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

[shelverton.]

Watching that video makes me realise how much I hate the "Castle Corridor" track from Aria. I liked the rest of the Aria soundtrack, but the main theme is my least favourite of the entire series. And this guitar driven remix is even worse than the original. 

The game however, will be bought. May not be the best thing since sliced bread, but it should be a nice distraction on rainy summer days.

[nsideus]

It sounds like Survival will take place in one of the 6 stages, and players can attack each other, using the same gameplay and equipment system the main mode uses.     

Kind of like how Double Dragon was intended for co-op, but players can fight each other without using a completely different fighting system.  Survival mode might simply add friendly fire to the equation and there you have it!  versus mode!

I will be focusing on the co-op play myself    but I might try survival once in a while.   

Kotaku rumors possible unlockable characters (different from DLC), might there be an unlockable Belmont?     Or maybe they confused DLC for unlockables.   

It's a miracle this style of Castlevania I always imagined is becoming a reality (it's a little different from my idea, but much better than I expected IGA to design!)!
I'm just too lazy and unskilled to make my own co-op Castlevania game.  And with 6 player co-op over XBLive with 10 million dots onscreen with all the enemies, players and animations going on? 
Only pros can make that possible in a smooth way.   Max zoom is unplayable but it will be useful for planning routes and stuff (as well as timing when and where that boss is going to fire its laser.)   I will be using the single room camera the most, first playthroughs I will try to advanced as far as possible, never
zooming out.  That could be a fun challenge without peeking where leads to what.  ^.^

And this is just the surface of how amazing this will be!  Once players learn the ins and outs of how
each characters plays, there could be some very interesting equipment and team set ups!  Some groups
may even split up strategically to prepare to assault the boss from two sides, using a good combination of close and ranged methods to damage the boss while keeping safe. 

Players might even protect each other in some situations in the castle, especially if like one player gets themselves in a bad position but another player uses an ability that cancels an incoming enemy projectile from damaging and  possibly killing a player had they not intervened.   (I'm guessing some enemies have projectiles we will be able to cancel with our own attacks.)

So many possibilities!        Haven't been this hyped for an innovative style to a franchise
since Resident Evil Outbreak (which was a true masterpiece that brought in great new ways to play and share with players online.)

Harmony of Despair will really be a favorite for many fans and gamers out there.   

Affinity is obviously someone who has an interest in the success of this game.  All his posts have been in this thread and they've all been "OMG buy HoD it's awesome". 

Maybe it's IGA?!?

Or more likely someone from Konami PR or Marketing.

[crisis]

Affinity is a girl prunyuuu~~~~~~~

[Nagumo]

My theory is that it is Dave Cox trollin'.

[kadosho]

I felt my stomach turn as I read Kotaku's take. Glug.. seriously!?
*I can understand a team venturing a domain, but not like this. Its not TMNT where a thousand ninjas leap off the screen!?

Dave Cox attacked again!? oh fudge

[nsideus]

My theory is that it is Dave Cox trollin'.

Why would Cox want HD to do well?  Not his game.  As a matter of fact he probably wants IGA to go away so he can step in.  As long as IGA is around it's possible he can pull off some miracle 2D awesome Castlevania and take his position in the series back.

[DragonSlayr81]

It's funny how people suddenly bring up some hidden hatred or rivalry between two men, when so far, I haven't really seen anything of the such. IGA vs Cox is silly. SILLY! The two don't seem as they are ready to duke it out for the control of the CV series, and almost seem like they are pretty alright with each other. I mean, Cox could've totally dissed everything IGA brought to the CV series, but included nods to his games nonetheless. There's other fictional accounts in video gaming where imaginary rivalries are brought up. One, particularly, would be the rivalry between Tetsuya Nomura and Yoshitaka Amano, which is totally in people's heads. Both actually love each other's arts, and Nomura, particularly, looks at Amano as being one of his inspirations. Amano has said he LOVES to see other artists interpret his artwork(like Dissidia). The whole feud thing is just yet another scandelous thing people conjure up to bring a sense of drama to their meager VG lives. To accept such a thing, so soon, is jumping to conclusions. For all we know, the two could be rooting for each other. Having two guys heading different CV related projects could prove to be good medicine for the series. IGA's reign over the CV series was probably the only time(probably other than the first couple of CV games) that one team was in control over the series, while later on, you'd have multiple teams working on different CV projects, and we got games like SCV4, Bloodlines and RoB. Even in the dawn of in IGA's rule, we got IGA's games, as well as CotM and the CV64 games. The more teams dedicated to our beloved series, the better!

[nsideus]

The whole feud thing is just yet another scandelous thing people conjure up to bring a sense of drama to their meager VG lives.

Just because you have a "meager VG life" doesn't mean the rest of us do.  Talk about "jumping to conclusions". 

