Support NeoGAF

[Naeblish]

Yeah this is my GOTY, played chapters 3, 4 and partially 5 yesterday. This game is a wet dream for the fantasy lover inside me. Gigantic, epic and stunningly beautiful locations, many awesome monster designs and getting to kill them in ways that make me shout "FUCK YEAH" out loud. Probably buying the CE too for that artbook!

 

[nelsonroyale]

DEFINITELY agree with this part, though. They could've (and should've) cut out like 70% of the text in the game (and hired a professional writer) and it would've been a far more enjoyable, cohesive story. Hopefully they'll keep that in mind for the sequel.

I much prefer the Gabriel in the game, at least his actions, compared to the boring driven by rage and hate character who comes through the narrative...apparently they were originally going to make a character in the vein of Kratos and Kojima adviced them to the character more sensitive or some such...perhaps they forgot to redo some of the script?

 

[Amir0x]

Is this review new? It's 5/10

http://www.destructoid.com/review-castlevania-lords-of-shadow

"Lords of Shadow is as derivative as games get, and there isn't a single unique idea in the whole game. Whether it's ripping off Prince of Persia, Devil May Cry, The Legend of Zelda or a multitude of other third person action games, there isn't anything in this game that you haven't seen before. While this would ordinarily be acceptable, developer MercurySteam has failed to understand why each of the tropes it copies were successful in their original games, and has thus created a game that looks like a poor forgery of other, better titles."

"this game is about fifteen to twenty hours, and has all the gameplay of a six hour game"

"Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is fifteen hours of cobbled together gameplay that could be considered functional at best and worthless at worst. It's a Frankenstein's Monster of other peoples' ideas, stitched together in a haphazard and clueless way, totally bereft of soul or meaning. The easily impressed may be fooled by the game's undeniable production values and allow themselves to be tricked into thinking they're playing a masterpiece, but if anything, this title is a poor man's Dante's Inferno. Depending on your outlook that may make it a hobo's God of War.

Not only is the game completely unoriginal, it doesn't even manage to be seamless and competent with its copying like an unoriginal game needs to be. There's no justification for Lords of Shadow. It's simply a second-rate title that might have been good a decade ago, but doesn't need to exist in this day and age."


Hoooo boy. This review is something else. Sounds like he really sucked at it too, judging from his comments on the combat and how the enemies wouldn't let Gabriel complete a single move......

Sounds like even if the framerate wasn't bad I'd be fucked with this game!

The demo gave me the 'derivative' feeling too. The first two bosses are basically Shadow of the Colossus clones to boot. Climbing, hitting the weak point, holding R2 to grip so he doesn't swing you off. They definitely needed some of their own ideas in this.

Derivative things can still be perfectly playable, though. And merely saying something is derivative as a sweeping criticism is lazy writing itself. Almost everything is derivative of something else. Question is if it's copying what it loves in a quality fashion. Can't answer to that.

 

[Ledsen]

What's the name of the music in the clocktower and can I find it on Youtube? It's stellar.

Sounds like even if the framerate wasn't bad I'd be fucked with this game!

The demo gave me the 'derivative' feeling too. The first two bosses are basically Shadow of the Colossus clones to boot. Climbing, hitting the weak point, holding R2 to grip so he doesn't swing you off. They definitely needed some of their own ideas in this.

Derivative things can still be perfectly playable, though. And merely saying something is derivative as a sweeping criticism is lazy writing itself. Almost everything is derivative of something else. Question is if it's copying what it loves in a quality fashion. Can't answer to that.

To take one example, the combat is WAY better than in God of War. That reviewer seems pretty bad at the game. He says that enemies won't stagger (they "ignore Gabriel's attacks"), well they certainly will... unless you use weak attacks like the area sweeps. Of course they won't be staggered forever because that would make the combat as simple as button mashing as much as you can. They'll eventually block your attacks, and if you keep attacking they'll counter. Simple and intuitive, or so you'd think. He's right about the overused ground pound though, except saying that "almost all" enemies have it is a gross exaggeration (which seems like the overall theme of this review).

