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The Castlevania Dungeon Forums => General Castlevania Discussion => Topic started by: Guy Belmont on April 17, 2016, 04:28:56 PM

Title: Castlevania's future
Post by: Guy Belmont on April 17, 2016, 04:28:56 PM
Hi there this is my first topic post, so just wanted to say hi
I have been thinking about this for sometime after that new pachinko. I have been working on a CastleVaina Fan project sort of like and reboot, but after I was saw the new pachinko I was like ok this whole thing needs a reboot.

 And I wondered how would one make it cool again , here is how I would do it.

 Id love to see it sort like a cross between ninja gaiden,LOS and Bayonetta.
All the Gameplay, Flash and style of both of them. But the solid dark atmosphere That's lord of shadows  gave us.
and more focus on the Belmont's  as I know that they only have one weapon, but there's sooooooo much that you can do with that, like levering It up. Like you would have your whip infused with powers, you would start with holy power and you would level that up, unlocking new moves, and then you'd find more ruins like a fire one and so on.

And you would have a power meter (sort of like  burning mode in CV Legends ) and  It would power you up letting use new moves for a short time.

And just like weapons from ninja Gaiden.
you can change runes on the fly.  I see it being like a 3D Metroidvaina.
I'd like to start with a new timeline , so the first game would star Sonia Belmont,
castlevania lament of innocence would have still taken place but  most of the characters would have reworks backgrounds
And I would like to see The vampire Killer whip have a sort new look, not turn it in to the combat cross but just give it a newer shine. Id like to make more  of a holy weapon, like give it a new back story, Sara can still give her life to make the whip whole but I what it to be a very holy weapon even before that. 
As a whole id like to move away from IGA's look and feel.
But that's just me what do you guys think.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: DarkPrinceAlucard on April 17, 2016, 05:07:56 PM
The future of Castlevania looks grim with the way Konami is currently, I mostly have hope for the genre through fangames,hacks, and IGA's Bloodstained at this point.

But if Konami ever got their shit together than I'm definitely still into playing a Demon Castle Wards 1999 CV game.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Jazz Paladin Productions on April 17, 2016, 08:45:40 PM
The future of Castlevania looks grim with the way Konami is currently, I mostly have hope for the genre through fangames,hacks, and IGA's Bloodstained at this point.

But if Konami ever got their shit together than I'm definitely still into playing a Demon Castle Wards 1999 CV game.

Hah hah...yeah, I almost mentioned how pissed I was at Konami for the apparent death of Castlevnania in the liner notes of my upcoming CD. I could almost imagine getting a phone call from their PR at some point in time, though, so I thought the better of my rant...for now, at least...
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Aceearly1993 on April 17, 2016, 09:20:49 PM
The future of Castlevania, to me, is in "totally despair"

It's a shame that my friends saw my gameplay of some old official titles of cv (mainly Castlevania Chronicles, my all-time favorite and countless spare time spent with; no doubt my top 3) and claimed that their overall quality are "Doujin-work level".  My heart is almost bleeding but I can't feel any pain, maybe the pain was driven away by the totally despair

Combined with current situation in the genre it's not 100% at konami's fault; the user groups stick to cv-style genre are dying so soon and that's what I really don't want to see (the new cv pachinko or something REALLY disappointed me, though; I thought abouut it but don't get it AT ALL, maybe the greatest possibility is konami really f*cked itself up)
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Aceearly1993 on April 17, 2016, 09:35:19 PM
I could almost imagine getting a phone call from their PR at some point in time...

I made a dream sometimes before LOS2 came out, which was about being dragged to the secret room of IGA's development team by two men in black and it's for a new Castlevania title....  hahaha  but the dream was awakened and broken because how the new cv pachinko disappointed me through the PVs
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Belmontoya on April 17, 2016, 09:39:03 PM
I'm more optimistic than most people around it here it seems.

It's more a choice to me. I have concerns about Konami, but not Castlevania. Because as a fan I choose not to let the spirit of Castlevania die.

A big reason for that is because I already know that great CV games can happen with or without Konami. And I'm doing my part everyday to make that happen with Mig. I have seen the light my friends. There is light for CV. And we don't need to rely on Konami for that.

But hey, if they decide to pull their heads out of their asses and give us a great CV game, great!

Either way, there is a seriously great Castlevania game on the way for you all. That much I can promise you. And it's not being made for money. It's being made purely for the love of CV. :-)
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Shiroi Koumori on April 18, 2016, 12:01:54 AM
Welcome to the forums, Guy Belmont!

I seriously hope that Konami gets itself together.
The spirit of Castlevania will never die as long as we remember it. There are a lot of fangames and new IPs paying homage to the series.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Lumi Kløvstad on April 18, 2016, 01:59:38 AM
Disclaimer: At this point I'd happily take a mobile entry in the series if it was an original game and wasn't obviously a bottom tier game.

I think that regardless of what Konami does or doesn't do, Castlevania will continue to be awesome and inspirational to new gamers and game developers.

And in the future, whether it be by Konami's hands or by the rights passing to someone else, we will get a new game, and it will brighten all of our days, at least for a little while, once again.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: zangetsu468 on April 18, 2016, 04:47:41 AM
Castlevania has inspired so many others. Nuff said.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Rugal on April 18, 2016, 06:23:10 AM
They recently made two new Castlevania games, but under different names. One is called Bloodborne and the other is called Dark Souls 3
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Guy Belmont on April 18, 2016, 09:33:26 AM
I just wish Konami would just give it to someone else , its like Nintendo with Metroid, they seem to what nothing to do with it.
But hopefully some how it will come back to us.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Crying Freeman on April 21, 2016, 07:23:27 AM
While I don't like seeing people losing their jobs, I wish Konami would shut down it's gaming devision and sell it's IPs to the right companies. Capcom would fuck it up as well, going with the wrong approach, Sega would be incompetant, but I can see publishers of more niche games doing the franchise justice and finding respectful devs.

I wouldn't mind M2 developing more CV games, they did an amazing job on Rebirth. I could also see Atlus publishing 2D CV games, but they were bought by Sega if I remember correctly. D3 is publishing Bloodstained, and they've done other obscure and 2D console games in physical.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Belmontoya on April 21, 2016, 07:41:03 AM
I'm gonna come out and say it.

I am and always have been a classic Castlevania fan first.

But I didn't care for Castlevania Rebirth at all.

It's lacking the level design power of other classic CV's. The levels are too long and boring. The controls feel almost too tight (I know that sounds weird). And the music is just lacking depth IMO. Even something about the graphics bothers me.

Something about the presentation of that game seems like they didn't take it seriously. Almost like it's an intentionally nostalgic throwback to classic CV. It just rubs me the wrong way.

