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[dark10x]

The sample quality in a multiplatform title is usually the same between both versions (since after all it's a matter of memory), so the only difference is when the console it outputting to the receiver, via either DD with the 360 (640 kbits/s), or DD (640)/DTS(1536)/LPCM(whatever) for the PS3. If the original sample is overcompressed, it will sound horrible on LPCM too

Oh yes, absolutely. I'm sure this sounds great on 360 as well.

The only difference that would be noticeable is the addition of what seems to be true 7.1. My receiver shows it as 7.1 and the sound seems to move properly across all channels (rather than simply being virtualized).

 

[george_us]

Man this game owns so much. Just got to

Spoiler

Cornell

and I he totally isn't how I pictured him to be. Also, the previous boss fight with the

Spoiler

Black Knight

was fucking epic.

 

[plagiarize]

it's games like this that make me feel like a giant framerate snob.

i mean, even Dark 10x is enjoying it despite the framerate. i can play dead rising 2 case zero without problem, so why does the demo to this make me want to rip my eyes out?

it feels like shadow of the colossus all over again. everyone is praising how pretty this is, but it's butt ugly to me because of the framerate.

30 fps doesn't remotely bother me for many games, but it just hits a point where below that, I can't do it.

I just can't.

oh well. maybe next gen there'll be a rerelease with good framerate.

i'm looking forwards to playing shadow of the colossus and ocarina of time soon.

 

[Guts Of Thor]

So I finally got the hang of the QTE's. Game is amazing graphically and the combat is pretty fun but using L2 plus LS is still tripping me up but I'll adapt.

I posted this in the buy/sell thread but am also posting it here:

Selling brand new 360 version of Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow for $50. PM me if interested, Money order only!

 

[wwm0nkey]

Well it took like 14+ hours but I beat the game and it was awesome, will be going back to get 110% complete.

Also massive spoiler about the ending, seriously do not read if you care about the story.

Spoiler

What is every ones opinion on Gabriel Belmont becoming Dracula and him still being a good guy, I would like Dracula to be the main enemy but looks like it will be Satan again.

 

[dark10x]

i mean, even Dark 10x is enjoying it despite the framerate.

It's tough to enjoy, though. It's a pretty serious disappointment as a result of the framerate.

it feels like shadow of the colossus all over again.

At least SotC didn't have issues with judder. Castlevania has a higher average framerate, but it just feels very stuttery.

 

[plagiarize]

It's tough to enjoy, though. It's a pretty serious disappointment as a result of the framerate.


At least SotC didn't have issues with judder. Castlevania has a higher average framerate, but it just feels very stuttery.

stutter kills me. it soured me on multi gpu set ups until they get it fixed.

i guess it's just something i have to live with. i came into this thread hoping people would be saying framerate had been fixed since the demo.

i'll have to skip this one for now.

 

[DJ Lushious]

Okay, just found that magic gem. It was in a really clever spot. :lol

Where is it? I'm missing that magic gem, but I just figured it was behind the

Spoiler

wall that you don't have the skill to topple yet

.

So, I'm midway through Chapter 2 and I feel, like others have stated, that this could have been a AAA title. However, there's far too many minor annoyances. It's not what I expected from a game with "Kojima Productions" attached to it. These annoyances, in no particular order, they are:

• The camera. Nothing is more infuriating than fighting a Warg with its unblockable attack, which you can't see because the Warg has positioned itself in a spot where the camera simply won't pan to.
• Framerate. We've already beat this dead horse into glue, though.
• No ability to save in the middle of a level. Some of these levels can get a little long in the tooth, so the ability to stop mid-progress and return would have been more than welcome.
• Holding a button to absorb orbs. Seriously. There's a reason why no other God of War style game has made this mechanic mistake. It never fails that when I'm in the middle of combat that an enemy mobs me when I'm trying to collect orbs, even if it had appeared that I had an opening to do so. At least Ninja Gaiden gave you a reward for attempting this foolish mechanic.
• Health is infrequent. Really? Give me a bone some times, Mercury Steam. I'm playing on Hard and I'm constantly on edge on account of how little health I have. And using Light Magic to replenish it idoesn't always go so well, for the reason stated directly above.
• Invisible walls. "Boy, it sure looks like I can go up this path... Nope, invisible wall." The
  Spoiler

  third Rune/magic gem in Pan's level
  is such a great example of why these invisible walls fail.
• Patrick Stewart narration before every level. It just grates me. I feel like my $60 went towards fantastic graphics and this.

