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General Castlevania Discussion / Re: participate in the Castlevania series
« Last post by Inccubus on April 17, 2025, 04:45:18 PM »If the goal is to see what the franchise is about as a whole, then I'd say that Lords of Shadow is not a good place to start.
mostly this is because the game leans more fantasy than the rest of the series and has someclichéd modern mechanics not present in the rest of the series.
I agree with crisis that Super Castlevania IV is a good jumping off point as it sits in a very comfy spot between the original games difficulty and beginner friendly controls.
Plus it's a reimagining of the original Castlevania
Personally, I think a buffet sampler approach would give you a quick summary of what the series is.
Try doing this:
1) Play the first stage of the original Castlevania for NES. [MAKE SURE TO GET A COPY OF THE MANUAL AND READ IT!]
People nowadays tend to forget that the manual was an important part of the experience back in the day and that old games did not have built in tutorials of any kind for the most part.
And if you're feeling adventurous, you could try out Vampire Killer for MSX2. (My personal favorite.)
2) Play the first stage of Super Castlevania IV. [Also read the manual]
This will give you a sense of just how good old-school, linear CV games can be.
3) Play Symphony of the Night up to the first boss you find. This serves as your introduction to the Metroidvania style of games.
4) Play the first stage of Lament of Innocence for a good intro to 3d Castlevania.
5) Lastly try out the first stage of Lords of Shadow.
BONUS ROUND) Play Bloodborne and imagine what a FromSoft Castlevania could be like.
mostly this is because the game leans more fantasy than the rest of the series and has some
I agree with crisis that Super Castlevania IV is a good jumping off point as it sits in a very comfy spot between the original games difficulty and beginner friendly controls.
Plus it's a reimagining of the original Castlevania
Personally, I think a buffet sampler approach would give you a quick summary of what the series is.
Try doing this:
1) Play the first stage of the original Castlevania for NES. [MAKE SURE TO GET A COPY OF THE MANUAL AND READ IT!]
People nowadays tend to forget that the manual was an important part of the experience back in the day and that old games did not have built in tutorials of any kind for the most part.
And if you're feeling adventurous, you could try out Vampire Killer for MSX2. (My personal favorite.)
2) Play the first stage of Super Castlevania IV. [Also read the manual]
This will give you a sense of just how good old-school, linear CV games can be.
3) Play Symphony of the Night up to the first boss you find. This serves as your introduction to the Metroidvania style of games.
4) Play the first stage of Lament of Innocence for a good intro to 3d Castlevania.
5) Lastly try out the first stage of Lords of Shadow.
BONUS ROUND) Play Bloodborne and imagine what a FromSoft Castlevania could be like.
