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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow soundtrack nominated for 2 IFMCA awards
The elegiac score accompanying Gabriel Belmont's action-packed emprise in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow has impressed the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA). Spanish composer Oscar Araujo is nominated for the "Breakout Composer of the Year" award -- notably alongside French duo Daft Punk, who pounded cinemagoers into Grid-grout during Tron: Legacy. The Lords of Shadow soundtrack is also one of five nominated in the "Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media" category. It's up against some stirring competition in the form of James Bond 007: Blood Stone (featuring Sega legend Richard Jacques) and Dark Void, which isn't usually written about unless it's in praise of Bear McCreary's distinguishing soundtrack. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole earns a nomination, thanks to Winifred Philips, as do the themes of Lego Universe, assembled by Brian Tyler. Though the majority of awards focus on film soundtracks, the IFMCA's sentiment seems just as applicable to video games. "The IFMCA strongly feels that a film score's strength lies in the combined impact of two important elements: the effectiveness, appropriateness and emotional impact of the score in the context of the film for which it was written; and the technical and intellectual merit of the composition when heard as a standalone listening experience." Winners will be announced on February 25, 2011.
Best of the Rest: Ludwig's picks of 2010
Vanquish Shinji Mikami is still playing the game of Telephone he started in 2005. With Resident Evil 4, he revitalized Capcom's stagnant survival-horror franchise by turning it into a strictly paced shooter, where standing your ground (you couldn't move and shoot at the same time, remember?) was the only way to advance. The idea made it all the way across the ocean -- mostly intact -- and eventually found its way into Epic's Gears of War. The Mikami-led team at Platinum Games, in turn, heard all the bits about military meatheads and enemies that can be demolished without remorse, but the part about lumbering man-tanks got garbled. Instead, we get a protagonist that can slide across the battlefield in the blink of an eye. At its nuclear-powered core, Vanquish still honors Resident Evil 4's balance of risk and reward. It's an exceptionally hectic shooter where rocketing in and out of critical engagements is key -- but if your suit overheats, you're slow again. And then you're dead. Even Gears of War's train level comes back a little warped. Now there are two trains, and one of them is upside-down.
Best of the Rest: Richard's picks of 2010
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow There are more than a few complaints floating around that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow isn't a real Castlevania title. I would argue that Lords of Shadow is more Castlevania than many recent entries in the series. I think fans tend to forget (or overlook) that Castlevania began as a linear action title. For me, the series has never been about completing the map. It's about exploring wonderful and sinister places, which Lords of Shadow packs in spades. When I played the 8-bit Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest as a child, I saw lots of blocky pixels, but what I imagined is perfectly represented by Lords of Shadow. From stinking bogs to dark forests and forgotten castles, all is so meticulously and lovingly crafted that my seven-year-old self was enthralled with every moment. I'll take that over the same 13-year-old sprites any day.
Save on Castlevania, Naruto and more in Amazon's year-end sale
If you thought Amazon would stop holding ridiculous sales because the holiday season is winding down, you are a fool. A hypothetical fool. Amazon's year-end sale (which technically started on Dec. 24) is as good as any offer the retailer had for Black Friday or the pre-Christmas shopping season! The PS3 version of Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is over half off at $25.99, as is the PS3 limited edition of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow at $39.99. Enslaved is just $19.99 on either system, and Atlus hits Demon's Souls and 3D Dot Game Heroes can be picked up for just $16.99 and $14.99 respectively. FlingSmash on Wii is $39.99, which at that price is essentially a free game with a regular-price Wii Remote Plus. Amazon is also offering a 75% discount on a large selection of downloadable PC games, and an even larger selection of casual PC games for $2 each.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow screens slip into Reverie
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.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 'Reverie' and 'Resurrection' DLC due in 2011
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.
Walmart offers 12 months of Xbox Live and a (good) game for $81
Walmart has a pretty spectacular deal going on for Xbox owners. The chain is currently offering one year of Xbox Live Gold and a select game for $79. SlickDeals notes that shipping is only $1.97. Don't fret about that "select game" business in the previous sentence either, as the eligible games are actually pretty good, including Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and many, many others. Considering a 12 month Xbox Live sub usually runs for $60 on its own, you might as well toss in a $20 game (that also usually runs for $60), right?
