Castlevania: LOS demo a PSN+ exclusive

By Robert Purchese Published 22 September, 2010

Available today to those who pay.

PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to download the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow demo today - a week before everyone else, the European PlayStation blog announced.

Lords of Shadow is Konami's new 3D take on the Castlevania IP. Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima is consulting on the project.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow will also be playable at the Eurogamer Expo 2010, which takes place in London from 1st to 3rd October.

We played Lords of Shadow at the end of August. "It's got a spark, creative impetus and dramatic touch about it that the Castlevania series has lacked for some time," wrote Keza MacDonald after her hands-on time with the game.

The game's out on 8th October.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (37) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • rivuzu #1 2 years ago

    Well fuck that. Where's my damned 360 demo?
    This is an outraaaaaaaaaage.

  • darkmorgado #2 2 years ago

    wut.

    Exclusive demos (or, in this point, timed exclusives) are bl**dy stupid. I mean, I can't imagine how it can be a selling point when it comes to making console purchase decisions.

    "Oh wow! I get to play some demos a week earlier if I buy this machine! Awesome!"

    In addition, it doesn't make massive sense from a publicity POV. If you are about to release a game, you want to raise the profile of that game as much as possible. If you restrict yourself by refusing to release a demo on a release platform (or releasing it late) surely you are effectively working against your own interests?

  • Goodfella #3 2 years ago

    It begins.

  • taurus82 #4 2 years ago

    I finally have a use for my subscription.

  • M_of_the_sys #5 2 years ago

    @darkmorgado

    I wouldn't say it's a selling point for the console but possibly a selling point for PSN+ with people who already own a PS3.

    I agree that timed exclusives (of anything) are silly but it happens on both sides of the fence. Perhaps there are actually people who are swayed by this kind of thing.

  • muscleblade #6 2 years ago

    Castlevania smell like a turkey. Hope im wrong.

  • wizlon #7 2 years ago

    But you get free stuff!!! FREE STUFF!!!

  • KayJay #8 2 years ago

    What's begins?

    Exclusive or timed demos aren't a new thing.

    Not sure why having PS+ makes you mental either.
    Right now I think a yearly subscriber will have gotten his money back (and some) on content offered so far.

    Sour grapes perhaps!

  • Goodfella #9 2 years ago

    Why would it be sour grapes.

    I'm just saying that the exclusive approach for demos (and more, probably) has now spread from the 360 to the PS3.

    I couldn't give two hoots really as I don't plan on spoiling games any more by watching videos, reading articles or playing demos of them before they are released.

  • darkmorgado #10 2 years ago

    I think a yearly subscriber will have gotten his money back (and some) on content offered so far.

    Not really, because the second they stop paying they lose access to all that "free" content.

  • KayJay #11 2 years ago

    Oh, point proven.
    Check the news story below this one.
    Gold subbies get the Wrc demo today, the rest on Friday and the PS3 lot not til next week...

    Get back in ya cages...

  • SpookyTang #12 2 years ago

    Awesome, i paid 12 quid for 3 months of PSN+. I'm just treating it like a rental service plus i got some good deals on games i wanted such as MGS and GTi Club. Not gonna tell anybody to get PSN+ or not but i feel happy enough with my investment. Btw demo's do a great job, look at WRC on 360 that just came out, i put my 30 quid i was keeping for that on something else (TBA) :p

  • KayJay #13 2 years ago

    @Dark - given. But the discounted bits and the free Lbp is yours to keep.

    And let be honest if you get the yearly sub that's plenty of time to play the games to death anyhow.

  • DarkMoon #14 2 years ago

    relax guys, it's not like the rest of us aren't getting the demo at all. it's just a week. i'm sure we all have loads of other games/things to do to occupy the time.

  • photoboy #15 2 years ago

    Same shit MS has been pulling with Gold-only demos on Live. I really don't understand the logic of restricting your demo so that fewer people can play it. If I were making a game I would want the demo to be available to as many people as possible to maximise the number of people who might play it and enjoy it enough to buy the full game. Sure it's only a timed exclusive, but in the past with Gold-only demos on Live I've forgotten about the demo by the time it's been unlocked for Silver accounts.

  • varsas #16 2 years ago

    It's annoying but not a problem; this is exactly what happened to PES 2011. Unfortunately that meant the most PS3 owners had access to the demo at the same time as Fifa 11. Konami should have released the week before!

  • Malek86 #17 2 years ago

    Thise whole week delay thing was annoying with XBL Gold, and it isn't any less annoying on PSN+.

    Oh well, just one week.

  • rivuzu #18 2 years ago

    Ah well. Y'know what? Screw it.

    I'm going to EGExpo on the Friday. I'll play it there. A week afterwards, it'll be delivered through my letterbox. So I'm only put out by about 9 days. I'm just really curious and excited for it - lifelong Castlevania fan!

