More Castlevania: Lords of Shadows – Mirror of Fate details

Posted below is another batch of Castlevania: Lords of Shadows – Mirror of Fate details coming from the latest issue of Nintendo Power. We’ve posted lots of information from the magazine’s article over the past few weeks, but there is a bunch of content that hadn’t been summarized previously.

The latest details have been posted after the break.

– Team is excited about the 3D tech
– Wanted to re-create a miniature interpretation of the Lords of Shadow universe on a handheld
– Enemies include skeletons, axe-wielding undead knights, morning-star-equipped armored warriors
– Platforming-driven exploration
– Polygonal environments
– Didn’t want to use Lords of Shadow visuals exactly since “it would have involved significant compromises”
– Mirror of Fate was influenced by press/fans who said that Lords of Shadow should have a greater exploration aspect
– David Cox believes Mirror of Fate is a deeper experience than with previous Castlevania handheld games
– Think about how to take down every enemy and what abilities/items are best for each one
– One treasure chest power-up increases Trevor’s health bar
– Acquire magic-meter boosts
– Trevor is like Gabriel in temperament
– He’s cool, calm, and collected
– Simon is the complete opposite, quickly becoming angry and is an aggressive fighter
– Difference in character comes from their different upbringings
– This is explained in the story
– Environment will see changes over time, so you won’t be retreading old ground with each character
– Mostly takes place in the castle, but there are some dark forests and underground caves to explore
– Robert Carlyle is back as a voice actor
– Some new actors
– Team is promising variety, secrets, hidden areas
– 15-20 hours of gameplay expected to see everything
– Mirror of Fate shows characters visions of the future and their destinies
– Similar themes are represented through a character known as “the lost soul”
– This being plays an important role in the story
– Each character must face his fate and either overcome it or be a slave to it
– Travel book shows all combos and items
– Bestiary shows enemy strengths and weaknesses
– Both of these can be accessed on the touch screen

Gameplay section example 1

– Take out some man-sized vampire bats that ambush you in a chapel
– Chunk of wall that was broken during the fight gives a handhold that allows players to ascend to the chamber’s upper reaches
– Climb the ledges, jump on chandeliers, use the Combat Cross to snag grapple points and swing across unjumpable gaps
– You’ll reach a crank connected to the room’s central chandelier
– Activate the crank to send the light fixture crashing down to the floor
– This smashes open a new path

Gameplay section example 2

– Door blocks you from proceeding
– Need to descent deeper into tunnels
– These are partially carved by ancient tree roots
– Defeat enemies, crawl through some passages, swing from a cave ceiling to reach a distant ledge
– Then activate a level to open the locked door
– A telltale tick informs you that there is limited time before the door shuts
– Quickly retrace your steps
– Skeleton will come at you
– After going through the door, pull another level to keep it permanently open
– Next destination will be shown on the touch-screen map

Commentary from David Cox

“Beefing up the exploration element was key. This automatically meant the platforming was going to have to be considered and we have tried to make this much better than it was in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. We have incorporated the platform style from that game with the more-traditional platforming seen in the older Castlevania titles to really make it a lot more fun and familiar. We have added some new elements to the platforming, such as the safe-fall ability – this allows players to use their weapon to break their fall in particularly steep descents – and there is the ability to jump from wall to wall. Combat can occur while platforming for more variety and a greater sense of danger.”

“…we felt that traditionally Castlevania games had done well on handheld and indeed found a home there to a certain extend, and the whole team really felt we could do something special and memorable on the format that would immerse players totally. The N3DS has allowed us to create something totally unique and exclusive to the format that we think players are going to absolutely love.”