Would you recommend this game to someone who's really tired of all the copy-pasted Metroidvanias and more of a fan of old-school Castlevania like Super Castlevania 4 and Rondo of Blood? The reviews don't seem to be that great, so I'm not sure if I should bite.
Definitely. I'm a Metroidvania fan so this game turned me off. It honestly reminded me more of Rondo of Blood. I purchased that game via Dracula X Chronicles on the PSP solely to play Symphony of the Night.
So if you preferred Rondo of Blood I think you'd like this game.
Definitely. I'm a Metroidvania fan so this game turned me off. It honestly reminded me more of Rondo of Blood. I purchased that game via Dracula X Chronicles on the PSP solely to play Symphony of the Night.
So if you preferred Rondo of Blood I think you'd like this game.
You mean you don't like Classicvanias? A shame...I really liked the emphasis of combat/dodging over just steamrolling eneimies via grinding. One of the sole reasons I like Order of Ecclessia
until it copped out and became a Metroidvania halfway through
Would you recommend this game to someone who's really tired of all the copy-pasted Metroidvanias and more of a fan of old-school Castlevania like Super Castlevania 4 and Rondo of Blood? The reviews don't seem to be that great, so I'm not sure if I should bite.
I, too, am sick and tired of all of these Metroidvania Castlevanias and yearn for more Classic-style Castlevania. Mirror of Fate, while it is as close as it gets, still leaves me with mixed feelings. It makes me want to play Rondo of Blood again, or Order of Ecclessia.
I'm well into Act III but had to put it down for the night because my battery's red-zoned and I don't feel like tethering to the outlet... my eyes needed a rest anyway. But I'm really enjoying this game. It's not "classic" Metroidvania - which has been the defacto style of good Castlevanias for years now - but it is a good Castlevania game nonetheless... Lovin' it!
Definitely. I'm a Metroidvania fan so this game turned me off. It honestly reminded me more of Rondo of Blood. I purchased that game via Dracula X Chronicles on the PSP solely to play Symphony of the Night.
So if you preferred Rondo of Blood I think you'd like this game.
I think so. Some will obviously disagree, but the castle here isn't the copy/paste style of the Metroidvanias. There isn't as much to see and explore as in those, but it's still decently large, there are at least limited secrets, and the whip platforming is IMO a bit closer to something like Super Castlevania IV. It doesn't have the large emphasis on tight platforming as the older games, but it's still there and some parts have a pretty big focus on it.
When it comes to length, it's anywhere from 8-10 hours on average I guess, but the Metroidvanias, while having more content, could be beaten in a similar frame.
Thanks. Sounds like an improvement at least. My main problem with the Metroidvanias is the non-existant challenging platforming (or basically the total lack of difficulty), they're basically just jumping up and down and pressing the attack button, even the N64 games were a lot better in that regard. That, and that they seem like the same game all the time with some new sprites added.
I guess I'll give it shot once the price drops a bit, it's 45€ here in Europe, which is pretty insane for a short portable game. :/
Thanks. Sounds like an improvement at least. My main problem with the Metroidvanias is the non-existant challenging platforming (or basically the total lack of difficulty), they're basically just jumping up and down and pressing the attack button, even the N64 games were a lot better in that regard.
Oh, there's quite a lot of platforming, I have to say. The problem is that they don't mix it up with enemy placement. That's what great Castlevanias were so good at.
Medusa heads, anyone?
Still, it's great they put a lot of emphasis on both platforming and combat. I just don't get why they had to feel so segmented among each other.
Oh, there's quite a lot of platforming, I have to say. The problem is that they don't mix it up with enemy placement. That's what great Castlevanias were so good at.
Medusa heads, anyone?
Still, it's great they put a lot of emphasis on both platforming and combat. I just don't get why they had to feel so segmented among each other.
Yeah, but from what I remember, none of the platforming was challenging in any way, old-school Castlevanias were basically platformers with combat thrown in. The Metroidvanias are really combat-centric.