It should be one of my favorite CV's. But for me it falls short in just about every aspect.

And where the fuck are the ropes!?

They had a chance to make a 16bit style classic CV fresh by giving it it's ropes. That was something unique about CV adventure and they stripped it of that.

It's like making a new CV4 with no whip swinging or 8-way attacking.


Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Crying Freeman on April 21, 2016, 08:01:17 AM
I'm gonna come out and say it.

I am and always have been a classic Castlevania fan first.

But I didn't care for Castlevania Rebirth at all.

It's lacking the level design power of other classic CV's. The levels are too long and boring. The controls feel almost too tight (I know that sounds weird). And the music is just lacking depth IMO. Even something about the graphics bothers me.

Something about the presentation of that game seems like they didn't take it seriously. Almost like it's an intentionally nostalgic throwback to classic CV. It just rubs me the wrong way.

It should be one of my favorite CV's. But for me it falls short in just about every aspect.

I see where you're coming from and I agree with you that 1.) They weren't taking it too seriously 2.) the level design doesn't stack up compared to the classics 3.) It didn't pay enough homage to Adventure.

The overly cartoony sound effects at parts annoyed me, and the art is a little bland. CV1 and 3 had superb level design, and it felt like the devs thought about and tweeked every little bit to perfection in conjunction with the player's abilities and control. Rebirth goes for a more CV4 approach of giving you great control with less intelligently designed levels in order to give the player a fun and satisfying romp. Even when you turn on the classic control in the game's menu, it feels like an afterthought because the game was obliviously not designed with that control in mind. I still find the game really great personally, and I'd enjoy another CV game like Rebirth with these things changed a bit, but to each their own.

If any dev, including M2, were to make a new CV, they'd hopefully go for a darker artstyle and color pallet, and the gameplay, whether they choose the CV1-3 approach of control, is at least satisfying. We've all expressed this before, but we need to classic artstyle back, and with the power of PC and consoles nowadays, imagine a game with sprites and backgroudns meeting the quality of a game like Dragon's Crown but with the old school CV boxart style. It'd be one of the most beautiful games ever if done right.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Guy Belmont on April 21, 2016, 02:48:00 PM
I'd really like to see it make that leap to 3D. as it never  really had a AAA Game with all the trimmings, and CV deserve that. Yes we had LOS But it wasn't  the vampire killer  CV that we all love, it was in its own world , and that's fine, I love those games, but id love to see something in the style of the older titles.
Id love it to have the same affect that one got when they first saw Rondo of blood's Opening. Like Wow ok, if the into is like this what's the game gonna be like.

But on the other hand  I do think there should be some new 2D games, it be nice to have a mix.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Aceearly1993 on April 21, 2016, 06:15:25 PM

It's lacking the level design power of other classic CV's. The levels are too long and boring. The controls feel almost too tight (I know that sounds weird). And the music is just lacking depth IMO. Even something about the graphics bothers me.

Something about the presentation of that game seems like they didn't take it seriously. Almost like it's an intentionally nostalgic throwback to classic CV. It just rubs me the wrong way.

It should be one of my favorite CV's. But for me it falls short in just about every aspect.

I totally agree with that.  The  problem for me is that the Hard Mode in Adventure Rebirth is IMPOSSIBLY FUKIN' DIFFICULT and almost everything requires you to fight against RNG and other shit piles.  (Not to mention the Hard Mode stage 5 which is HORRIBLY long and must fight a tough and annoying Grim Reaper at last. I just don't like what their style of stage and boss creations that is to simply piss players off; I suffered from the stage 5 hard mode and failed for countless months but eventually beat the whole Hard Mode with 0.0001% luck. The battles that heavily  relies on luck/RNG is freakin' cheap)

The Rope problem I personality thought it was because the development team themselves didn't like rope action or suffered from some technical problem within rope action and abandoned it anyway. Since I personality don't like it It's not a big lost for me (Or added rope action elements in such an already whole lot of mess hard mode is literally impossible task for players to SIMPLY BEAT THE GAME). But WHY the skeletons can ride on the bloody ropes ? That's the serious question that development team have yet to answer
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: zangetsu468 on April 21, 2016, 09:01:49 PM
Damn, I must be the only one who likes AR.
Although I don't think the graphics are super-polished and there's any specific artwork, it felt like a SNES game to me which I sorely missed and enjoyed playing through at the time. Despite RNG and whatever I really liked the stages and thought that the approach to Stage 5 and the 3d effects added into the game with the spinning blades that go into the foreground and background were a nice touch.

Call me a non-purist but I found the original CV Adventure too archaic control-wise to try and play. Even though it's thought to be the better of the GB games I think there are still examples of GB games executed much better control-wise i.e. Kid Icarus: Of Myths & Monsters, Gargoyle's Quest (no 1), and Metroid 2.

I think the idea of the 4 castles with Dracula's rising out of the ocean is a cool idea though (re-used in COD) and it would be nice if they actually re-made the GB games as they were intended - with updated graphics and controls - at some point. It would almost feel like a Megaman Legacy Collection where you weren't getting ripped off :P
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Crying Freeman on April 24, 2016, 06:25:20 AM
I admit I have a few issues with AR, but it's a great game. Fun to play, has many series staples, amazing soundtrack, but yeah some of their design choices weren't so great. Of all the gameboy games, Adventure definitely needed the remake most, but man I wish Iga attempted to make a new storyline using Sonia, fitting her story into his cannon. Plus Legends needs some level design overhauls.

Speaking of Legacy Collection, I still do want it, but $30 for MM1-6?? Anniversary collection came out for PS2, Xbox and I believe GC... Has MM1-8, plus Power Battles (aka, most addictive fighting game of all time!!!). Wish they just rereleased that for PS4 and XB1, maybe included the X collection's compilation in there, but they're full of greed. Imagine all those MM games, plus all the X games for $30-40??? It'd be incredible
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: X on April 24, 2016, 09:47:13 AM
Quote
Speaking of Legacy Collection, I still do want it, but $30 for MM1-6?? Anniversary collection came out for PS2, Xbox and I believe GC... Has MM1-8, plus Power Battles (aka, most addictive fighting game of all time!!!). Wish they just rereleased that for PS4 and XB1, maybe included the X collection's compilation in there, but they're full of greed. Imagine all those MM games, plus all the X games for $30-40??? It'd be incredible

They simply should've stuck every single pre-mega man X game ever made onto one PS4 disk. Now THAT would have been an awesome mega man collection!
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: zangetsu468 on April 24, 2016, 04:48:34 PM
They simply should've stuck every single pre-mega man X game ever made onto one PS4 disk. Now THAT would have been an awesome mega man collection!

