THE BORE

General => Video Game Bored => Topic started by: The Fake Shemp on December 09, 2006, 02:44:20 PM

Title: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 09, 2006, 02:44:20 PM
Like, I have to actually use items, you don't get money hand over first like the previous two and I have died. No wonder Parish hated this game.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Himu on December 09, 2006, 03:05:09 PM
Yep. It OWNS.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: MrAngryFace on December 09, 2006, 03:56:54 PM
Yeah its awesome! I love challenge omg omg omg.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: CajoleJuice on December 09, 2006, 03:59:06 PM
Yea, it's pretty fucking sweet. I was about to say maybe I was getting sick of the Maddenvania's but when I hit the Nation of Fools I shit my pants.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Vizzys on December 09, 2006, 04:10:45 PM
spoiler (click to show/hide)
Death
[close]
is the first boss to repeatedly kick my ass. :(
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 09, 2006, 04:29:14 PM
I don't think I've really, really loved a Castlevania game like this since Circle of the Moon came out and blew my mind in terms of portable Metroidvania goodness.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Howard Alan Treesong on December 09, 2006, 05:09:18 PM
I just died like 6 times on the boss of the second painting!

spoiler (click to show/hide)
fucking charming succubus bitch...if that hits you, it's over, cause Charlotte can't do shit
[close]

It's awesome! I had to learn patterns! And apply strategy! Something I haven't seen in a portable Castlevania game in a long long time!  :hyper
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Himu on December 09, 2006, 05:25:19 PM
spoiler (click to show/hide)
If you change into Charlette when she does the attack you don't get damaged!
[close]

The boss fights are AWESOME! :hyper
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Sceneman on December 09, 2006, 05:50:59 PM
Goddamn I want this game    :(

 
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Howard Alan Treesong on December 09, 2006, 06:25:19 PM
Himuro, I tried that strat and still got hit with it...possible my timing was off, however.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Vizzys on December 09, 2006, 06:38:09 PM
Third times the charm and I kicked some ass right there. He floated away like a whiny bitch.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 09, 2006, 06:54:12 PM
Why is this game getting such low marks from reviewers?  You'd think it was a 3D PS2 Castlevania!
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Himu on December 09, 2006, 06:59:30 PM
Why is this game getting such low marks from reviewers?  You'd think it was a 3D PS2 Castlevania!

Because game reviewers suck ass.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Van Cruncheon on December 09, 2006, 07:19:41 PM
Yeah, this is a great Castlevania, and character art aside, is probably the first Castlevania to approximate the brilliance of Symphony of the Night. What it lacks in atmosphere and soundtrack it makes up for with better puzzles, incidental graphics, and challenge.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 09, 2006, 08:58:58 PM
After listening to the 20th anniversary compilation CD, I think Castlevania III had the best music!
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Howard Alan Treesong on December 09, 2006, 09:02:58 PM
CVIII was good. Bloodlines is also very underrated. (Iron Blue Intention on the soundtrack rocks me.)

I can't do the Spinning Art quest:

spoiler (click to show/hide)
Forward, Down, Back, Forward + Y
[close]

I've tried about 50 times and it never executes. Do I need a certain weapon equipped? Is there some trick of timing? I put in my time with Street Fighter in my youth. This shouldn't be a cockblocking moment.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Vizzys on December 09, 2006, 09:03:24 PM
Goddamn ice using witches.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: CajoleJuice on December 09, 2006, 09:03:48 PM
I've had exactly the same problem as you Patel. WTF
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Howard Alan Treesong on December 09, 2006, 09:08:39 PM
Okay, I just did it. I did it in the room with Wind, fwiw--you don't have to hit an enemy or anything. I just executed it really, REALLY fast. Like, faster than one continuous motion. I pulled it off 3 times since then, too. Just MASH the buttons.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Vizzys on December 09, 2006, 09:13:19 PM
Its back down forward back y
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Vizzys on December 09, 2006, 11:34:10 PM
Anyway read this if you got the really lame unexpected ending after defeating those two bitches
spoiler (click to show/hide)
you have to get the spell sanctuary and use it on them in order to decurse them or whatever, its in the sandy grave, the game doesnt really end here :)
[close]
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Himu on December 09, 2006, 11:47:05 PM
There's this quest where the guy suggests going to a kitchen or meat place or something I can't find one at all wtf
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Van Cruncheon on December 10, 2006, 12:03:11 AM
it's near the start of the city of haze. pummel the meat with your bare hands as you were taught. :-*
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Himu on December 10, 2006, 12:03:56 AM
drinky know how it goes   :-*
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: AdmiralViscen on December 10, 2006, 12:32:18 AM
Can't wait to pick this up.