[le052383]

It's funny how people suddenly bring up some hidden hatred or rivalry between two men, when so far, I haven't really seen anything of the such. IGA vs Cox is silly. SILLY! The two don't seem as they are ready to duke it out for the control of the CV series, and almost seem like they are pretty alright with each other. I mean, Cox could've totally dissed everything IGA brought to the CV series, but included nods to his games nonetheless. There's other fictional accounts in video gaming where imaginary rivalries are brought up. One, particularly, would be the rivalry between Tetsuya Nomura and Yoshitaka Amano, which is totally in people's heads. Both actually love each other's arts, and Nomura, particularly, looks at Amano as being one of his inspirations. Amano has said he LOVES to see other artists interpret his artwork(like Dissidia). The whole feud thing is just yet another scandelous thing people conjure up to bring a sense of drama to their meager VG lives. To accept such a thing, so soon, is jumping to conclusions. For all we know, the two could be rooting for each other. Having two guys heading difference CV related projects could prove to be good medicine for the series. IGA's reign over the CV series was probably the only time(probably other than the first couple of CV games) that one team was in control over the series, while later on, you'd have multiple teams working on different CV projects, and we got games like SCV4, Bloodlines and RoB. Even in the dawn of in IGA's rule, we got IGA's games, as well as CotM and the CV64 games. The more teams dedicated to our beloved series, the better!

I have to agree.  A handful of the ppl on this board seems mistake baseless speculations with facts about certain people in Konami to the point where it sounds dislusional.  I am not an IGA fanboy, but people make the guy sounds as bad as Kotick.  Because l am not going to claim to know the guy personally like some other ppl, who is to say that the guy has a massive ego especially how his interviews doesn't read like it.   The Cox vs IGa sounds ridiculous considering there is no beef etween the two producers

[shelverton.]

Also, IGA has said in the past that he won't make Castlevania games forever. I honestly don't think there's any rivalry between him and Cox. If I was a video game producer I'd probably wanna do other stuff at some point, not just make Castlevania games for all eternity. It was most likely Konami who asked IGA to make all these Castlevania games for so many years, not the other way round. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if IGA pitched other ideas to Konami during all this time, but Konami told him to focus 100% on Castlevania.

..well, there was that Nanobreaker game of course... lol. I bet IGA was more excited about Nanobreaker than LoI or CoD. After all, Nanobreaker was more like his own original idea. I know I would've been if I was him. Shame about the game though.. It was arguably worse than anything he's ever done before or after that, except Judgment maybe.

Anyway, it has been said multiple times that Castlevania is a torch that gets passed on, so it really doesn't belong to anyone. I think IGA is fine with that. I don't even think he's that interested in making 3D games anymore. I mean, he doesn't even like his own attempts at 3D, lol.

[thernz]

When this comes out, I am going to play HoD (Harmony of Dissonance).
Ho oh ho.

[Maedhros]

If it wasn't for the console, which I don't own, I would buy this??

Why nobody loves Steam? =(

[DragonSlayr81]

If it wasn't for the console, which I don't own, I would buy this??

Why nobody loves Steam? =(

I agree. I don't own an X360, probably won't any time soon. I still like the look of this game, though, even though I probably wont ever get it.

[affinity]

Affinity is obviously someone who has an interest in the success of this game.

Maybe it's IGA?!?

Or more likely someone from Konami PR or Marketing.

Oh wow like YOU never was interested in an upcoming game you would like to be successful?   9_9
As if you never had a game that was underrated and underappreciated and you would have liked it
to get more love and success if possible.  

With any existing or upcoming game, you are either in or out.  
That's all.  

But don't hate on people because they like what you don't like.  Since you sound like
you aren't interested in this game at all, aren't you basically trolling on this thread, since this game
doesn't pertain to your interest at all?       For all we know, you yourself could be someone working for some other company, and you just like to rain on other people's parade during your free time. (you work for Valve, don't you?)  

Anyways I have been reading up on some fan reactions, and someone said something that really makes a good point on the positive aspect of recycling sprites, no matter the era.

"Recycling the old graphics is a great move because they aren't broke and as such don't need fixing. They convey exactly what they need to, have nostalgia points, and look great. Zoomed in looks just like SotN, mid view is about DS size but with 10x more viewing radius, the only part I'm not sold on is the map because it really seems hard to just get a quick idea of where to go with so much information. The graphics are badass as is, doesn't need the huge expense of a team of artists."

And it's so true.   People don't whine about Megaman 9 and 10 recycling sprites from the 80's.  
People should accept these Castlevania sprites for the great art they are, instead of expecting Blazblue sprites or something that would greatly limit how much enemies, characters, and rooms they can add to the game.  

Here is IGA with Alucard and Shanoa.  There is no sound, but it's a pretty clear picture.  
Yay!  Alucard has his wolf form, and that's a nice Shanoa alternate color.  
That's so cute when someone uses a potion, it heals any nearby teammates, and it seems
like they automatically say "Thanks"  ^.^
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At76PaGehD4

[Profbeanburrito]

I wish they would just put this on the PS3 as well, I don't see why they don't