Fimbulvetr
Member
Solo said:
What do you get for completing trials?
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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow |OT| The MercurySteam has Vanquished the Horrible Night
- Thread starter brandonh83
- Start date
What do you get for completing trials?
JohngPR said:
I just finished Castlevania last night (after playing Enslaved through first), and I have to shake my head at those reviewers that gave Enslaved a better score than Castlevania. In virtually every category, Castlevania just blows Enslaved out of the water. Just in terms of combat and platforming, Castlevania is such a deeper and richer experience, it's not even funny. And the design, acting, and music are of a similar level of quality. And the mood was unique - it felt like I was playing a Del Toro movie.
I did have some minor design and camera quibbles with C:LOS, but on the whole Mercury Steam should be proud of the game they made. I know I'll be picking up the sequel day one.
Joe Shlabotnik
Banned
luxarific said:
I'm treading carefully in this thread as I'm only nearing the end now, but at this point this is exactly how I feel. I hope they iron out the host of nuisances the game has but I would pick up the sequel without question. In fact, my biggest concern about the sequel is not getting the problems fixed, but that I can't imagine how much content they could possibly have left. It sure doesn't feel like they saved anything for the next game.
brandonh83
Banned
Fimbulvetr said:
trophies/achievements!
Fimbulvetr
Member
brandonh83 said:
So nothing?
Silver_DNA
Member
Hey guys, I'm a little more than half way done and thought I'd pop in for the discussion.
I really like this take on Castlevania. It looks really nice, the design has a decidedly more western look, and the main characters are fully clothed. I thought Gabriel's head was a little too small for his shoulders, but I got over it.
Ok, for most of the first disc I was dying a lot and I wasn't entirely sure why that was. I guess part of it was not being used to the combat, part not having a strong enough whip (I don't think it feels as powerful as, say, the weapons in God of War), and part of it is that the camera is pulled back a little too much for my preference. When I'm wailing on a wolf-man the effects blocked my view of another one attacking. I've gotten used to it, but my initial impression wasn't 100% positive.
The story seems really sparse. There is some real talent in the actors, but only Patrick Stewart seems used. That and there is a stark contrast between Gabriel's speaking voice and motions and the grunts and actions he makes when whipping monsters. I guess this is a video game thing, but the more real things get the more bothersome this contrast gets.
I really do like pushing forward, if only just to see the next environment, and I can't say I'm not enjoying myself, but there are superfluous areas that could have been skipped, added to another level, or just thrown the idea into a cutscene. I was clumsy and dropped the second disc as I was switching them out and I don't know if it's because of that but the frame rate took a huge hit in the second half.
So I really like the more western take on the style, but if it didn't have the Castlevania name on it I doubt I would have picked it up.
I really like this take on Castlevania. It looks really nice, the design has a decidedly more western look, and the main characters are fully clothed. I thought Gabriel's head was a little too small for his shoulders, but I got over it.
Ok, for most of the first disc I was dying a lot and I wasn't entirely sure why that was. I guess part of it was not being used to the combat, part not having a strong enough whip (I don't think it feels as powerful as, say, the weapons in God of War), and part of it is that the camera is pulled back a little too much for my preference. When I'm wailing on a wolf-man the effects blocked my view of another one attacking. I've gotten used to it, but my initial impression wasn't 100% positive.
The story seems really sparse. There is some real talent in the actors, but only Patrick Stewart seems used. That and there is a stark contrast between Gabriel's speaking voice and motions and the grunts and actions he makes when whipping monsters. I guess this is a video game thing, but the more real things get the more bothersome this contrast gets.
I really do like pushing forward, if only just to see the next environment, and I can't say I'm not enjoying myself, but there are superfluous areas that could have been skipped, added to another level, or just thrown the idea into a cutscene. I was clumsy and dropped the second disc as I was switching them out and I don't know if it's because of that but the frame rate took a huge hit in the second half.
So I really like the more western take on the style, but if it didn't have the Castlevania name on it I doubt I would have picked it up.
