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Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 - |OT| - Dead and Loving It!
- Thread starter Ahasverus
- Start date
SlasherJPC
Banned
Yeah def the enemies track you better and dodge and move away more so. I did just almost do a complete playthrough of the first game, so maybe that's why it feels different to me.
Seems like it. Luckily Gabriel is also much better suited to fighting, as going aeriel in the first game left you wiiiiide open, being able to block, synchblock, and dodge midair is a tremendous help. I've been finding much better success using the launcher move here compared to 1.
I also am pretty sure the focus meter maxes out much quicker...which is another reason why the edge review makes no sense("You’ll generate a lot more orbs if you can keep a combo going long enough to fill another meter, but this is a rare event. You’re going to get hit a lot.", what?). It's helped offset by the meter itself being depelted once the sword or claws are pulled out, instead of being able to use your respetive dark and light magic to keep hammering out focus orbs.
Hah, I actually was going to mention how much I fucking loved how God of War 2 pulled off the sense of adventure. Huge reason why it's my favorite in the franchise.
Dr Bass
Member
Yeah, I have to agree with Jett here.
It was an instant classic. Incredibly well received on day one. It was one of the reasons I bought a PSX.
Combichristoffersen
Combovers don't work when there is no hair
I know the reviews haven't been particularly kind, but what is the GAF consensus so far on this game? Besides the XBOX HUEG environmental objectss thing.
Obviously, there are a lot of varied opinions, but the summary to my perception, seems to be.
- Awesome artstyle, looks great
- Better combat (but some people feel it is still bad, just I'm not seeing anyone calling it worse)
- Most people do not seem to like the city locales at all
- Many people like the music, a couple people feel it does not sound like Castlevania
- Seems like everyone thinks the stealth was a poor fit, but up to your tolerance and skill to determine how much this affects your opinion.
- A lot of people like that slight "metroidvania" aspect but some people wish the narrative was stronger, or more similar to the first game. Feel like lack of locales and weaker story some people tie to the open structure, which I think is understandable.
As someone who loved the first game and who's only spent two hours with this game, I think it's off to a good start. Combat seems similar, but more refined and responsive and the production values are still great, with the same stellar art direction and music quality the original had.
Platforming is a little more enjoyable, but there's still some tedium attached. The game's definitely been holding my hand far more than I'd like, but I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt so far, for still being the start of the game. The forced stealth sections haven't been as bad as I'd heard so far, but they'll definitely wear their welcome out if there're plenty more.
As I said, I haven't spent a lot of time with it yet and there are definitely better qualified to answer you. But so far, I'd find it hard to believe a fan of the original would dislike this game.
Facism
Member
Solid 7/10 for me so far and I use the whole scale plus I'm actually good at videogames and their logic. Undesirable traits for a videogame journo, I know.
â Narayan
Member
About 10 hours in now. I really like it so far. They pretty much fixed every issue I had with LoS1 in the gameplay department. The camera is amazingly not as crappy as I find it to be in other action games. The small stealth bits really aren't as bad as some reviewers were saying.
I really like that they made this title more like the Metroidvanias. It's kind of cool that, even though you're exploring a city, you're still inside of the castle.
Oh yeah, this game is absolutely gorgeous on PC.
I really like that they made this title more like the Metroidvanias. It's kind of cool that, even though you're exploring a city, you're still inside of the castle.
Oh yeah, this game is absolutely gorgeous on PC.
Quality in the game is uneven. That's the best way to put it.
Some parts are gorgeous and play like a 9/10.
Some parts are not, and play like a 6/10.
Luckily, there's more of the first type than the second type. If you liked the first game a lot, I'd definitely recommend it. Reviews were way too harsh.
That said, I'll probably still prefer the first game over this one, as I consider the first a complete masterpiece, without rough edges, downtime, or uneven art design. The game is definitely fun though, and I'm glad I got it.
I am stuck.
Just beat the gas plant part and had a boss fight. Now I am in a firey place just after recovering a dungeon key. Now what the hell do I do? I see a White Wolf place but if I go there I go back to Science Department. Wut wut.
