Topic: Castlevania: Belmont's Curse!!!

[Kingshango]

Great to see the CV Dungeon and diehard fans still here!

This is great news, this. Game looks really slick, loving these vibrant colours and the atmosphere. Seeing a lot of enemy variation, including a lot of the original classics. Love that whip swinging is being used as a regular gameplay mechanic. Also adore the classic logo return too and Belmont's Revenge vibe.

Have played a lot of indie Metroidvanias in the intervening years and hoping that doesn't dilute my experience here, but it does look a cut above visually.

I didn’t think about it at first but since Order of Ecclesia, Castlevania has been the go to for Metroidvania’s with very few games in that sub genre. Fast forward today now there’s hundreds of Metroidvanias released on a regular bases (even Metroid came back), some of which are very good and on par with IGA’s best efforts. I do wonder can the father of the genre stack up to its many sons?

[Mikepjr]

I'm surprised all the new Castlevania info isn't on the front of the main website.
It's still got some info from 2021 on there.

[The Silverlord]

I didn’t think about it at first but since Order of Ecclesia, Castlevania has been the go to for Metroidvania’s with very few games in that sub genre. Fast forward today now there’s hundreds of Metroidvanias released on a regular bases (even Metroid came back), some of which are very good and on par with IGA’s best efforts. I do wonder can the father of the genre stack up to its many sons?

Agreed.  There is some great stuff out there and given the saturation of games in the genre it’s going to have to be very special indeed to really stand out.  I had an absolute ball with the recent Silksong for example (despite some dissenting opinions on the game), and I don't think I've played a more polished or rewarding game.

With Dead Cells, I enjoyed it, but I thought the balance was a bit off (DPS seemed off and enemies scaled differently to the player–it felt more about scroll management than the gameplay).  I hope Belmont’s Curse is straight out-and-out action and avoids scaling levels.  Or, if Konami has injected some serious cash, it has given the devs extra time to add balance (and polish).  I will say I thought the Rogue Prince of Persia feel quite tight and well balanced overall.

I see the term ‘biomes’ mentioned on the website so it may be like CVIII/Rondo/Dead Cells and offers branching paths.  I see nothing wrong with that as it will offer replayability.  I hope they can join them up more seamlessly and doesn’t create jarring environment changes.

What is good is these devs have invested considerable time and effort in their work and seem dedicated and passionate about their work.  I think we can see that already in the trailer footage. I think they’ll nail the French setting: both devs involved are Bordeaux-based companies, and already the video footage shows moody medieval Parisian environments (if somewhat colourful, but it keeps it relevant with modern audiences).

It looks gorgeous.

[Gunlord]

I'm surprised all the new Castlevania info isn't on the front of the main website.
It's still got some info from 2021 on there.

That's an excellent point! I think we'll have to talk to Kurt Kalata about updating the webpage itself, as he's the owner. I'll ask Jorge too, as he knows best...

[Dark Nemesis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBuok3LqHIQ

At this video on Youtube, you can see the the producer of Castlevania saying that this is the 'first' title celebrating the 40th anniversary.

So are there more games in development?

[Scarlet starlet]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBuok3LqHIQ

At this video on Youtube, you can see the the producer of Castlevania saying that this is the 'first' title celebrating the 40th anniversary.

So are there more games in development?

I was dismissing this at first, then I realized the 40th Anniversary Overture video also kinda feels like a teaser (for another game).
If that's the case then Belmont's Curse would be the «Mirror of Fate» of a new generation of games.
The AAA game rumors at this point could be real but honestly, I can't see myself liking it. It would be either a soulslike (fucking Silent Hill...) or another hack and slash. No thanks.

[crisis]

It does have a somewhat generic-looking quality to the graphics but honestly after Grimoire of Souls what did y’all expect lol. There was no chance in hell it would’ve resembled Slain: Back from Hell or Blasphemous.

[Scarlet starlet]

My wishes for Belmont's Curse.

-You get something from breaking candles/lanterns so they have a purpose.
-There is more than 1 whip and they play differently. Personally I think Valmont Whip and Morning Star were very fun in Dead Cells. They had the mechanic of making the tip of the whip make way more damage.
-Alternatively, I hope we can upgrade the Vampire Killer in different ways, allowing a more "classic" playstyle with simple, linear attacks like in past Castlevania games.
-The story makes sense and doesn't contradict any Castlevania lore.
-There seems to be no contact damage. Therefore I hope the enemies aggressively react to Belmont trying to dash through them rather than just standing there like idiots. They need to be real obstacles and the level design must take them into account.
-Trevor Mode/skin

And if Belmont's Curse isn't the only game we are getting...

-A pixel art Classicvania done by other devs. For example the guys who did Curse of the Moon, but there are lots of viable choices here. It's cheap to make, works on every platform and takes less than a year of development.
-a 3D remake of Castlevania III. Trevor's story never got a remake unlike Simon's, and it's a very viable choice in my opinion because with Trevor/Sypha/Alucard/Grant you could potentially make happy both the classic fans and the Netflix fans. With Alucard being the elephant in the room, you can't do a full Castlevania relaunch without including playable Alucard somewhere (and it can't be in Belmont's Curse because he is slumbering in Romania). I have no idea how the game should play though. Out of all the 3D iterations of the series, I only liked the N64 games.
-Harmony of Despair release for Steam. If successful, this would be the Trojan Horse to bring back the SOTN/GBA/NDS gameplay and perhaps Igarashi

[Solomon]

And if Belmont's Curse isn't the only game we are getting...

-A pixel art Classicvania done by other devs. For example the guys who did Curse of the Moon, but there are lots of viable choices here. It's cheap to make, works on every platform and takes less than a year of development.
-a 3D remake of Castlevania III. Trevor's story never got a remake unlike Simon's, and it's a very viable choice in my opinion because with Trevor/Sypha/Alucard/Grant you could potentially make happy both the classic fans and the Netflix fans. With Alucard being the elephant in the room, you can't do a full Castlevania relaunch without including playable Alucard somewhere (and it can't be in Belmont's Curse because he is slumbering in Romania). I have no idea how the game should play though. Out of all the 3D iterations of the series, I only liked the N64 games.
-Harmony of Despair release for Steam. If successful, this would be the Trojan Horse to bring back the SOTN/GBA/NDS gameplay and perhaps Igarashi

I feel at least one of these will happen in some shape or form, especially a 3D triple A outing . Would be awesome if "This is the beginning of numerous new products around Castlevania." means we'll get more than one new game with different development teams in charge, much like Konami already did with Silent Hill starting 2024.

[Kaneda]

I came here to post with the expectation that my opinion would be unpopular. But it looks like others have some of the same reservations I do.

Honestly... I don't feel as optimistic as I should. I've seen so many things dragged out of mothballs and gotten excited only to see it get ruined by people who think they know better. Most of the time it's a monkey's paw scenario.

It looks less like Castlevania and more like a game that pays homage to Castlevania. And I get the sinking feeling that the Netflix show might've informed its storytelling and aesthetic. That doesn't inspire confidence. Also, yet another female protagonist in an era that doesn't know how to properly make them.

I want to like it. I want to be wrong. But we'll just have to wait and see.