Joystiq

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow materializes in Steam registry

Sinan Kubba — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 11:30:00 EST

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow may swing onto PCs, given its appearance in Steam's registry. As spotted by NeoGAF, the entry's full name is "Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Early Access Comp," with no '2' in sight - the upcoming sequel was announced last August as coming to PC as well as PS3 and Xbox 360.

When a series comes to new platforms we tend to see previous entries follow suit, so it would make sense to whip up a PC version of MercurySteam's reboot. Our only ask is publisher Konami somehow infuses the PC port with even more Patrick Stewart, because you can never, ever have enough Patrick Stewart.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow materializes in Steam registry originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate review: Symphony of the Fight

Ludwig Kietzmann — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST

If the multi-tiered title didn't make it clear, "Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate" is a heavy thing. A glut of gothic gravitas manifests in a huge quest that peels out of its handheld frame, even while anchored by burly protagonists and sullen environments. It's a fine action game fueled by fervor, but in need of some finesse.

Mirror of Fate invites a fair comparison to older Castlevania games like Aria of Sorrow, which made light of a somber premise with whip-smart heroes, Michiru Yamane's upbeat score and a crisp, unfurling map of interconnected rooms. Dracula's dire abode was buoyed by brisk exploration, by coloring in each room on the diagram and expanding your navigational knowledge as you went about the business of slaying monsters. The combat found complexity in a large variety of swords, lances, axes, maces and daggers, each of which offered simple, easily decipherable changes.

This trip through the horror catalogue curtails the equipment to the chain-whip "Combat Cross," brandished by Gabriel Belmont in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, as well as a small but powerful set of exhaustible sub-weapons. There's more interest in ferocious fighting than traversal, and a far greater demand for concentration and finger gymnastics than you might expect.

Continue reading Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate review: Symphony of the Fight

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate review: Symphony of the Fight originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 skipping Wii U due to resource restraints

David Hinkle — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:30:00 EST

"The reason why we are developing it on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 is simply because that's the amount of people we got," Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 producer David Cox says of development on the upcoming sequel. "If we want to do a Wii U conversion, that's another 20 people. We just don't have the resources or the budget to do it."

While Cox showed interest in pursuing a Wii U port of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, he reiterates in this Eurogamer interview that developer MercurySteam just can't handle it right now. "It's not to say we wouldn't do it, it's to say at this point we don't want to lose focus on what we're doing. We've got a certain way down the line, and it would be a distraction to have to do a port to another system at this point. You say to yourself, can I take on another 20 people? It's just a nightmare to manage at this point. That's the only reason why we're not doing any other formats."

Cox also painted a pretty rough picture of the MercurySteam offices right now. The studio is "at a breaking point" with 110 employees working in a space that was originally designed to house 60. "People are sitting on each other's laps almost," he says.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 was originally announced for Xbox 360 and PS3 at E3 last year, with a planned launch some time in 2013. Later at Gamescom, Cox revealed the PC port would also arrive this year. MercurySteam has said that after Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 and upcoming go-between Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate on 3DS, the developer would like to take a crack at Contra.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 skipping Wii U due to resource restraints originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony completely revises list of PS4 EU studios, down from 53 to 30 [updates]

Sinan Kubba — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 08:15:00 EST

Sony made wholesale corrections to the list of European/PAL companies confirmed as PS4 developers and publishers, reducing the list of named studios from 53 to 28. Curiouser, not one of the developers and publishers named on the previous list makes an appearance on the new roll call. A spokesperson for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe confirmed to us the first list, sent out last week, was erroneous, and this new one is correct. There are no revisions for any other regions.

The new list removes a number of significant names, including Mojang (Minecraft), Rovio (Angry Birds), Frozenbyte, Criterion Games, and City Interactive. In their stead are some new noteworthy studios, such as CD Projekt, who've confirmed The Witcher 3 as a PS4 game. Also included are Bohemia Interactive, Deep Silver, Ninja Theory, IO Interactive, Codemasters, 2K Games, and Sumo Digital. The full list can be found after the break.

