Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

[REmaster]

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow



As my second favorite video game franchise, I've been waiting many years for a good CV game to be released on playstation/xbox. I played the classics when I was a kid but CV: Symphony of the Night has become my favorite of the series, like most other CV fans. I was delighted to hear that they were making a new CV game under the supervision of Hideo Kojima, but I'm still wondering what happen to the "Alucard" game that was shown at a Tokyo gameshow some years back? Trashed most likely.

There's been a lot of mixed takes on the game, some saying it's a GOW wannabe while other's like me are happy that the CV series might finally get more exposure and the respect it deserves. With a talent VA cast, beautiful graphics and what appears to be an action packed journey, I'm pretty excited to explore Dracula's castle, yet again lol.

[Carnivol]

Definitively looking forward to this one. It's pretty much what I feel the franchise has been missing for nearly 15 years. As you probably understand, I'm not a fan of the Symphony of the Night "clones" (and I don't think SotN has aged too very well either), I also belong to the group of people who thinks Rondo of Blood belongs in the same bin of overrated retro crap as Sonic CD belongs to (and don't get me started on the PSP remake - which only redeeming factors were an okay art diretion and a nice price)

I'm not a fan of how Konami appears to pretty much just be slapping the Kojima name on it as a marketing means. Not a Kojima fan and something tells me that it's basically just false advertising on Konami's end to claim Kojima's had anything noteworthy to do with the game.

Anyway, grabbing this on day 1, most likely.

[REmaster]

Definitively looking forward to this one. It's pretty much what I feel the franchise has been missing for nearly 15 years. As you probably understand, I'm not a fan of the Symphony of the Night "clones" (and I don't think SotN has aged too very well either), I also belong to the group of people who thinks Rondo of Blood belongs in the same bin of overrated retro crap as Sonic CD belongs to (and don't get me started on the PSP remake - which only redeeming factors were an okay art diretion and a nice price)

I'm not a fan of how Konami appears to pretty much just be slapping the Kojima name on it as a marketing means. Not a Kojima fan and something tells me that it's basically just false advertising on Konami's end to claim Kojima's had anything noteworthy to do with the game.

Anyway, grabbing this on day 1, most likely.

While SOTN is one of my favorite games, ever...I totally agree with you on Rondo of Blood. I even bought the PSP version "Dracula X Chronicles" just because you can unlock the full SOTN game, but even that couldn't keep me from selling it a few months later. Yes, I played Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness for PS2 and I really tried to like them. Unfortunatly, they just weren't any good. This is Konami's chance to bring back one of their biggest franchises with a bang. Also, I'm pretty sure the extent of Kojima's participation with the game is, "Sure...that color looks good". Regardless, after so many years of poor to mediocre CV games and a huge abscense of titles for home consoles, it still makes me feel a tad bit better that his name's attached. Perhaps he'll beat the designers with a whip as means of motivation.

[Pikminister]

...I'm not a fan of the Symphony of the Night "clones"...

Funny, considering that SotN was itself a clone of another franchise: Metroid. Thus were the term "Metroidvania/Castleroid was coined.

I think the GBA and DS games weren't too shabby but I understand the feeling some have over how the series is presently doing... I read this on the web and I think it sums up things quite nicely:

...what irritates me is the fact that I've basically been playing the same game for 10 long years now. I'm getting tired of whipping candles to make them cough up hearts and bags of money. I'm tired of Mermen, tired of bats, and tired of those cursed Medusa Heads. But what tires me out the most is the fact that the Castlevania franchise remains a lowly diversion when it clearly has the potential to become a dramatically rich and emotionally complex experience. Look at the resurrection of Metroid last year, or the Zelda series, or Grand Theft Auto. In the lifecycle of any franchise, the gameplay must evolve in order for the franchise to remain commercially and critically viable. I've grown up, and I'm waiting for the Castlevania series to grow up, too...

Let's hope this new CV delivers.

[Carnivol]

I don't mind some of the recurring classic themes/elements, but a coat of paint wouldn't hurt (and I'm seriously pleased to see the anime art direction go to hell and beyond - I don't even like Ayami Kojima's art, in general. It only worked in Symphony of the Night + the Dracula X Chronicles redesigns for Rondo of Blood. All the other Ayami art has pissed me off to no end.)

Funny, considering that SotN was itself a clone of another franchise: Metroid. Thus were the term "Metroidvania/Castleroid was coined.