The issue was that 8 was for PSX and SS and so runs in a completely different engine. Development time would've blown out and this was definitely a cash grab.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: knightmere on May 03, 2016, 09:14:23 AM
Thinking about Castlevania's future makes me feel sad and depressed so I try not to...
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: X on May 03, 2016, 09:44:21 AM
Yeah, I'm kinda feeling down about that too... On the bright side at least we've got several fan games on the way to help with that state of depression. But I would definitely prefer to see the CV IP sold off to a more caring group of developers.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Johnny on May 15, 2016, 04:59:29 AM
I'd say Castlevania's future probably lies with other games. The closest resembling Castlevania would be Bloodstained as Iga is making it. Castlevania same as Megaman has a future in transitioning its elements into other titles. When a game franchise dies, the memory the franchise does not die. Some franchises need to die. Its just their time. If I could make a game, I could say Castlevania would be one influence that I would be keeping in mind. Other games such as Chrono Trigger have been major influences of mine which can not be forgotten.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: The Puritan on May 16, 2016, 09:27:37 PM
Yeah, I'm kinda feeling down about that too... On the bright side at least we've got several fan games on the way to help with that state of depression. But I would definitely prefer to see the CV IP sold off to a more caring group of developers.

This would be a great 30th anniversary present.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Crying Freeman on August 09, 2016, 07:54:16 PM
I'd say Castlevania's future probably lies with other games. The closest resembling Castlevania would be Bloodstained as Iga is making it. Castlevania same as Megaman has a future in transitioning its elements into other titles. When a game franchise dies, the memory the franchise does not die. Some franchises need to die. Its just their time. If I could make a game, I could say Castlevania would be one influence that I would be keeping in mind. Other games such as Chrono Trigger have been major influences of mine which can not be forgotten.

I'd say you're right. Bloodstained will fill our metroidvania fix, but there are also tons of other metroidvania style games out there like Koumajou Densetsu 1 and 2, plus for oldschool vania we have older games like Rusty on the PC98. This isn't even mentioning all the fan games based on Castlevania and the ROM hacks for the original games. Personally I'd like to see a CV64 inspired game. I've tried the Souls games but they lack something in their gameplay (guess I'm just tired of EVERYTHING having a leveling system now)

I've said it before, Konami should license some emulators and release the games on Steam or GOG. They'd make a killing, because people do wanna support their franchises and or wanna own an official copy on their PC. Hell they have the Castlevania Contra collection that was released years ago for PC... Why not rerelease that digitally?? Capcom had some great success from MMLegacy Collection, and Konami could've kinda capitalized on that. Even Sega is getting love for allowing ROM hacks for their Genesis games on Steam, Konami could do something like that and get some good press. I don't run a company, but common, you can see some missed potential here, and they'd make a killing with digital releases. 
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: zangetsu468 on August 09, 2016, 09:52:07 PM
Well Konami are trying to win back the hearts and wallets of their gaming fans apparently. So you never know what's around the corner, but I won't hold my breath. If they wanted to redeem CV they'd have done it by now.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Crying Freeman on August 10, 2016, 09:02:05 AM
I've heard they have some PR guy trying to get then some good publicity. Hard to do that when you treat your staff like fucking barn animals. CV isn't a money maker anymore I guess, but they're missing the point: they aren't releasing what ppl want from a CV game. Theres demand for it (Iga has proven), and they don't know what their customers want.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: zangetsu468 on August 10, 2016, 11:07:19 AM
Hard to do that when you treat your staff like fucking barn animals.

I lol'd hard at this, just imagining a picket fence around the employees who are being prodded with a pitchfork and crapping all over the office.

CV isn't a money maker anymore I guess, but they're missing the point: they aren't releasing what ppl want from a CV game. Theres demand for it (Iga has proven), and they don't know what their customers want.

Thing is CV has always had one thing which is a money maker.. Dracula. The guy was internationally famous before the internet. Possibly one of the most well known mythological figures in history. Even if people don't play Castlevania they know what it is because of Dracula, only no one has done the guy justice for the better part of the last decade.

Also there are other games which in a 3d setting could suit CV's context and gameplay eg Bloodborne for one.

I'm not saying make a carbon copy, but there are ways they could make this thing dance and move copies hard and fast.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: chainsawmidget on August 10, 2016, 07:47:09 PM
Quote
Thing is CV has always had one thing which is a money maker.. Dracula. The guy was internationally famous before the internet. Possibly one of the most well known mythological figures in history.
So, would you be for or against brining in another major historical or mythological figure as the hero for a game?  For example, Billy the Kid, King Arthur, Sherlock Holmes, Abe Lincoln, Mr. Hyde, Thor, Cinderella, or Blackbeard.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Dremn on August 10, 2016, 08:46:30 PM
The future of Castlevania is extremely uncertain right now, I'm not sure if it will ever get better or make another come back. Sad to say it seems like Konami could survive just fine as a company without any of their major IP's by just focusing on pachinko and mobile gaming.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: zangetsu468 on August 10, 2016, 08:59:10 PM
So, would you be for or against brining in another major historical or mythological figure as the hero for a game?  For example, Billy the Kid, King Arthur, Sherlock Holmes, Abe Lincoln, Mr. Hyde, Thor, Cinderella, or Blackbeard.
Mate we're talking about Castlevania here. None of the above apply to the context of a protagonist in this series.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: X on August 10, 2016, 10:08:14 PM
I could see Mr. Hyde popping up in Castlevania.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Asgardwolf on August 10, 2016, 11:33:20 PM
Maybe is just me but i would be happy if Konami give us a SOTN remake. Same game with new grafics 2.5D style, Adding the areas in the saturn version, New enemies, New items, All the 3 characters avaibles, Nice cutscenes and new ones getting deeper into the game`s plot, A bestiary in the pause menu, New game+, Hard difficulty, Boss rush, Etc. I can wait for a new AAA Castlevania game while i play this.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: zangetsu468 on August 10, 2016, 11:47:03 PM
I could see Mr. Hyde popping up in Castlevania.

Hyde as a villain definitely. Van Helsing did it and it wasn't badly done.

@asgardwolf Yes SOTNHD with tighter gameplay, harder difficulty, etc would be the shit. Particularly now that Bloodstained is going to try and give it a run for its money.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: theplottwist on August 11, 2016, 01:40:16 AM
I could see Mr. Hyde popping up in Castlevania.