Now, I think this is a gorgeous game and the story is pretty epic so far. I'll definitely be playing it to the end, but I expected none of these "Game Design 101" mistakes from a game of this calibre.

 

[Despera]

it's games like this that make me feel like a giant framerate snob.

i mean, even Dark 10x is enjoying it despite the framerate. i can play dead rising 2 case zero without problem, so why does the demo to this make me want to rip my eyes out?

I think the real reason is the shaky-cam effect. I've gotten used to the low FPS even though some areas force the game to drop really low.

The only thing we can do is SHUT THE FUCK UP and enjoy what the game does good. LoS has a lot to offer and it definitely helps you overlook these minor issues.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

I think the real reason is the shaky-cam effect. I've gotten used to the low FPS even though some areas force the game to drop really low.

The only thing we can do is SHUT THE FUCK UP and enjoy what the game does good. LoS has a lot to offer and it definitely helps you overlook these minor issues.

Ah yes, "SHUT THE FUCK UP", the elegant solution to all of life's little problems.

 

[glaurung]

• Holding a button to absorb orbs. Seriously. There's a reason why no other God of War style game has made this mechanic mistake. It never fails that when I'm in the middle of combat that an enemy mobs me when I'm trying to collect orbs, even if it had appeared that I had an opening to do so. At least Ninja Gaiden gave you a reward for attempting this foolish mechanic.

I thought this was a nice little gimmick in the Onimusha games.

Cannot comment on any other grievances, won't be getting the game until late next week.

 

[dark10x]

No ability to save in the middle of a level. Some of these levels can get a little long in the tooth, so the ability to stop mid-progress and return would have been more than welcome.

You can save mid-level. In fact, it saves pretty constantly. If you quit the game after the save icon appears when you continue you will find yourself exactly where you left off.

 

[plagiarize]

I think the real reason is the shaky-cam effect. I've gotten used to the low FPS even though some areas force the game to drop really low.

The only thing we can do is SHUT THE FUCK UP and enjoy what the game does good. LoS has a lot to offer and it definitely helps you overlook these minor issues.

i can't enjoy it, but i'm not bitching at the developers, obviously most people love the eye candy despite the framerate.

i just feel left out is all. wish it didn't bother me.

 

[silentspork]

• Holding a button to absorb orbs. Seriously. There's a reason why no other God of War style game has made this mechanic mistake. It never fails that when I'm in the middle of combat that an enemy mobs me when I'm trying to collect orbs, even if it had appeared that I had an opening to do so. At least Ninja Gaiden gave you a reward for attempting this foolish mechanic.

It should make sense soon enough why they went with that mechanic - but it's still shitty.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

so why does the demo to this make me want to rip my eyes out?

To tell you the truth, the demo probably doesn't do the full game justice at all.

The combination of framerate, major aspects of combat being cut off from you, enemies being the same uniform brownish gray as the ground in the main village fight(making them practically invisible in the worst conditions), off-screen attacks, and that rail sequence; it all comes together to make a perfect storm of "the fuck?" that clouds any good aspects or promise the demo might have shown for the full game.

 

[ccbfan]

Well it took like 14+ hours but I beat the game and it was awesome, will be going back to get 110% complete.

Also massive spoiler about the ending, seriously do not read if you care about the story.

Spoiler

What is every ones opinion on Gabriel Belmont becoming Dracula and him still being a good guy, I would like Dracula to be the main enemy but looks like it will be Satan again.

In the original Castlevania time line

Spoiler

Dracula didn't become, evil evil until he Lisa (Alucard's mother) was killed by the villagers which she was trying to save with her super healing skills. She was accused of being a witch and burned. This was when Dracula made his War on humans.

Not much have been show in terms of canon of Dracula's exploits between the time he defied God and became of the Lord of Darkness in LOI and Lisa's death.

