Coffee Dog
Banned
IGN reviews are wrong so often and so wildly inconsistent that I am still surprised anyone listens to them.
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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate Review Thread
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
PaulExcellent
Member
I'll pick it up tomorrow or so, to give a full review.
(Something tells me I'll be at work, and that could change my plans.)
I really liked the demo, but it's not classic Castlevania.
If anything, I like what I'm reading here.
8-9 hours is exactly what I want.
(Something tells me I'll be at work, and that could change my plans.)
I really liked the demo, but it's not classic Castlevania.
If anything, I like what I'm reading here.
8-9 hours is exactly what I want.
FreedomFighter
Member
We have an entire thread on the demo that reach 5 pages, which many in this thread have posted in. Based on the demo I played, the game IS NOT a 4.7. Not even close. I think his review was harsh and critical about what the game wasn't (Metovania) as opposed to what it is. It's a solid game.
we've come to this point? "At least he got some"?
And you're certainly free to criticize his review in that regard. He starts it off with a paragraph describing Symphony of the Night so Colin could've gone into this game with a poor mindset. However, that has nothing to do with people saying his review was biased because he's a PlayStation editor or something, lol.
FreedomFighter
Member
Well, again, when he's written fanboy articles like he has, you're going to get some of that.
This isn't a review of the 3DS. It's a review of Castlevania. Now, if you can find some "fanboy" articles of his against Castlevania, THEN I'd have a good reason to be skeptical of his review.
I aint even one of the guys who liked the demo (Actually pretty negative on it) and I'm actually sporting a RIP Castlevania Avatar but the game is far from that score. 6.5-7.5 seem more appropriate to it and most of his review is how it isnt Classivania or Metroidvania instead of talking of the game for what it is instead of what it isnt.
brandonh83
Banned
I still can't figure out why that is. Lords of Shadow 2 is the last Mercury Castlevania game and there have been shitty Castlevania games before. There have also been a share of mediocre ones too. There are so many of them spanning going on three decades now so I don't see how a few new ones that you don't like is the death of the franchise.
Kontergurke
Member
Could it be that you missed a secret ending or something? Maybe there is a way to unlock a true final boss?
I still can't figure out why that is. Lords of Shadow 2 is the last Mercury Castlevania game and there have been shitty Castlevania games before. There have also been a share of mediocre ones too. There are so many of them spanning going on three decades now so I don't see how a few new ones that you don't like is the death of the franchise.
I know LOS2 its the ending of their Saga but Castlevania as I know it is dead at the moment (or a coma if you wanna go for a cuter term) waiting to be revived properly. I wish at least the portable ones go back to full 2D and I dont have any issues with Mercury Steam actually handling the Console ones.
I wouldnt mind something like this tbh.
Classicvania as Downloable games
Metroidvania as Portable games (They can switch this up with Classicvania every one in a while)
3Dvania for consoles
brandonh83
Banned
Well, your actual mindset doesn't seem quite as dire as your avatar leads me to believe.
Well, your actual mindset doesn't seem quite as dire as your avatar leads me to believe.
Lol I'm open to changes simply that LOS:MOF 3DS does more wrongs than rights in my books. I've expressed liking LOS1 (Then again I must repeat there is no standards set for 3Dvania) afterall despite some issues with the setting, technical issues and some lack of characterization on their story (Gabriel its emotionally torn, he hasn't slept for days but he has the same expression from the beginning of the game til the end) and then again I'm one of the few people that openly express liking Castlevania 64 which is usually trashed around here. My avatar its a half joke , half serious thing.
brandonh83
Banned
and then again I'm one of the few people that openly express liking Castlevania 64 which is usually trashed around here. My avatar its a half joke , half serious thing.
