Castlevania PS2

[Gabriel]

Anyone want to share some insight on the Castlevania games for the PS2?

 

I'm on a Castlevania kick lately. I'm curious to hear some things about these games a bit more detailed than the typical "they're 3D and they suck" so often heard from Castlevania fandom.

[jimhmphry]

that sums it up, but i put some time in on the second one never finished it tho

[2600Lives]

I actually enjoyed Lament of Innocence. Thought it was very well done. Some of the bosses are freakin' HARD, though (an optional boss comes to mind...). It's way better done than the N64 Castlevanias, that's for sure.

[Lord Thag]

The N64 ones sucked. Both of the PS2 ones are quite playable, if not inspired. They incorporate some traditional castlevania elements into a pretty bog standard third person action game. I enjoyed both, though I don't consider either of them terribly memorable. Solid, would be the word I'd use.

 

My main gripe with the first one is that it gets repetative aftr awhile, and it eschews a lot of the more modern Symphony of the Night innovations. The second one included all the cool inventory options, but the levels were incredibly boxy, generic, and bland. Both games had good combat and boss fights.

 

I'd recommend both.

Edited December 6, 2008 by Lord Thag

[A Sprite]

Imagine Castlevania: Lament of innocence as a bonus minigame in Tekken. The action is solid, the enemies memorable...but every level is only constructed to serve as a level. There's no inspiration. The theme throughout is 'functional'.

 

You will have fun.

 

But you won't ever be surprised.

 

Just like the developers themselves, you'll often find yourself simply going through the motions.

 

The best 3d Castlevania game remains the original "Devil May Cry."

Edited December 7, 2008 by A Sprite

[Gabriel]

I've never played Devil May Cry, so I figure I won't be viewing it in that light. It's definitely a recurring theme I see in the professional game reviews.

[Gabriel]

I suppose while I'm at it, I can also ask for some general input on Circle of the Moon for the GBA.

 

I've been playing Portrait of Ruin (DS) and Symphony of Night (360) lately. I didn't 'GET' the idea of the "Castleroid" until this Thanksgiving holiday, but now I'm really getting into it. I had already picked up Dawn of Sorrow and the GBA Castlevania Double Pack for cheap over a year or two ago. So...

 

Does Circle of the Moon really offer anything the later installments don't?

 

As I would expect, it looks slightly more primitive than Harmony of Dissonance. HoD is at that borderline beyond which I can't really get into the visuals. The music seems kind of iffy, and that's a big deal for me with Castlevania.

 

Also, CotM's floorplans look very samey and repetitive compared to Portrait of Ruin's. That might just be because I'm watching speed runs and such to get an idea of a broader section of the game.

[A Sprite]

I suppose while I'm at it, I can also ask for some general input on Circle of the Moon for the GBA.

 

I've been playing Portrait of Ruin (DS) and Symphony of Night (360) lately. I didn't 'GET' the idea of the "Castleroid" until this Thanksgiving holiday, but now I'm really getting into it. I had already picked up Dawn of Sorrow and the GBA Castlevania Double Pack for cheap over a year or two ago. So...

 

Does Circle of the Moon really offer anything the later installments don't?

 

As I would expect, it looks slightly more primitive than Harmony of Dissonance. HoD is at that borderline beyond which I can't really get into the visuals. The music seems kind of iffy, and that's a big deal for me with Castlevania.

 

Also, CotM's floorplans look very samey and repetitive compared to Portrait of Ruin's. That might just be because I'm watching speed runs and such to get an idea of a broader section of the game.

 

Circle of the Moon...it's aged. Badly. Animation is an 8 bit two frame strut to begin with, but add in limited music tracks over large sprawling maps, and it's like hitting a railroad spike into your ears during a seizure at a Hammer Horror movie all night marathon. Shortcuts are limited. Running isn't always an option...for instance, you must stop in your tracks and hold down the attack button every few seconds to attack poisonous snakes...it's worse than it sounds.

 

And I still can't give it a bad review.

 

The castle is easier to navigate than HoD, and the story, what little you'll find, is better written...but none of that matters. The real reason to play it now is the dual card system. None of the powers you unlock are spelled out, so you need to experiment just to find out what you've activated.

 

It's rare to find a game that assumes you have a brain.

 

I spent the first half hour playing calling the game every nasty name I could think of; most of them earned.

 

By the time I neared the end, you would have had to pry that game out of my hands with a hacksaw.

 

Is it for you?

 

Who knows?

 

If you look at it as what it could be, you'll walk away disappointed.

 

But look at it as a newly discovered retro title, and you'll understand why it received a ridiculous amount of love when it was released.

[2600Lives]

For the GBA, Harmony of Dissonance is EXCELLENT. It has a pretty unique system where you capture the souls of creatures killed and gain their powers. Very fun game.

[A Sprite]

For the GBA, Harmony of Dissonance is EXCELLENT. It has a pretty unique system where you capture the souls of creatures killed and gain their powers. Very fun game.

 

That's Aria of Sorrow. Anyone who doesn't own it, go out and buy it now.

[Lord Thag]

Also, the first DS castlevania is a direct sequel to Aria of Sorrow. Those two are up there with Symphony of the Night, in terms of quality and immersion. I couldn't put either of them down. The pinacle of modern 2D gaming, in my book!