Yeah, but from what I remember, none of the platforming was challenging in any way, old-school Castlevanias were basically platformers with combat thrown in. The Metroidvanias are really combat-centric.
Eh, it's the opposite. Metroidvanias eventually turned into grindfests. Can't beat a boss? Just grind untill you get to a point where you could basically do some basic avoidance manuvers but spam attacks that deal massive amounts of damage enough to kill them quickly. Order of Ecclessia was far less forgiving, making bosses deal they same fraction of damage (like almost half your health) no matter what level you were, thus once again placing emphasis on actually learning how to dodge for real.
Mirror of Fate is kinda like that, but it's a shame it does not attempt to pair up the enemies with the the tricky terrain. It always feels like they were sectioned off into arenas instead.
Rondo of Blood definitely had moments where you simply had to make that jump or else you're dead.
Eh, it's the opposite. Metroidvanias eventually turned into grindfests. Can't beat a boss? Just grind untill you get to a point where you could basically do some basic avoidance manuvers but spam attacks that deal massive amounts of damage enough to kill them quickly. Order of Ecclessia was far less forgiving, making bosses deal they same fraction of damage (like almost half your health) no matter what level you were, thus once again placing emphasis on actually learning how to dodge for real.
I meant the Metroidvanias with non-challenging platforming, but it's been a few years since I played any of the DS games, they were all pretty easy from my memory. I could be wrong though as it's been a while since I played those games.
Mirror of Fate is kinda like that, but it's a shame it does not attempt to pair up the enemies with the the tricky terrain. It always feels like they were sectioned off into arenas instead.
Rondo of Blood definitely had moments where you simply had to make that jump or else you're dead.
That's what I meant I feel is missing from the Metroidvanias, even the N64 games had really punishing platforming. One badly timed jump could mean that you'd have to start the stage all over again.
You mean you don't like Classicvanias? A shame...I really liked the emphasis of combat/dodging over just steamrolling eneimies via grinding. One of the sole reasons I like Order of Ecclessia
until it copped out and became a Metroidvania halfway through
Thing is, you don't *have* to grind in Metroidvania either. Maybe there are examples, but I haven't played them. I think what makes Metroidvania more like what I like about Dark Souls to me is that you can pretty quickly go anywhere in the world. They aren't terribly linear. And if you choose not to grind they're still very skill based. Minus the fact that you can't plunge to your death as you can in classic Castlevania. I'll have to check out Order of Ecclessia, though, to see what the difference is like.
Minus the fact that you can't plunge to your death as you can in classic Castlevania. I'll have to check out Order of Ecclesia, though, to see what the difference is like.
In Order of Ecclesia, you don't fall to your death. But the enemies are still sure to make quick work for you if you don't move. As for exploration, I prefer the Rondo of Blood's route with branching paths.
The point I'm trying to get across is that there's nothing inherently wrong with linearity in a Castlevania game, provided it's densely pack and there are is lots of approaches.
In Order of Ecclesia, you don't fall to your death. But the enemies are still sure to make quick work for you if you don't move. As for exploration, I prefer the Rondo of Blood's route with branching paths.
The point I'm trying to get across is that there's nothing inherently wrong with linearity in a Castlevania game, provided it's densely pack and there are is lots of approaches.
The problem with Mirror of Fate is that even as a Classicvania, it feels a little...dry. Order of Ecclesia is definitely a better experience in that regard.
Just talking about it make me want to replay OoE again.
I completed it with 100% across the board this morning... Honestly, I thought the final boss fight was surprisingly easy given some of the nastier bosses coming up through the castle; he had nothing on the OoE end-fight - that one was a bitch (especially for me: I didn't absorb Albus' glyph my first play through and hadn't lucked out on the top end drops... Ecclesia's still my fave DS Castlevania, by far though)
As for Mirror Of Fate, as someone said above, it's no Rondo, but I'd rank it around with Bloodlines in the cool and fun factors, and as a 3DS title I'm giving it a personal rank above RE:Revalaitions, which makes it my Number One 3DS game! So ya, I really enjoyed it; as a fresh new take on portable Castlevania, I think it's taken a few steps in an interesting direction, and I'd want to see it developed a little more in future titles - I'd really love to see them alternate releasing MoF type Castlevanias and IGA Castlevanias every couple years for a while... kinda change things up a bit with West vs. East takes on the franchise mythos...
