Wasn't Circle the last game to have a mode like that?
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Whipping A Dead Mr. Hed: The Castlevania Thread Of Sacred Remains
- Thread starter R.R. Bigman
- Start date
R.R. Bigman
Coolest Guy
Yes. Magician Mode was cool partly because you actually get to see what most of the DSS cards do.
I started Albus Mode for the first time. Is it easier or harder than the base game?
I started Albus Mode for the first time. Is it easier or harder than the base game?
R.R. Bigman
Coolest Guy
Albus Mode is a breeze until Dracula’s Castle, where it becomes a big problem. I spent almost two hours fighting Dracula, and had to end up using save states. Then the game glitched. I’ve grown to despise these alternate character modes, but they’re a cheap and lazy way to increase runtime.
I wish Konami was a real game publisher and not a crime syndicate front so they could allow new Castlevania games to be made.
I wish Konami was a real game publisher and not a crime syndicate front so they could allow new Castlevania games to be made.
Not like it stopped them from Contra.
I get how you might feel that way, but I enjoy having another way of interacting with the game, provided I enjoyed the game to begin with, and Albus has a more enjoyable toolkit than most. It's very satisfying to just teleport to the top of the centaur boss, for example.
It entirely depends on my mood, but I sometimes prefer the alternate modes to the base game because they are limited. I love all the variety in the IGAvanias, but sometimes I want to "play Castlevania" and not be concerned that I do not have the most optimum weapon/skill for the situation. Albus has his three different bullets, and they cover the general weaknesses of the monsters that Shanoa has to juggle glyphs to properly tackle. And sometimes I just enjoy not having to enter a menu or toggle through my setups because a hammer-weak monster happened to be in this hallway. Albus keeps on truckin'.
Again, I love the variety that is available to the "real" modes, but I also enjoy the option to tear through a castle with Richter uppercutting forever.
Again, I love the variety that is available to the "real" modes, but I also enjoy the option to tear through a castle with Richter uppercutting forever.
R.R. Bigman
Coolest Guy
The main problem I have with Albus is his warp is very hard to pull off for me with the PS5 controller. Obviously, it was not designed for that, but that’s what I have.
My big reward to myself is now I’m going to play the Haunted Castle remake. I’m excited!
My big reward to myself is now I’m going to play the Haunted Castle remake. I’m excited!
I just wish they'd create more alternative scenarios for the alternative characters. I find that without any different story beats/dialogue/ending/anything in something like this, my interest tends to fade quick once my curiosity has been satisfied.
Not looking for a sequel to War & Peace out of it, but just like in Mega Man games with alternative characters, or like Sonic 3 & Knuckles.
Not looking for a sequel to War & Peace out of it, but just like in Mega Man games with alternative characters, or like Sonic 3 & Knuckles.
Sigh.
Okay, we thought we had things figured out. We were wrong. No stream tonight, probably not tomorrow, either. Don't know when we'll resume.
Okay, we thought we had things figured out. We were wrong. No stream tonight, probably not tomorrow, either. Don't know when we'll resume.
I had written this before the thread turned to Albus-mode discussion, but here's a whole dang "Halloween" post on the alternative modes of Dominus games.
Look, a link to my website.
Any attempts to claim this was an excuse to write about games I had technically already written about will be ignored.
Look, a link to my website.
Any attempts to claim this was an excuse to write about games I had technically already written about will be ignored.
ICYMI:
ICYMI
I'm playing Order of Ecclesia for the first time thanks to the Dominus collection (I never had a DS) and I'm a little confused by the glyph equips. Do I want to equip the same glyph twice? It feels like yes, so you can attack faster? But that also seems extremely limiting. I do like the QOL feature that shows you a given monster's weakness(es), though.
Also, if I've already absorbed the glyph from a monster, is there any benefit to absorbing it again if they drop another? The game hasn't given me any feedback in either direction there.
Also, if I've already absorbed the glyph from a monster, is there any benefit to absorbing it again if they drop another? The game hasn't given me any feedback in either direction there.
