It's been long since I've played a 3D CV, what makes this one better than the prequels in your opinion?
I'll give it an honest shot.
Lords of Shadow has a great combat system. Yes, it's derivative of games like God of War, but so what? It's just a genre now, like platformers or shooters. And contrary to what people say, it's not as blatant a rip off as you've heard.
The controls are, for the most part, smooth and responsive.
Fun platforming and interesting bonus challenges for trophies and power ups.
Gorgeous graphics and amazing soundtrack. The art direction is top notch.
Terrific voice acting, especially by Robert Carlyle and Patrick Stewart.
An interesting take on the Castlevania mythology. It is a brand new telling, and doesn't observe anything that's gone before except as a template for telling its own version. While it is true that Lords of Shadow has its own story that doesn't feel completely like a Castlevania game, it eventually grows on you as its own entity unless you're so stuck in the past that you refuse to give the game an objective look.
After seeing how they did with Mirror of Fate, I am thoroughly convinced that Mercurysteam understands what makes the IP special, what gives its heartbeat, because there is a LOT of that in Mirror of Fate. Knowing this, I believe Lords of Shadow 2 is going to be a great entry in the series.
The Ultimate edition of the first game is on Steam for $30 and runs at 60 FPS from what I understand. I'm really tempted to drop the cash on it and give another go. But if you don't even want to spend $30 on it, the PS3 or Xbox 360 versions are probably very cheap these days.