We've reached out to a number of studios for comment. Mojang's Daniel Kaplan reiterated to us the comments he gave to Gamasutra, saying his studio hasn't decided anything yet, and that the error is "confusion from Sony's side." Gamasutra's article also confirms Super Crate Box developer Vlambeer and Skulls of the Shogun creator 17-Bit, both included in the original list, as not currently working on anything for the PS4.

A spokesperson for Monsters (probably) Stole My Princess developer Mediatonic, included in the original list but not in the corrected one, told us he couldn't make any comment on his studio and PS4 development. Meanwhile, Sumo Digital's inclusion adds weight to the rumor the British studio is working on LittleBigPlanet 3, but for the PS4. When approached previously about LBP3, a studio representative told Joystiq, "No comment."

Update 1: A spokesperson for 505 Games tells us the Italian company is "definitely" planning to publish games on the PS4. 505 Games was in the original list of European/PAL PS4 developers and publishers, but not the revised list. The spokesperson noted the company's logo appears in the image showcasing PS4 partners, as shown during last week's event, as do many of the names in the revised list.

Update 2: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe informs us the list of European PS4 studios has been further revised. Two more studios are now present in the form of Criterion Games and Ghost Games (an EA studio) - both were in the original list of 53. That takes the tally of confirmed European studios up to 30.

Continue reading Sony completely revises list of PS4 EU studios, down from 53 to 30 [updates]

Sony completely revises list of PS4 EU studios, down from 53 to 30 [updates] originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Feb 2013 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate demo stakes out Feb. 28 launch

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:00:00 EST

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate is set to receive a demo on the 3DS eShop later this month. Those eager to try out the latest chapter in the Belmont saga will be able to whip out their 3DS and download the demo on February 28.

The full game will launch on March 5 in both retail and eShop flavors.

Continue reading Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate demo stakes out Feb. 28 launch

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate demo stakes out Feb. 28 launch originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Konami 'would consider' HD Castlevania: Mirror of Fate, MercurySteam has assets ready

JC Fletcher — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:30:00 EST

Speaking to CVG, Konami UK studio head Dave Cox said "Absolutely, yeah, we would consider it" to the prospect of an HD version of Castlevania Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate, following its 3DS debut next month. "We want as many people to play it as possible. Obviously we have an exclusivity deal with Nintendo right now though and they've been very supportive of the product."

Cox is so open to the idea in part because it wouldn't be that difficult. "We created everything in high definition - all the textures, all the levels, high-poly models, everything - and we kind of shrunk it all down into the 3DS," he explained.

"Then we lost bones from characters, you know, we dropped the resolution of the textures and everything to make it fit. At MercurySteam we have an HD version of the game sitting there in a computer somewhere." If the 3DS version takes off at all, Konami will have it nearly readymade for an expanded audience.

Konami 'would consider' HD Castlevania: Mirror of Fate, MercurySteam has assets ready originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate trailer is extreme, intense, etc.

Sinan Kubba — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 12:30:00 EST

Mirror of Fate, the 3DS sequel to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and prelude to Lords of Shadow 2, gets a new trailer today, and that means the dramatic appearance of words like "epic" and "intense." The game, due on March 5, promises over 20 hours of whip-crackin' adventure.

Continue reading Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate trailer is extreme, intense, etc.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate trailer is extreme, intense, etc. originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Jan 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate hits Europe in March 2013

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 13:30:00 EST

Nintendo has revealed that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate will launch in Europe in March 2013. Mirror of Fate continues the story of Lords of Shadow on the 3DS and stars Trevor Belmont, son of former protagonist Gabriel. Turns out dear old Dad has become the legendary vampire, Dracula.

And, you know, that's always bad news.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate hits Europe in March 2013 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 Dec 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate whips up new screens

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 16:30:00 EST

When a screenshot comes along, you must click it. Before the pixels sit too long, you must click it. Now click it. Click it good.

Gallery: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate (7/13/12)

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate whips up new screens originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MercurySteam surprised by Castlevania success, says DLC was 'rushed'

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:30:00 EST

Developer MercurySteam and publisher Konami weren't expecting Castlevania: Lords of Shadow to be as successful as it was, which ultimately resulted in its poorly received downloadable content, according to producer David Cox. "The problem was that the game's success caught everyone by surprise," Cox recently told Gameranx, "It caught senior management by surprise and they wanted us to do DLC."