So there's plenty of time for him to become the Dracula we know.

Also Iga's been pretty bipolar with Dracula. Some games he's a generic evil destroy the world type, others he's some tragic hero shaped by unfortunate events.

Seems this reboot might be going with tragic hero shaped by unfortunate events.

 

[heringer]

Combat is surprisingly great. Way better than first expected. There's a point where the enemies start to become pretty brutal and simply attempting to mash your way through the battles will result in lots of death. You really have to become skilled with the system here. Parrying attacks, dodging, and managing both singular and area attacks are way more important here than in, say, God of War. It's pretty clear why the right stick was not used for evading once you start to dig into this game. The Ninja Gaiden approach is much more appropriate here.

In later levels (Chapter VII right now) it gets pretty awesome. This is no God of War. I said a couple days ago that it's about on par with God of War, difficulty wise, but I was wrong. It's no Ninja Gaiden, but it does require skillfull use of dodging, blocking and a wide array of moves. Really, great stuff. Best aspect of the game so far.

 

[DJ Lushious]

It should make sense soon enough why they went with that mechanic - but it's still shitty.

Well, I've received both

Spoiler

light and dark magic

, but I'm still no fan. I'd have been happier if Mercury Steam stuck with the God of War formula and had enemies dropped orbs for health and each magic. The Rune system is cool, except that I often found myself cheap-shotted out of a full bar either by a grenade that has blended in with the scenery or some enemy coming at me from off-screen.

 

[FrostuTheNinja]

Played through the first chapter last night.

It's not really Castlevania, but it's still a fairly well made game with some issues. For all the bitching I heard about Patrick Stewart I was expecting to be bugged by it. Not the case. It's a nice, calm, and quiet narration. Some of the ingame voice acting is horrific, not Rygar bad but bad in the sense of, "Let's cram X amount of dialogue into a two minute scene." Reminds me of Metal Gear in that fashion.

Attacking feels slightly delayed while jumping is responsive, which is odd. Combat looks great but at this point, it's pretty easy to wipe out a screen full of enemies with wide range attacks. I'm not really sure how I feel about the Onimusha style orb collection, though. Otherwise, it seems like I'll be having a good time. Rappelling with the whip is neat, as is all the other climbing based platforming. I'd love to see this running at maximum speed like the book/menu screens.

Oh yeah, the elemental cross

Spoiler

when looting your dead brethren

is a beautiful touch.

 

[dark10x]

You know, in reality, this game shares a LOT with the PS2 Rygar title. Obviously this is a much longer game and does not feature terrible voice work, but the basic structure is kind of the same.

 

[FrostuTheNinja]

You know, in reality, this game shares a LOT with the PS2 Rygar title. Obviously this is a much longer game and does not feature terrible voice work, but the basic structure is kind of the same.

You know, I was actually going to say that but fully expected GAF to implode.

 

[Despera]

Played through the first chapter last night.

It's not really Castlevania, but it's still a fairly well made game with some issues. For all the bitching I heard about Patrick Stewart I was expecting to be bugged by it. Not the case. It's a nice, calm, and quiet narration. Some of the ingame voice acting is horrific, not Rygar bad but bad in the sense of, "Let's cram X amount of dialogue into a two minute scene." Reminds me of Metal Gear in that fashion.

Attacking feels slightly delayed while jumping is responsive, which is odd. Combat looks great but at this point, it's pretty easy to wipe out a screen full of enemies with wide range attacks. I'm not really sure how I feel about the Onimusha style orb collection, though. Otherwise, it seems like I'll be having a good time. Rappelling with the whip is neat, as is all the other climbing based platforming. I'd love to see this running at maximum speed like the book/menu screens.

Oh yeah, the elemental cross

Spoiler

when looting your dead brethren

is a beautiful touch.

Talk to me after you finish Chapter 2.

 

[silentspork]

Well, I've received both

Spoiler

light and dark magic

, but I'm still no fan. I'd have been happier if Mercury Steam stuck with the God of War formula and had enemies dropped orbs for health and each magic. The Rune system is cool, except that I often found myself cheap-shotted out of a full bar either by a grenade that has blended in with the scenery or some enemy coming at me from off-screen.