.la1n
Member
Good to see people are enjoying it, I do look forward to DLC / Sequel as well. I think the developers will take the criticisms into account and shoot for a steady framerate on the next outing which should make everyone happy. Outside of that i'd say keep the production values high and keep up the good voice work (although Patrick Stewart let me down on more than one occassion.)
SlasherJPC
Banned
You know I overheard this dlc talk but have not actually seen the official statement on it. Was any details leaked, or simple..."were working on dlc" ?
nelsonroyale
Member
The Bookerman said:
Just the save files...I copied the ones I was given, and it didn't register them just begun a new game sequence....I copyed over the .PFD and the .SFO files over my own saves, and it says the file is corrupted... any ideas?
Maybe the logon is linked to the save file..
thetrin
Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion
slasher_thrasher21 said:
I thought someone said they'd already announced 2 DLC packs were in the works. I have no idea if that's true, but I remember someone in this thread said that.
jett said:
The lack of manual saving annoys me so much in the game. Having to back up my save on a flash drive every time I finished a chapter WAS SO ANNOYING.
Just finished the game. Wow, that was a fucking awesome and long experience. Didn't have any problem with the camera, jumps or combat system and loved every minute.
MercurySteam and Dave Cox can be proud of what they did with this game.
I hope they get the chance to make a sequel.
MercurySteam and Dave Cox can be proud of what they did with this game.
I hope they get the chance to make a sequel.
blizzardjesus
Banned
Borrowed it from work. 8 boards in, I'm deciding on putting the difficulty on easy to make the combat less annoying. Takes too many hits to kill anything and I keep dying at every boss encounter.
I am getting mad, i never got mad at castlevainia 1 through order of eclesia. This is not a castlevainia game.
I am getting mad, i never got mad at castlevainia 1 through order of eclesia. This is not a castlevainia game.
DualShadow
Member
Please tell me there are no more
sections.........
That was terrible. Start of chapter 3 now and everyone keeps saying it picks up here so looking forward to it.
Oh, this game could really use a mini-map, cause so many paths. Even if you find it or get it after a section doesn't really matter.
horse
That was terrible. Start of chapter 3 now and everyone keeps saying it picks up here so looking forward to it.
Oh, this game could really use a mini-map, cause so many paths. Even if you find it or get it after a section doesn't really matter.
Vrakanox said:
I have to say I'm with people who thought the game started out slow. I would have preferred that it start out in a
castle, as I thought the indoor environments were, on the whole, more fun to platform in then the outside ones
Silver_DNA said:
:lol Had the same reaction. Big broad shoulders, tiny little head. Otherwise I liked his design.
Silver_DNA said:
Someone earlier in the thread said that there was a lot of Stewart voice over that could have been cut scenes of Gabriel actually acting out what Stewart was describing. I would have preferred that as well. More lines for Robert Carlyle too please. <3 <3 <3
Since
has a time counter for completing the whole stage, I decided to try for a speed run through it. Wasn't too horrible, but you really have to fight the camera to not die.
Clear time of 2:37
The Clockwork Tower
Clear time of 2:37
DualShadow
Member
NeoUltima said:
Thanks!
(Chapter 2): Also the
Titan battle at the frozen lake wasn't that bad, would have helped that I had low expectations going into it though.
brandonh83
Banned
slasher_thrasher21 said:
No details, like trin said, two are announced to be in the works and that they will consist of new environments and enemy encounters.
I think DLC would be a good way to maybe have even more elements from the older games, like a couple more classic tunes remixed or whatever.
Segata Sanshiro
Member
I do remember someone (probably Cox so whatever that's worth) saying the first DLC wouldn't be anything too big, but the second one would be "meaty".
brandonh83
Banned
Segata Sanshiro said:
Just wonder what it could be, the first one. If it's something smaller, I don't really see it being new environments. Hopefully it's not any more trials. Jesus.
Playing through this at the moment. I'm really struck by how much this game is basically an update of Rygar on PS2.
It's fun, but rather shallow, and there are some design decisions that irritate. It brings nothing new, sticking to typical gaming conventions while on the other hand not really doing anything badly. I'm still very early in, so things could change, but somehow I'm not so optimistic.