I'd wager that the second boss on Adventure Rebirth is Mr. Hyde, but that's only my assumption. It's apparently called "Man Beast."
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Wanhus on August 18, 2016, 03:41:20 AM
I just hope they would make something nice, preferably in the metroidvania style.
Even thou I have played them since the first one, I have always liked the way Simon's Quest took the series.
Kinda was let down by the lords of shadow or mirror of fate.
Lords of shadow to me looking like God of war game ( I don't like those either ). Mirror of fate was a nice try but felt like running in a pipe.
The 3D games of Castlevania from any console ( N64 -.- ) just are not to my liking =(
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: AlexCalvo on August 18, 2016, 05:57:21 AM
So I'm sure you guys have heard about Metal Gear Survive by now.  So we can all sit back and put that "konami is done with console gaming" rumor to rest.  That said, maybe the future of Castlevania is not so grim as we thought?  At the very least that it likely still has a future?  The reaction to Metal Gear Survive has been... lukewarm to say the least, but I have hope that as long as Konami does not give up on console gaming, there is still a chance.  The people currently in charge of Konami won't be there forever.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: X on August 18, 2016, 09:35:55 AM
Quote
The people currently in charge of Konami won't be there forever.

True, but while they are currently there, much damage will be done.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Belmontoya on August 18, 2016, 10:17:07 AM
Konami are not the monsters they are being made out to be.

I believe that they do care about their IP's and fans, Castlevania included.

They've made unpopular decisions lately, but things can change for the better as easily as they can change for the worse.

I do believe they have plans for Castlevania. And if not, know this.

I have been in contact with Ayami Kojima. She contacted Konami directly in regards to Lecarde Chronicles 2. They said that they will not interfere with the games release provided that it stays non-profit.

That's more than I can say for how Nintendo treats their die hard fans that make fan games.

I wish people would cool it a little with all the Konami hate.

Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Dracula9 on August 18, 2016, 04:35:28 PM
People feel what they feel, mang.

It might not always line up with how we or others might want things to be, but it's not something we can control.

Dissonance might be troublesome or bothersome for some, but in spite of that it's still a necessity in all things creative.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: SecretWeapon on August 19, 2016, 12:42:17 AM
You should get her to leak Harmony of Despair artwork lol
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: zangetsu468 on August 19, 2016, 02:31:28 AM
I have been in contact with Ayami Kojima. She contacted Konami directly in regards to Lecarde Chronicles 2. They said that they will not interfere with the games release provided that it stays non-profit.

That's more than I can say for how Nintendo treats their die hard fans that make fan games.

I wish people would cool it a little with all the Konami hate.

That's a valid point, and I would like to give Konami the benefit of the doubt. I'm personally over the #fuckonami slander as of recently, but I also will believe traditional CV (no MS/ LOS material) is alive when I see hard evidence. One would hope that coming to the 30th anniversary of Castlevania we fans may still keep hoping.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: DragonSlayr81 on August 19, 2016, 09:11:04 PM
So I'm sure you guys have heard about Metal Gear Survive by now.  So we can all sit back and put that "konami is done with console gaming" rumor to rest.  That said, maybe the future of Castlevania is not so grim as we thought?  At the very least that it likely still has a future?  The reaction to Metal Gear Survive has been... lukewarm to say the least, but I have hope that as long as Konami does not give up on console gaming, there is still a chance.  The people currently in charge of Konami won't be there forever.
You mean Resident Evil Solid, don't ya? ;D

I still have little faith in Konami. I don't think the higher ups know just what to do with their IPs. They are probably at the point of throwing shit at the wall and seeing what will stick. Time for a Castlevania Cooking Sim and a Gradius Tournament Fighter!
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: shelverton. on September 05, 2016, 09:49:32 AM
For a current gen Castlevania, I can only see Konami going the Dark Souls route right now (minus the focus on extreme challenge, but rather the overall mechanics, level design, atmosphere, layout and spirit of the Souls games). I mean, what else is there to try that would make any kind of sense? Another God of War experiment is out of the question (unless Konami is so out of touch with gaming that they don't realise that not even God of War is gonna be God of War in its next installment).
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Belmontoya on September 05, 2016, 10:57:19 AM
I think a new 2D CV makes sense.

A game in the $30.00 price range that brings the series back to its glory days.

No remakes or reboots. Just a good new 2d CV.

CV needs its identity back. Anything else at this point would be a mistake in my opinion.
They've taken the series way off course and are hemorrhaging fans.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: shelverton. on September 05, 2016, 01:46:10 PM
I think a new 2D CV makes sense.

A game in the $30.00 price range that brings the series back to its glory days.

No remakes or reboots. Just a good new 2d CV.

CV needs its identity back. Anything else at this point would be a mistake in my opinion.
They've taken the series way of course and are hemorrhaging fans.

Well that is what I personally want too. I'm just not seeing it happening anytime soon, if ever again, and definitely not for console. But I hope I'm soooo wrong here, I really really REALLY do. I'm just curious if Konami is even interested in anything between AAA blockbuster and casual mobile games. A 2D Castlevania would fall right between these two, in a segment Konami is not exactly known for anymore.

Seeing them trying to cater to the Dark Souls fans seems more logical, even if it crashes and burns and it's the very last time we hear from Castlevania ever again. It'd be like the last big AAA attempt for CV. (Unless LoS2 was, in fact, just that...)
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Sumez on September 05, 2016, 02:41:09 PM
A Dark Souls style game is definitely the most likely approach. A lot of companies are putting out Dark Souls "clones" now, but still surprisingly few, so with the continued success of these games, I'm sure that's a market more AAA companies are still waiting to tap into.

Also, in regards to this whole thread, and honestly a lot of this board, I really wish people would stop requesting MORE plot in their Castlevania games. Nobody plays Castlevania for the story. Sure, give it a basic tale to weave together some amazing setpieces and gives us the tales of classic gothic horror that we like, but the series is better off without any crazy attempts at tidying up all the lore and timelines, and making every story canon. It's like people who insisted on giving the Zelda games a time line.

If Castlevania needs to go anywhere, it needs to TEAR DOWN the current lineage. I'm all for a reboot, though not a Lords of Shadow one. I would prefer to keep the basic mythos intact - Bram Stoker style Dracula, classic horror monsters, and a family with a whip, go!

edit: Also, barbarian Belmonts
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: theplottwist on September 05, 2016, 02:59:31 PM
Also, in regards to this whole thread, and honestly a lot of this board, I really wish people would stop requesting MORE plot in their Castlevania games. Nobody plays Castlevania for the story.

[Citation Needed]

Also:

(https://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs2.quickmeme.com%2Fimg%2F3c%2F3c76e21b39e09b8992e9b92f7f387501e99cd90b8ea709357c819942808377d4.jpg&hash=f28c99bd9c3783a1d5182923eed88803)

People will request whatever the hell they want from the series. This "the series needs to be like this and like that and nobody plays Castlevania for this and that" mentality sure is a drag to read. As if it weren't more obvious, I like my video games plot heavy, and this includes Castlevania. But I don't go around telling people what Castlevania should be and how bothersome it is for people to think differently from my tastes.