 

[SonOfABeep]

I really, really like this game.

More than I've liked an action game in a long while. I know it's derivative but that doesn't mean I can't have fun with it.

And the environments and effects are just stunning. Some of the best envinronments of the generation, i think.

 

[Amir0x]

To take one example, the combat is WAY better than in God of War. That reviewer seems pretty bad at the game. He says that enemies won't stagger (they "ignore Gabriel's attacks"), well they certainly will... unless you use weak attacks like the area sweeps. Of course they won't be staggered forever because that would make the combat as simple as button mashing as much as you can. They'll eventually block your attacks, and if you keep attacking they'll counter. Simple and intuitive, or so you'd think. He's right about the overused ground pound though, except saying that "almost all" enemies have it is a gross exaggeration (which seems like the overall theme of this review).

Well I only know a little about the combat from what I've played, and the combat there was dramatically inferior to God of War. And from what I've seen of the expanded move list, it remains so throughout the game.

That said, it's just as you said - in theory, you can still be derivative and good. Castlevania copies a lot wholesale from God of War, but in your opinion it does it better. That's what i'm talking about.

 

[zoukka]

Well I only know a little about the combat from what I've played, and the combat there was dramatically inferior to God of War.

Please elaborate. Personally I was sick and tired of the GoW combat in the third game. Castlevania seemed to have more "oomph" in the basic whip lashing at least. Can't wait to try this game beyond the demo... I have embraced the fact that this is "new" castlevania and has nothing to do with the old games. The impressions about the exploration/platforming has made me very interested about LoS.

 

[Amir0x]

Please elaborate. Personally I was sick and tired of the GoW combat in the third game. Castlevania seemed to have more "oomph" in the basic whip lashing at least. Can't wait to try this game beyond the demo... I have embraced the fact that this is "new" castlevania and has nothing to do with the old games. The impressions about the exploration/platforming has made me very interested about LoS.

Man, God of Wars whip "oomph" is like a billion times better. I didn't even know that was debatable. It's not a negative against Castlevania at all, but when Kratos hits, it FEELS like he has the might of the Gods behind his blows.

I don't want to go too much into this God of War vs. Castlevania thing, but a quick example. There's no combo counter in this game (which in of itself is a negative, imo) - as a result, it seems MercurySteam played less emphasis on linking combos together. God of War's combat system is far more fluid and with the integrated dodge roll via right analog, it's much easier to consistently link combos and create your own unique combat style.

You can still link abilities and combos in Castlevania, it just doesn't feel near as satisfying.

 

[MollyMillions]

Is it wrong that the major thing preventing me from getting into this (In the spider caves, and losing interest fast), is the lack of Ayami Kojima artwork/character designs? That and Yamane's music, more than IGA's non-existent storytelling or recycled gameplay is what kept me coming back to Castlevania.

This is a well-crafted game, but I just can't get into it...the protagonist (despite being voiced by the lovely Robert Carlyle) is dull and has a dreadfully uninteresting design, and every other character looks like they're borrowed from LOTR or Pan's Labyrinth, which is sort of neat, but it feels very disjointed and poorly thought out. Individual reas are very pretty but they transition so poorly...one minute he's in a glowing sunny forest the next he's standing on a frozen lake.

 

[SonOfABeep]

to be fair the between area cutscenes usually show him traveling some distance before making a big jump like from the forest to the snow area.

I think the game gets better as it goes on. I was a bit weary in chapter 2 but from 3 on it's been steadily getting better.

 

[MadOdorMachine]

Man, God of Wars whip "oomph" is like a billion times better. I didn't even know that was debatable. It's not a negative against Castlevania at all, but when Kratos hits, it FEELS like he has the might of the Gods behind his blows.

I don't want to go too much into this God of War vs. Castlevania thing, but a quick example. There's no combo counter in this game (which in of itself is a negative, imo) - as a result, it seems MercurySteam played less emphasis on linking combos together. God of War's combat system is far more fluid and with the integrated dodge roll via right analog, it's much easier to consistently link combos and create your own unique combat style.

