Castlevania Dungeon Forums
The Castlevania Dungeon Forums => General Castlevania Discussion => Topic started by: mephistopheles46 on November 12, 2007, 12:38:31 AM
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How many of you guys enjoy the outdoor environments in old school CV games? I'm referring to areas that show no real connection to the castle physically/architecturally. Think CV3 mines, mountain areas, etc. The same can be said for ALOT of SCV4, all of these outdoor areas that (for me) just feel like filler until you get to the castle.
CV1 and Rondo got it right for me (yes you start in Aljiba-hush). Straight to the castle, no mucking about in swamps and what not.
I just want your opinion, because I know I cannot stand those parts of the game.
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I love the out door areas from the older games. I really wish they would do more of those for newer games.
I think Dracula would have his minions outside the castle grounds to cause ruckus too. It would just make sense that you battle through them first to get to the castle.
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CV1 and Rondo got it right for me (yes you start in Aljiba-hush).
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They build suspense.
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I honestly enjoy much of the outdoors stages that have been featured through part of the series, pretty much the earlier part that is. I think there is great beauty through most of those stages, well mabey minus the catacombs/caves in CV3. I like to think of Simons trekking adventure through the wilderness, leading to the castle in SCV4. With the lust dark forest leading to the swamp, leading to the stream, leading to the cave, leading to the rising passage way with the spacious mountains in the backround, etc. All of that I like!
Perhaps its because I live in the middle of woods, streams and swamps myself. I dunno. I'm kind hoping the newer CV games (especially the 2D ones) could include some more outdoor places. (:/
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I used to hate the outdoor areas. When I first got into the series, it was the dungeons and clocktowers that made the game worth playing. But now I've grown to like the outdoor areas too. When you have to fight through hordes of enemies and traps just to get to the castle, you know the crap is gonna hit the fan as soon as you go inside.
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Outdoor areas are awesome. I prefer the forest areas over the caverns, though. Something wonderful about forests.
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Don't be a shut-in! Going outside is good for you, and gives life more variety. John and Eric hiked across Europe, and things went great for them!
Now that I think about it, was the original Castlevania (and its variants) the only old-school game set entirely inside the castle?
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I love the outside areas. Honestly, one of the things that bores me about the Castleroid games is that they all take place in the castle, and every castle seems to have to have a chapel, a cave, a center, etc. It's dull. There are no outdoor levels, no different areas that may not fall within the walls of the castle.
I thought Castlevania IV was very cinematic in the sense that you had to fight your way TO the castle before you could really get things done. Stage 5 is one of the most well done stages in ANY CV game. The vibe of the stage, the music, that long climb to the castle door...and no boss!? It makes you appreciate it a lot more than if you just get dropped off at the castle front door and go to work.
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I really liked Castlevania IV where you reached the castle doors and thought: " this is it!" and then you enter and a new map is displayed and you think: "wtf?, things just started?" I really enjoyed that moment.
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Outdoor Stages....I'm in love with Lost Village only...and the old good Mad Forest..
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Yeah, I really like outdoor CV levels, which is why I feel CoD has the ideal areas that a CV game needs.
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Expanding on what I said earlier, outdoor areas give you a sense of Dracula's reach. If Europe is at war with Dracula, you need a tour of the countryside to get a sense of that.
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Perhaps its because I live in the middle of woods, streams and swamps myself.
Lucky! I wish I lived some place like that! Sure, I have some woods, but no streams and swamos or any real wilderness.
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I think it'd be really cool that in the next 3-D game it would have huge out door environments to explore. Forests, mountains, towns and such.
I also think it be cool if while you were headed towards the castle through the woods or something you'd come across a group of towns people hunting monsters with torches and pitch forks and what not, Frankenstein style.
I think what the series really needs in order to jump into good 3-D gaming (although I did enjoy the 3-D games) is expansive environments, not just crappy linear paths
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I think what the series really needs in order to jump into good 3-D gaming (although I did enjoy the 3-D games) is expansive environments, not just crappy linear paths
Right, avoid linear paths and switch to open places(like The Legend of Zelda).
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Honestly, one of the things that bores me about the Castleroid games is that they all take place in the castle, and every castle seems to have to have a chapel, a cave, a center, etc. It's dull.
PoR has plenty of outdoor areas.
Anyway, I have a question regarding the outdoor areas in the various games: Since Castlevania can change shape from game to game, does that mean that the outdoor areas (namely the catacombs, garden (Saturn version) and mines are still part of the castle, or are they actually already in place underground? Also, does Castlevania always appear in the same place?
By the way, I felt that Bloodlines had an interesting take on things, with the first (and only the first) level taking place inside of Castlevania.
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That doesn't matter, since the outdoor areas make only up to 5% or so of the game. Egypt for example takes place inside a pyramid almost all the time. The cities take place in giant bakery, underground tunnel and chapel, the forest is really just a big magic school and the clown area no idea what the hell is that supposed to be, some ruined circus tent being sucked into a black hole?
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Also, does Castlevania always appear in the same place?
The opening text of Harmony of Dissonance describes the castle as being "undocumented on any map." There's no way no one would have thought to put a location as infamous as Dracula's castle on a map in the years between 1476 and 1748, so it can be inferred that it does change location from iteration to iteration.
Naturally, this would also explain why the castle is sometimes depicted as being amidst the ocean, near a river, surrounded by forest, and so on from game to game.
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In Reply To #17
Those are certainly part of the castle. Consider that they have incarnations in the Inverted Castle. Also, we can see game to game that there is significant variation in outdoor areas of Castlevania.
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That doesn't matter, since the outdoor areas make only up to 5% or so of the game. Egypt for example takes place inside a pyramid almost all the time. The cities take place in giant bakery, underground tunnel and chapel, the forest is really just a big magic school and the clown area no idea what the hell is that supposed to be, some ruined circus tent being sucked into a black hole?
Wow, you just put an interesting new perspective on things. But, yeah. Now that you mention it, Nation of Fools does seem like its being sucked into a black hole. lol
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Unforunately, with SOTN and the use of the inverted castle, there are not so many outdoor levels anymore unless you count the 3d games. Hopefully, they do something more creative than a mirror castle or an inverted one and start inserting more outdoors levels. True, POR had outdoor levels, but not alot even though there is no more brick/castle wall borders at the top of the screen.
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In Reply To #1
Outdoor stages > Indoor ones. I love the indoor ones too, but the outdoor ones to me add more to the game then having you just start at the castle, I don't know games that make you just jump straight to the castle, (certain titles where dracula hasn't been revived/where the outdoors has no bearing to what's going on aside) for the most part seem like they are unfinished to me or that a part is missing, I like taking part in the whole journey from the outset when the hero/villian leaves his home or is summoned, the struggle they must undertake in beating back the hordes of demons summoned by dracula until he/she finally fights their way to the castle where they must put a stop to the evil.
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aqulium with sea monster
animal keeps ,
demonic bathroom
ice hole where the castle keep its demonic food
upside down dining , anemy in it is either float or move upside down