I like Castlevania 64's more horror-driven mood but the game itself is just too clunky for me. I still ended up liking it overall, mainly because of the atmosphere. I don't think Castlevania has to have eccentric art direction and music. Games like Castlevania IV, 64, and even Lords of Shadow have a more eerie calm type atmosphere that I really love and like just as much if not more than the tone found in the Metroidvanias.
walking fiend
Member
I had a really negative impression regarding the game, but after reading reviews, it seems that whether you like the game or not, depends on what's your expectation; if you expectation matches what was the goal behind making this game, it seems the developers were able to do a good job in executing them more or less.
Baconsammy
Banned
Are we complaining that IGN failed to artificially inflate MoF's score? Assuming the demo is representative of the game as a whole (which is not a point of contention), we've got a game with PS1-era aliasing and modeling, atrociously floaty platforming, absurdly choppy framerate and terrible combat. The atmosphere (backgrounds, arguably music) is possibly the game's only selling points. By all accounts we're dealing with a poor God of War clone. Why should this game be scored higher? For effort? For taking the series somewhere new, even if in the form of an objectively bad game? Because portable games should be judged more leniently?
AndrewDean84xX
Banned
The IGN review does read like a child is unhappy that something has changed, so he is taking his ball and going home.
It seemed more like a review for what the game isn't, rather than what the game is.
I was just at Metacritic and I just saw a user review for the game that gave the game a 1/10 because others were over rating the game. User reviews. Sheesh.
It seemed more like a review for what the game isn't, rather than what the game is.
I was just at Metacritic and I just saw a user review for the game that gave the game a 1/10 because others were over rating the game. User reviews. Sheesh.
SlasherJPC
Banned
Yet another thing we agree on. I loved Castle 64 for these reasons
Even with the clunk.discoalucard
i am a butthurt babby that can only drool in wonder at shiney objects
Seriously, who would expect a Castlevania game when the words "Castlevania" are written in large letters on the front cover?
FreedomFighter
Member
Did you even play the demo? Cause that's just lol. Or perhaps your fond memories of PS1 is clouding your vision today. Or maybe it's just hyperbole for dramatic effect. I don't know.
brandonh83
Banned
It is a Castlevania game.
AndrewDean84xX
Banned
It's a Castlevania game. Maybe it's just not the one you and Collin were wishing for.
SlasherJPC
Banned
Randomizer
Member
People actually still listen to IGN?
I liked the demo and the only reviews that I trust are from Eurogamer, Edge and Gamecentral as their tastes align with mine. All of them said that it is a good but flawed game so I'm going to be picking this up.
I liked the demo and the only reviews that I trust are from Eurogamer, Edge and Gamecentral as their tastes align with mine. All of them said that it is a good but flawed game so I'm going to be picking this up.
discoalucard
i am a butthurt babby that can only drool in wonder at shiney objects
Based on what, exactly? Vague thematic resemblances and a similar logo?
Whatever, this discussion happened with Lords of Shadow came out and it's a topic that's going to lead nowhere. My point is, when you create a game in a series, there's a reasonable expectation that, on some level, they're going to be at least somewhat similar. Pretending that you're offering another installment in a long-running series and then delivering something completely different, I think that's a thing that's worth being disappointed by. And for those that don't agree, I'd like to hear their opinions about Metroid Other M.
It's nothing like the Igavanias, but it's nothing like the Classicvanias either. It is, however, similar to a number of other, more popular games, with tropes taken from the cinematic-platformer mold, which are anathema to not only longtime Castlevania fans, but to retro gamers in general. To write these off (stupid QTEs! floaty controls! awful framerate! damage sponges!) as "well he's annoyed it's not an Igavania so his complaints aren't valid" amount to little more than vapid dismissals.
TalesOfWin
Banned
I listen to IGN and MS is a mediocre developer, so why are people surprised?
brandonh83
Banned
I don't know how to argue this, really, beyond the fact that there's been almost 30 years worth of Castlevania games and multiple directions. Just because it isn't like Metroidvania or isn't exactly like Classicvania doesn't mean that it isn't a Castlevania game or can't be called a Castlevania game. There are plenty of Castlevania elements in it. It's your right to think of it however you'd like, but it is a Castlevania game. I didn't think Resident Evil 6 was anywhere as good as its predecessors nor did it have all the RE elements that I would have liked, but it was still a Resident Evil game and upon accepting it for what it was, I ended up getting a lot of enjoyment out of it.