Yea, not a fan either and wasn't trying to convince you otherwise. I feel like they could have gone with what you said, perhaps building in some priority to what type of magic drops from enemies depending on how much you have of each, but it also isn't hampering my enjoyment too much overall.

 

[Ridley327]

You know, in reality, this game shares a LOT with the PS2 Rygar title. Obviously this is a much longer game and does not feature terrible voice work, but the basic structure is kind of the same.

I'd say Rygar also has a leg up in the soundtrack department, but chalk that up to me not being impressed with a lame Howard Shore riff that occasionally features slightly dissonant themes from the series. Of course, Rygar had a great soundtrack on its own merits, so there's that.

But that's just me!

 

[dark10x]

I'd say Rygar also has a leg up in the soundtrack department, but chalk that up to me not being impressed with a lame Howard Shore riff that occasionally features slightly dissonant themes from the series. Of course, Rygar had a great soundtrack on its own merits, so there's that.

But that's just me!

I dunno, I really like the Castlevania soundtrack myself. It has a bit of Howard Shore in it, sure, but it's still very enjoyable.

Rygar does have an incredibly good soundtrack, though.

In fact, I really didn't think Rygar was a bad game at all. It has some of the worst story telling I've ever seen in a game, but the game itself is solid enough.

 

[riceandbeans]

Might pass on this and get Enslaved. Didn't like the combat. Felt too mechanical and just off. Brain dead AI didn't help either. I've been spoiled too much by Ninja Gaiden and Bayonetta.

 

[Ridley327]

I dunno, I really like the Castlevania soundtrack myself. It has a bit of Howard Shore in it, sure, but it's still very enjoyable.

Rygar does have an incredibly good soundtrack, though.

In fact, I really didn't think Rygar was a bad game at all. It has some of the worst story telling I've ever seen in a game, but the game itself is solid enough.

I really liked Rygar myself, although the dialogue definitely went way too far into stupidity to be even ironically enjoyable outside of That One Line.

 

[Despera]

Might pass on this and get Enslaved. Didn't like the combat. Felt too mechanical and just off. Brain dead AI didn't help either. I've been spoiled too much by Ninja Gaiden and Bayonetta.

For a second there I thought you were describing Enslaved. If that's your reason for getting that game instead of Castlevania... You are making a big, big mistake.

 

[heringer]

To people saying it isn't Castlevania enough, keep playing. Sure, the beginning is generic fantasy stuff, but later you do get that gothic, medieval Castlevania vibe.

 

[Host Samurai]

I have played through the first chapter and I can say this does feel like a 3D Castlevania to me. It has some classic elements such as whip swing, sub weapons, platforming and I think it does have that Castlevania "look". You have to also take into account that the game takes place in like year 1026 or something like that. Most are familiar to when the game took place from the 1400's-1700's. So the game does have a little LotR style to it but not much IMO. I do hope the sequel takes place in more of that "goth"era Europe. But outside of that so far there are no hitting candles for power ups or no Vampire Killer theme. But like I said I still think this game has a CV feel to it. So take that for what its worth.


On a side note I hope Iga does a HD Metroidvania thats coop on PS3/360. Since he has been on record saying that he wants to do that 1999 CV game. I say let them break up the series cannon.

 

[Phenomic]

Have to agree with the few people above, playing on Hard mode as well and the absorbing orbs is what keeps it from being a AAA game for me. Also the orbs disappear way to fast more so then they should. I will try to heal a bit with Light Magic only to end up with no way to regen the bar because the 20 orbs I grinded out went away. Then I normally end up with even less health using magic because theres too many things on the screen that I'm trying to focus on and end up taking tons of damage. :lol Still though everything else is top notch and still really enjoying it despite these issues. Hopefully we will get a sequel that really brings it all together.

Perhaps I should be playing on Normal.

 

[Tokubetsu]

One thing I'm noticing on hard, at least so far, the enemies aren't that difficult to kill/fight persay, it's just that you can't afford to be hit at all. You take a LOT of damage, especially from the bigger enemies.

Score is phenomenal.

