Topic: Castlevania Requiem, Rondo/SotN PS4 port officially announced

[Reinhart77]

if this is from the psp version, i hope it uses the new dub (just cause i’ve only played that once).  it’s be worth the purchase if maria was playable.  i never did get around to playing psp sotn maria because i found the psp rather clunky and didnt get far into it.  if the 2.5d rondo isnt available, i wonder how you’d unlock her (although i forgot if she was unlocked in dxc or if you had to beat sotn).  it’s be sad if they ported the psp without adding the hooks needed to play her.

[VladOfWallachia]

I honestly need to hear more on what this collection is going to feature, like for instance how the Mega Man X collection added minigame of taking on multiple bossses at once.

Really at this point unless this port is going to include better graphics support for todays monitors and also saturn content I'm not going to get it since I already have the Dracula X Chronicles on my PSP as well as SOTN on Xbox One and I legit am not going to shell out money for yet another port that adds nothing new even though I love these games.

Same, I paid for SotN three times already- the original, DXC, and PS3 digital version. I purchased Rondo twice- on Wii and DXC. They really have to offer something more than just straight ports to convince me to buy this.

Also why no Switch version? At least on Switch the games would be portable.

[Sindra]

I enjoy arguing with someone on twitter about the borders from the PSP ports of the game because the games were meant for 4:3 aspect; as if Konami couldn't bother to remaster both games to be able to cleanly display 16:9 HD. I mean, am I wrong in thinking that's something Konami could actually achieve if they weren't trying to push this out to coincide with Season 2 of the Netflix series and cash in on those sweet fanbucks?

[Gunlord]

I'll probably buy it, but as I've been saying, I'd be surprised if this wasn't intended to build hype for a brand new Castlevania. Ports aren't that expensive to do compared to making new games, so it would make sense for Konami to offer this collection as a cheap way of building hype for a sequel to the beloved game it's porting. But we'll have to see if the rumors about an SoTN 2 are true.

[EstebanT]

Honest question... Why should anyone buy this?

Those trophies better be awesome.

[AlexCalvo]

Woah woah woah... is Vampire Killer on the Wii U virtual console?
https://www.konami.com/games/castlevania/eu/en/history#menu-top

[Nagumo]

Woah woah woah... is Vampire Killer on the Wii U virtual console?
https://www.konami.com/games/castlevania/eu/en/history#menu-top

It's Japan only.

[Gunlord]

Honest question... Why should anyone buy this?

Those trophies better be awesome.

Eh, my PSP and PS2 don't work anymore and I'd rather buy SoTN than emulate it, as a way of showing my support for a series that's given me so much.

[VladCT]

Honestly, I would've bitten if it was, say, an HD remaster of DXC. This just feels way too low effort for me to consider shelling out cash for.

[RichterB]

This is seemingly a little different than a straight port of a port (though not by tons)...

I just powered up the old PSP version, and I noticed that the screenshots shown online on Requiem have at least two background borders that are actually different (the others look like they're just bigger versions of established borders/wallpapers from DXC).

They will also be optimized differently than the PSP version: "Both games have been upscaled to run at 1080p - or 4K if you have a PS4 Pro - and will feature various rendering filters such as smoothing. Full trophy support has been added too, including what will likely be a tough Platinum. It seems that the games will play out in their original aspect ratio, so you'll have access to numerous backgrounds to frame the action." (http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2018/09/castlevania_requiem_confirmed_exclusively_for_ps4_includes_symphony_of_the_night_and_rondo_of_blood)

Now, is it just me, or does the DXC PC Engine port of Rondo have some differences from the Wii's Virtual Console port (besides English translation). Some of the sound effects seem different, like the ape skeletons' defeated groan, and the gameplay feels a little different, too. Maybe it's just the controller involved, but I kind of enjoyed playing the Wii Virtual Console version more. It seemed to run smoother somehow.

Someone pointed out elsewhere that the reason they didn't do a one-to-one port of DXC is because you'd have to work to unlock the retro games; and frankly, I'd note that the 2.5D remake didn't seem to be fully embraced even by the fandom.

The Requiem game will cost between $16.99 and $19.99 depending on your PS Plus membership status, by the way. Doesn't look like there will be a physical release, sadly.

Here's hoping that the rumored new Switch Castlevania makes up for this game's absence on Switch. As for Requiem, I can't decide if Konami came to Sony or vice versa. Both stood to gain, considering the series' free advertising on Netflix.

Previously, I wrote this on the whole situation:

I'm a little surprised to hear this is looking more and more like it's just Rondo of Blood and SotN. (https://comicbook.com/gaming/2018/09/24/-castlevania-requiem-official-esrb-rating-announcement-imminent/)

And if so, it'd make sense if they're the PSP versions, because that was the only time Rondo was translated, and both were optimized for widescreen. That'd also explain why it might be for PS4 only...

I'm not totally surprised that Konami would do this, though. This sort of feels like the Castlevania atmosphere that's been created by the most vocal fans and more casual gamers, especially outside of the community proper. I mean, yes, there are the vocal crowds who like the GBA era the best or the pre-Rondo titles, but my personal experience with reading reactions has been that the mainstream narrative about Castlevania over the last 12 or so years has become that Rondo was the best evolution of the "Classicvania" formula and Symphony of the Night was the Metroidvania to end all Metroidvanias.