The team "never planned" to create DLC, and the content that they created was then "rushed" to market, Cox added, referring to the whole situation as a "mistake." If it could be done again, he said, DLC would have been planned from the get-go, and what was released would have been more of a "side story," as opposed to content that adds to the ending. This appears to be Cox's philosophy for downloadable content in general, as he noted further, "Instead of giving players a part of the story and giving them the other part as DLC, I think the DLC has to expand the universe of an already whole product."

Presumably, if Lords of Shadow 2 has any DLC - which Cox won't admit just yet - it will be handled with much more care.

MercurySteam surprised by Castlevania success, says DLC was 'rushed' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MercurySteam wants to leave Castlevania, to take on Contra next

JC Fletcher — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 10:30:00 EST

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow studio MercurySteam will be ready to leave Castlevania behind after Mirror of Fate and Lords of Shadow 2, Konami EU head of development Dave Cox tells VG247. "Well, I think it's about wanting to leave a legacy," Cox said. "And I don't want to be in charge of a series that perhaps over a certain time is going to decline. I'd rather go out with a bang and leave that as our legacy in the Castlevania universe."

Cox said he didn't want to be known as "Mr. Castlevania," nor for his team to be "the Castlevania team." Should Lords of Shadow 2 be even more successful, another team can take on the momentum.

However, Cox doesn't want to move away from the established Konami canon entirely. "I love Contra. I'd love to do Contra. At Mercury Steam we've got an original idea that I think is really awesome. We'd love to bring that idea to market and I'm hoping that the success of Lords of Shadow 2 will allow us to do that."

Konami teased a Contra revival at E3 2011, but it's unclear whether that project is the same as MercurySteam's Contra. If so, that would alter the proposed timeline a bit, as it would suggest that Cox and his team have already been working on the "awesome" idea.

MercurySteam wants to leave Castlevania, to take on Contra next originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Jun 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow producer teasing new game, namedrops Dracula

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST

Konami's European Production Studio head and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow producer, David Cox, isn't much for ambiguity in his tweets. "Today and tomorrow I am in the land of Dracul... What am I doing there?? You will see...." he wrote earlier today. Despite his teasing, Cox wouldn't tell us anything beyond "No comment."

This is hardly the first indication of a sequel to 2010's Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, and it seems likely that Konami is once again working with Spanish studio MercurySteam. One employee posted the teaser image seen above to his website back in late January, specifically pointing out the connection to Konami.

Another staff member, taking to Spanish radio (via Eurogamer ES), mentioned his involvement with a sequel in late 2010 (though it's possible he was just riding high on the first game's then-recent debut). Konami's official line on the matter is ... well, nothing. The publisher hasn't made a peep regarding a new Castlevania.

Regardless, with PAX East just a few days away and the upcoming preview season, we expect it won't be long before Konami's tune changes. We'll keep an eye on Cox's Twitter feed as well, just in case.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow producer teasing new game, namedrops Dracula originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 'Reverie' DLC coming to Xbox Live, EU PSN next week

David Hinkle — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:15:00 EST

After its impromptu delay, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow's DLC, Reverie, is suited up and ready to attend the monster's ball -- er, actually, bad phrasing. The point is that it's coming next week and Xbox 360 users worldwide and PAL PS3 gamers will finally be able to get a taste of it.

Confirmation comes via game director David Cox's Twitter account, where he apologized for the delay and thanked fans for patience. Sadly, Cox didn't reveal an exact day of the week, but we'll be sure to whip out a post when it's known. See what we did there? Huh?

...

Okay, yes, we're totally sorry we did that.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 'Reverie' DLC coming to Xbox Live, EU PSN next week originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 'Reverie' DLC released 'in error' on PSN

David Hinkle — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 20:30:00 EST

David Cox, producer on Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, has been all over Twitter recently, responding to complaints about the DLC delay. When he was asked by one disgruntled European gamer wondering why the Xbox 360 delay was holding up the Reverie DLC on PS3 in his region, Cox revealed that the initial DLC launch on PSN was "put up there in error." In other words, Reverie wasn't meant to be released on PS3 in North America (whoops!).