Edited December 9, 2008 by Lord Thag

[Gabriel]

Circle of the Moon...it's aged. Badly.

 

Hmmm. While the dual card system sounds interesting, I think the primitivity of the rest of the game would preclude me being interested in it. I'm not going to be able to look at it with the eyes of nostalgia like I can the original Castlevania, so I think it would be rather painful for me to watch and listen to.

 

I guess if I somehow manage to beat the ones I have and Ecclesia, then I'll revisit the idea of completing the GBA set of titles.

 

I went ahead and ordered Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness. I figure I can deal with generic 3D action game with a CV coat of paint.

[A Sprite]

Circle of the Moon...it's aged. Badly.

 

Hmmm. While the dual card system sounds interesting, I think the primitivity of the rest of the game would preclude me being interested in it. I'm not going to be able to look at it with the eyes of nostalgia like I can the original Castlevania, so I think it would be rather painful for me to watch and listen to.

 

I guess if I somehow manage to beat the ones I have and Ecclesia, then I'll revisit the idea of completing the GBA set of titles.

 

I went ahead and ordered Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness. I figure I can deal with generic 3D action game with a CV coat of paint.

 

Share your thoughts after? I've never read a review of the 3D Castlevanias that didn't directly compare them to Devil May Cry or Symphony of the Night. Even their maker is a Devil May Cry fan. How would they have been received if released in a world where neither existed?

 

Also, if you can look past the blinding amount of hype it's been buried under, give DMC a try afterwards. ( I've seen it sold for as little as $5. ) If it were repainted as a Castlevania game, where would it have ranked? Was it a wise decision to limit the camera in order to focus on the characters, enemies, and level design, or does it take away too much control from the player?

Edited December 9, 2008 by A Sprite

[2600Lives]

Whoops, Aria of Sorrow it was. Harmony of Dissonance was also a damn good game, too, though. DAMN good. Very much like Symphony of the Night, actually. The first Gameboy Advance Castlevania title does remind me too much of the older NES titles, and yeah, it has aged badly, but still, it's better than 90% of the shovelware available for the system.

[Gabriel]

Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness arrived today. Here are my first impressions after playing about an hour of Lament of Innocence and about an hour and a half of Curse of Darkness.

 

Both are very similar games with slightly different ways of going about things. Lament of Innocence is like a Zelda game crossed with platforming. Curse of Darkness is more like the Castleroid games but so far without the platforming elements of the 2D games. But playing each (at least at the beginning) doesn't feel too different.

 

One of the more noticable things about the games is each one's different approach to graphics. Lament of Innocence looks foggier and has that early PS2 title look to it, but the backgrounds are well detailed and the whole thing is very interesting. Curse of Darkness crispens the graphics up and the sharpness and color makes the game look better. The cost seems to be a total lack of detailing for the environments. CoD features long featureless hallway after long featureless hallway.

 

Both are irritating with their camera in different ways. Both manage to have good camera philosophies in those same different ways. I think in games like this the camera is just one of those things which will never be perfect.

 

Interestingly, both are similar to Soul Calibur Legends, which I bashed some time back. CoD is especially reminicent with it's featureless hallways. Yet, with a few extra bells and whistles and regular instead of waggle control, the same general game style manages to be pretty engaging.

 

CoD strikes me as easier, mainly because of the total lack of jumping puzzles (so far). Lament of Innocence seems like it might be the more interesting and more varied game, because CoD starts feeling a lot like a lower enemy count version of Dynasty Warriors really quick.

 

Both are about what I expected. So far, I'm generally happy I took a chance on them.

[cimerians]

Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness arrived today. Here are my first impressions after playing about an hour of Lament of Innocence and about an hour and a half of Curse of Darkness.

 

Both are very similar games with slightly different ways of going about things. Lament of Innocence is like a Zelda game crossed with platforming. Curse of Darkness is more like the Castleroid games but so far without the platforming elements of the 2D games. But playing each (at least at the beginning) doesn't feel too different.

 

One of the more noticable things about the games is each one's different approach to graphics. Lament of Innocence looks foggier and has that early PS2 title look to it, but the backgrounds are well detailed and the whole thing is very interesting. Curse of Darkness crispens the graphics up and the sharpness and color makes the game look better. The cost seems to be a total lack of detailing for the environments. CoD features long featureless hallway after long featureless hallway.

 

Both are irritating with their camera in different ways. Both manage to have good camera philosophies in those same different ways. I think in games like this the camera is just one of those things which will never be perfect.

 

Interestingly, both are similar to Soul Calibur Legends, which I bashed some time back. CoD is especially reminicent with it's featureless hallways. Yet, with a few extra bells and whistles and regular instead of waggle control, the same general game style manages to be pretty engaging.

 

CoD strikes me as easier, mainly because of the total lack of jumping puzzles (so far). Lament of Innocence seems like it might be the more interesting and more varied game, because CoD starts feeling a lot like a lower enemy count version of Dynasty Warriors really quick.

 

Both are about what I expected. So far, I'm generally happy I took a chance on them.

 

They are pretty good games, I finished Lament but never CoD.

 

I kind of got spoiled with Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden Black.

 

After playing those games and then trying to play Castlevania....its pretty painful.