Meanwhile, the consensus about the rest of the franchise has seemed to generally become:

Castlevania 1 might as well not exist and is just for the history books; Castlevania II is a living meme and broken game; the original Gameboy trilogy never happened--and if it did, the first is broken, the second is a secret gem, and the third is boring; Castlevania III is sorta great but too old and hard to be given a lot of credit; Super Castlevania IV is overrated and majorly flawed because it gives you too many options with the whip and fools around too much with Mode 7; Bloodlines never happened; Dracula XX/Vampire's Kiss was a terrible Rondo port--nothing more, nothing less; Castlevania 64 may be the worst Castlevania game (and among the worst 3D games ever)--heck, those goofy motorcycle skeletons alone are enough to pass on it; Legacy of Darkness never happened; Circle of the Moon is really dark but might just be a good Metroidvania deep down--or maybe not; Harmony of Dissonance was convoluted but felt more like Symphony of the Night than Circle of the Moon; Aria of Sorrow might be the best Metroidvania, but then again maybe not as good as Symphony of the Night; Dawn of Sorrow was a nice visual update of Aria of Sorrow but had too many touchscreen gimmicks and wasn't as good; Portrait of Ruin was too repetitive; Order of Ecclesia added some nice challenge but no one's sure whether it had enough Metroidvania in it to be great; Lament of Innocence was a pretty good 3D Castlevania game; Curse of Darkness was a pretty good 3D Castlevania game; Lords of Shadow was a pretty good 3D Castlevania game; Mirror of Fate kinda-sorta never happened; Adventure Rebirth never happened; Lords of Shadow 2 ruined Lords of Shadow with too much stealth...

I don't agree with all of those assessments by any means--I vehemently disagree with some in particular (especially the N64 hate)--but that's where Castlevania is kind of stuck at the moment in pop culture. Rondo and SotN are among the few that are seen as relevant and truly special gems that have overcome all barriers of time and critics*. So, Konami is seemingly giving the people what they want, and also trying to distill an experience they think might be accessible and intriguing to people coming in fresh from Netflix or all the new Metroidvania-style games out there.

*To insert myself for a second, just about Rondo and SotN, I think it makes a solid, basic package, particularly considering the two stories connect, but Rondo has never quite lived up to the hype for me. I knew of its existence during the mid-90s, and felt very intrigued by all of the images and stories surrounding it, but I didn't get to play it until the PSP release. Had I played it in 1993, I might feel differently. I think it has a lot of great ideas and visuals and gameplay, and is super ambitious, but the way you are always able to transition onto alternate paths, with no one correct path to save all of the maidens, and those sometimes sharp transitions for boss-preparation rooms, makes it feel sort of "uneven" or "jerky" or "noncommittal" in its stage progression. That pulls me out of the flow of the gameplay experience more than I'd like. Still a great game, and I go back and forth about how much I like or don't like it, but it's never been one of my favorites, personally.

Meanwhile, SotN is one of those games that I've played through about twice, maybe three times, I think. It's great, especially with how it pulls you in with its atmosphere (something most of the later Metroidvanias struggle with at times), but I've always thought of the Metroidvania formula as more of a spinoff concept than a full-on evolution for Castlevania. So, it's also not one of my favorites, and it's become so iconic and familiar and influential that it's getting harder to revisit as time goes on. (Frankly, to me, there's been so many Metroidvanias within the franchise now, that it's somehow made SotN stand out a little less in some ways--seem somewhat less special--despite the fact that I think it's probably still either at the top or right near the top of the heap for the genre)

Personally, given how inaccessible it's become since it was only released on Sega Genesis, any collection really needed to have Bloodlines for me to commit to it. In an ideal world, a basic collection, in my mind--in other words, the least I would have wanted--would have had these games at minimum: Castlevania 1-4, Bloodlines, Dracula XX, Rondo of Blood, Symphony of the Night. But beggars can't be choosers, and any collection is a decent sign for the IP.

So, regardless, if rumors hold going forward, here's hoping the new game is, at the least, Dracula's Curse meets Super Castlevania IV. And I hope, whatever happens, that the Netflix aesthetic doesn't become a default game aesthetic.

[Dark Nemesis]

Well, to begin digital was never my forte. Lame effort from Konami, throwing some emulation games.....only trophies count for me, but again i would only consider buying it if there was a physical copy. I own the collector's for psx, Dracula x chronicles for psp and Nocturne for the Saturn, so sorry Konami, but no money from here.

[KaZudra]

Didn't the DXC version update all of Maria's sprites?
If so, this is just the PSX version, which in itself is a reason to never buy Requiem (because Sony could've just, I dunno, made Classics compatible instead of treating long-time players like walking ATMs)

[DarkLavos]

Well this is underwhelming.

[TheTextGuy]

If I had a PS4, this would be a buy if it were on discount.  I don't have a PS4 though, and I'm not too bummed out at missing this.  To echo some of the other statements on this thread, it is a missed opportunity to add in the PSP remake content or the remake itself (it doesn't help they're using artwork from that remake).

Overall, I'm a bit eh about it.

[Aceearly1993]

I have no idea how this will work... as "new" product listed on the official page. Looks rather redundant when looking back through the history of products, especially DXC.

The 4-year-empty space is retarded by any means - looks like they didn't even think about rescuing the franchise at the empty time.

If the collection is just Rondo and Symphony then it's not in my concern (as well as most people, I believe)
As Symphony... maybe only tiny little port difference can attract SotN RTA players to buy it. If no difference from pre-existence ports it will be bombed.

The things are going so dangerous that I have an "established" bad feeling about it...

*Opened Vita again and loads my PS1 CV Chronicles save data at the 50th round of Original mode*