It pained me to pick it up for my girlfriend's little brother, only to be unable to play it myself (someone is already getting it for me as an Xmas gift)
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 10, 2006, 03:54:03 PM
I'm really in love with this Castlevania game.  I love the challenge and the strategy and the puzzles.

Also, some of these fucking crazy combos are too ridiculous to pull off.  I wish I had an analog stick for a couple.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Howard Alan Treesong on December 10, 2006, 04:06:41 PM
The game is really short.  :(

I got the "bad" ending within
spoiler (click to show/hide)
4:30
[close]
and look to get the "good" ending within
spoiler (click to show/hide)
10 hours.
[close]

I'm hopeful that the replay modes are good, though--they've been steadily improving with each game, and I thought that Dawn of Sorrow's replay mode was better than the actual game. I've also only done about 7 quests, so working on those would probably kill a few more hours.

Still, really fuck awesome so far. Portrait of Ruin is very distinct in my mind when I think of it compared to the previous Castlevanias--Harmony of Dissonance and Dawn of Sorrow being the two least distinct. Aria of Sorrow is still my mostest favoritest.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Van Cruncheon on December 10, 2006, 04:10:29 PM
Why Aria over Symphony, moog-dude? Symphony has the crazy graphics and music, plus the coolest atmosphere and boss fights.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 10, 2006, 04:12:54 PM
I never finished Harmony of Dissonance.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Howard Alan Treesong on December 10, 2006, 04:19:59 PM
Oh, my ranking was just for the Milktroidvanias since Circle of the Moon. Symphony stands alone!

I do like Aria an unnatural lot, though. I like its near-future vibe and somewhat more varied weaponry, I like the Soul system and how it encourages grinding and backtracking exploration, and I really like the castle and color palette--it's more colorful and vibrant than Symphony, without venturing into the Fox Box animu of Portrait. I also really like the scenario--the characters and supporting cast are actually memorable, and the post-"bad ending" plot continuations are just fucking out-of-left field and awesome. And I'm a sucker for the "previous story you didn't see" post-shadowing plot structure, so thinking about the unmade Castlevania set in 1999 makes me giddy.  :hyper

spoiler (click to show/hide)
Seeing references to the 1999 plot in Portrait of Ruin makes me hope that it's still on the table. When I met the scenario designer at TGS, I told him he better fuck do it OR ELSE. :punch
[close]
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 10, 2006, 04:22:16 PM
I am hoping you get to pick Belmonts from different eras to play as, because I want to play as Simon again :punch
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 10, 2006, 04:25:17 PM
I also enjoyed Aria of Sorrow an awful lot (it was my favorite since Circle, but ranks under it in my opinion), but there was just something missing from Dawn of Sorrow.  I dig the castle design and color of Portrait, but I have an obvious distaste for the anime-style character art.  Also, Soma Cruz > Whiny Johnny Morris.

That said, as a Castlevania adventure, this is my favorite since Symphony.  And how come Symphony hasn't been ported to the DS?
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Vizzys on December 10, 2006, 05:31:48 PM
Buy a x360 and play SOTN in HD when it comes out.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 10, 2006, 06:07:57 PM
I won't even had a HDTV soon!
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Himu on December 10, 2006, 06:32:24 PM
spoiler (click to show/hide)
PoR has a Richter mode
[close]

:)
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: wave-E on December 10, 2006, 08:08:22 PM
Damn, after the stupid simplicity of Dawn of Sorrow I thought I could get away from this one....but hard boss fights...damn, that is hard to pass up.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 11, 2006, 12:46:35 AM
Has anyone defeated the Whip Memory Belmont to unlock the Vampire Killer?  What is this dude's HP?  This is so fucking beyond difficult.  Maybe I've been pussified.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Van Cruncheon on December 11, 2006, 01:18:11 AM
use the dark whip and the cream pie subweapon (they both have dark attributes, and i'm not kidding about the cream pie -- its only use is spanking whip memory)
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 11, 2006, 02:50:24 AM
GAF hates this game.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Vizzys on December 11, 2006, 02:54:20 AM
Thats because they are pussies.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Howard Alan Treesong on December 11, 2006, 02:58:46 AM
Has anyone defeated the Whip Memory Belmont to unlock the Vampire Killer?  What is this dude's HP?  This is so fucking beyond difficult.  Maybe I've been pussified.

I just potioned my way through it like a wuss. I used the Nebula weapon, which helped--its range is long enough that you won't get hit by his whip attacks. Still tough.