It's fun, but rather shallow, and there are some design decisions that irritate. It brings nothing new, sticking to typical gaming conventions while on the other hand not really doing anything badly. I'm still very early in, so things could change, but somehow I'm not so optimistic.
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
TimeKillr said:
Hold on, how in the world are QTE's suddenly supposed to be equal to internal play mechanics?
If you fuck up creating jumping in a game that requires jumping as a primairy ability, your game simply does not work. (and it never will until you fix it. But when it is fixed, all content is also instantly saved from becoming useless)
If you fuck up creating QTE's in games that requires QTE's to pass certain roadblocks, you have broken an otherwise -perhaps- good game.
(people will not see the content past the QTE abomination and the resources spend on that content is -by your terms- wasted )
They are not in the same toolbox, nor do they relate the same concepts to one another.
Personally, I do not believe that equating content with efficiency is a good thing either. It is not up to the gamedesigner to determine the behaviour that players should have to exhibit in real life. If someone wants to enjoy the gameplay and not be bothered by overly long and greatly annoying cutscenes, they should be able to do so, because otherwise they will simply not be playing your games at all. If people just want to sit back and watch cutscenes and not be bother by overly long and greatly annoying gameplay (rethorically speaking), they should be able to do so too, for the same reason.
And it gets worse when you factor in replays where people have to go through all those hoops and roadblocks AGAIN, just because someone didn't trust them with their own minds and behaviour.
Kojima may be a mad hatter and probably not very good at creating really good gameplay, but he never forced my hand into making me watch all those hours of senseless story. But I watched them anyway. I watched them all, out of my own damned free will. And I know from the messages of countless others, that they did so too.
And for all the "heroic" lines that Ninja Theory may spew about not listening to fans, there isn't a single QTE in the entire game of Enslaved. None. And I have to admit that complete lack of artificial roadblocks would almost be enough to forgive the game's many flaws. But if you are to take at the range of scores the game has recieved thus far, to most people, apparently, IT IS. And that type of behaviour cannot be denied.
All you are doing, is creating a range of excuses to hide from the obvious question: Why are you wasting resources on making cutscenes in the first place? And, even more prudant: why are people not (re)playing your games?
Because that last part is really the only thing the very notion of 'wasting resources on content' points to in the first place.
This whole "we need qte's" talk seems to me to exist just to draw attention away from that. Because neither you (creators) or we (consumers) have any need for them at all.
/ rant
(probably also out of line, but I felt it had to be done)
As far as the QTE's in LoS go, I felt them to be not all that intrusive to actual gameplay and kept to a rather satisfying minimum (they are certainly no "I lay down my arms..." moments), but I will happily admit that even with that as it is I will not be replaying the game past the point of completion.
As far as I can tell now, there really is a reason why enemies go *poof* in Zelda games.
I replayed the entirety of Chapter VI to XII today, to "fix" my save game snafu. You know what, I kind of liked it better the second time around. The frustration and annoyances are largely gone as I now know exactly how the developer intended me to handle their platform sequences(which means no more trial and error), I know the enemies' patterns, and I'm more familiar with the combat. I actually had more fun than on my first playthrough, I didn't play to the end be done with the game but I played because I was actually having fun ZOMG.
This game is fucking weird.
The first couple of chapters are probably still pretty awful though.
This game is fucking weird.
The first couple of chapters are probably still pretty awful though.
brandonh83
Banned
jett said:
yep, this is exactly what I was trying to say in one of my big convoluted posts a couple of pages or so back. glad you liked it a bit... better though
it really is one of those games where when you know what to do exactly it does cut down on some frustrations.
brandonh83 said:yep, this is exactly what I was trying to say in one of my big convoluted posts a couple of pages or so back. glad you liked it a bit... better though
it really is one of those games where when you know what to do exactly it does cut down on some frustrations.