Cox also said that it's "too late to take it down" meaning that presumably whatever bug is keeping it from a larger release isn't catastrophic enough to require it be pulled from Sony's service. Currently the DLC is still available on the US PlayStation Store for $9.99.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 'Reverie' DLC released 'in error' on PSN originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 'Reverie' DLC delayed until March

JC Fletcher — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow's "Reverie" DLC, originally set to be released this month, has slipped into March according to an announcement on the Castlevania Facebook page. "Our apologies for the delay but it's going to be worth it!" That "unruly evil" that Gabriel and Laura track down in the DLC is only going to be more unruly the longer we let it stew.

Konami offered no reason for the delay, but a late, complete DLC pack is always preferable to a buggy, punctual release. It is also unknown whether this delay will cause the followup DLC to slip out of its April release window. We're checking in with Konami to find out when it has scheduled the "Resurrection."

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 'Reverie' DLC delayed until March originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow screens slip into Reverie

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 20:20:00 EST

The first screens of "Reverie," next year's first downloadable add-on for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, depict Gabriel Belmont co-operating with Laura, the big-haired brat living in Carmilla's castle. She'll help you -- if you play.

Continue reading Castlevania: Lords of Shadow screens slip into Reverie

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow screens slip into Reverie originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 'Reverie' and 'Resurrection' DLC due in 2011

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 10:35:00 EST

Ready to return to the castle? Konami has finally detailed the long-promised DLC packs for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. The first download pack, entitled "Reverie," sees protagonist Gabriel aiding Laura (the creepy mini-Winehouse you see above) in "destroying the unruly evil" that was kept in check by the vampire queen, Carmilla.

The second download pack, "Resurrection," continues the story after the end of the game and "gives some insight" into "Gabriel's ultimate destiny." According to the press release, "this will be larger in scope than the first add-on" and include a "final showdown with a very notorious enemy." Oh no, it's not the flying Medusa head, is it?

Reverie will be available in February, while Resurrection will launch sometime in April. While no pricing details have been offered yet, we're bound to find out more in the new year.

Continue reading Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 'Reverie' and 'Resurrection' DLC due in 2011

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 'Reverie' and 'Resurrection' DLC due in 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow PS3 patch live

JC Fletcher — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:55:00 EST

Now that PSN is back in working order, we're happy to inform you that the patch for the PS3 version of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is online. It would be a really good idea to install it, too, considering that it addresses the random loss of your save data.

According to the Konami's announcement, the patch also institutes some minor changes, including the addition of scrolling text on loading screens in the interest of readability. It also seems the text will now be easier to read without being distracted by the fear for your save file.

Additionally, Konami said that an upcoming patch for the Xbox 360 version of the game would be detailed "shortly."

Continue reading Castlevania: Lords of Shadow PS3 patch live

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow PS3 patch live originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow PS3 patch incoming

Ludwig Kietzmann — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:20:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

These are dark times -- if you're paranoid about losing hours of game progress. Some users have reported an unusual save glitch in the PlayStation 3 version of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. Affected players report being prompted with a message upon startup, which reads, "Save file corrupt, will now overwrite, press X to continue." Needless to say, pressing X leads to grim results.

Konami has acknowledged the problem -- which it says is restricted to a small number of users -- and promised a patch is en route to eradicate erroneous erasure. We'll let you know when we hear a firm release date, and recommend you keep a backup of your save file on a USB drive in the meantime.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow PS3 patch incoming originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metareview: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Now that you've read our review of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow -- you have, haven't you? -- let's find out what other outlets thought of the series' latest stab at a 3D interpretation. Turns out, it would seem there are some issues reconciling this as a "Castlevania" game. If we had control of space and time (and, believe, we're working on it), we'd totally want to see the scores if Castlevania was completely removed from the title and the game was released just as Lords of Shadow. It may have scored just a little higher.