You can still link abilities and combos in Castlevania, it just doesn't feel near as satisfying.

That's one of my biggest complaints about the game. The controls in general just feel off and unintuitive. On one hand they copied the controls of Ninja Gaiden (which are perfect imo) but then they tacked on L3 for charging up your light magic. In addition, you have to double tap in a direction to run. I can't tell you how many times I accidentally press L3 while running or in the middle of a fight. There's also a problem with jumping in this game. It's very easy to miss a jump and have an instant death. There are plenty of times I've done it by mistake in the game. There were spots where it litterally took me half an hour just to figure out how to align one jump.

 

[zoukka]

I don't want to go too much into this God of War vs. Castlevania thing, but a quick example. There's no combo counter in this game (which in of itself is a negative, imo) - as a result, it seems MercurySteam played less emphasis on linking combos together. God of War's combat system is far more fluid and with the integrated dodge roll via right analog, it's much easier to consistently link combos and create your own unique combat style.

You can still link abilities and combos in Castlevania, it just doesn't feel near as satisfying.

Yeah well the combo linking in GoW is stupid easy. The only challenge is to not get hit while spamming moves with no logic behind the linking.

This is a well-crafted game, but I just can't get into it...the protagonist (despite being voiced by the lovely Robert Carlyle) is dull and has a dreadfully uninteresting design, and every other character looks like they're borrowed from LOTR or Pan's Labyrinth, which is sort of neat, but it feels very disjointed and poorly thought out. Individual reas are very pretty but they transition so poorly...one minute he's in a glowing sunny forest the next he's standing on a frozen lake.

This is a concern of mine too. But the creatures from Igavanias wouldn't fit in this semi-realistic setting at all.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

Man, God of Wars whip "oomph" is like a billion times better. I didn't even know that was debatable. It's not a negative against Castlevania at all, but when Kratos hits, it FEELS like he has the might of the Gods behind his blows.

Agreed. I like the combat in Castlevania, but in the GoW games the 'oomph' is mor noticeable, like it's easier to register how his attacks 'connect' with the enemy.

 

[Nose Master]

I'm hoping this gets better. Only on Chapter 2, though. The invisible walls are driving me fucking bonkers.

 

[Henchmen21]

Post from Cox about the Save Glitch:

We are looking into it. This issue only affects a very small number of users. We have a fix and are currently testing it. Patch incoming. To be safe make sure you periodically back up your save.

 

[MadOdorMachine]

Is it wrong that the major thing preventing me from getting into this (In the spider caves, and losing interest fast), is the lack of Ayami Kojima artwork/character designs? That and Yamane's music, more than IGA's non-existent storytelling or recycled gameplay is what kept me coming back to Castlevania.

This is a well-crafted game, but I just can't get into it...the protagonist (despite being voiced by the lovely Robert Carlyle) is dull and has a dreadfully uninteresting design, and every other character looks like they're borrowed from LOTR or Pan's Labyrinth, which is sort of neat, but it feels very disjointed and poorly thought out. Individual reas are very pretty but they transition so poorly...one minute he's in a glowing sunny forest the next he's standing on a frozen lake.

I miss the Japanese games too. It's a completely different vibe. Hopefully Iga and co. will be able to deliver the goods on handheld.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

Post from Cox about the Save Glitch:

Yay, guess I was one of the lucky ones, then. Backing up every session now.

 

[Henchmen21]

Yay, guess I was one of the lucky ones, then. Backing up every session now.

Atleast they're getting it out this quickly. It's not like Atari with Ghostbusters were it's taken over a year to even get a fix (we still won't get it till next month) and that's with a better part of that year getting them to even acknowledge that there even is a glitch.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

Atleast they're getting it out this quickly. It's not like Atari with Ghostbusters were it's taken over a year to even get a fix (we still won't get it till next month) and that's with a better part of that year getting them to even acknowledge that there even is a glitch.

Yeah, I guess. Too late for me, though. I hope next time they release a game they finish it first.