Hyperspace Beacon: Homage to we hope this never makes it into SWTOR, but knowing our luck, it probably will
One of the best compliments you can give a creator is to make an homage to his work. The title of one of the Hyperspace Beacons was an homage to TOROCast articles. It's a way to tell the creator, "You're doing a good job. Keep up the good work." Not to mention, homages are a lot of fun. In fact, my first published work was an homage to the work of Charles Dickens. I wrote a story about what happened to the Cratchit children. But what happens when an homage goes too far? Every once in a while, the Hyperspace Beacon takes a side track and asks about ideas that should end up on the cutting room floor. We all know games have concepts that just don't work. Star Wars: The Old Republic will be no exception. This little humorous segment is called We hope this never makes it into SWTOR, but knowing our luck, it probably will -- or WHTNMIISWTORBKOLIPW, for short. Follow me after the break to see what "homageneous" ideas should never make it into the release of SWTOR, but knowing our luck, they will anyway.
Konami ships 1 million Castlevania: Lords of Shadow copies, coy about sales
Konami has announced the apparent milestone shipment of one million copies of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow to retailers across the US and Europe since the game's October 5 release. While the publisher didn't specify just how many of those copies have actually been sold, president Shinji Hirano patted his company on the back with a few vague words of encouragement, saying in a statement, "The remarkable sales achieved in such a short time are a true testament of the work and dedication that went into this project." Clearly, for Konami to have shipped so many copies to retail, ongoing sales of Lords of Shadow must be reasonably strong, though the title failed to crack the top ten in US software sales last month, and it only lasted two weeks in the UK's top-ten rankings. But Konami is still declaring a victory for the series' "rebirth," adding that it's "extremely pleased at the positive response seen" to developer MercurySteam's effort. The game's Japanese debut is scheduled for December.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow PS3 patch live
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."
You could import this Kojima Productions PS3 bundle ... or make your own
Konami's newly revealed Kojima Productions themed hardware slash software set isn't nearly as compelling as the previous limited edition Metal Gear Solid 4 PlayStation 3 bundle. That's because the new package is simply a stock 160GB charcoal gray PS3 console, a greatest hits version of MGS4 and a copy of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. This admittedly not-so-special-edition offering (which is, technically, limited to an undisclosed run) hits Japan on December 16 for ¥37,980 ($467). You can get a 160GB PS3 ($300), MGS4 ($20) and Lords of Shadow ($60) by themselves for a grand total of $380 right now, without those pesky international shipping charges. The only thing you'll be missing out on: 20,000 Reward Points for use in Metal Gear Online. But if you really want to pay the $87 difference just for them, we're not going to stop you.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow PS3 patch incoming
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 Facebook game lets you combat cross your friends
Hey, do you like to zap helpless humans with lightning? Then you're probably a super villain. Cool -- and we've got the perfect Facebook game for you: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Friend Challenge. Seriously, it's all about zapping helpless people ... and your friends! It really scratches that sadist itch, trust us. Developed in-house at Konami, the Facebook game allows you to unlock various bits of content from the console game including "screenshots, videos and items" as you recruit Facebook friends to your army and level up your character. Sorry, it doesn't look like these unlockables are on a two-way street -- performance in the Facebook game doesn't impact your Castlevania: Lords of Shadow game.
Konami bundles downloadable Castlevanias with Japanese Lords of Shadow special edition
Hideo Kojima as the Chupacabra isn't the only advantage the Japanese version of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow has over its worldwide contemporaries. Those who purchase the special edition in Japan will also have their choice of downloadable Vanias as bonuses. The PS3 version of the game includes a code for the PSOne Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, playable on PS3 or PSP. The Xbox 360 version gets you a copy of the XBLA game Castlevania: Harmony of Despair. Which means there is now another reason the PS3 version will outsell the Xbox release by a massive margin (other than there being so few Xboxes in Japan). The Japanese special edition isn't universally better: it carries a price tag of ¥9,980 ($122), and Lords of Shadow won't even be available in Japan until December 16.
Metareview: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
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-102608%
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow review: Miracle whip
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.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow CE delayed in Europe
What a horrible time to have pre-ordered the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow limited edition in Europe! Eurogamer reports that the limited edition has been delayed in the region. Retailer GAME initially tweeted that the LE had been canceled altogether, though Konami has since confirmed that it is only delayed and will be released after the October 8 launch of the standard edition. A GAME spokesperson informed Eurogamer that a new release date could be announced as early as today or tomorrow. With any luck, tomorrow's morning sun will vanquish this horrible news.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow demo descends on XBLM
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 trailer lays it all out
In this Castlevania: Lords of Shadow trailer, you're in for 11 minutes of footage and explanation of every facet to be found in the reboot. Go make some buttered popcorn first (and avert your eyes if you despise spoilers of any kind).
David Cox on rebooting Castlevania for a new generation
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.