Game Informer (90/100): "This polished, action-packed adventure has me ecstatic to see not only what's in store for the next 3D Castlevania, but also what talented developer MercurySteam does next. Don't let the deluge of fall releases or the 3D Castlevania stigma keep you from this amazing quest."
Eurogamer (80/100): "In the future, we can only hope that a developer finds a way to deliver more of the core series components - of buildings that you piece together through exploration, of back-tracking that never seems like a chore. For now, though, even with a missing piece of that magnitude, MercurySteam has managed to deliver a game that's heartfelt, handsome, and quietly distinct."
Gamespot (75/100): "The combat is great and the boss battles are quite memorable, but it degenerates when those core ideas clash--when Castlevania ignores what it does so well (action) for the sake of creating a more diverse experience."
IGN (75/100): "Pretty much anything you would expect to find in a Castlevania game is not to be found here. But fans of combat-heavy action adventure games will have fun if they can excuse a lot of mindless button mashing and a couple technical issues."
1UP (B): "This won't replace Symphony of the Night as the oft-argued greatest Castlevania, but it should finally at least put to rest complaints that there are no good 3D Castlevania games. If Lords of Shadow sees a sequel, there are lots of important, obvious improvements that need to be made, but Mercury Steam proves that they're at least on the right track."

Gallery: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (TGS 2010)

Metareview: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow review: Miracle whip

Ludwig Kietzmann — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 19:10:00 EST

Perhaps you're just not as bothered by basic home security when you've harnessed sinister, otherworldly energies and have a legion of vampires at your command. Who's going to march into the Lord of Shadow's spooky castle and tell him, "Sir, leaving the key to your front door in the garden maze outside isn't the smartest thing you've ever done." And what Lord of Shadow is going to believe his advisors when they tell him, "Look, there's this pissed off vampire hunter coming and he's going to demolish every single candelabra in your house. Yes, the nice ones with holy water in them."

Like some of the best video games, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow conceives its world around a hero, obfuscating illogical weirdness with empowerment and an old-fashioned sense of adventure. You might fall off a few cliffs or get trampled by a troll every now and then, but there's no doubting your eventual success. During the course of your journey, you'll get all the training, weapons and abilities you need to best the forces of evil. No jump will ever be too far and no enemy will truly be invincible.

Continue reading Castlevania: Lords of Shadow review: Miracle whip

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow review: Miracle whip originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 19:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow demo descends on XBLM

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 11:10:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Copies of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow will be whipped onto store shelves tomorrow, but Xbox Live Gold members can get a taste of the vampire slaying action today, thanks to a new demo on XBLM. Downloading it is easy. After all, what is a demo but a miserable little pile of kilobytes?

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow demo descends on XBLM originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Cox on rebooting Castlevania for a new generation

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:32:00 EST

With Castlevania: Lords of Shadow only two weeks from launch, we spoke with producer David Cox about rebuilding the franchise for a modern audience. How did developer MercurySteam look to overcome the failures of past 3D iterations of the franchise? And what role did Kojima Productions play in the creation of this new Castlevania? Cox reveals how Kojima urged him to redesign a once "barbarian" Gabriel and how the game was nearly canceled a year into development in our conversation below.

Joystiq: How did poor critical reception of past 3D Castlevania games influence perceptions of this project? How did you pitch this game to senior Konami management?

David Cox: I think there was always a desire to make the game 3D. I think people thought that in order to attract a mainstream audience, it had to be a 3D game. I personally love 2D games, but the fact is the market for 2D games is tiny. Most people want to play a 3D action adventure game with impressive visuals, etc. etc.

I think for us, one of the things we found in hindsight is that the previous games tried to emulate the 2D games -- basically: turn the 2D games into 3D. We felt that wasn't the way to go. We felt the way to go was to boil down Castlevania to its core tenets, and create a 3D game from there. Sure, it's a brave decision, but we needed to be brave, and we needed to have the freedom to do what we wanted to make.

Continue reading David Cox on rebooting Castlevania for a new generation

David Cox on rebooting Castlevania for a new generation originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Castlevania: Lords of Shadow screens: Witch you were here!

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

To go alongside the decidedly batty TGS trailer, Konami has released new screens of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. They show off Gabriel Belmont doing what Belmonts do best: Slaying demons, exploring castles and ... chatting with Baba Yaga? Even witches need some company now and then, right?

Gallery: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (TGS 2010)

New Castlevania: Lords of Shadow screens: Witch you were here! originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Castlevania: Lords of Shadow trailer is positively nuts

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 11:45:00 EST

What's in this Castlevania: Lords of Shadow trailer? The more appropriate question might be what isn't? Werewolves, faeries, vampires, angels, giant chess boards, giant eagles, giant giants -- even the grim visage of Death makes an appearance. It is absolutely the nuttiest and most awesome thing you'll see today.

