Portrait of Ruin

[Jowy]

I just picked it up last night and briefly played it. The graphics seem to have unfortunately taken a step down from Dawn of Sorrow. I enjoy the system of switching characters on the fly, and using the two-character function to solve the puzzles. A lot of the reviews say that the castle design is bland and unoriginal, which I could see happening as the castle entrance didn't seem to really be anything special.

And the totally sweet preorder box is going for around $60 on eBay. o_o

[Araciel]

let me know if it's worth owning...it doesn't sound like it so far :(

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

The gameplay itself is crazy fun. If it doesn't surpass Dawn in that regard, it's definitely at least on par. I can say I'll be playing it for a long, long time, and it warrants a purchase on that strength alone.

My beef is mainly with the aesthetics.

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To start, I'm getting kind of tired of all the zany anime-derived comedy that's been plaguing the series since Aria. It was one thing back in Symphony, when it was relegated to items and the occasional enemy, but now it pervades the storyline itself. You've got your cocky teenage hero, the volatile female lead who responds poorly to criticism, the omnipresent catchphrase ("No problem!"), and on and on. I want my epic struggle between good and evil back.

The music seems to have followed this trend, as well. Gone is the classical, methodical type of composition from Symphony and Bloodlines, as well as all the atmosphere and tension that went with it. Instead, all we've got are constant hot-blooded action themes. Granted, they're extremely good hot-blooded action themes (I definitely prefer this soundtrack to Dawn's sleep-inducing score), but I just miss the other side.

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As for the graphics, they're pretty inconsistent. Some environments are beautiful set pieces that surpass anything from Dawn, while others look like they weren't even half-finished. Some are rendered in the stylized fashion of Rondo and Symphony's levels, whereas others inexplicably go for this semi-photorealistic look that never really pays off.

Furthermore, every single room in the game is boxed in with perfectly flat, rectanglular borders, so no matter how detailed the background may be, it still feels disjointed and superficial. And realistic architectural precepts are thrown to the wind with plenty of old-timey floating platforms.

Igarashi needs to go back and play Symphony again to remind himself what credible, immersive castle environments look like. And whatever Konami executive is in charge of his schedule needs to give his team more than a year to put together a game.

[Jowy]

Kishi, did you get the pre-order box with it, or not?

I just made it to Dullahan and got the crap kicked out of me. I'm not a fan of jumping into portraits to go into different parts of the map, but the gameplay itself is what keeps me attached to it. The monster placement is a bit odd, to say the least.

[Necronopticous]

Castlevania has never really been about much more than fun factor to me so Portrait of Ruin has been nothing but a blessing as far as I'm concerned. I haven't really been disappointed in the graphics per se, though I do agree that some areas look bland and unfinished. It hasn't bothered me much at all since the game is so huge, and some of the areas have actually really blown me away, the Nation of Fools is a good example.

I like the Castlevania syringe stylus.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

Kishi, did you get the pre-order box with it, or not?Yeah, I did. It's pretty nice.

Speaking of enemy placement, that's another thing I like about the game: It's the most challenging 2D installment the series has seen in many years. The bosses can kill you in a matter of seconds if you're not careful, but it goes all the way down to normal monsters, as well. The Slingers in the latter half of the City of Haze are a good early example of this.

[Jowy]

I had more difficulty with Dawn of Sorrow, myself. Dullahan killed me a few times, but I managed to beat the Behemoth in about thirty seconds flat.

Also, Charlotte's weapons may be the best thing ever. I just got Don Quixote and can only imagine what other literary works I will be able to slay the undead with.

edit: Any recommendations for Astarte? Once Jonathan gets charmed, I'll die in about five seconds.

double edit: Oh, just use Charlotte. hurrrrrrrrr.

[vorpal blade]

I want this game so damn much... but I need a DS, which i lamentably do not have. But I've been dropping hints (slightly subtler than explicitly saying so) that I want a DS (and this game), so maybe!

[Jowy]

Holy :skull::skull::skull::skull:! Eric Lecarde!

[Araciel]

sounds like i should buy it

[edczxcvbnm]

I don't know how the music is to the game. I keep the sound off as I am on the train but the rest of the game is a bit wonky. Kawaii has already mentioned the graphic inconsistency. I could have delt with the inconsistency had the paintings had an art style to it but they don't so it fails.

As for the gameplay. I kind of like the smaller dungon concept but I feel that they are too horizontal...at least so far. Kind of takes away from the fell of a grand huge castle.

I am also not finding the game to be all that hard yet. Maybe I just got really lucky and got a powerful weapon early on from a drop.

[Jowy]

The bosses alone are what I find to be the most difficult. Namely Richter.

[edczxcvbnm]

I just got the frog spell so I know I am not that far but I have not found the bosses to be that hard. The patterns are pretty easy to get down I find. More so than the past few games. I love circle of the moon but damn I suck at boss fights in that game. Probably has to do with weapon restriction in that game for me(never was a huge fan of the whip).

[Necronopticous]

I must have accidently used/sold my corn soup item, and it is the only item I need to complete my item list. If anyone would be so kind as to sell it to me it would be greatly appreciated. Please let me know as soon as possible.

[Yamaneko]

Awesome game so far. I'm only at the second portrait so far, but yeah, the bosses are super tough. Graphics are top-notch and I'm loving some of the 3d models. I'll have to wait and see about the second half of the game because supposedly that's when the art style starts to get repetitive. The music is of higher quality than Dawn of Sorrow, though, which is nice.