Problem is that Metroid kinda feels like every game is a new game. Castlevania on the other hand has for the past 15 years been made by people trying to remake Symphony of the Night, instead of actually trying to make a new "metroidvania" game. If I see another inverted castle, I'll probably supernova and destroy the entire galaxy we live in. (Harmony of Dissonance is to date still the only game to've had a remotely interesting take on the inverted castle formula)

[REmaster]

I don't really mind the elements eithier, but obviously the series desperately needed a fresh take on things. For instance, beautiful level design and music has usually been the strong points of Castlevania. Add some good graphics, VA's and a storyline that's deeper than, "This guy's gonna head to the castle and kill dracula, because (SUPRISE!) he was ressurected by some jerks again", and you've got yourself a winner. Of course it will hopefully have good controls/camera placement as well, that's kind of important lol. I'm excited about being able to swing around with the whip, haven't done that since Super Castlevania

The music will also be made by a new person, apparently some famous spanish composer. Sounds interesting, but I'm just glad their keeping many of the classic CV tracks in the game.

[BBboy20]

Where October is suppose to be filled with frights and horrors, it's going to be gangbanged (physical beatings) by over-the-top extreme-action titles. I'm not complaining though.

[rewak]

It's Devil May Cry with the Castlevania name put to it, simple. Why couldn't they do a HD-style remake for the live arcade platforms of the original S/NES games? That would be so awesome, this on the other hand is just awful looking.

[aris13]

And yes REmaster I too hope that the classic Castlevania tunes (Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears) will be in the game.

[Sephiroth]

Who else apart from me thinks Lord of Shadows ending will be predictable Spoiler:

show spoiler

Dracula comes back to life from thoses Masks the God and Devil Masks from what I remember reading in an interview once the God Mask has the powers to resurrect the dead hmm sound like another resurrection for Dracula again

[BBboy20]

I'm just curious but is the Dracula in the Castlevania series the same one from the now default kind found in Brim Stoker's book? Because if the date from the website suggest, Vlad the Impaler won't exist until a few hundred years later.

[REmaster]

I'm just curious but is the Dracula in the Castlevania series the same one from the now default kind found in Brim Stoker's book? Because if the date from the website suggest, Vlad the Impaler won't exist until a few hundred years later.

Yes and no. Castlevania has had a very long and complicated storyline (which is a suprise since most games you play as the descendant of the hero in the last entry, picking up the whip to slay Dracula once again, etc.), because several games have been ruled out as non-canon such as Sonia Belmont ( Trevor's mother and the original "first" Belmont to slay Dracula) as well as Castlevania on 64 and it's sequel Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness. However they did include one tie-in of Bram Stoker's Dracula in Castlevania: Bloodlines (sega genesis).



You can choose between two characters to play as, one of which is John Morris, son of Quincey Morris who stabbed Dracula in the heart with his bowie knife in the novel. As for now, who knows since Lords of Shadow is a reboot of the series and has wiped all it's past history clean. For some reason I doubt Konami will include the actual characters from the novel, but they've taken a lot of design elements from the movie over the years.

[Pikminister]

Yes and no. Castlevania has had a very long and complicated storyline (which is a suprise since most games you play as the descendant of the hero in the last entry, picking up the whip to slay Dracula once again, etc.), because several games have been ruled out as non-canon such as Sonia Belmont ( Trevor's mother and the original "first" Belmont to slay Dracula) as well as Castlevania on 64 and it's sequel Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness. However they did include one tie-in of Bram Stoker's Dracula in Castlevania: Bloodlines (sega genesis).

I don't really trust Koji Igarashi with the CV timeline. First he says CV64 and LoD are not part of it, using a lot of excuses. And then recently he said that CV: Judgement is part of the official timeline. The problem with all that is that among the characters included in Judgement, is the main protagonist of Legacy of Darkness. Cornell the wolfman. So basically, he indirectly confirmed that LoD (and CV64) is in fact part of the timeline.

[ValentineLover]

I'm just curious but is the Dracula in the Castlevania series the same one from the now default kind found in Brim Stoker's book? Because if the date from the website suggest, Vlad the Impaler won't exist until a few hundred years later.

like REmaster said, sort of. The novel is a part of the canon more or less (it would need lots of modifications and they screwed it up witht the dates). But Drac is not Vlad the Impaler, is Mathias Cronqvist, the ex BFF of the first Belmont to to wield the whip (Leon Belmont) who became angry at God for his wife death (she got ill). This Drac declares war at humanity after his second wife (who is the reincarnation of the first) got accused of being a witch and got burned to death

[Pikminister]

Comic Con 2010

Castlevania Lords of Shadow Comic-Con 2010 Demo (Weapons and Combat)

YouTube video:

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