I just started playing and I'm really enjoying it so far. Still miss games like OoE though. I kinda wish there was at least some kind of Shanoa-like playable character in this.
I just started playing and I'm really enjoying it so far. Still miss games like OoE though. I kinda wish there was at least some kind of Shanoa-like playable character in this.
I dunno why the hell they gave everyone whips... at least make Alucard use a different weapon...
I know why, it's the prelude to LoS 2. I hope that one has at least Alucard, Gabriel and Julius (?) as playable characters, the three of them being different from each other. Like... TOTALLY different.
I have high hopes for LoS 2 right now... maybe I'm making a mistake. =/
I think it fits the setting. But I'll give the fact that I wasn't feeling it until the beginning of Alucards act. It's definitely not LOS levels for me but I'd buy an OST if one was available.
I think it fits the setting. But I'll give the fact that I wasn't feeling it until the beginning of Alucards act. It's definitely not LOS levels for me but I'd buy an OST if one was available.
I've finished it, 100% with all but one character.
I liked it. I didn't love it.
To get the positives out of the way, I think it makes excellent use of 3D, I though the visuals were very good, I liked the art direction, I liked the gameplay, the platforming, loved the boss fights, and was surprised by how much I actually cared about the story when it would go into cutscene mode. I thought the writing was very to the point with no bullshit and did a very good job at introducing the new characters and working them into the existing lore established by the first game. It left me satisfied and even more excited to play Lords of Shadow 2. I'm being brief about what I liked because I've already largely discussed these things before, so I don't want to repeat myself here. I think it's a solid game, and yes, I think it's a fine Castlevania game. Now, onto the negatives, and what reasons I feel holds it back from being great.
Identity crisis.
While I do feel that this felt like a Castlevania game, I couldn't also help but feel that the game designers were trying to mash certain aspects of franchise past together here to make it feel more "authentic." The problem with that is that I don't feel like they needed to. There is an evident pressure at work here to make it a Castlevania game, and I think it's actually working against them. There have been so many different kinds of Castlevania games, it's changed direction a number of times, and I think it's totally fine for a new product to segregate itself from what has come before as long as certain tropes are intact and the atmosphere is suitable. It's an almost 30 year old series. It's okay for a new game to feel like its own thing without trying so hard to be a copycat. They don't need to copy what's come before, they need to look at what's come before, see what makes the series tick, and try to mold something from that. I felt they did an admirable job with Lords of Shadow; it wasn't perfect, but I liked the direction and thought it "made sense" as a 3D installment. Mirror of Fate, on the other hand, felt like this opportunity where, since they're making a 3DS game, that they can use the perspective to work in more tropes from various other installments/directions -- namely the way you fill out the map from the Metroivanias, how Alucard has a
wolf form, a mist form
, etc., among other things. The issue I had is that they brought in a lot of things but didn't really make them their own, so it felt like they were there just because.
I thought some staples of the series were given neat twists, such as how the bone dragons were used for platforming purposes instead of enemies for example, but more often than not I was sort of rolling my eyes at how much the game kept trying to force in aspects of the more popular installments and mixing them up with some of their own tropes from the first Lords of Shadow, like how it
flirts with the Titan fight
aspects. It didn't necessarily feel sloppy -- just somewhat cowardly. Their first game, as controversial as it was, was at least bold. Sure it brought in things from other franchises even, but the combat, despite looking and playing like God of War, was brought in and changed up in some ways to make it feel unique from GOW's combat, and I thought they accomplished that. But by and large, Mirror of Fate has some real identity crisis issues. I thought the game would have been better if it had taken these aspects from the series but given new flavor, new life. Instead a lot of things just felt tacked on and there for the sake of it.
Needed more secrets, precious...