 

[dark10x]

Might pass on this and get Enslaved. Didn't like the combat. Felt too mechanical and just off. Brain dead AI didn't help either. I've been spoiled too much by Ninja Gaiden and Bayonetta.

The combat here is definitely not brain dead. In fact, the game rewards skilled play and punishes mashing in a way I did not expect. It's pretty good stuff. There are reasons to skip this game, but the combat system is not one of those. The demo definitely fails to demonstrate just how good it can be simply because it isn't difficult. You CAN mash early on, but that goes away pretty quickly and you'll need to rely on parrying, dodging, blocking, and crowd control.

What I particularly enjoy are the "boss" battles in that most of them involve powerful creatures that do not resort to gimmicks. You use what you've learned in fighting normal enemies to take on these bosses and it can be quite rewarding. The way they mix up certain enemy types can also really test your skills. The time in which you can finish a battle also varies heavily depending on how you handle yourself, unlike God of War. This game is more Ninja Gaiden than God of War, that's for sure. Like Ninja Gaiden, the moves list isn't all that massive, but it focuses heavily on timing and understanding how to use the tools you have. Bayo was combo focused, Ninja Gaiden and Castlevania really are not.

That said, I am enjoying Enslaved much more overall. Its combat system doesn't have anywhere NEAR the depth of this game, but the overall experience is just really good and it combines all of its pieces into a greater whole. I like Castlevania, but I love Enslaved. If a deep combat experience is what you desire, CV is the better choice.

One thing I'm noticing on hard, at least so far, the enemies aren't that difficult to kill/fight persay, it's just that you can't afford to be hit at all. You take a LOT of damage, especially from the bigger enemies.

This is why it works so well. The enemies are dangerous, like Ninja Gaiden, and you can't really afford to approach it in a lazy fashion. If you just walk out there and mash away without paying attention, you'll be dead very very quickly. The fact that this applies to regular enemies is great.

Damn, the more I think about it, the more I become pissed off by the poor framerate. They have such a great base game here, how could they piss it all away with terrible performance? It's the same shit that ruined Heavenly Sword and Bionic Commando (console versions) for me. You do not make an action game that runs like shit. If you must cut down on visual effects to reach a solid framerate, you fucking do it. Nobody cares about all that detail if it stutters along like a broken ass PC.

 

[brandonh83]

One thing I'm noticing on hard, at least so far, the enemies aren't that difficult to kill/fight persay, it's just that you can't afford to be hit at all. You take a LOT of damage, especially from the bigger enemies.

Yup. I'm playing on Knight, and button mashing just does not cut it. I'm on the boss at the end of chapter 3 and oh boy, what a rough ride.

Spoiler

as if the first form wasn't bad enough...

 

[keltickennedy]

Might pass on this and get Enslaved. Didn't like the combat. Felt too mechanical and just off. Brain dead AI didn't help either. I've been spoiled too much by Ninja Gaiden and Bayonetta.

Haha. Switching over to Enslaved combat then....hahaha....okay...

 

[Cynar]

picked up this game and loving it! So good!

 

[heringer]

I have played through the first chapter and I can say this does feel like a 3D Castlevania to me. It has some classic elements such as whip swing, sub weapons, platforming and I think it does have that Castlevania "look". You have to also take into account that the game takes place in like year 1026 or something like that. Most are familiar to when the game took place from the 1400's-1700's. So the game does have a little LotR style to it but not much IMO. I do hope the sequel takes place in more of that "goth"era Europe. But outside of that so far there are no hitting candles for power ups or no Vampire Killer theme. But like I said I still think this game has a CV feel to it. So take that for what its worth.


On a side note I hope Iga does a HD Metroidvania thats coop on PS3/360. Since he has been on record saying that he wants to do that 1999 CV game. I say let them break up the series cannon.

As I stated in the post above yours, you will get that that european "goth" look in later chapters.

 

[VALKYRAY]

havent' bought this game yet, i heard in another forum that the combos, that you can purchase in the game, are worthless. the most useful combos are simply smashing X/square and Y/triangle. is it true?

 

[LowParry]

havent' bought this game yet, i heard in another forum that the combos, that you can purchase in the game, are worthless. the most useful combos are simply smashing X/square and Y/triangle. is it true?