*NVM I think I am an idiot haha
Just beat the gas plant part and had a boss fight. Now I am in a firey place just after recovering a dungeon key. Now what the hell do I do? I see a White Wolf place but if I go there I go back to Science Department. Wut wut.
*NVM I think I am an idiot haha
I believe there is a
vertical black chain that you climb up, it took me a minute to find it as well. From there the platforming should be pretty straightforward.
AmethystEnd
Member
I'm not sleeping tonight. Only have one class tomorrow, so the world be damned, I'm gonna enjoy a long ass marathon of this game tonight.
Chance Hale
Member
The character scaling in this game is completely out of wrack, at first I thought it to be a sort of dream effect(and it might be I suppose) but it's everywhere. 20 foot tall book cases in houses and so on.
Krusenstern
Banned
I'm not far into the game but I can't see this being below average or mediocre like these reviews say.
What seems out of place are the stealth sections. But no way near as bad as people might think. It doesn't drag the game down like Edge might suggest. Platforming seems to be designed for dummies. Not only are way-points highlighted by a misty cloud of flying bats, you can also hold down a button to let red markers appear along the way. An over-obvious camera that hints at certain points and spots shows how much hand-holding there is in the game. These were my main gripes with the game so far. Nothing that would turn me off the game personally.
The action takes off faster than in the first game and doesn't lack behind it in my opinion. Combat is nice, fluid and easy to get into (especially if you already played the first game).
Backtracking is now actual backtracking and it's fun this time. The game world is build up semi-interconnected. It's not a linear chapter you repeat over again. You can re-enter areas you already visited and reach new spots the more abilities you learn.
I already enjoy it more than the first game (and I really liked the first game too). Of course, that's all my point of view here.
(Graphically it looks stunning. But that's well known already I suppose.)
brandonh83
Banned
Mercury Steam can make some amazing bosses. Holy fucking shit.
SlasherJPC
Banned
Yep, and they really don't bother me from that perspective. It's the fact that you kill all these crazy ass monsters, some as high as a building and yet you can't just destroy these fools. lol
well to be fair you are in a weakened state
SlasherJPC
Banned
Well I hear there is more parts later like that, and I already fought a huge boss. Will see if it happens again. I just have to suspend realism and that's fine, it's a game and a mechanic. lol
Taking the stealth sections as the puzzle rooms that they are, I am really enjoying them. I like them more than most of the logic puzzles in the first game.
But I also don't really think they are out of place. At least half of Bram Stoker's novel consisted of Dracula sneaking around in the shadows trying not to get caught. And I know that is a very different take on Dracula than Castlevania but it still seems fitting to take a defining characteristic from the novel and finally incorporate it into the games.
But I also don't really think they are out of place. At least half of Bram Stoker's novel consisted of Dracula sneaking around in the shadows trying not to get caught. And I know that is a very different take on Dracula than Castlevania but it still seems fitting to take a defining characteristic from the novel and finally incorporate it into the games.
Finn of Ooo
Member
I just wish I could use the magic weapons more, their move sets are so awesome I don't wanna go back to the whip.
swazzyswess
Member
Yeah, remember that part when Harker shows up with a grenade launcher and a suit of armor and can one-hit kill Dracula? Dude was a total badass.
Bloodworth
Member
Oh I think the idea of stealth Dracula could be great, but I would have liked it better if it were more predatory, like when you swoop down in the Arkham games and snag a guy without anyone noticing. The invincible respawning Golgoth Guards are just awful.
Had a weird glitch. Went to finish off
and it instead went to some weird angle where I can't see Dracula or the Boss. Guess I'm going to need to restart. Don't usually encounter bugs that quickly.
And I have to say I really enjoy that theme that goes through the castle when you return to it. I suppose it's weird that it feels kind of peaceful, but I like it for some reason.
the Stone Golem
And I have to say I really enjoy that theme that goes through the castle when you return to it. I suppose it's weird that it feels kind of peaceful, but I like it for some reason.
SlasherJPC
Banned
Happened to me, just hit restart checkpoint and shouldn't happen again.
brandonh83
Banned
So, I just finished the fight with
and that was a lot of fun. Really kept me on my toes and had me coming up with strategies as to how to get through it, and it felt very, very satisfying-- on top of that, pretty intense. And the fight that followed after was one of the best bosses in the game.