Once you've gotten most of the way through the game, aside from a few very cool, even clever moments, you've pretty much seen everything the game has to offer. "Secrets" are limited to life, "ammunition," and magic upgrades as well as scrolls from fallen Brotherhood soldiers -- and this goes along with my complaint about the identity crisis issues -- it brings in the map-filling, secret-placement of the Metroidvanias, but unlike the Metroidvanias, they weren't able to make it truly exciting because every "collectible" aside from the abilities you unlock as you level up and reach certain moments of the game are relegated to those four or five different things. As such, despite the castle being fairly large, it felt like it lacked content and a sense of discovery. It's there for some odd hours of the game, but the further you get, the more you know exactly what to expect. One majestic problem I had was that you get these cool abilities to either break down doors or pass through them, and you get excited thinking, oh hell yeah, I can get through that door now, sweet, I wonder what's over there now that I can get there!? Oh, another health chest. Oh, another magic chest. Ah, a scroll...
It needed more variety, more spice, more things to collect. It was far too restricted which puts somewhat of a damper on the enjoyment and excitement of covering new ground.
Needed more levels, precious.
This is no joke-- this game looks gorgeous. Yes, it could have had a better framerate, but the art direction and scope provided by the 3D is just a fucking wonder to behold. But there just wasn't enough. You spend a lot of time in caverns and dungeons, and too little time up in the actual castle where the art direction is pretty terrific. Mirror of Fate is in desperate need of more castle levels. Now, the atmosphere and gothic tone is prevalent all through the game, but at the end of the day you won't be able to help think that there should have been at least a few more "stages" before journey's end. When you reach the end-end, it feels a little sudden, like it didn't have the proper buildup it needed. A few more places and at least another boss or two may have helped, and the game lacks that area, you know, that level that feels like its the penultimate location leading to the final location. It just sort of... it's like, oh, this is the end. The castle is designed well, the atmosphere is very nice and suitably gothic, it just needed more.
Things to do!
The game is a good size, the combat is solid, it has a few really cool puzzles... but because of how limited the secrets are and the emphasis on combat, I felt like the game, just the overall game in general lacked something. And I'm not talking about multiplayer. Had there been more locations and a better variety of secrets that makes the castle more interesting to explore, that may have helped, but I felt a sense of "that's it?" when I finished the last boss. It definitely lacks replay value as well. As much as I enjoyed the game, I'm not sure how often I see myself revisiting it, especially with Lords of Shadow 2 on the horizon.
The music.
Oh ho, wait Brandon, I thought you loved the music and that it fits the "style" of the Lords of Shadow games! What the fuck, son? Well, all of that is true. I think Oscar Araujo is a terrific composer and his score for the first game is bar none one of my favorite game soundtracks of the generation. However, it suffers the same exact issue that the original game had, and that's implementation, and it didn't have enough music. I think the music direction was great -- quieter, more somber and even soothing tracks -- but here you literally get a handful of compositions that play over and over, sometimes just playing on random loops. Again, this happened with the first game and it happened again. I'm seriously considering writing MercurySteam about this because I don't want this to be a flaw yet again in Lords of Shadow 2. So while the soundtrack is good, it's too sparse, and needed to be worked in better.
In summary, this is a fine game that "felt like Castlevania" to me. It had solid combat, solid platforming, the atmosphere was great, the music (what music it had) was very pleasant and fitting. Do I think it's worth $40? Yes, for me anyway. That was a solid 11 hours or so of very atmospheric game with a story I liked very very much, but it's true it's lacking in replay value. I keep my Castlevania games no matter what though, so I will hold on to it just as I hold on to my other ones, but it probably has the least replay value I've ever felt with one of these. And again I think it's because they tried to mash so many aspects of the series together that they failed to really execute any one aspect with perfection.
A passable Castlevania experience with a handful of "HOLY FUCKING SHIT" moments (and trust me -- there are some, just moments of surprise or true epic badassness), interesting story that does a good job at keeping you interested, and strokes of deeper creativity -- but it could have used... more.
What I meant was that I wrote it without the intention of sugar-coating it. With these games I'm generally on the defensive, but I did have some problems with this one and I wanted to make that clear.
