Topic: Harmony of Despair (The next Castlevania game?)

[thernz]

That just means what IGA's been doing has been horribleeeeeeee. Why even encourage him to go all out with the flaws than force him to move on. Also, why do I love disagreeing with you so much. I swear it's accidental.

[alucardx]

I just can't wait to play this game. It's nice to see some Castlevania characters teaming up, especially when Alucard is around. Yeah!

[Valtiel]

That just means what IGA's been doing has been horribleeeeeeee. Why even encourage him to go all out with the flaws than force him to move on. Also, why do I love disagreeing with you so much. I swear it's accidental.

Look, if you ask me IGA's best bet would be getting his ass on doing some PSN/XBLA titles, and most specifically remakes:

- either budget, 10-15€ remakes a la "Bionic Commando Rearmed" (fundamentaly an HD facelift of old titles)

or

- an actual HD remake for a slightly higher price, something like SCIV or Simon's Quest fully redrawn with handdrawn sprites and whatnot.


Those things would be either supercheap projects that would fuel bigger games or actual DLC hits.



And don't be afraid to disagree with me, I've been wrong before and I plan to sin again and again.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

I do love reading a good debate as long as its kept clean, and you guys are doing an alright job at that, so keep it up.

As for me?  I'm not a fan of CV:HD but I also don't have an X360 so I suppose it would end up growing on me.  But everything that I've seen about it, and the first or so levels I played on my own at my friends house... well let's just say I'm not finding it tickling my fancy.

I agree that maybe IGA could probably benefit from making some HD versions of the classic games.

[affinity]

I just can't wait to play this game. It's nice to see some Castlevania characters teaming up, especially when Alucard is around. Yeah!

Oh yes despite their problems providing more DLC, it's still the most fun, amazing and replayable Castlevania experience ever!  Staying true to the Castlevania gameplay people enjoyed for generations while mixing it with even more fun stuff!

IGA should definitely turn this formula into an ongoing series, at the sametime, bringing back the past chapters, so that the selection of chapters, items, characters, etc. carry over, and turn into a even greater series! 

Ya this really is like a quality reunion of favorites and innovative teamwork in a Castlevania game.  Ya players can solo too, but there's nothing like all of these legendary characters teaming up in a seamless level.  It's like the best ideas of Castlevania games combined! ^_^

The only things it trips on is the delayed DLC characters, and well I don't know how complete Chapter 8 and 9 are so far, but they should release those as soon as possible!   Chapter 7 really still is a refreshing chapter, but they could still improve in more ways and still make things better! 

Ya no Castlevania is as fun and replayable as Harmony of Despair, especially online with friends and strangers alike!   Once chapter 8 and 9 are released, and the other characters (Julius, Yoko, Richter, Maria, and maybe Hammer and Simon if they are still in the plans), people will get a better idea how much potential this formula has for new Castlevania games! 

Overall, I think Harmony of Despair should start its own growing series!  With the advantages of DLC, it has the potential to be even bigger and more better than any Castlevania to date!

The one thing I think they should have done, is include a Fog of War, to enhance exploration a little more,
but that's okay even without something like that.

Just make the enemies and bosses harder and more resistant, add more characters, items, bosses, etc.
and more fun times will come!   

Harmony of Despair really deserves to come to PS3 also (and most of them would experience the golden age of Harmony of Despair, which like most games, are always the best when you first start out playing them.) , and I'm sure when they are ready to make the 1999 Castlevania, they could add all of Harmony of Despair's characters, stages, modes and features as extras!   That would be so wonderful!!!! 

[angevil]

IGA is one my gods.....his games rock! Bring me the 1999 game with Julius!!!!!

[thernz]

Look, if you ask me IGA's best bet would be getting his ass on doing some PSN/XBLA titles, and most specifically remakes:

- either budget, 10-15€ remakes a la "Bionic Commando Rearmed" (fundamentaly an HD facelift of old titles)

or

- an actual HD remake for a slightly higher price, something like SCIV or Simon's Quest fully redrawn with handdrawn sprites and whatnot.


Those things would be either supercheap projects that would fuel bigger games or actual DLC hits.

And don't be afraid to disagree with me, I've been wrong before and I plan to sin again and again.

Oh, I mean supercheap projects for IGA are fine if you mean like those examples you listed. I just thought HoDespair was the wrong approach to that idea. Stuff like Adventure Rebirth even with all the sprite reuse would be a much more satisfying route.