Yeah this game has a bunch of things that should've been ironed out easily. Like the Ice Titan battle, replaying it I see the problem. Main frustration comes out of the random hand swipes he makes. The issue here is that the game conditions you to follow on-screen instructions throughout the entire battle. Obvious shining thingies to climb to, but importantly the text that tells you quite clearly to HOLD ON BITCH!!! every time the boss the shakes. Either consciously or not you expect the game will tell you to EVADE BITCH!! when the time is right. But it doesn't, and so you don't, and every time it happens it comes out of nowhere too, as the visual cues are not sufficient enough. How was this crap not pointed out in testing? And because of the repetitive nature of the boss design, the battle becomes an exercise in tedium instead of being fun. If you're gonna make it blatantly linear, just go all the way. It's all these seemingly small things that amount to frustration in the game.
This is kind of an interesting game to analyze its shortcomings. Another thing I thought of is why does Gabriel auto-die every time he falls of a ledge? You have a hookshot douchebag, how about you use it.
That's precisely where the game's biggest problem lies though. Every step of the way, it is a process of figuring out exactly what the developer wants you to do, whether its the platforming, the sequencing of the boss fights, the level navigation ... even how you approach combat in most situations. That kind of ultra-rigid game design only works if the gameplay is either very easy or very intuitive ... this game is neither.brandonh83 said:yep, this is exactly what I was trying to say in one of my big convoluted posts a couple of pages or so back. glad you liked it a bit... better though
it really is one of those games where when you know what to do exactly it does cut down on some frustrations.
I'm terrible at block-countering. Really really terrible. It just seems like enemies attack fast and randomly and i've always been bad at block-counters in games, this one just wins outright. I roll around like crazy to balance my lack of blocking.
Graphics are still fanttttttastic. I love the look of this game, the music too.
Story. Is there a story? There is a story right? It just feels like i'm going to random environments while patrick stewart tells me that there is a story going on.
Graphics are still fanttttttastic. I love the look of this game, the music too.
Story. Is there a story? There is a story right? It just feels like i'm going to random environments while patrick stewart tells me that there is a story going on.
Kai Dracon
Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
jett said:
Actually, I thought about this part and realized that it's thematic - even if it makes no sense for play mechanics. The whip isn't a general hookshot, it's literally designed to hook onto rings. So it makes sense in-universe that it can only be used on those rings and that's how they gate the level design.
We are used to video games however, where this common mechanic (hookshot) is oft used to just grapple all over the place. Thus the dissonance. Not saying it might not be nice for those frusting moments to just have Gabriel hook onto ledges.
Generally though, I think about this comment I made to a friend who is now starting his playthrough of the game: when I go back to redo a stage in LoS for a trial or whatever, I find it's just fine /after/ I've dealt with figuring out what the game expects me to do. This might sound rhetorical, but what I am getting at is the level design /concepts/ are very good. The levels generally flow very well, and have a sort of variety that many 3rd person action-adventure games lack - there's always something new and interesting around every corner. But... what Mercurysteam's designers seem weak at is building in visual cues to make the flow obvious at first glance. This is partly due to the super detailed art direction - there's stuff /everywhere/ which in a purely aesthetic sense, looks awesome. But clarity is lost in the clutter.
After I play a stage one time, I find I have no critical beefs with what I'm expected to do and find the design and layout very fun - in fact, some of the best stuff I've played this generation. (The only exception is the clockwork tower as I'd previously said. The game's oft-unacceptable framerate combines badly with the break in convention of edge protection on the platforms in this stage.) The real failing of the game is in teaching the player about what they are supposed to do, in an organic fashion.
The lack of clear tells in the environment (save the brute forced glowing ledges and sparkling hook rings) is mirrored in the fighting half of the game. It's not that the enemies and bosses don't have a proper set of tells - even the titans /do/ give off tells even for the sequences many people are finding frustrating. It's that those tells don't go far enough. Again, after I played them once, I found I could do it again no problem. By that point I got conditioned to pay extra close attention to what enemies do. But the vagueness of the tells is frustrating to learn, more so than most other similar action games.
Overall, I see it as Mercurysteam was tasked with putting together an epic scope game and they did do their homework, in-depth, about what goes into these games. But without prior experience and/or another six months to polish it up and run it through further playtesting, there was no way they were going to achieve Bayonetta (or even God of War) levels of coherency.
