Topic: Order of Ecclesia (Read 10290 times)

Arc · « **Reply #40 on:** November 13, 2008, 09:34:09 AM »

Friend finished up his playthough; time for my own. From my current vantage point, Order is shaping up to become Simon's Quest Done Right. The C-c-combo controls are swiftly effective, the levels all have matched the same tone, and there doesn't seem to be much sprite recycling. The challenge is brutal from the get-go, with beasties that appear to made out of a mixture of adamantium and gameboy plastic. Even bats & skeletons are no longer pushovers, but instead deadly adversaries for the first round of levels.

He can be defeated with [Status-J] using [Junction] on [ST ATK-J]! Granted, they avoid the color-coding nonsense, but the brackets read like air quotes. As if these vampire hunters don't actually believe in their central mission, and laugh off the notion while hording in tax dollars to form their Order (see also: Hurricanes, FEMA).

Take it to the "Status of my Rod" thread, lady. Enemy encounters so far include The Niku Twins:

Godfather's Revenge:

The Last Metroid (w/ sexy time):

Dee Snider's Skeleton:

Annnnnd Stewart:

... The pet SHODAN:

Throughout, jerkface villagers can be rescued, opening up side-quests with jerkface dialogue:

Jacktard doesn't own an establishment. Half the joints in town are empty, yet this freewheeler just deals off the street. Hell, Smuggy McSmugensteiner doesn't even sell his own goods, he just unlocks items that you purchase next door. Middle Management, thy name be Abram.

The inventory? Playfully jerkfaced:

The level design isn't frustratingly cobbled and mirrored like Portrait of Ruin. Instead, it isn't even designed:

Now for the most pressing issue, Crab Battle.

CRAB BATTLE.

CRAB BATTLE.

CRAB BATTLE.

CRAB BATT-

... Um...

CRAB BATTLE.

CRAB BATTLE.

CRAB BATTLE.

CRAB BATT-

CRAB BATTLE.

CRAB BATTLE.

CRAB BATTLE.

CRAB BATT-

Craaaaaab Battle!

Classic · « **Reply #41 on:** November 13, 2008, 10:16:41 AM »

A giant, evil shrimp and a giant, evil crab.

It makes you think that maybe YOU did something to crustaceans.

Zaratustra · « **Reply #42 on:** November 13, 2008, 12:19:19 PM »

Classic · « **Reply #43 on:** November 13, 2008, 12:26:42 PM »

Classic's been infected by spring fever. He can tell because he saw rightmost skeleton pillar as humping his column.

Detonator · « **Reply #44 on:** November 13, 2008, 04:39:27 PM »

Quote from: Rock on November 13, 2008, 09:34:09 AM

... The pet SHODAN:

Where have I see this before...

KONAMIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!

Rosencrantz · « **Reply #45 on:** November 13, 2008, 04:41:51 PM »

I'm at the Blackmore boss fight. He seriously slaughtered me a few times, and I haven't tried since... I'll probably give it a try again eventually.

Arc · « **Reply #46 on:** November 14, 2008, 03:58:39 PM »

Secare + Luminatio =

Rever Up!

Fact: All 19th century teens inhabited urban Shibuya. Depth is setting in, as more eclectic villagers have been rescued.

This hole better be in the kitchen!

I double-checked to see if this was a real stat.

Sharkey, show us on the DS where Shane touched you.

Everything was going so well, and then you had to go and say that.

Bonus: His character page states that he moved to avoid competition, and his soup at the general store uses a 'special ingredient'.

Come on, pal. Fugu me!

Cranberry juice.

Which brings us to the 4-koma uncovered by Talking-Time.

Zaratustra · « **Reply #47 on:** November 14, 2008, 07:51:26 PM »

At least Eugen will pay you for delivering the items. I think Laura and Abram just give a thank-you.

jsnlxndrlv · « **Reply #48 on:** November 15, 2008, 03:22:45 PM »

That crab battle's pretty easy if you just drop your zombie on its face. I was kind of surprised; I was just trying to feed it with my chum.

Bongo Bill · « **Reply #49 on:** November 17, 2008, 01:46:54 AM »

Okay, I was warned that this game was hard and I bought it anyway, so I deserve whatever I get. But come on. The game's idea of difficulty seems to consist of putting save points too far apart and filling all the areas with too many enemies who are either very large or who home in on you awkwardly, deal too much damage, have too much HP, and knock you into their buddies as a primary means of attack. And then selling you an $8000 item that says it increases the lightning attribute but then your lightning attack still does the same amount of damage as before - the only difference is that now you're broke.

I feel like I wandered into a game where they made hard mode by taking the easy mode and increasing all the bad guys' stats without any playtesting, but then they took out the easy mode. It's total bullshit.