Caaaan't say I'd be too fond if they ever redraw sprites at a high resolution unless they outsource because I don't really like their artists, hahaha.

I really feel that there's this untapped potential in his team though; maybe they're just beat from all the Castlevania titles they produced. Maybe they could use a break or something. But I'd be fine if they endeavored to keep developing original titles. It's more like, just don't get IGA to do more outlandish un-Castlevania experimental stuff like Harmony of Despair or Judgment. I think, actually, Konami probably forced him to do Judgment. I really have no idea how Harmony of Despair came into being. Maybe, that was actually all his idea or just some project to keep him busy. Arguably, HoDespair's idea is sorta neat and drastic compared to his other titles but it just really didn't fit the gameplay style of the Metroidvanias so it suffered from that.

Oh God, it's like we're both saying that IGA's team should keep stale-ing it up. I mean, I want him to explore more of the untapped potential in the Metroidvanias. I think both AoS and OoE were pretty drastic steps for the formula anyway. Arguably, AoS's innovations just led to more negative design decisions in later titles though derp.

[Foffy]

Hey Affinity, are you like...part of the marketing for Harmony of Despair? It's one thing to like the game, but that recent post of yours comes off something I'd imagine a Konami employee on the marketing side would conjure up.

Saying this is the best Castlevania experience when even the concept hasn't even been utilized properly has me boggled.

[crisis]

Hey Affinity, are you like...part of the marketing for Harmony of Despair?

We've been trying to figure that out for months lol.. I think she's(?) just another one of us rabid fanboys(girl)

[affinity]

Hey Affinity, are you like...part of the marketing for Harmony of Despair? It's one thing to like the game, but that recent post of yours comes off something I'd imagine a Konami employee on the marketing side would conjure up.

Saying this is the best Castlevania experience when even the concept hasn't even been utilized properly has me boggled.

enough!  Just because someone is positive and a fan of a something and defend it doesn't mean they are marketing ninjas. 

Harmony of Despair is great first step for the most part really.  Yes it has some faults like the unreliable DLC plans, but if they turn this into a ongoing self-improving series like how the Metroidvania era turned out, the greater things have yet to come!   Even the vanilla version of it is still very fun, and of course people get more out of it playing with friends.   

Of course many would like 50 Chapters and bosses to be included, and more playable favorites and stuff,
But there is enough fun there that can't be found anywhere else in this form!   

From here it will depend how much they add to it, and where they go from there.   Even releasing the vanilla version on PS3 would start a new community of fans and newcomers!   It really has a lot of untapped potential, but what's there still provides some of the best moments in gaming that normally people would just think about.   

My theory is that if they can and are interested, Konami might release it on PSN during or before all of their planned DLC is released on 360.    For now I think it still is a timed exclusive, but who knows maybe MS owns it indefinitely.  If that isn't the case, the PS3 version plans might become a reality, and by then they might have DLC releases be more frequent and without problems.

Or they might cancel the plans entirely,  or make a "sequel" that is made for PS3, but with totally different chapters.   There are many things they could go with this, or it could be the only one of its kind.

Overall it's still great they made this and that is a good thing in itself!   Some of us have good ideas that could improve it, but it really rests in their hands how good it gets and what's planned for future 2-D Castlevanias.   They might explore the 3DS, but it would be a shame if there are no more Castlevanias like this on consoles.

So much potential and even more fun they could make out of this.   But it still is a priviledge to have played such a wonderful Castlevania online!   These moments rarely come often. 

[thernz]

you know what would've been great for harmony of despair?
procedurally generated castle levels.

[Foffy]

you know what would've been great for harmony of despair?
procedurally generated castle levels.

Maybe a Castle Maker mode would have been the best bet. I'd probably enjoy the troll castles where they're nothing but spike traps and enemies that drop the abusable weapons.

[affinity]

That would be kewl if it had a special level where it randomly generates 1 out of 99 different maps players can play through.   They would have to apply 99 bosses but it could work out.

Oh ya a map maker would be great too!   And sharing them to play online!   Ya some things they can consider for future Castlevanias like this.   

[thernz]

Mm, I was actually thinking random level design instead of randomly picking a castle, something more like Diablo II.

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

Or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon or the Legend of the Unemployed Ninja?