Agreus, as well as the pre-fight stealth section
The second stealth segment had one aspect that was pretty dumb(
) I actually got stuck there for a few minutes as the shadow portal for the rats is not the easiest thing to see. For something like that, it's getting stuck on something braindead easy and that leads to frustration when something is just not being seen.
I'll see how the rest go, but the actual bat distraction/possession stuff has been inoffensive.
it shows an obvious grate, and there's a crate across from you. So it would make sense that the rats are there. Instead you backtrack to the first spot where a guard was.
I'll see how the rest go, but the actual bat distraction/possession stuff has been inoffensive.
Bloodworth
Member
I saw the grate, but didn't have a clue where the rats were so I actually distracted the dudes and went for the ladder behind them.
Yeah, got through fine the second time through.
I made it clear that I saw it as adopting an aspect of the character into this games universe and not that it was true to Stokers novel. I really don't know how you managed to miss my point.
I agree that it would be a much better fit. Still as a gameplay mechanic I think the Golgoth dudes are fine and make for decent puzzle rooms. That stealth boss is pretty poorly designed though.
ambientmystic
Member
They're here, both the user profile and the cfg file:-
Code:
C:\Users\YourUserName\Documents\MercurySteam\Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2\somerandomnumbersHaha, I tried to distract and possess. Turns out killing them via possession just causes another guard to get called in.
Oh I had just past that part last night.
I completely overthought the whole situation:
I completely overthought the whole situation:
Oh, there are two guards, clearly I distract the far one, near one will turn his back to me, I run past to the crate on the other side, and then repeat in the opposite order from the new vantage point. Surely that's the puzzle here!
Nope, just go back and get the rats. pssh
Nope, just go back and get the rats. pssh
I tried removing the folder, which was made up of random number, and my save file was still fine when I booted up the game. Is that just the steam cloud fixing things perhaps?
ambientmystic
Member
That's most definitely the case. I did it in steam offline mode and my save/configuration was completely wiped when i moved that folder elsewhere. Restored when I moved it back.
SargerusBR
I love Pokken!
Finished the
boss a while ago. This game definitely do not deserve the low scores that its getting. Combat is way better than the previous game, the Castle looks gorgeous and even some areas of the modern city IMO.
The only really negative aspects are the stealth sections and
. Those two don't have anything to do with a Castlevania game.
Toymaker
The only really negative aspects are the stealth sections and
those Metal Gear-like enemies
Chance Hale
Member
The sub weapon/limited use items are odd. I suppose I should be using them more but they kind of feel like cheating.
brandonh83
Banned
Holy shit, this fucking game. I don't know how it compares to the first game just yet but I know I'm having a ball with it and I love most things about it.
Yeah, these flying jetpack are actually challenging. That's good.
Anyone have any good strategies for them? It's not too bad, but I find I'm running out of chaos to break their shields easily, and they run quite a bit and fly in the air.
I actually used one of the time items. First time.
Anyone have any good strategies for them? It's not too bad, but I find I'm running out of chaos to break their shields easily, and they run quite a bit and fly in the air.
I actually used one of the time items. First time.
Bloodworth
Member
don't forget your chaos projectile
This has been my issue so far. The game is gorgeous and I was a big fan of the first. I just wish it'd let me get more into it.
One thing that bothered me was in the section that's also in the demo, it'll show you a camera shot of something you're supposed to destroy. Ok. Fine. THEN you encounter the same situation 20 seconds later and it shows you pretty much the exact same thing again. It just seems like a waste. That was a specific example, but it happens a few times.
Still, I think it'll improve, I've not really got going yet.
Somersault over them. Any enemies with front shields, a somersault attack will do good damage. Any enemy that doesn't have a horizontally tracking move really. There's one enemy which has armor on it's back though, it doesn't work too well on them obviously.
brandonh83
Banned
Can't you skip those cutscenes? I mean, I don't think you'd want to on your first playthrough, but certainly after you've seen them you should be able to skip them later on. I personally think the story cutscenes are pretty cool and interesting so I wasn't like "fuck this shit let me play!"