Topic: To speak or not to speak

[Belmont Stakes]

What do you think is a more effective device for Castlevania. Having dialogue (be it voice acting and or text boxes) or just straight game play.

A few examples of titles that had the talking element.
CVII, CVIII, CVAII, CVL, CV ROB and all remakes, CV64 and LOD, etc.

These didn't have any dialogue or speech.
CV, SCVIV,  CV Chronicles, CVA, Haunted Castle and that's about it.

I am not an anti dialogue purist but I believe that if you have Dracula talking shit as he has been just ressurected saying he is going to tear the balls (or tits) off of who or whatever is going to send him packing then it loses it's creepy impact. In the first game, Castlevania two and four the Count just appears from no where to fight you. No talking just I am here to kill you. Even though CV64 and LOD have the creepy music those games lose their impact due to the talking before the "Count" appears.
 

[crisis]

I like the characters to have dialogue, it gives them more personality. The cheesyness of the Symphony dialogue didn't bother me much; In fact, I still prefer it over the DXC-Symphony stuff.

[darkwzrd4]

I like the characters to have dialogue, it gives them more personality. The cheesyness of the Symphony dialogue didn't bother me much; In fact, I still prefer it over the DXC-Symphony stuff.

I agree.  Dialogue adds more personality to the characters and enhances the storyline of the game, especially when you have voices actors (assuming they are good).  CVs without any dialogue seem to be missing something, even if they really aren't.  The stories just seem incomplete.  Keep in mind, this is just my opinion.

[Ahasverus]

Of course, speak, but not pre-battle speak.
I mean, have you played Arkham Asylum? or Half Life 2? (of course you have, right? you MUST have to ) those games use dialogue, but always implemented into the action, into the flow of the game; Joker and batman talk each other, but in the middle of the fight, or randomly on Arkham TV, or in constant situations, however, they don't stop to chat.
Hope LOS uses this narrative  technique

[Belmont Stakes]

     I am ok with dialogue found in Simon's Quest and Dracula's Curse. I am more referring to pre-battle stuff like Ahasversus said.
I don't see the point in it. Only CV64 made it work right. That other stuff blah blah blah blood of Belmont blah blah blah cesspit of hatred, blah blah blah have at you is just not based enough in the creepy aspect that I like about the series.

[Abnormal Freak]

Castlevania IV has the most powerful Dracula fight in my opinion, and the dude just appears there 'cos he knows what you came to do, and just starts battling, and the mood of the music just makes it so grandiose. I actually prefer my Castlevania games to have bare minimal story and no dialog, because so far the more "advanced" stories (they're still really fluffy and insubstantial) have been dreadful, as have been the dialogs.

Bloodlines also has no dialog.

So yeah. For me, Castlevania is all about Dracula being resurrected every 100 years or whenever somebody decides to revive him early, terrorizes the people, and then some beefy Belmont dude steps up to take him down 'cos he has the power in his blood to wield the Vampire Killer and all that. Then, he defeats him, and the castle crumbles—the end. Everything else is superfluous.

Castlevania IV and Super Metroid are two of the most powerful games in history, in my mind, and the only text they have are the intros. They tell the story through gameplay and music/ambience.

[Ahasverus]

Castlevania IV has the most powerful Dracula fight in my opinion, and the dude just appears there 'cos he knows what you came to do, and just starts battling, and the mood of the music just makes it so grandiose. I actually prefer my Castlevania games to have bare minimal story and no dialog, because so far the more "advanced" stories (they're still really fluffy and insubstantial) have been dreadful, as have been the dialogs.

Bloodlines also has no dialog.

So yeah. For me, Castlevania is all about Dracula being resurrected every 100 years or whenever somebody decides to revive him early, terrorizes the people, and then some beefy Belmont dude steps up to take him down 'cos he has the power in his blood to wield the Vampire Killer and all that. Then, he defeats him, and the castle crumbles—the end. Everything else is superfluous.

Wow pal, you live in the 80's, but That's your opinion, I respect that.
However, I think cV has the elements to be a very deep saga, some of IGA's lines were really good (Ecclesia for example) so I have faith in the future

[Abnormal Freak]

I guess it's not that I wouldn't like a good story if it were written, but so far, Castlevania has offered nothing but crap (in my opinion). So if I'm to choose from what already exists, the simpler CV stories were a heck of a lot better.

[DarkPrinceAlucard]

i prefer speaking.
its more realistic that way

[Gunlord]

I really like speaking/text. Maybe it's just me, but I agree with Crisis, the cheesiness of the original Symphony's dialogue didn't bother me at all. In fact, I really liked a lot of it, especially some of Alucard's lines. IMO dialogue adds a fair bit to Castlevania, though I think some games, like PoR, might have been better off without it. xD

[PFG9000]

I don't really mind the speaking parts, but there isn't a single CV with a really great story yet, at least in terms of innovative plot, unexpected twists, well-developed characters, good writing, etc).  CV was never about story.  And pre-RoB/SotN, the series was doing fine without much dialogue, but I suppose Konami had to add that to keep the series alive among more modern titles.

[Bad Wolf]

Either one can work, if the game is designed to take the presence or absence of dialog. I thus have no strong opinions one way or the other.