Mirror of Fate seems to have different Castlevania elements combined with a newer combat type foreign to the series not counting Lords of Shadow 1, but guess what, Symphony of the Night was filled with plenty of things foreign to Castlevania as well. It's just that Symphony of the Night came out in 1997 so it feels classic and an established part of the franchise now, but when it came out, it was in hardly any way like any of the Castlevania games that I had played.
discoalucard
i am a butthurt babby that can only drool in wonder at shiney objects
Kind of. Symphony of the Night played different than most, but even at the time, people were saying more than it was a sequel to Simon's Quest, if anything. (Even though it ultimately ended up more like Metroid.) The thing is, you can play Dracula X and then play Symphony of the Night right afterward, and even though they play very differently, there are lots of commonalities. The graphical style, the flow of combat (though much smoother), the high quality music, the callbacks, these are all things that say "this is different but clearly an evolution of what I've played before".
Lords of Shadow is closer to what Konami did with the Nintendo 64 games, which got similarly mixed reactions all around. About the best anyone can say about those games nowadays is that they had a pretty cool atmosphere, which is also about the same I can say about MercurySteam's games.
Ultimately people will always complain when something is changed. But if people were happy with what it was being changed into, you'd certainly hear a lot less of it. (I.E. Resident Evil 4)
Father_Brain
Banned
This is key. Is MoF a major departure from previous 2D Castlevanias? Of course, but it really doesn't have any less in common with the Igavanias than the Igavanias did with the previous level-based Castlevanias.
Spieler Eins
Member
I wouldn't mind the different art direction of the game, it's kinda good and I might have gotten it for cheap, but the tedious combat in the demo killed it for me. And the QTEs.
They should have kept this shit on consoles and continue IGAvania on handhelds, I don't see the problem.
They should have kept this shit on consoles and continue IGAvania on handhelds, I don't see the problem.
It makes platforming less tight, and it was one of many valid complaints. Everything he mentioned as bothering him, also bothered me. Perhaps not enough to give it such a low score, but I can see where hes coming from. Lack of enemies, lack of equipment, and some weird hybrid of metroidvania and classic castlevania give it a real lack of identity.
May buy down the line for like $10.
Hale-XF11
Member
I just can't see how that's true at all, but to each their own, I guess.
brandonh83
Banned
And Simon's Quest was very different than the original. I'm using the original as the basis for all arguments about what is or isn't Castlevania. That was the original Castlevania that laid the foundation for anything and everything to come-- just like the original Resident Evil and everything that came after. The original RE was about puzzle solving and finding items to advance. The zombies were the obstacle. RE4 had some slight puzzle solving but nothing compared to what came before it. I think when you talk about what is or isn't something, that the original product should be the one that should be compared with. If Mirror of Fate isn't Castlevania, neither is Symphony of the Night. Or Simon's Quest.
TheFLYINGManga_Ka
Member
I'm playing the game right now but 4.7 or 25/100 is really odd. I played bad games before and Mirror of Fate is by no means worse than the other bad games that get those scores.
Beck
Member
discoalucard
i am a butthurt babby that can only drool in wonder at shiney objects
Have you never talked to Castlevania fans? We're polarized about everything. Igavania vs. Classicvania. Symphony of the Night vs. Aria/Dawn of Sorrow. SCV IV vs. Bloodlines. (The answer is Bloodlines, BTW.) The only thing anyone can agree on is that Haunted Castle is garbage, though I'm sure there's a defender out there or two somewhere.
