GI reviewer just grew tired of last gen and that's what led to the lower score, but a 4, and that paragraph about stealth and paceing... jesus, dont they play their own game?
 
symphonask said:
This quote from the Edge review says it all, really:
They also cite problems with the combat system:
- attacks feel weightless
- lack of hit-stun on enemies
- no invincibility frames on dodge move
- wonky camera
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Yeah, I noticed these in my playthrough. No problem with the camera though. I actually thought it followed the action pretty well.
 
PepsimanVsJoe said:
Insta-fail stealth sections?
That is straight-up garbage design.
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Indeed, especially when you consider how they describe that particular section happens. If you get caught, you get blown back to the start with a spin move. But when you finally get to fight the guy, he is a piece of cake. Running around collecting mirror shards for hours so the ghost of your son can play with his toys sounds like complete garbage as well.

Come on. You are Dracula and are getting ready to square off against Satan and this is the kind bullshit they have you do for hours at a time? And they state further that stuff like this is delivered in copious amounts? I hate to say it, but the cracks are starting to show for this one.

Of course I generally like to make up my own mind when it comes to games. But when well reasoned arguments are made for why a game fails to deliver, I pay attention. I was already a bit worried about enemies with guns and the modern setting taking away the magic of the fantastical old world locations in the first one. But hearing stuff like this on top is a real blow to the gut. It's pretty deflating, to be honest.
 
symphonask said:
This quote from the Edge review says it all, really:



They also cite problems with the combat system:

- attacks feel weightless
- lack of hit-stun on enemies
- no invincibility frames on dodge move
- wonky camera
Click to expand...

Just finished MGR: Revengeance and wanted to beat the first Lord of Shadows before the second. Noticed all these things and same in the demo for 2. Combat feels so slow and imprecise.

Only on chapter 2 and now questioning whether I should even bother.
 
symphonask said:
It's just sad that a team so obviously talented is let down by bad direction. I think everyone here would have taken a great 10 hour action game instead of a 20 hour bloated mess with bland environments and poor stealth/platforming segments.
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NOPE, I'd rather take the 20hrs mess any day, heck I am turned off from the genre in general due to the whole 6:8hrs games, hence why Lords of Shadow 1 and Darksiders franchise are something close to my heart.

Dio Brando said:
really don't know if i should cancel my pre-order. these reviews man...
To be honest, i'm really invested on the plot, and although LoS had pacing problems, i still liked it, so not really sure :/
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oh come on, I can't tell you what to do and what to not do, but personally I don't think any number of reviews will get in my way of buying LoS.2, the game is made for me.

Ahasverus said:
At this point I'm convinced LoS1 was a matter of luck.
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Ahasverus, you turned 180degree :D
 
GungriffonEX said:
Just finished MGR: Revengeance and wanted to beat the first Lord of Shadows before the second. Noticed all these things and same in the demo for 2. Combat feels so slow and imprecise.

Only on chapter 2 and now questioning whether I should even bother.
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I can atest that the first LoS is a great game. Get until chapter three (or find a save and just play the last 3 stages of 2) the real game starts therea and goes up from there.

Samir: I can not die yet I cannot live.
 
Samir Sedlar said:
oh come on, I can't tell you what to do and what to not do, but personally I don't think any number of reviews will get in my way of buying LoS.2, the game is made for me.
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i'm actually feeling like that. loved the trailers, and although i agree with the criticisms on the LoS 2 demo, i still liked it(besides the shoot the bolts stuff. that was retarded). I guess i'll wait for more impressions.
 
Samir Sedlar said:
oh come on, I can't tell you what to do and what to not do, but personally I don't think any number of reviews will get in my way of buying LoS.2, the game is made for me.
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I understand where you are coming from. This has actually been my most anticipated game since it was announced. That is why hearing shit like this bothers me so. That said, I am still going to see it through and hope that it manages to rise above my now lowered expectations.
 
PepsimanVsJoe said:
Insta-fail stealth sections?
That is straight-up garbage design.
Click to expand...

That almost means that I don't buy the game-- certainly not at launch, and most likely, not ever.

Memories of Shadow of Rome still haunt me when it comes to pass-fail stealth gameplay. Spent $50 on it, thinking, "Yeah! Action!" Then the stealth happened, the pacing of the game ground to a halt, and I traded it in the next day.

I largely avoid games with stealth-- and have even soured some on the MGS series over the years-- so it's obvious that LoS2 just isn't for me.
 
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