 :heartbeat ampire Killer :heart

The "true" last boss spanked me, so I'm currently FAQing my way through the more obscure questlines. Any "full reveal" maps out there? I need 888% map completion for this quest...
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: CajoleJuice on December 11, 2006, 03:11:23 AM
Well, that didn't take long at all to get the shitty ending. There better be a shitload left until the real final boss.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Himu on December 11, 2006, 11:38:38 AM
rofl at the neogaf CV:PoR thread

gotta be kidding me

BEST METROIDVANIA EVER
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Van Cruncheon on December 11, 2006, 12:10:49 PM
Evilbore >>>>>>>>> GAF

how can you hate PoR, seriously
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: demi on December 11, 2006, 12:49:35 PM
Why does GAF hate this? I'd imagine it would be good because it is a Metroidvania alone. Even I don't really hate Circle of the Moon.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 11, 2006, 01:45:20 PM
Yeah, the GAF hate is strong. They were wondering why everyone else likes it and the concensus seems to be because GAF has higher standards :lol
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Himu on December 11, 2006, 02:26:12 PM
Yeah that made me rofl
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: CajoleJuice on December 11, 2006, 03:14:20 PM
Eh, I have to beat those sisters the right way so I can go on to fight the real final boss in the game. So far it's really the same as the others. I frankly don't know how people can really distinguish that greatly between all the GBA/DS Castlevanias. They're all great games, but not mindblowing. Fuck, I even like Harmony of Dissonance.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 11, 2006, 03:18:17 PM
I don't even really consider than an ending, Cajole.  There are still like, five more portraits left after that - plus boss battles, plus Whip Memory and more.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: CajoleJuice on December 11, 2006, 03:24:11 PM
I don't even really consider than an ending, Cajole.  There are still like, five more portraits left after that - plus boss battles, plus Whip Memory and more.
I figured there had to be a shitload left after that. I gotta get on it.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 12, 2006, 02:56:07 PM
Dracula is a bitch!

spoiler (click to show/hide)
He teams up with Death, what horse shit!
[close]
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Howard Alan Treesong on December 12, 2006, 03:13:42 PM
Tell me about it!  :o It's totally unjustifiable.

I've done most of the quests and the secret area (unlocked at 888%) and have gone up about 10 levels since I last fell prey to...that.

Do you know any good places with a whole bunch of easy respawnable candles? I need to get 200,000 gold and buy that fricking Master Ring...

spoiler (click to show/hide)
Shouldn't take too long now that I've got the GOLD RING! $500 money bags, baby!
[close]

Just need a good candle source...
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 12, 2006, 03:19:10 PM
Dracula's castle!
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 12, 2006, 03:20:58 PM
Where's the Gold Ring, btw?

Also, Drinky's strategy of
spoiler (click to show/hide)
Cream Pie + Jet Black Whip
[close]
really does the trick on the Memory Whip Belmont.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Howard Alan Treesong on December 12, 2006, 03:32:29 PM
Gold Ring is dropped by

spoiler (click to show/hide)
Gold Skeletons, found only in the Nest of Evil area unlocked at 888%
[close]

There's a lot of enemies only found in the secret area that you only get 1-3 shots at per run through. I intuited which enemy would drop the Gold Ring and ran a few grinding passes, but I'm sure the rest have cool rare drops, too.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Vizzys on December 12, 2006, 03:33:16 PM
I'm stuck on the medusa snake thing, its the last boss till the final portrait!

:(
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 12, 2006, 03:34:28 PM
Medusa was pretty easy for me.  I've got lvl 5 Axe, so I waited 'till she does a tail arc, stay in an in-between spot underneath her and just keep tossing axes 'till she dies.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 12, 2006, 03:35:24 PM
Gold Ring is dropped by

spoiler (click to show/hide)
Gold Skeletons, found only in the Nest of Evil area unlocked at 888%
[close]

There's a lot of enemies only found in the secret area that you only get 1-3 shots at per run through. I intuited which enemy would drop the Gold Ring and ran a few grinding passes, but I'm sure the rest have cool rare drops, too.