Well, maybe not, it is TGS week ...

Continue reading New Castlevania: Lords of Shadow trailer is positively nuts

New Castlevania: Lords of Shadow trailer is positively nuts originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How disc swapping works in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow for Xbox 360

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

If you haven't heard, the Xbox 360 version of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow will ship on two discs (Limited Edition pictured above). Here's a tip: You can save yourself some precious disc-swapping time if you install at least Disc One to your hard drive.

Although Lords of Shadow's story is told in an episodic, linear fashion, you'll want to revisit earlier levels to find missing collectibles and beat any additional challenges. Without installing, you'll have to swap discs every time you want to revisit earlier levels. However, if you've installed the data, you won't ever have to swap discs again; you'll be able to continue playing with just Disc Two in the drive. It's an interesting way of overcoming the DVD format's size limitation -- a clever trick that could be employed by future multi-disc releases.

How disc swapping works in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow for Xbox 360 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow sinks teeth into North America Oct. 5, DLC planned

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Konami has announced that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow will be whipped onto North American shelves starting October 5. This puts the American launch just shy of the October 7 and 8 release dates for Europe and the UK, respectively.

In related news, Lords of Shadow Producer David Cox informed 1UP that two DLC packs are planned for the game. Cox offered few details, though both packs will feature new areas to explore and enemies to slay. He also attempted to assuage fears that the revelation of DLC means the full game will be less than complete, saying that it "absolutely has an ending." Check out the full interview for Cox's thoughts on working with Kojima Productions and how Mercury Steam approached making a 3D Castlevania title.

Update: Check out some new screens, renders and box art in the galleries below!

Gallery: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (Gamescom 2010 screens)

Gallery: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (Gamescom 2010 renders)

Gallery: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (box art)

Continue reading Castlevania: Lords of Shadow sinks teeth into North America Oct. 5, DLC planned

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow sinks teeth into North America Oct. 5, DLC planned originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Preview: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Ludwig Kietzmann — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:00:00 EST

It's difficult to comment on Castlevania: Lords of Shadow as a product of the long-running (and now rebooted) gothic action franchise. Abandoning large-scale exploration in favor of linear action -- which was itself abandoned when Castlevania: Symphony of the Night debuted in 1997 -- Lords of Shadow invites comparison to God of War more than any other modern game.

That's an admittedly tiresome shorthand as far as game previews go -- "It's like God of War but with whip-swords!" -- but it's still useful in conveying how Lords of Shadow plays. Your attacks are sweeping and imprecise, yet bolstered with enough combos and violent flourishes to make you feel in charge. Castlevania's sub-weapons return to your repertoire as well, with the first two levels of the game allowing you to quickly dispatch a flying dagger into approaching enemies. The resulting explosion of bloody mush is a fair indicator of the game's disgusting, wonderful violence.

Even the most trivial battle, such as Gabriel Belmont's tutorial tussle in a rain-slick village under siege, is given a certain gravitas by the game's tight camera and atmospheric visuals. And if there's one thing that brands Lords of Shadow as a promising 3D Castlevania game, it's the effort that's gone into creating dark, imposing environments that feel like they extend far beyond the boundaries of the level. Developer MercurySteam has delivered an impressive showcase of scale and animation here, with even the lowly warg becoming a pouncing cause for concern. So yeah, it's a few steps up from recycled Game Boy Advance sprites.

Gallery: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (E3 2010)

Continue reading Preview: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Preview: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet the cast of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 22:30:00 EST

Okay! So, forget everyone from those twenty-odd Castlevanias from the past three decades. Just crumple up that whole ludicrous timeline and throw it right in the garbage. Lords of Shadow is a reboot of the franchise, and with it comes a new Belmont, a new quest (his lost love!) and ... Patrick Stewart.

Get familiar with the rest of the cast in the E3 gallery below and trailer posted after the break.