All of those criticisms are pretty fair in my book, doesn't mean I regret at all playing the game, I actually loved the 11 hours I spent in Mercurysteam's rendition, but there are some faults. Surely you must agree on that?
Positive impressions and the demo growing on me (I really like the combat) made me order this game yesterday, appears to have been sent, if I'm lucky it'll be in my mail today !
Would you recommend this game to someone who's really tired of all the copy-pasted Metroidvanias and more of a fan of old-school Castlevania like Super Castlevania 4 and Rondo of Blood? The reviews don't seem to be that great, so I'm not sure if I should bite.
Can someone give me a hand on some collectibles in Act 2?
I'm missing one in the
]Abandoned Mine. Looked everywhere and opened up the door with the wolf deal but I can't think of a place to search. Also missing one in the Toy Makers Workshop and the only area I can think to check is blocked by a lazer deal. Actually it's two lazer deals and I got by the first one and have to wall jump/mist past the other but I can never get enough reach. Alucard still has to get one ability or at least that's what it says in the equipment screen. Last deal I got was the grind rail thingy.
Can someone give me a hand on some collectibles in Act 2?
I'm missing one in the
Abandoned Mine. Looked everywhere and opened up the door with the wolf deal but I can't think of a place to search. Also missing one in the Toy Makers Workshop and the only area I can think to check is blocked by a lazer deal. Actually it's two lazer deals and I got by the first one and have to wall jump/mist past the other but I can never get enough reach. Alucard still has to get one ability or at least that's what it says in the equipment screen. Last deal I got was the grind rail thingy.
What really helped me in finding everything was filling out the map. Are there any parts of your map left unfilled? By that I mean are there any areas where borders still aren't visible?
What really helped me in finding everything was filling out the map. Are there any parts of your map left unfilled? By that I mean are there any areas where borders still aren't visible?
Got this earlier. I quite like it! I hope if they ever make another handheld game (dunno if they will, they're saying LOS2 is the last in the LOS saga at least) they go with the cell shaded look because I really like the cutscenes. Bums me out when they go back to the normal gameplay! Framerate only hitches up for me in the in engine cutscenes, gets a bit dicey there sometimes, but otherwise I'm not noticing many issues.
Simon Belmont looks alarmingly like Rip Hunter of DC Comics fame. Love it. Ginger hair all over the place. Haven't finished the game yet, hope they don't bump him off.
All of those criticisms are pretty fair in my book, doesn't mean I regret at all playing the game, I actually loved the 11 hours I spent in Mercurysteam's rendition, but there are some faults. Surely you must agree on that?
I liked the game, but it's disappointing that barring playing on the hardest difficulty I've now done everything it has to offer. I have been spoiled by the length of previous handheld titles.
I don't like it enough to keep replaying it over and over, so I would recommend either renting this or getting it used.
I liked the game, but it's disappointing that barring playing on the hardest difficulty I've now done everything it has to offer. I have been spoiled by the length of previous handheld titles.
I don't like it enough to keep replaying it over and over, so I would recommend either renting this or getting it used.
I'm finding this game more fun and compelling that the original Lords of Shadow. I get bored after 30 minutes of the console version, the 3DS one? I find difficult to put it down.
I need some help on an Act 3 puzzle, it seems. Pretty sure I'm missing something really dumb.
It's the part where you
have to input four colored slots as Trevor. I found all the soldiers, and the code seems to be red/blue/red/blue, but when I put the magic in order, nothing happens.
I need some help on an Act 3 puzzle, it seems. Pretty sure I'm missing something really dumb.
It's the part where you
have to input four colored slots as Trevor. I found all the soldiers, and the code seems to be red/blue/red/blue, but when I put the magic in order, nothing happens.
Ok, so there's a part in Act 3 that is basically a big QTE setpiece but damn if it didn't look cool in 3D.
Up to about 9 hours or so. I like how some of the scrolls you find seem to flesh out MS's Castlevania universe a bit more. Definitely should have more of those.