kunonabi
Member
the n64 changed quite a bit and added new elements but still had combat and platforming that felt like natural extensions of classic castlevania in a 3d space. los didn't do that all. i liked sotn but i liked it for different reasons. i was more annoyed by the shelving of classic styled cv games than i was disappointed by the quality of the games themselves. i mean i enjoy mario kart but i wouldn't want the mainline series to only be kart racers. i don't mind a series changing but when it reaches a point where the gameplay no longer maintains any of the dna that made me a fan of it to begin with i lose interest. if i wanted to a metroid game i'd play metroid. if i wanted to play gow i'd play that. what i enjoyed about cv were the elements that made it unique. i'm no longer given that option and that's where i take issue with huge shifts in direction especially when they are borrowed instead of new. that said,my issues with the los series in regards to how "cv" it is pale in comparison to my issues as a game on it's own. they have been situations where games have made significant transitions or tried a new direction and succeeded while still maintaing elements that brought people to series in the first place. i just don't think los has done that although i appreciate that we finally got something other than another igavania.
while some do complain purely by the existence of change there are still many of us that voice complaints because we think the resulting product is poor. whenever these conversations come up this possibility just gets brushed aside and all criticisms are considered moot because it's just fanboy rage/nostalgia goggles. i find that are more stifling to conversation than anything.
and yes, bloodlines is superior.
IrishNinja
Member
what an awful dichotomy you have there - i don't think that's true at all of 3Dvanias, and even this one is far enough remove that had it been a competent god of war clone, there likely would've been a larger crowd for it. you're making a strawman out of anyone with valid complaints about the title, especially fans of the series.
4.7
*screaming*
Too bad this game is going to send a wrong message to Konami.
Bye bye Shanoa.
oh, i think it'll send a message alright - only, konami will only hear the "stop making castlevania games" part. seriously, we've got threads on the daily regarding people's opinions on nintendo needing to change its management, but i cannot think of any company run more poorly right now than Konami. even EA's turds still have traces of why people liked their games before.
vitiosuslepos
Neo Member
Wanted to respond to why I gave MoF 25/100. It does come down to the combat. I mentioned elegance in the review, and after spending a lot of time slugging through Lords of Shadow then into Mirror of Fate, the whole LoS change simply doesn't have that agility found in previous Castlevania games.
I will admit I was harsh, but it comes from the fact that I spent a large portion of my time with the game playing for 5 minutes, getting trapped in a boss animation loop, shutting the 3DS, and doing something more productive.
Because it was a literal struggle to even finish the game, it got the score it did. I always believe people should decide for themselves with a title this polarizing, and if you're still interested, please do. I'm not telling anyone to buy or not to buy something. I just offer a perspective that you can use to build an opinion.
Coming from a Castlevania-drenched background, I couldn't endure the kind of game Mirror of Fate was and what it wanted to be. It wanted to bring back and build upon warm memories from previous games but it just muddled them.
I will admit I was harsh, but it comes from the fact that I spent a large portion of my time with the game playing for 5 minutes, getting trapped in a boss animation loop, shutting the 3DS, and doing something more productive.
Because it was a literal struggle to even finish the game, it got the score it did. I always believe people should decide for themselves with a title this polarizing, and if you're still interested, please do. I'm not telling anyone to buy or not to buy something. I just offer a perspective that you can use to build an opinion.
Coming from a Castlevania-drenched background, I couldn't endure the kind of game Mirror of Fate was and what it wanted to be. It wanted to bring back and build upon warm memories from previous games but it just muddled them.
SiegfriedFM
Member
Shameless plug:
Review in Swedish - 3/5
I liked it well enough, but it does have problems. Mostly technical ones, so a HD port could be really nice.
Review in Swedish - 3/5
I liked it well enough, but it does have problems. Mostly technical ones, so a HD port could be really nice.
Father_Brain
Banned
I can't say I agree, at least based on the demo, but thanks for coming here to explain your reasoning. It's definitely appreciated.
MagiusNecros
Gilgamesh Fan Annoyance
Game's a 7-8 out of 10.
IMO.
IMO.