 

[Cynar]

Is this review new? It's 5/10

http://www.destructoid.com/review-castlevania-lords-of-shadow

"Lords of Shadow is as derivative as games get, and there isn't a single unique idea in the whole game. Whether it's ripping off Prince of Persia, Devil May Cry, The Legend of Zelda or a multitude of other third person action games, there isn't anything in this game that you haven't seen before. While this would ordinarily be acceptable, developer MercurySteam has failed to understand why each of the tropes it copies were successful in their original games, and has thus created a game that looks like a poor forgery of other, better titles."

"this game is about fifteen to twenty hours, and has all the gameplay of a six hour game"

"Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is fifteen hours of cobbled together gameplay that could be considered functional at best and worthless at worst. It's a Frankenstein's Monster of other peoples' ideas, stitched together in a haphazard and clueless way, totally bereft of soul or meaning. The easily impressed may be fooled by the game's undeniable production values and allow themselves to be tricked into thinking they're playing a masterpiece, but if anything, this title is a poor man's Dante's Inferno. Depending on your outlook that may make it a hobo's God of War.

Not only is the game completely unoriginal, it doesn't even manage to be seamless and competent with its copying like an unoriginal game needs to be. There's no justification for Lords of Shadow. It's simply a second-rate title that might have been good a decade ago, but doesn't need to exist in this day and age."


Hoooo boy. This review is something else. Sounds like he really sucked at it too, judging from his comments on the combat and how the enemies wouldn't let Gabriel complete a single move......

Seems like he didn't even understand the games controls. Bad inaccurate review.

 

[Amir0x]

Yeah well the combo linking in GoW is stupid easy. The only challenge is to not get hit while spamming moves with no logic behind the linking.

Combo linking SHOULD be easy - maintaining combos should be difficult. I think that's the difference of opinion.

 

[zoukka]

Yeah, I guess. Too late for me, though. I hope next time they release a game they finish it first.

It didn't show up in Q&A. What can you do about it :/

Combo linking SHOULD be easy - maintaining combos should be difficult. I think that's the difference of opinion.

Well maintaining combos in GoW is easy. Just don't get hit. Completely different from DMC/Bayonetta pov. In GoW, I never felt I was "comboing", because there was no thought in it other than "don't die".

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

It didn't show up in Q&A. What can you do about it :/

Do more QA. I understand these are large programs and they can't catch everything, but a glitch that corrupts your save file in a game this big is pretty fucking disastrous.

 

[zoukka]

Do more QA. I understand these are large programs and they can't catch everything, but a glitch that corrupts your save file in a game this big is pretty fucking disastrous.

No doubt about it. I guess I'm getting old when I have sympathy for these not-so-well-known devs :b

 

[dark_inferno]

This game is amazing. Played trough it without turning the ps3 off. The gameplay was better than GOW3, Dantes Inferno and DMC. The atmosphere is nearly perfect. Characters are well done. The story is good. The epilog is just awesome.

Spoiler

Just thought it would be the first Castlevania without Dracula

 

[Volcynika]

The unhandled error thing hit me once, amusingly enough right as I slammed Gabriel's fist down on a button near the end. Even though I had a backup previous to starting that level, it didn't erase/mess up my save.

 

[scently]

Please someone help: how do I smash through stuffs in this game.

 

[dark_inferno]

Please someone help: how do I smash through stuffs in this game.

You mean walls?

 

[Ricker]

Please someone help: how do I smash through stuffs in this game.

A few ways...shadow Magic and LT and forward once it`s filled or just LT and X once you have the glove I believe...

Did the Butcher area yesterday...awesome stuff.

 

[Valcryst]

Please someone help: how do I smash through stuffs in this game.

If you mean walls activate Shadow Magic, then hold L2 (on a PS3 controller) and after you see a flash around Gabriel move the analog stick in the direction of the wall.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

Man, God of Wars whip "oomph" is like a billion times better. I didn't even know that was debatable. It's not a negative against Castlevania at all, but when Kratos hits, it FEELS like he has the might of the Gods behind his blows.