It’s a situational thing; it’s not long before you start encountering enemy groups with a variety of weaknesses and resistances so you’d want a variety on there, but if you’re dealing with a boss you’d want the higher DPS of using multiple copies.
Ecclesia's cool, mostly I'm finding it just kind of...fine? I think I mainly prefer my Castlevanias to have one big map rather than a bunch of self-contained areas. I'm still having a good time, but it doesn't really feel like I'm exploring in the same way as the other games I've played in the series.
The multiple loadouts are handy, but I kinda wish the game had given you the ability to use them very early on so I would've developed that muscle memory from the beginning. Even with the ability to swap between three, I'm still frequently opening the pause menu to make little micro-adjustments depending on the environment. That's a Me Problem, though.
Also, re-asking since no one's addressed this yet:
The multiple loadouts are handy, but I kinda wish the game had given you the ability to use them very early on so I would've developed that muscle memory from the beginning. Even with the ability to swap between three, I'm still frequently opening the pause menu to make little micro-adjustments depending on the environment. That's a Me Problem, though.
Also, re-asking since no one's addressed this yet:
From what I have been able to find on Game FAQs there are some benefits.
Here is the post I found (with a bunch of editing);
Here is the post I found (with a bunch of editing);
1) If it happens for one of the seven familiar summoning glyphs (Fidelis) - you gain experience for each extra glyph absorbed. For every 15 extra you absorb you gain a level. (Max level is 3). Most agree this to be a much faster way to level these as opposed to slaying enemies. [I think this means leveling up the familiar.]
2) Each time you absorb any glyph, you will gain 10 hearts. This can be usefull in boss fights like Albus and Barlowe. Also it can be helpful if you are using the Heart Cuirass for whatever reason. Or simply to refill some hearts if you're not currenlty full.
3) Each and every time you absorb a glyph, you get 1 AP awarded to all Attribute types. [Or maybe just the corresponding one? All doesn't seem to make sense.]
2) Each time you absorb any glyph, you will gain 10 hearts. This can be usefull in boss fights like Albus and Barlowe. Also it can be helpful if you are using the Heart Cuirass for whatever reason. Or simply to refill some hearts if you're not currenlty full.
3) Each and every time you absorb a glyph, you get 1 AP awarded to all Attribute types. [Or maybe just the corresponding one? All doesn't seem to make sense.]
Good to know, thanks! I've been absorbing them, but I just got my first familiar glyph tonight and use hearts so rarely outside of boss fights that I guess I just haven't noticed that part at all. It'd be nice if the game gave you some kind of feedback about the third point, though.
You also gain AP for attributes by using them in kills, but attribute AP is basically meaningless. Familiar XP is the most impactful of the bunch, as familiars are vastly stronger at max level.
A more obvious benefit is that it prevents whatever the enemy was trying to cast.
You are mostly right to avoid bothering with hearts, but I recommend fooling around with combinations near a heart dispenser at some point when you have a decent glyph collection. Time-saving tip: I'm pretty sure that all three power levels on a single glyph are considered the same as far as glyph combos are concerned. All combinations of two of the same glyph will work. Most others will not, but there are a few fun combos to find.
A more obvious benefit is that it prevents whatever the enemy was trying to cast.
You are mostly right to avoid bothering with hearts, but I recommend fooling around with combinations near a heart dispenser at some point when you have a decent glyph collection. Time-saving tip: I'm pretty sure that all three power levels on a single glyph are considered the same as far as glyph combos are concerned. All combinations of two of the same glyph will work. Most others will not, but there are a few fun combos to find.
Wait, are you saying I can level my non-familiar glyphs? Or just the individual versions of glyphs like, Glyph, Vol Glyph, (presumably third level Glyph I haven't seen yet)?
The latter. Heck if I can remember what the goofy names are.
I call them "power levels," but it's not as if it's Fire - Fira - Firaga; it's more closely an indicator of how late into the game you find them. You're often better spamming the earlier glyphs.
In the original Castlevania for the NES, does hitting the candles with special weapons do anything different than with the whip?
Is it more likely to give you a numeral II or III?
Is it more likely to give you a numeral II or III?