I understand people liking their Castlevania simpler, but I don't understand they wanting to take from me what made me a fan of the series to begin with. It's not like my "more plot" tastes are detracting from your "more gameplay" enjoyment.

Why can't we have both? Blood for the blood god, skulls for the skull throne :)

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It's like people who insisted on giving the Zelda games a time line.

You say that as if it were a bad thing. People who liked Zelda before still keep their Zelda experience, while fans of an overarching plot got their own treat. Everyone's happy.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: X on September 05, 2016, 11:38:20 PM
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I think a new 2D CV makes sense.

A game in the $30.00 price range that brings the series back to its glory days.

No remakes or reboots. Just a good new 2d CV.

CV needs its identity back. Anything else at this point would be a mistake in my opinion.
They've taken the series way off course and are hemorrhaging fans.

I'm surprised I haven't died due to this kind of haemorrhage yet  :P

And I agree that CV needs to go back to what it was and then Konami can take it from there without relying on what has already been done (ie remakes of existing titles). Also the story doesn't need to be complex. Sure I too like a good complex story however CV is one of those games where it is not necessary. It can be complex, or simple, or even in between. However I definitely feel that the reason why the CV series suffered prior to MS taking the reigns is because it became way too complex for its own good. It got out of hand because everything had/needed to be explained. Even iconic villains/heroes needed to be explained rather then be left alone for us to have our beloved mysteries.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Sumez on September 06, 2016, 01:07:23 AM
This "the series needs to be like this and like that and nobody plays Castlevania for this and that" mentality sure is a drag to read. As if it weren't more obvious, I like my video games plot heavy, and this includes Castlevania. But I don't go around telling people what Castlevania should be and how bothersome it is for people to think differently from my tastes.
I'm very sorry if I offended you, but you're reading it wrong if you see my post as an attack on people focusing on the story of the game. You are obviously allowed to play Castlevania for the plot, but subjective opinions aside, I still think it's very safe to say that none of the CV games have a particularly interesting or well crafted story - a majority of them don't even have any plot development at ALL that's not in the manual. If it weren't for everything else making the games great, I don't believe anyone would have cared about the story in the first place.

Are you seriously going to tell me that the story is the main reason why you play any Castlevania game? And do you seriously think making the story more and more convoluted and depending on other iterations of the series, is the way to bring back Castlevania and make the series strong again? To me that sounds more like the wet dream of a fandom, than a realistic way to reinvigorate a game series.

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I understand people liking their Castlevania simpler, but I don't understand they wanting to take from me what made me a fan of the series to begin with. It's not like my "more plot" tastes are detracting from your "more gameplay" enjoyment.

Why can't we have both? Blood for the blood god, skulls for the skull throne :)
I'm not saying the games shouldn't have a good story. In fact I would love to have more of a story, I just don't want to see it expand much further than the borders of the game in which it exists, and I don't want it to subtract from the flow of the game experience. Most CV games already do it like that.
What I'm saying is that trying to build further on the existing canon, and trying to take it to new places is only going to make the story more and more convoluted and cringeworthy. There's only so much you can do with what we have at this point.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: zangetsu468 on September 06, 2016, 01:15:24 AM
Let's all be honest, story isn't the 1) selling point of CV, it's gameplay first and foremost.
However, some stories are engaging as hell.. AOS for its time was the closest thing to a suspense/ thriller I'd ever seen in CV.

I would say the overall timeline is less important and not necessarily as interesting as say, Zelda. But there is a sense of wanting to keep playing to uncover what happens next. There's always a twist in CV and that keeps me interested and entertained as I'm playing. It also helps when the characters are gud. 
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: theplottwist on September 06, 2016, 02:40:17 AM
I'm very sorry if I offended you

No offense taken, really. It just appeared to me as if you disliked that people focused on the series' plots for no reason other than "I don't care for the plot, therefore you shouldn't also."

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You are obviously allowed to play Castlevania for the plot, but subjective opinions aside, I still think it's very safe to say that none of the CV games have a particularly interesting or well crafted story - a majority of them don't even have any plot development at ALL that's not in the manual.

You can't really say "subjective opinions aside" and then lay down a subjective opinion. You dislike the story and think it's not well-crafted, and you're allowed to think so. But I don't think like this, and many more also don't. I'll leave this one aside since this will devolve into another converstation already present on this board and is not the focus of what we're discussing.

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Are you seriously going to tell me that the story is the main reason why you play any Castlevania game?  And do you seriously think making the story more and more convoluted and depending on other iterations of the series, is the way to bring back Castlevania and make the series strong again?

Again: I became a fan of the series because of the story. May make zero sense on your mind, but this is exactly because you don't care for the plot at all. And I started on the old ones, mind you. The ones where "the plot goes nowhere except on the manuals." The games themselves gave little plot development sure, but the plot development that was present on the manuals did positivelly affect the experience for me, and it only got better when this plot received bigger focus.

If someone gives me a Castlevania where the "plot" is an excuse to have someone trying to whip Dracula's head off, no problem, I'll play it and weight its strengths on this alone (Adventure Rebirth is my favorite on this regard). But if you give me a Castlevania where someone actually spent their time writing a story so the scenario makes sense and is not simply a rehash of the same idea over and over (or explains why it's a rehash of the same idea), I'll like it much better. It'll enhance my enjoyment of the product.

As far as I'm aware, the plot was never a major point of criticism. It's not something that, when removed, instantly increases the quality of the games. So again I ask: Why do you feel that the story is an issue? If you dislike it, it's not something that is detracting from your enjoyment of the gameplay, or is it? The story of LoS2 was shit-tier, and even so people criticize it mostly for the gameplay.

The story of Castlevania is a magical thing that, when it's good, it enhances the experience. When it's bad, but with good gameplay, nobody gives a shit. It's not something that makes the product worse if it's bad, for the majority.

The overarching plot of the series, to me, doesn't feel convoluted at all. I feel that the stories are actually fairly simple to comprehend, and pretty straight forward as they are, giving the series the ability to slightly spin its most basic premise (someone climbs there and whips Dracula's face) every time. And it surprises me how people want to simplify even those.

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To me that sounds more like the wet dream of a fandom, than a realistic way to reinvigorate a game series.

I don't think of a plot in such a grand way as to "reinvigorate the series", and I don't think many do. But then again -- why keep it kindergarden level when you can go for something more involved that is actually well done?

When removing something doesn't change the equation but adding it makes it better if well done, what the hell is the issue on adding it, then? It's not like adding a plot to Castlevania actually shat all over it.