  • markyHD #19 2 years ago

    As interesting as you all are, how about some impressions of the demo! lol
    Edited by markyHD at 22/09/10 @ 11:03

  • Gromit #20 2 years ago

    @Darkmorgado

    "I can't imagine how it can be a selling point when it comes to making console purchase decisions. "

    That isn't the point here. Most regular PS3 users aren't getting the demo either, just PS+.

    This sort of thing DOES do a company good in the long run though. Nobody will buy a console because of one demo coming out a week early, but it's a cumulative effect, alongside other such promotions and features, that give a perception of better value in the long run.

  • menage #21 2 years ago

    FUCK THIS!

  • Duckula #22 2 years ago

    No thanks.

  • vizzini #23 2 years ago

    I don't really mind them doing this if they think it makes sense, it is still better than companies that aren't honest enough to do a demo, so that you are £30 down or a rental down before you can give a valid opinion. But I agree, I think it works against their own interests.

    If I have to wait a week longer to try something, then I instantly set the bar higher for it to impress me and sway me into a purchase decision. A solid 7/10 might be a purchase with an normal access to all demo, whereas a timed exclusive instantly needs to be a 9/10 for me to make the purchase.

    So it was lucky for Konami the new PES demo was very good.

    But I'll definitely try the demo for this game in a week's time.

  • mfnick #24 2 years ago

    @Spookytang - Maybe you could get Enslaved? Have you tried the demo for it (if you have a PS3 obviously)? Now THAT is an awesome demo!

    Its a game I wasnt paying much attention to, but now want day 1. Bloody loved it. Thats probably where my WRC pre-order money is now going. Unless I get to play F1 at a mates' this weekend & it blows me away (still dont know why they havent done a demo for that).

  • kinky_mong #25 2 years ago

    So is there going to be a 360 demo or not?

  • chrisola #26 2 years ago

    "Smell the glove"

  • DrStrangelove #27 2 years ago

    That's too bad. I would have downloaded the demo, and then maybe I would've been interested in playing the full game.

    But I guess I'll never know, and stick to Castlevania IV instead.

  • erp #28 2 years ago

    @mfnick, really? I was interested in Enslaved, but I'm not anymore after playing the demo. The game basically played itself! The "platforming" in particular was a joke.

    But oh well, horses for courses and all that. I suppose in a round-about way this just proves the usefulness of demos: the Enslaved demo convinced you to buy it when you previously wouldn't've, and it convinced me to not buy it where I previously might've done. We both end up happy.

  • PoundHound #29 2 years ago

    This is ridiculous! I'm utterly furious about this. What are Konami thinking about, they're going to lose so many sales. I'm going to write to my MP about this. Scandelous. I won't be buying this now.

    Nah, just kidding. :) My pre-order is staying where it is (Zavvi for £30). Would quite like a wee sneaky peak demo beforehand though.

  • _LarZen_ #30 2 years ago

    PSN+ is getting better and better, thanks Sony!

  • mfnick #31 2 years ago

    @erp - Yep. Really :) I can kind of see where you're coming from. It was heavily assisted. However I thought that helped reduce frsutration & when im playing a cinematic game like this the last thing I want is the immersion breaking just because I wasnt holding the joystick in quite the right direction & fell to my death having to restart it. Plus it kept the pace up as I was constantly moving & felt confident enough to take chances where I wouldnt have normally. Really though, I didnt think it played itself anymore than UC2 did & thats my fave game of this generation.

    Im also a sucker for good set-pieces & it was one of the greatest ive ever played through. Genuinely exciting from start to finish.

    I can kind of see where you're coming from though. I adored it though. & as you say we both benefit. Im now looking forward to a game I wasnt bothered about before & you're saving some money :). Just hope the escort stuff doesnt ruin the full game. Fucking hate escort missions.

    Edited by mfnick at 22/09/10 @ 13:46

  • Kenshin001 #32 2 years ago

    Demos can be gameshared.

  • DrStrangelove #33 2 years ago

    Thinking again, maybe it makes sense. Pay a bit extra for PSN+, get to play more demos and save money by not buying all those rubbish games.

  • arcam #34 2 years ago

    I think we (gamers, games journalists) could all help the situation by not calling them exclusives. They are not exclusive, they are merely delayed on one platform or another, and the only reason publishers like to call them "exclusives" is they sound more enticing and exciting that way.

  • Markitron #35 2 years ago

    For all those that are angry: Ye aint missing much. Just played thru it, if I had to sum it up in one word it would be generic. Plays like a less refined version of God of War and has those not-good-but-not-crap washed out japanese visuals. This was on my radar but the blandness of the demo has taken it right off.

  • riceNpea #36 2 years ago

    TheDellBingo - " Anyone who's forked out for PSN+ is mental. MENTAL "

    you know what, you're talking shit. for £40 a year i've so far received a raft of free games and add-ons, and whatsmore i knew what to expect when i took out the subscrption. i made a CHOICE. and now i'm getting early demos, like i knew i would be. it's worth £40 a year to me for this and more because the PS3 is my main console.

  • Dolihiotis #37 2 years ago

    Happy that i am a plus members... BAZINGAAAAA!!!!