I don't want to go too much into this God of War vs. Castlevania thing, but a quick example. There's no combo counter in this game (which in of itself is a negative, imo) - as a result, it seems MercurySteam played less emphasis on linking combos together. God of War's combat system is far more fluid and with the integrated dodge roll via right analog, it's much easier to consistently link combos and create your own unique combat style.

You can still link abilities and combos in Castlevania, it just doesn't feel near as satisfying.

The core combat is pretty good, actually.

It's hampered by technical issues and a few weirdly designed boss enemies though.

He also gave Final Fantasy XIII a 4. Don't worry about it too much.

He gave Bayonetta an 8, but Dante's Inferno a 9.

He's clearly a witch and we should burn him at the stake.

 

[MMaRsu]

Yeah I just got to some big ass castle and this game is fucking awesome man. Yeah the framerate could be better but the art is awesome, the scenery is gorgeous as well. I really like the game although it is really hard, I had to set it to normal instead of hard which I mostly go for. Shit was just frustrating man.. But I think a hard playthrough is in order after I beat it the first time .

Good music, although it could have used more classic tunes from let's say sotn ^^. But the soundtrack is epic enough as it is really. I hate the stupid goblin fuck who steals your shit and you have to search for him. DAMN YOU.

 

[Relix]

I haven't been able to play. Still in C6. Damn you life!

 

[DangerousDave]

Well I only know a little about the combat from what I've played, and the combat there was dramatically inferior to God of War. And from what I've seen of the expanded move list, it remains so throughout the game.

That said, it's just as you said - in theory, you can still be derivative and good. Castlevania copies a lot wholesale from God of War, but in your opinion it does it better. That's what i'm talking about.

Not really. The combat system of Castlevania can't be understood without the importance of focus and the orbs that you get with the focus bar full, that allows the good-evil magic, and also the counter skill that, even if it's present in GoW, it has less functionality (the main effect of counter, in Castlevania, is not the counter itself, is the focus gauge increase).

So this is why the combat system is much better. Is not about combo mantain, and combo linking, is because of the focus system that bonifies the style, giving you magic to spend that allows special attacks, healing or extra damage.

Also, grabbing and aereal attacks are much better in Castlevania than in GoW, specially when you combine them.

 

[akachan ningen]

Not really. The combat system of Castlevania can't be understood without the importance of focus and the orbs that you get with the focus bar full, that allows the good-evil magic, and also the counter skill that, even if it's present in GoW, it has less functionality (the main effect of counter, in Castlevania, is not the counter itself, is the focus gauge increase).

So this is why the combat system is much better. Is not about combo mantain, and combo linking, is because of the focus system that bonifies the style, giving you magic to spend that allows special attacks, healing or extra damage.

Also, grabbing and aereal attacks are much better in Castlevania than in GoW, specially when you combine them.

I haven't been following this thread but you are so right about the combat.

That destructoid review was total BS from the first sentence. It does plenty of new things and what it doesn't do NEW, it just does BETTER.

As a total action game package, it's second only to Bayonetta this gen. Only it doesn't have the "so bad I wanna kill myself" story and music of bayonetta.

 

[LiK]

I'm hoping this gets better. Only on Chapter 2, though. The invisible walls are driving me fucking bonkers.

We all agree that the game picks up in Chapter 3. The first two chapters are the only meh parts of the game. The rest is great.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

As a total action game package, it's second only to Bayonetta this gen. Only it doesn't have the "so bad I wanna kill myself" story and music of Bayonetta.

The irony being that Bayonetta doesn't have nearly as many plotholes or logical inconsistencies. :lol

 

[MadOdorMachine]

Not really. The combat system of Castlevania can't be understood without the importance of focus and the orbs that you get with the focus bar full, that allows the good-evil magic, and also the counter skill that, even if it's present in GoW, it has less functionality (the main effect of counter, in Castlevania, is not the counter itself, is the focus gauge increase).

So this is why the combat system is much better. Is not about combo mantain, and combo linking, is because of the focus system that bonifies the style, giving you magic to spend that allows special attacks, healing or extra damage.