What am I doing wrong? Is there some secret to taking less than fifteen damage from each hit, or doing more than fifteen, other than using up all my hearts so I don't have any left for the bosses? Am I supposed to be able to make it more than three rooms at a stretch? Did I misinterpret what that accessory was supposed to do? I tried the defense-boosting glyph; that's such a small increase that it just means I'm going to die in a slightly more pathetic situation. I have the best armor I'm able to get and the best weapon I've encountered to date. I've done as many of the quests as I'm able; I've explored everywhere. Is it just supposed to be a fuck-you to people like me who lack hummingbird-like reflexes?

Zaratustra · « **Reply #50 on:** November 17, 2008, 02:32:14 AM »

1) Those vulnerabilities on the enemy data? They're not just for show anymore. Using a weapon the enemy's vulnerable against can do as much as twice the damage.
2) Most boss rooms have a teleport room next to them where you can go back to the start of the level, from there back to the village and recharge your hearts in the heart recharge machine.

jsnlxndrlv · « **Reply #51 on:** November 17, 2008, 11:35:53 AM »

As somebody put it on another forum, jumping and dodging attacks of skeletons tossing bones at your head as ghosts lunge from above and something else is shooting projectiles at you from even further away is as valid a challenge for a Castlevania character's moveset as a rickety clocktower filled with moving contraptions and Medusa heads. This game takes the usual empty combat and makes it matter by making health dear, enemy attacks painful, and healing items few and far between. Affinities really matter this time around; you can slash those underwater pillars of skulls with a sword all day long, but switch to a hammer and it only takes a couple hits--less, if you're comboing with thunder or light or something.

Arc · « **Reply #52 on:** November 17, 2008, 12:31:33 PM »

Sliding, backdashing, and ducking are no longer window dressing. Glyph combos, sleeving, and unions justify higher enemy hit points. With practice and timing, I've landed six combo hits upon enemies before they can even respond with one. Since I'm terrible at figuring out patterns, Gravedorcus (Sand Fish Boss) destroyed my flow, but I'm otherwise not running into many problems with small-time enemies. Except for Spear Guards and Skull Spiders, those puss sucking dirtbags.

Can't recommend the usage of magical tickets, unless you're petrified.

More 4-Koma, found @ Mecha Fetus (of all places):

jsnlxndrlv · « **Reply #53 on:** November 17, 2008, 09:54:28 PM »

Persona's blog? I'd say the internet gets smaller every day, but then I remembered who I'm responding to. (You're everywhere!)

It feels like slashing attacks are disproportionately represented. Also, I'll admit I haven't been trying very hard, but I still don't understand the way attribute points work. Like, the more you slash, the more powerful slashing attacks are supposed to become--in which case, slashing attacks must really suck most of the time, since even vulnerable enemies still absorb a lot of hits.

Bongo Bill · « **Reply #54 on:** November 18, 2008, 04:56:56 PM »

Well, turns out I was just in the wrong mindset. Stepped up my game and now I'm in Dracula's Castle and there are too few save points and I always keep forgetting to use healing items when I drop down in between two enemies who can petrify you with a wide attack and one who does tons of damage and chases you down to knock you into the other two.

Arc · « **Reply #55 on:** November 18, 2008, 07:05:32 PM »

Quote from: Bongo Bill on November 18, 2008, 04:56:56 PM

I'm in Dracula's Castle and there are too few save points

And here I thought they wuz just gonna warp us straight to The Keep.

Kayin · « **Reply #56 on:** November 18, 2008, 08:51:32 PM »

Those lack of save points make me cry -- but hey, it's nice to have to man up in a metroidvania. But that shadowboss just had way too many hitpoints and did far too much damage.

Also Pneumia or whatever it's called turns Shanoa into Geese Howard. DAADDOUUU REEPKUKEN! RAAAGGGGING STOOOORRMMMU

Saturn · « **Reply #57 on:** November 18, 2008, 09:39:44 PM »

i love flying around like a big moron with redire.

Arc · « **Reply #58 on:** November 18, 2008, 10:14:02 PM »

Castlevania Judgement, the lamented brawler for the Wii, was released today (and not for another two months in Jaaaapan). Of note, Shanoa becomes unlockable by connecting via DS.

If you haven't seen them for yourself, Takeshi Obata's (Hikaru no Go, Death Note) new character designs are a riot. Ralph Belmondo is the original Japanese name for Trevor, and here is the missing artwork for Sypha & Cornell.

Oh lawd.

Quote from: Kayin on November 18, 2008, 08:51:32 PM

shadowboss just had way too many hitpoints

Triple checked the guides just to make sure I wasn't goofing up after what felt like ten ~~parsecs~~ minutes.

Friday · « **Reply #59 on:** November 22, 2008, 04:13:14 AM »

Quote

Cornell.

Cornell found a Metal Mario Block? awesome

News:

Author Topic: Order of Ecclesia (Read 10290 times)