If you're a noob that's playing on the easiest setting. :lol

 

[dark10x]

havent' bought this game yet, i heard in another forum that the combos, that you can purchase in the game, are worthless. the most useful combos are simply smashing X/square and Y/triangle. is it true?

If you resort to "smashing" X and Y you will not survive.

Again, it's like Ninja Gaiden. That game definitely did not focus on combos (though some could be useful).

 

[WickedLaharl]

the combat in the demo doesn't do this game any justice at all. after you buy a few skills it really opens up and becomes enjoyable.

so yeah despite what said before about not getting the game because of the framerate didn't hold up. i'm pretty glad i got it so far.

one thing i didn't know about is that there are multiple paths through levels. finding that out pleased me greatly.

oh and i don't really understand the complaints about the music. seems pretty great from what i've heard.

 

[VALKYRAY]

this is what i've heard.
- enemies will most likely interupt you before finish combo.
- LT + X, X can come out on accident very frequently, and it makes you stun and become open for enemy attacks.

 

[LowParry]

If you resort to "smashing" X and Y you will not survive.

Again, it's like Ninja Gaiden. That game definitely did not focus on combos (though some could be useful).

The game is structured exactly like Ninja Gaiden. You think you're getting boss fights but then they turn out to be just regular fights through the game.

 

[Tokubetsu]

Chapter 1/2 question:

Spoiler

There was one level that required a shadow magic to open a path early on, well now I have it and I can't seem to remember which one it was. Was it Labyrnth entrance?

Nvm, found it.

 

[LowParry]

this is what i've heard.
- enemies will most likely interupt you before finish combo.
- LT + X, X can come out on accident very frequently, and it makes you stun and become open for enemy attacks.

Well that's easy. Most will stand there and block your attacks. If you keep on attacking, they do their unblockable hit. Duh.

Never had any LT issues. Sounds like button mashing.

 

[heringer]

havent' bought this game yet, i heard in another forum that the combos, that you can purchase in the game, are worthless. the most useful combos are simply smashing X/square and Y/triangle. is it true?

It's more about playing defensive, really. Like dark10x said, it's kinda like Ninja Gaiden in that. Don't get the wrong idea though, some moves are really usefull to dispose of enemies faster (not to mention more stylish), so I would say that relying only on the basic combos will make your life harder.

I find myself using more moves than I did in Ninja Gaiden (I relied on Izuna Drop for like 80% of the game).

 

[brandonh83]

this is what i've heard.
- enemies will most likely interupt you before finish combo.
- LT + X, X can come out on accident very frequently, and it makes you stun and become open for enemy attacks.

Right. On tougher bosses I find myself starting up a combo and then rolling away when I "feel" it's about time for them to lay in on me :lol

One thing I do have to say, I felt the bog area was great because of the atmosphere, so that was off to a good start, but I think some of the levels after that are "too" beautiful. I don't necessarily have a deep problem with that, but the bog level felt more like a creepier, horror-like setting whereas some of the dilapidated cities are just "pretty."

More of a nitpick, as they are beautiful to behold but I do prefer the darker, less sunlight-drenched areas. As someone said though, the game definitely gets away from that more as you go.

 

[LowParry]

I hate to say it but Chp. 1 and 2 just felt like this strange filler. As fun as they were, I think they could of been toned down. Then once you get to Chp. 3 it goes full force. Probably will get into Chp. 5 and 6 today. We'll see how that goes.

 

[Host Samurai]

As I stated in the post above yours, you will get that that european "goth" look in later chapters.

Awesome

 

[Tokubetsu]

It's more about playing defensive, really. Like dark10x said, it's kinda like Ninja Gaiden in that. Don't get the wrong idea though, some moves are really usefull to dispose of enemies faster (not to mention more stylish), so I would say that relying only on the basic combos will make your life harder.

I find myself using more moves than I did in Ninja Gaiden (I relied on Izuna Drop for like 80% of the game).

I find the moves that start out attacking a single enemy but finish with area attacks to be me particularly useful. It's kinda like NG in that regard as well (You need to be always moving/controlling the crowd).

But yea, NG1 and even moreso 2 was all about how often you were spamming Izuna Drop :lol