I get this funny impression that, while people defend that the plot isn't relevant, they are at the same time defending that Castlevania IS about having a barebones, writen-on-a-napkin plot. If it's not relevant, leave it alone for those who care about it, why the fuzz? When did the supposedly irrelevant story get on the way of your enjoyment of the gameplay?

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I'm not saying the games shouldn't have a good story. In fact I would love to have more of a story, I just don't want to see it expand much further than the borders of the game in which it exists, and I don't want it to subtract from the flow of the game experience. Most CV games already do it like that.

Why?

I agree entirely with you that the story shouldn't detract from the game's flow -- it should be weaved intelligently through the gameplay and never force the rhythm of the game (once started) to come to a halt. You're sitting to PLAY the game, after all.

But then, this specific bit of "the story shouldn't expand further than the game it's in" is what I don't get. What will be the issue with the gameplay if the story expands beyond one game? If the story is good and is coupled with good gameplay, why shouldn't it expand with further good writing and further good gameplay?

You fear that the writer will corner himself like IGA running out of spaces in the timeline to create games, is that it? If this is what you're afraid of, know that IGA thought gameplay FIRST, story SECOND, to the point of creating things like Harmony of Despair and Judgment -- two games that obviously don't have where to stand on the canon, but got made anyway because IGA wanted to experiment with gameplay ideas, and ended up giving them excuse plots just for formalities.

If the gameplay is good, fuck the timeline -- the game is happening. And, as far as I'm aware, IGA's plots never got in the way of the gameplay's enjoyment (but DID get on the way of people actually interested on the story from making sense of it).

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What I'm saying is that trying to build further on the existing canon, and trying to take it to new places is only going to make the story more and more convoluted and cringeworthy. There's only so much you can do with what we have at this point.

Well, I'm not even saying the current canon should be used anymore. My argument hinges entirely on: If adding the story is not a problem and can increase the game's overall experience quality, why do you want to take the story factor away? Argumentum ad populum? I'm having a hard time understanding the "story for Castlevania is not relevant but it shouldn't be worked on." Either it's relevant or it's not.

If you want, you can just tell me "if you want a story go read a book" right now, and I'll leave you alone with no hard feelings.

TL;DR: The story isn't Castlevania's selling point. That said, when it's good it enhances the experience and is remembered. When it's bad, nobody uses it as determinant of the gameplay (the selling point). So, why apply even smaller focus on the story if it makes no negative difference?
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: zangetsu468 on September 06, 2016, 02:55:21 AM
You wouldn't be Plot without loving a good one too ;)
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Sumez on September 06, 2016, 03:19:09 AM
@theplottwist

You keep making it sound like I'm not interested in a good plot in a Castlevania game, which is never what I said.
What I said is that I want the plot to be good [for what it is], and not go over bounds for what actually works in a game like this. What I don't like is the fanfiction level of "plot development" that people continously seem to consider the best direction for the Castlevania series to go. (but actually, going through this thread again, it's not that rampant here)
You also make it sound like I'm not happy with the plots in the existing games, which is also not true. Sure, I said that they aren't particularly well crafted (and you even just admitted yourself that they are mostly excuse plots!), but I think they did it right in all of these games.

Here's the tl;dr of the entire point I was making with my original post: The pre-existing "canon" doesn't matter, and there is no reason to use it as a base to build further and further on in any theoretical future games.

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The overarching plot of the series, to me, doesn't feel convoluted at all.
It gets convoluted when you reach a point where Dracula has been resurrected 30+ times within a time span of around 500+ years, and you feel a need to lampshade it every single time. The games don't really have a problem with it, but when a Sonic-like fandom arises and people try to make sense and headcanon out of everything, I feel like they are missing the point, and are unwilling to accept that everything doesn't have to be canon. This is also why Bloodstained could end up being a perfectly fine "Castlevania sequel" provided they don't pull a Mighty no. 9.
Hell, they could easily put Dracula into the game without risking any lawsuits from Konami.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: theplottwist on September 06, 2016, 04:00:44 AM
@theplottwist

You keep making it sound like I'm not interested in a good plot in a Castlevania game, which is never what I said.

OK. This was not my intention, sorry for misrepresenting you. Point taken. I'll put my further responses on Spoiler Tags because nobody cares for my wall of texts:

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: DarkPrinceAlucard on September 06, 2016, 12:39:59 PM
Just want to throw it out there that I to am one of those people who played the series further than I normally would have because of the story, I remember initially not being to into the story itself around playing CVIV and Castlevania 64, but once I played SOTN and found its story connection to CV3 that was what made me go back and start playing other games just to see how they all intertwined with one another.

Granted a lot of them did not have much to do with others but some like LOI,DOS,AOS and even COD connected enough with the previous games that I had played within the series storywise to give me enough incentive to check them out.

Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Belmontoya on September 06, 2016, 01:31:05 PM
It's really a silly thing to quarrel over, isn't it?

Everyone has different things that drew them into CV. For me it was more the atmosphere and the music. And oh yeah my lifelong obsession with Dracula!

The cool thing is that here were all are under the same umbrella 30 years later still obsessed with this amazing series.

We're all under the same umbrella, stuck in the rain, hoping for Konami to make CV shine again. Let's all hope for the best!

If Konami doesn't do it, no worries becuase we can and are doing it ourselves, eh Plot?

Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: theplottwist on September 06, 2016, 01:38:57 PM
It's really a silly thing to quarrel over, isn't it?

Everyone has different things that drew them into CV. For me it was more the atmosphere and the music. And oh yeah my lifelong obsession with Dracula!

The cool thing is that here were all are under the same umbrella 30 years later still obsessed with this amazing series.

We're all under the same umbrella, stuck in the rain, hoping for Konami to make CV shine again. Let's all hope for the best!

If Konami doesn't do it, no worries becuase we can and are doing it ourselves, eh Plot?

I find the plurality of ideas in this forum awesome. There's a bit of everything for everyone, each of us enjoying the franchise in our own way. Which is why I find it strange when someone says that an specific group on the fanbase is "missing the point."

I hope I'm not coming off as an inquisitive dick. I'm truly interested on understanding Sumez's point, but I'm willing to drop this if anyone is feeling unconfortable.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: zangetsu468 on September 07, 2016, 02:32:08 AM
I'll tell you all a story.

As a child my parents woke me up early on weekends telling me I was "missing the best part of the day." I sat on that for a a few years....
Fast forward to a night when I'm 18, shit drunk on a Friday night, I stumble home at 2am to get changed before hitting a party that's still going. I open my parents' door and wake them, telling them I'm sloshed, just had the best night of my life and I've just had sex in my car with some hottie I met. "You're missing the best part of the day!!!" I exclaim...