I was unaware that such a place existed.  I think I'll try for 888% and unlock it.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Vizzys on December 12, 2006, 03:38:30 PM
I'm at 781% myself.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Vizzys on December 12, 2006, 03:45:49 PM
Thanks for that axe strat willco, that did the trick.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 12, 2006, 03:50:56 PM
No problem, when a Castlevania game is actually difficult enough that we need to dicuss strategies, it's only proper that we share the love <3
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Howard Alan Treesong on December 12, 2006, 06:43:31 PM
I found the best place to get money in a hurry:

spoiler (click to show/hide)
Have Charlotte cast Speed Up on you, then run up and down the stairs in front of Dracula's room. Six candles and probably 1000 gold per run, with a Gold Ring--since you don't have to stop and whip if you jump through the candles in arcs of 3 and 3, you can grind several thousand gold a minute very easily.
[close]

Another money-making tip:

spoiler (click to show/hide)
Apparently the Gold Rings stack, if you have two of them. $2000 money bags from candles?!
[close]

I'm L53 now and have done all the quests but the final 5 (which are pretty bitchy, and I may pass.)

I tried the last boss a few more times; haven't won yet, but discovered this strategy:

spoiler (click to show/hide)
Ignore Dracula and focus fire on Death. Death's...death is what triggers the next stage of the fight.
[close]
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Fake Shemp on December 12, 2006, 07:46:01 PM
I'm only level 36 - I'd figure I'd grind to at least 40 or so tonight before I tackle D&D again.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Vizzys on December 12, 2006, 07:54:22 PM
874.6%
lvl 38

Death and drac whoop my ass :lol

So I'm pretty sure I've explored EVERYWHERE, I cant find any room I haven't been to yet, how do I get to 888%?
Do quests count? That would be it if so.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Howard Alan Treesong on December 12, 2006, 08:10:43 PM
You're missing some secret rooms! How to find them:

spoiler (click to show/hide)
Peeping Eye drops breakable-wall revealing specs.
[close]

And yeah, I can certainly win at L53, I'm just too lazy/nonplused to learn the patterns.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Vizzys on December 12, 2006, 08:20:22 PM
Yeah its cool I found a website with some maps:

http://persona-world.net/cve/pormaps.html
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Error2k4 on December 12, 2006, 08:46:52 PM
the last boss fight is nothing short of epic, actually the best last boss in any castlevania ever. damn that fight rocked.

oh and hard mode with richter/maria level 1 cap=awesome

oh and yes best igavania ever imo
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Vizzys on December 12, 2006, 11:22:28 PM
Got into the nest of evil, its pretty hardcore lol.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: Vizzys on December 13, 2006, 03:42:54 AM
Well the whip memory was VERY easy with the cream pie move, I just kept jumping back away and slamming him in the face with cakes, he because i was jumping only threw axes which kept missing, if i had stood still I would have been smacked by knives. Keep jumping back and using the cakes worked awesomely. Anyway I decided to fight drac and death with my new whip and actually beat death. Drac's last form killed me because I ran out of potions but yeah.

I used just Jonathan with the vampire killer / mastered bwaka knife. I used charlotte to only use  "Speed Up" which makes jonathan waaay fast. I used this new speed to jump over dracs fireballs and jump up to smack death with the whip. Also if I was pinned against the wall I used the knife to destroy the incoming fireballs. Simple dodging with this speed makes jonathan quite the killer.

Oh and Im level 41 so I think i could beat him with more practice/potions.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: demi on April 22, 2007, 03:07:10 PM
I just beat the two sisters. Got the fake ending, and it's like "ok, my daughters..." and that's it. Normally these endings give you at least a hint how to do it. Even the priest is like "there is a purification spell, i'm a vampire, please heal me." so there's a huge hint right there. Ok... WHERE do I get that?

I read Viz's spoiler on how to get Sanctuary. HOW are you supposed to know where to get that? -50 against Portrait of Ruin for that alone. I'm not crawling this entire castle to find some spell that I have no idea how to find (prior to reading Viz's spoiler, and even his spoiler doesn't help. What enemy drops that?).

Guess it's off to GameFAQs.

This game is the shit, btw.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: demi on April 22, 2007, 03:26:24 PM
Ok, my mistake. I found it, it was in the tiny corner where you have to turn into a frog. Fancy that. Ok, +50 back to PoR. Game rocks.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: TakingBackSunday on April 22, 2007, 11:38:52 PM
The one boss that I love love love LOVED was that one huge circle bitch that was made of dead corpses–and when you get rid of all that shit it's an eight-eyed FREAK who shits shit at you.

Pretty challenging.
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: The Sceneman on April 23, 2007, 03:28:52 AM
I love all the VA
Title: Re: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is actually difficult.
Post by: demi on April 23, 2007, 03:34:50 AM
The one boss that I love love love LOVED was that one huge circle bitch that was made of dead corpses–and when you get rid of all that shit it's an eight-eyed FREAK who shits shit at you.

Pretty challenging.

That's from Symphony of the Night