Gallery: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (E3 2010)

Continue reading Meet the cast of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Meet the cast of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow slays retail 'later this fall'

David Hinkle — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

During its keynote press conference, Konami confirmed that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, the Kojima-assisted, MercurySteam-developed 3D reboot of the classic series set to vanquish the forces of evil on the Xbox 360 and PS3, would arrive "later this fall." Word came from producer David Cox, who emerged before a new trailer was shown to attendees. We'll try to get our hands on said trailer and whip it up on the site.

Get it? Whip? Anybody?

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow slays retail 'later this fall' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New 'Castlevania: Lords of Shadow' screens, artwork

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:40:00 EST

Click to Enlargania
This post may not offer any new Castlevania: Lords of Shadow details, but you can find new pictures and art in the gallery below. Those looking to do creature comparisons should check out the enemy renders -- the warg from Symphony of the Night has certainly grown in both size and definition.

Gallery: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (3-2-2010)

New 'Castlevania: Lords of Shadow' screens, artwork originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Producer: Lords of Shadow was always a Castlevania title (also: new trailer!)

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST

We were a bit perplexed when Konami announced Castlevania: Lords of Shadow at E3 earlier this year. The reason: Konami announced the exact same game last year, minus the "Castlevania" in the title. Many of us here at the 'Stiq had assumed that Konami had seen an opportunity to raise the profile of the title by attaching the Castlevania name but, according to producer David Cox, that wasn't the case.

Cox tells 1UP that the game was always meant to be a Castlevania title, but the association was removed when it was first announced at E3 2008. It seems Konami didn't want to steal any thunder from its then upcoming Castlevania: Judgment. Probably a good call, considering Judgment's nominal thunder could be stolen by a reasonably large rubber ball.

Cox also revealed some fresh details on the game, most importantly saying that it will not follow the design of most of the recent titles in the theory, abandoning Metroid-esque exploration in favor of more linear action. In response to franchise purists, Cox pointed out that some of the best entries in the series (notably Castlevania II and IV) have been action-only affairs. Of course, it helps that the main character, Gabriel, is actually a Belmont. Head over to 1UP for more details and be absolutely certain to watch the new, extended trailer above.

Producer: Lords of Shadow was always a Castlevania title (also: new trailer!) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Castlevania: Lords of Shadow screens are bloody, awesome

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:03:00 EST

Holy crap! We've been connoisseurs of vampire-centric media for quite some time now (thankfully, we've managed to avoid those dreadful books), but we never knew that vampires were made entirely out of blood. At least, that's the conclusion we've drawn from the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow screenshot you see above -- one of a handful of pieces of media we just got our hands on. You can see the whole batch in the gallery below.

None of the others feature this bizarre phenomenon -- however, we suppose it's equally amazing that the vestments of Gabriel (the game's protagonist) remain so hemoglobin-free while he's running around, popping dudes like bloated mosquitoes.

Gallery: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (GamesCom 2009)

New Castlevania: Lords of Shadow screens are bloody, awesome originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kojima Productions in 'support role' for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

David Hinkle — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:20:00 EST

Hideo Kojima has further reiterated his supporting role in Castlevania: Lord of Shadow in a new interview with Weekly Famitsu, reports 1UP. "This has become a big project, one with the idea that we needed to make a Castlevania which had that same kind of feverish Western support, and that's why Kojima Productions came in to help," Kojima told the Japanese publication.

With his Metal Gear Solid games beloved by everyone the world over (everyone with taste, anyway), Kojima's the right man for the job. But seeing as how this game is being developed by Madrid-based Mercury Steam Entertainment, Kojima obviously won't be on-site to aid in development. Instead, the team comes up with concepts to run by Kojima and he has them "fix things based on my objective viewpoint." An example given is the initial model for the hero's face, which Kojima had them redesign to be, well, more heroic looking. See, people, this is the kind of thing only Kojima can bring to the table!

Kojima Productions in 'support role' for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, minus the 'Castlevania'

Randy Nelson — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:30:00 EST

Lords of Shadow's Gabriel, circa 2008

If Castlevania: Lords of Shadow -- announced today during Konami's E3 press conference -- seems ... familiar, it should. The game was actually announced at last year's E3 -- by Konami -- as Lords of Shadow, minus the Castlevania. But, as far as we can tell by comparing what we saw today versus a year ago, that's the only difference.