They thought I was missing the point, I thought they were missing the point. The 2 viewpoints cancel one another out. C'est la vie.  8)
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: EstebanT on September 07, 2016, 08:52:38 AM
So konami will be releasing Haunted Castle for the PS4 and Harmony of Despair for Playstation Now. Its better than nothing I guess.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2016/08/30/playstation-now-september-update-pc-streaming-6-greatest-hits/ (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2016/08/30/playstation-now-september-update-pc-streaming-6-greatest-hits/)

http://gematsu.com/2016/09/haunted-castle-thunder-cross-ninja-warriors-coming-ps4-arcade-archives (http://gematsu.com/2016/09/haunted-castle-thunder-cross-ninja-warriors-coming-ps4-arcade-archives)
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Belmontoya on September 07, 2016, 10:14:17 AM
Sweet!

I'll be buying Haunted Castle for sure!

I've never beaten it. Hopefully the ps4 version will be a little more playable.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Guy Belmont on September 08, 2016, 06:31:50 PM
Yeah I'll buy HC, as that's the Simon in my Fan universe  ;)

but its nice to see Konami trying to bring the franchise back to life, lets hope that we get a new 3D game, it would be cool if they did reboot the timeline like I said, but keep the combat cross design when the whip is at full power. sort of like in the older games, start with leather whip, and end with morning star. (dag got to get on with my fan fic)
Its nice to see this as hot topic, as we all what to CV to grow. I do think I'd cut down on some of the Belmont's as I feel that it gets less special if its everyone of em, it should be only a select few.

but that's just feelings.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: X on September 08, 2016, 10:57:27 PM
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I do think I'd cut down on some of the Belmont's as I feel that it gets less special if its everyone of em, it should be only a select few.

Then it would kinda defeat the importance of them in the first place since they are the only ones out of all humanity that can successfully slay Dracula. I don't mind other people outside of the family that are also hunters, but unless they are helping out said Belmont they won't be able to kill the count. But there could also be CV Gaidens they could star in that don't feature either Dracula or the Belmonts. This would give other heroes a chance to shine in the CV universe.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: zangetsu468 on September 08, 2016, 11:20:15 PM
Then it would kinda defeat the importance of them in the first place since they are the only ones out of all humanity that can successfully slay Dracula. I don't mind other people outside of the family that are also hunters, but unless they are helping out said Belmont they won't be able to kill the count. But there could also be CV Gaidens they could star in that don't feature either Dracula or the Belmonts. This would give other heroes a chance to shine in the CV universe.

Come to think of it, in Iga's timeline any non-Belmonts I.e. Shanoa Hector and Alucard were isolated situations. Shanoa used his own power assisted by the descendants of the Belmonts' bloodlines and would've required her own life but Albus' was used. Hector was supposed to be the vessel for Dracula's resurrection but Isaac was used and it was an incomplete Dracula. Alucard is a different case, after the Richter fight Shaft mentions that his resurrection has already begun, so unless the Japanese version states otherwise it seems he was incomplete.

Circumstances permitting I like the odd non-Belmont fight against Dracula.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: chainsawmidget on September 10, 2016, 11:45:05 AM
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Then it would kinda defeat the importance of them in the first place since they are the only ones out of all humanity that can successfully slay Dracula.
Actually that could make for some interesting story potential. 

Suppose Dracula is doing his normal attack on all humanity thing and there isn't a Belmont around for whatever reason.  Maybe they went to go stop some other dark lord in a afar off land and aren't going to be able to get back anytime soon.  It's not like people can just sit and wait for somebody to slay Dracula. 

Imagine having your hero go on his epic quest with the knowledge that no matter what he does or how hard he tries, the very best he can hope for is hurting Dracula enough that he backs down temporarily. 
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Belmontoya on September 10, 2016, 12:18:55 PM
If we're talking a 3D reboot, I would like it to start at the beginning.

Honestly I would like a reboot series with Sonia Belmont as the star that also gives Dracula a new backstory starting with him as a human antagonist.

I change my mind of this stuff all the time. But I just love her as a protagonist and I would love to see her character given more attention.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Guy Belmont on September 11, 2016, 04:38:01 PM
Then it would kinda defeat the importance of them in the first place since they are the only ones out of all humanity that can successfully slay Dracula. I don't mind other people outside of the family that are also hunters, but unless they are helping out said Belmont they won't be able to kill the count. But there could also be CV Gaidens they could star in that don't feature either Dracula or the Belmonts. This would give other heroes a chance to shine in the CV universe.

Well you sort missed my point there. but I ment that in the past Dracula has only  attacked like a handful of times, as it really takes the epic out of it if all if it just like"rise, Kill, Repeat"
 it should be that the Belmont line goes on but only a few ever face the count. and when its set in the future, the main Belmont will have no idea of there fate.   id like to see a sort of mix of steam and diesel punk, and some Noir thrown in there too. Teaming up with Noir style female Vampire who sings in a club, but it turns out that she is in fact the counts secret   daughter, and she what's to kill him for his evil deeds and for killing her mother, yeah that be cool. 

If we're talking a 3D reboot, I would like it to start at the beginning.

Honestly I would like a reboot series with Sonia Belmont as the star that also gives Dracula a new backstory starting with him as a human antagonist.

I change my mind of this stuff all the time. But I just love her as a protagonist and I would love to see her character given more attention.


And yeah we are talking 3D, and id always have  Sonia  replacing Leon, as I really think IGA just lost his way with the later. games. 
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: X on September 12, 2016, 09:58:40 AM
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Well you sort missed my point there.

My apologies Guy Belmont. Texting doesn't give us the whole communicational works as does person to person  :)
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Guy Belmont on September 12, 2016, 01:59:47 PM
yeah I know what you mean. its happen to me before, no worries.  ;)
But shame that Konami isn't reading this page, and see how much, we what a new game.  :-\
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: James Belmont on November 25, 2016, 09:58:00 PM
I debated about making a new thread for this but I figured this would be a decent enough spot. If you disagree, let me know!

I always had this idea for a Castlevania game that borrowed more from the Frankenstein mythos than Dracula.

Basic idea is, you play as the original Frankenstein Monster. Someone is following in Victor Frankenstein's footsteps and creating an army of monsters, and it's up to you to stop him. You must venture into the mysterious castle and kill his legion of strange and horrible creatures before they can be unleashed on the world. You can probably guess just what castle this is, of course, even though a mad scientist has taken up shop in it.