Also, grabbing and aereal attacks are much better in Castlevania than in GoW, specially when you combine them.

The thing that hurts the game though is that blocking to fill your focus bar is hit and miss. The only time you can build it with any consistency is when you're only fighting one enemy. The blocking (and controls in general) are sluggish and not as snappy as they need to be. I feel there are two reasons behind this. One is that the controls seem to be an after thought. In other words, it seems like they built the game and then copied the controls from other games without ironing out the issues with them. The other is that the framerate really hurts input. As a result, you have to predict what the enemy is going to do and then block early. I feel like the focus meter would have worked better if it were more instant and you blocked right when you were going to get hit rather than having to anticipate it.

They were very ambitious with this game and threw a lot of mechanics at you. The problem is that none of them have a high level of polish. Because of this everything feels "B" level or second rate imo. That's why I think it's gotten so much criticism for being unoriginal. Had they made at least the controls and framerate better, I think the general consensus for the game would have been much higher.

 

[LiK]

But are you having fun?

 

[semiconscious]

As a total action game package, it's second only to Bayonetta this gen. Only it doesn't have the "so good I wanna hug myself" story and music of bayonetta.

fixed ...

 

[KdoubleA]

Long post but had to say a few things. People who are holding off on buying this game for its frame rate issues and "derivative" gameplay are really missing out. First off, the frame rate, while unstable and definitely could've been better, improves as the game goes on and is easily forgivable because it doesn't mess you up at all during combat/gameplay (like say if such framerate instability existed in a game like Ninja Gaiden or DMC).

Secondly, the combat system is surprisingly great (I did not expect to like it this much especially because I was done replaying bayonetta recently). I played the demo before buying this game and the reason I bought Castevania:LoS was mostly because of the atmosphere and the sense that I'm in for a great fantasy adventure....not because of the gameplay in the demo. I thought the combat in the demo was serviceable. However, in the full game, with the upgrades and having tough unrelenting enemies (a la Ninja Gaiden with a similar defending mechanic), I now believe the combat system in this game is up there with the best in the genre...very enjoyable! LOVE the shadow/light Ikaruga style magic system!

Thirdly, I understand the control system isn't perfect but some of the issues brought up are not fair, imo. People learn the control system first before you go on and write reviews about how it's failing you and causing you to die or get stuck. For example, there are reviews (like GameTrailers) that mention how when turning cranks the game doesn't do it right...sure we're used to holding the grab button and turning in other games, but in this let go of the R2 button, please! When grabbing ledges, as well, you do not need to hold the grab button. Or for the QTE, when the circle moves anywhere in the smaller one you can pull it off, not right when the borders meet. These are silly mistakes I'm sure many of us made; I made them as well, and while I believe the game might've explained the mechanics a bit better, once you know them, it goes smoothly. But to knock off the game's controls in such reviews simply because it's not following the standards you find in games like Uncharted, and because you're a little too thick-minded to learn what went wrong, is just not fair, imo!

Now, here's to the stupid complaints from people who say "this isn't Castlevania!" My advice, please STFU and play the game! We all knew from the beginning this is a different take/ reboot on Castevania. We knew it doesn't mostly take place in a castle. Yet, many of the mechanics and themes from the franchise are here (in fact, for me personally, I believe this is closer to the original style of Castlevania than say Symphony of the Night; which a lot of people are unfortunately using as the benchmark for what makes a Castlevania game (nothing against the game btw, still one of my favorites)).

Lords of Shadow has amazing visuals, fantastic art direction and excellent variety throughout! It's got a fun, engaging storyline and many memorable moments. Besides having a long campaign it's got a lot of replay value through its trials and item collecting! I really can't wait to see what Mercurysteam will do with the sequel and what they've learned from this!

 

[LiK]

I think most impressions from ppl who played only the first two chapters haven't unlocked all the moves or special abilities yet so it seems derivative to them. Im curious what they have to say about the combat once they actually get into it more.