Lords of Shadow was a gothic action-adventure game starring a character named Gabriel, who just so happened to wield a whip -- iconic weapon of Castlevania heroes -- that emerged from a crucifix. Castlevania: Lord of Shadows is -- in keeping with the series -- a gothic adventure, starring a crucifix/whip-wielding character named Gabriel (who, like the rest of the game, looks exactly as he did last year). Both years' trailers even feature the same giant, stone golem boss character. Oh, and look amazing. Only now, Kojima Productions is steering MercurySteam along the development path.

2009, where everything old is new again -- and carrying the Castlevania name. Check out the game as it appeared a year ago in trailer form after the break (and in original concept art below).

Gallery: Castlevania: Order of Shadows (concept art)

Continue reading Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, minus the 'Castlevania'

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, minus the 'Castlevania' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feast your eyes on the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow trailer

Randy Nelson — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:30:00 EST

Konami's whipped Castlevania fans into a furor with the announcement of Lords of Shadow for PS3 and Xbox 360. Oh, and the fact that its development is being overseen by Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions. But Konami -- and we -- can only say so much about the game; you really have to see it in action for yourself to achieve the absolute height of excitement. Drop. Dead. Gorgeous.

Feast your eyes on the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Konami, Jericho devs working on something for PS3, Xbox 360

Jason Dobson — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business

What do you get when you bring together the force behind Metal Gear Solid, not to mention Castlevania, Gradius, and about a dozen other video game icons, with the developers of last year's squad-based shooter Jericho? No really, we're curious, because honestly we haven't a clue.

Konami and Spanish devs Mercury Steam have partnered for a mysterious new project for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, a game that Konami calls "a major part" of its release schedule for 2009-10. The project, whatever it is, is being overseen by Konami's European footprint, which is just wrapping up work on New International Track and Field for the Nintendo DS. Beyond this nothing -- and we mean nothing -- is known about the new game, through given Mercury Steam's track record of tepid action adventure titles (Scrapland anyone?), it's impossible to care too much yet.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Konami, Jericho devs working on something for PS3, Xbox 360 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Konami, Mercury Steam partner up for mysterious new title

Majed Athab — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH (Europe) has announced today that the company will be teaming up with Madrid-based developer, Mercury Steam, to produce new IP for current-gen systems. We know that the game will be appearing on the PS3 and will be a part of Konami's 2009-2010 line-up; however, further details as to what the game is about or even its title is still being kept under wraps.

What could this game be? Well let's look at Mercury Steam's track record; the company has developed Clive Barker's Jericho, and a PC game called Scrapland. Both games are action-adventure titles (even if the former is more horror) ... so would it be too much to presume that this title is probably going to be in the same vein?

Konami, Mercury Steam partner up for mysterious new title originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Jericho preview with details to scare you silly

Peter Vrabel — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Videos and Screenshots

If these Clive Barker's Jericho screens don't already demand your attention, we're not sure what else will. Judging from the success of the last Clive Barker Undying outing on PC alone, this is definitely a highly anticipated title for all consoles.

The boys at IGN had their fill of the latest build and felt similarly to CVG during their earlier play-test. Needless to say, they came away impressed, noting crisp textures across the diverse levels and enemies with clever touches of detail throughout the world, like swarms of helpful black flies that scurry fallen enemies off the map. Cool. The game also features interactive ~~anxiety-riddled~~ button-pressing segments (ala Resident Evil 4). No official word on SIXAXIS interactivity for these scenes, but the type of game play during these scenes practically screams for it. At any rate, feast your looking balls on the new gallery and stay tuned for more updates as we approach the September release date for Clive Barker's Jericho.

New Jericho preview with details to scare you silly originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Jun 2007 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clive Barker's Jericho looks promising

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 09:35:00 EST

Filed under: News

It's been some time since we heard anything new about Clive Barker's Jericho. In fact, the last thing we heard was the announcement of the game itself. It seems 1UP thought the same thing and has uncovered both a new trailer and posted a preview for the game. So, what's Jericho all about? What we already knew is that it's about a special government squad called Jericho Team that specializes in dealing with paranormal threats.

Continue reading Clive Barker's Jericho looks promising

Clive Barker's Jericho looks promising originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Mar 2007 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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