As the original Frankenstein Monster your primary weapon is a chain, used much like a whip in fact. Your secondary attacks are all based on your ability to harness lightning, depleting an energy meter rather than a magic meter, and these can also be used to solve some puzzles early on. As things get more difficult, a mechanic is introduced which is inspired by a certain famous blue bomber: with every boss you kill, you acquire a body part you can attach to yourself. With each new limb that you swap out with your old limbs, you enhance your attributes, learn new skills, and/or obtain new means of attacking your enemies. For instance, a new set of legs could allow you to jump higher. A new arm could mean a weapon with a longer reach. Some limbs may aid in solving puzzles while others may make things easier when dealing with particularly nasty enemies.

The catch is, you can't switch between them willy nilly. Throughout the castle are surgical stations where you make the necessary alterations. You also have a limit to how many parts you can use at a time. You've only got two arms and two legs, after all, and going much farther than that would require more extensive surgeries. Because of this you'll need to be clever when it comes to which parts you use as you travel through the castle. This will also make a difference between how you play the game and how other people play it.

At the end of the game, you confront the mad genius behind all the monsters, one Doctor Septimus Pretorius. However, you soon learn that his ultimate goal is to make a monster much more diabolical than any other you've faced: he has obtained the heart of Dracula and not only has he built a new body to house it, he has tricked you into using your lightning powers to bring it to life. So the final boss is Dracula after all, resurrected artificially through mad science instead of magic, and the result is no less than an abomination.

After completing the game, you unlock an option to play the game again as the Bride of Frankenstein, of course, who has a unique play style all her own and possibly her own storyline.

The thing about this idea is that it would be very easy to rework into an entirely new IP that retains something of the Castlevania flavor, with its strong emphasis on classic monster lore and gothic horror weirdness. Still, while it would be a bit of a departure I reckon the general concept could work better within the established canon than some other ideas which were actually carried out. Anything's better than the big ol' stinking pile of nothing we have right now.

What say y'all?
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Belmontoya on November 25, 2016, 10:06:36 PM
Wow!

It's so incredibly coincidental that you would bring up Frankenstein right now.

Plot twist knows what I'm talking about...
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: theplottwist on November 26, 2016, 02:02:22 PM
Wow!

It's so incredibly coincidental that you would bring up Frankenstein right now.

Plot twist knows what I'm talking about...

Not only that, but the similarity gets scary even on specific details.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: James Belmont on November 26, 2016, 02:47:36 PM
Not only that, but the similarity gets scary even on specific details.
Heheh, I don't know what you guys have cooking, but I can promise I'm no spy, or mind reader for that matter.  :P

I'm just a CV fan who is also a big time classic monster fan, and given that Frankenstein is often considered Dracula's equal as a horror icon, the other half of "the big two", I thought I'd pitch an idea for a CV game that utilized Frankenstein a bit more thoroughly than as a throwaway boss or something. The rest just kind of came to me naturally when I tried to think of how to expand on that foundation.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: coinilius on November 26, 2016, 05:22:35 PM
Heheh, I don't know what you guys have cooking, but I can promise I'm no spy, or mind reader for that matter.  :P

I'm just a CV fan who is also a big time classic monster fan, and given that Frankenstein is often considered Dracula's equal as a horror icon, the other half of "the big two", I thought I'd pitch an idea for a CV game that utilized Frankenstein a bit more thoroughly than as a throwaway boss or something. The rest just kind of came to me naturally when I tried to think of how to expand on that foundation.

Hey James, those are some interesting ideas that you have for a Frankenstein inspired Castlevania game!  Would be very easy to adapt into just an original, stand alone property as well as you mentioned, which might actually be better for such an idea so it can really grow.  The modular body parts affecting how you progress is a really good one.

While on the subject of Castlevania-esque Frankenstein games - have you seen Frankenstein: The Monster Returns on the NES?  It has the Monster as the main bad guy, complete with his power coming from an evil dimension and Dracula (or at least a Vampire with a very similar attack pattern to the Castlevania Count) under his thrall.  There's also the Dr Franken series where you control the Monster as he explores a vast castle in a Metroidvania fashion - though it's not exactly a very good series. Sorry if I sound like a commercial for Frankenstein games, I just like the idea of Frankenstein/Castlevania as well.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: James Belmont on November 26, 2016, 05:56:08 PM
Hey James, those are some interesting ideas that you have for a Frankenstein inspired Castlevania game!  Would be very easy to adapt into just an original, stand alone property as well as you mentioned, which might actually be better for such an idea so it can really grow.  The modular body parts affecting how you progress is a really good one.
There's certainly a wealth of mad science literature out there to draw from. A sequel set on the Island of Doctor Moreau could be fun (Perhaps such a game could introduce a werewolf supporting character who eventually becomes playable, someone who hopes Moreau can surgically remove the wolf inside him? Actually it could be more fun to draw from the film version Island of Lost Souls and feature a Panther Woman instead) and using Herbert West as a villain for another sequel opens the door to Lovecraftian elements, the Necronomicon, etc. If it was an original IP it could go in a variety of interesting directions, for sure.

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While on the subject of Castlevania-esque Frankenstein games - have you seen Frankenstein: The Monster Returns on the NES?  It has the Monster as the main bad guy, complete with his power coming from an evil dimension and Dracula (or at least a Vampire with a very similar attack pattern to the Castlevania Count) under his thrall.  There's also the Dr Franken series where you control the Monster as he explores a vast castle in a Metroidvania fashion - though it's not exactly a very good series. Sorry if I sound like a commercial for Frankenstein games, I just like the idea of Frankenstein/Castlevania as well.
I've heard of the former game, still need to try that one out. I recall playing at least one of the Dr. Franken games as a kid though. I recall it was very frustrating.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: coinilius on November 26, 2016, 06:16:49 PM
Those are really good ideas well - there is definitely a lot of potential in an original IP version!

As for the Dr Fraken games - yeah, they are a pretty frustrating series.  They're more like early computer games, with their cryptic clues and hard to decipher mapping.  Frankenstein: The Monster Returns is a lot of fun, though - you should check it out if you get the chance.

For some sci-fi/werewolf/Island of Dr Moreua type action, Werewolf: The Last Warrior and WolfChild are pretty good too, IMO - in both you control a werewolf that can change between human and more powerful werewolf forms while trying to stop a mad scientist from taking over the world.  The setting of WolfChild is a straight-up Dr Moreua inspired island stronghold.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: Rugal on November 28, 2016, 04:47:19 AM
Castlevania has no future. David Cox already ate it up and shat it out.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: zangetsu468 on November 28, 2016, 06:13:45 AM
Castlevania will resurrect... Once Chaos stops running Konami.
Title: Re: Castlevania's future
Post by: X on November 28, 2016, 09:56:53 AM
Or we take the IP away from Konami. Although that court proceeding will be very, very expensive  :'(