---
On the flipside, here's one positive and interesting aspect of the game I haven't seen anyone else (on Gaf at least) remark on. This game breaks with the tradition of almost all 3rd person action beat-em-ups in that there is no inventory management. From DMC to Ninja Gaiden to Bayonetta, a staple of this genre is item collection, weapon management, and grinding supplies. You hoard currency, stock consumables, and build and upgrade weapons. While LoS does involve spending experience in the movelist to unlock abilities, the entire game is played "in the moment" - power ups and buffs, healing and regeneration, mana / energy supplies. All of it is tied to the action itself and happens as a result of fighting enemies. I've found this gives the game a lot of forward momentum when fighting. Nothing ever interrupts the action of just straight playing the game and there is a lot more give-and-take since "supplies" must be farmed in active combat, when you're in danger. At most, you just have to break up scenery to keep your subweapons stocked. But again, that happens as you explore and doesn't involve juggling menus, visiting shops, etc.
I found by the end that this did help the game feel more like a classic straight-up action game than it appeared at first; I wouldn't necessarily want every game in the genre to follow suit, but it does give LoS a bit of its own identity, something a lot of people questioned whether it had at first.
Segata Sanshiro
Member
Be kind of cool if the DLC let you play as Zobek while Gabriel narrates a bunch of out of character shit about *him* that isn't happening on screen.
"So, Zobek has reached the Palace of Glistening Gold and has decided to touch little boys in their bathing suit areas. This was unforeseen. His lust for small children is clearly insatiable."
"So, Zobek has reached the Palace of Glistening Gold and has decided to touch little boys in their bathing suit areas. This was unforeseen. His lust for small children is clearly insatiable."
Fimbulvetr
Member
Segata Sanshiro said:
You mean he already isn't a pedo?
We never see what Zobek does with that little boy from Wygol Village....
bone_and_sinew
breaking down barriers in gratuitous nudity
Only 8 trials remaining until I'm done and I can do my Paladin run
Speaking of which, I got the unhandled error when attempting a trial for the final boss and my save was deleted. I have a copy on a usb stick so nothing was lost but man, I can't believe that bug made it through qa. I only found out about the error because of this thread. I would've raged hard if I didn't know about since I had 38 hours on that save.
Speaking of which, I got the unhandled error when attempting a trial for the final boss and my save was deleted. I have a copy on a usb stick so nothing was lost but man, I can't believe that bug made it through qa. I only found out about the error because of this thread. I would've raged hard if I didn't know about since I had 38 hours on that save.
ShockingAlberto
Member
What's this error?bone_and_sinew said:Only 8 trials remaining until I'm done and I can do my Paladin run
Speaking of which, I got the unhandled error when attempting a trial for the final boss and my save was deleted. I have a copy on a usb stick so nothing was lost but man, I can't believe that bug made it through qa. I only found out about the error because of this thread. I would've raged hard if I didn't know about since I had 38 hours on that save.
Just finished the game. It truly is the Arkham Asylum of 2010, to a certain extent. Its not anywheres as great as AA, and its not GOTY like AA was, but in the sense that its a great game that came out of nowhere from some D-tier developer no one has heard of, its very much the AA of 2010. Graphics and gameplay were fantastic, framerate hitches aside, and I enjoyed it from start to end.
Crazy fucking ass post-credits cutscene :lol :lol Heres hoping that if there is a sequel, they don't pussy out ans deliver us that "Gabriel".
Crazy fucking ass post-credits cutscene :lol :lol Heres hoping that if there is a sequel, they don't pussy out ans deliver us that "Gabriel".
Fimbulvetr
Member
Ledsen said:
Or in Jett's case, half of it.
WickedLaharl
Member
final boss is pissing me off. i know what to do but i'm failing pretty hard on my execution
Host Samurai
Member
I think it would be pretty cool if the sequel started out with linear levels with branching paths like Rondo with different bosses at the end of each set path. The game would be taking the Rondo approach until you reach the castle. When you reach the castle the game would shift into more of a Metrovania/Batman AA approach. It would be a cool way to change the pace of the game. And when you beat the game the castle should turn upside down like SotN. It will never happen but I can dream.
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