The combat is way more fun than I was expecting. People need to give it a chance. You are rewarded as you progress and lvl up.

 

[Valcryst]

About Combat System, for me is one of the best I've ever experienced. You have to use every button wisely, and there's an HUGE variety of moves. I almost bought every move (only 2 left) and now the real fun begins. You have counters, overhead jumps, grabs (long range too), different QTE attacks (try to catch a golblin and complete it while holding the analog stick in any direction ), magic based moves, even comboable jump attacks! Not to mention the perfet (for me) block and dodge system..using L2 for that really makes it more comfortable to handle.
Better than Bayonetta and Ninja Gaiden IMHO, not to mention GoW. Second only to DMC 3 and 4, but there were combat styles and many weapons.

About the "this isn't Castlevania" stuff, well this is closer to classic Castlevania games (pre-SOTN) than any later games. And bettere in terms of design too.

 

[LiK]

My fave: Hold X, X,X,,X, X and Air X,X, Y

Pwnage

 

[SpokkX]

What are the chances of a patch for the framerate?

I am enjoying the game but the framerate really gets in the way. I would much rather tone done the graphical quality than this constant chopping

Sooner or later a game always gets ugly technically (low res textures, low poly count etc compared to "modern" games) but a good framereate never gets better.

Replaying this game a few years down the road will mean just ok graphics and bad framerate. This is the worst combination imo

Framerate is king, this is why Nintendo games age better. They always perform well and that means they will never fall into the trap "ugly and laggy" just "ugly but at least smooth"

 

[The Elite]

This game is amazing. Played trough it without turning the ps3 off. The gameplay was better than GOW3, Dantes Inferno and DMC. The atmosphere is nearly perfect. Characters are well done. The story is good. The epilog is just awesome.

Spoiler

Just thought it would be the first Castlevania without Dracula

Are you saying you played through it in one sitting?

 

[Callibretto]

I'm about to enter clock tower now. I think I figure out why the story is not grabbing me. it's the damn narration by Patrick Steward. it made the story less about Gabriel's journey, but more of Zobek's retelling/observing Gabriel's journey. I felt detached with Gabriel, and even though I've been playing more than half the story, I'm not emotionally invested at Gabriel at all.

in the narration, Zobek told us about how tormented Gabriel is, he's lacking sleep etc etc. well, I didn't feel that at all playing as Gabriel. I think the story has potential, I guess. they just need to tell it from Gabriel's perspective. I also think it need a proper beginning. at the start of the game, Gabriel is already on his journey. I start the game not sure what I'm doing in term of the story. I just know I'm killing monster and just continue forward. a proper intro to show his motivation probably would make the story flow better.

 

[deviant1]

I'm midway through chapter 5 and while I love the game overall, there are definitely some issues I have with the combat and camera at times. Sometimes it's zoomed so far out during a battle that it's near impossible to see when your enemy is going to attack. Not so bad when it's one enemy, but when you're surrounded it can be frustrating.

And is it just me, or does anyone else find it odd how some levels end so abruptly. No fade to black or slight pause. One of the levels in Chapter 1, you grapple onto some random spot in a tree and in mid air *BAM* the level just ends, it's really jarring IMO.

 

[LiK]

I'm midway through chapter 5 and while I love the game overall, there are definitely some issues I have with the combat and camera at times. Sometimes it's zoomed so far out during a battle that it's near impossible to see when your enemy is going to attack. Not so bad when it's one enemy, but when you're surrounded it can be frustrating.

And is it just me, or does anyone else find it odd how some levels end so abruptly. No fade to black or slight pause. One of the levels in Chapter 1, you grapple onto some random spot in a tree and in mid air *BAM* the level just ends, it's really jarring IMO.

Yea, you'll notice there's no loading transition between lvls so instead of hitting a loading to another area, they cut them up into chapters instead, I think.

 

[Ricker]

The weird camera angle point of view switching in the Garden`s Maze was annoying lol...going south,south to try and figure my way then all of a sudden south is north and east is west...crap :lol ...took me a while in there.