Topic: Castlevania game in the vain of the Soul series?

[Nagumo]

I'm a bit late to the party, but I just got Demon's Souls, and like many others before me pointed out, it's a very well designed game. While I don't agree that the game itself already resembles a Castlevania game, I can definitely see the potential of using a similar gameplay system for the series.
 
First of all, enemies are very challenging. Plus, there are this for the right reasons. You have to learn the patterns of their attacks before you can effectively dispose of them. You don't have acces to any combos, just a fast regular attack and  a very powerful but slow one. It's like a little puzzle. Blindly attacking gets you killed very fast, so every action you take has thought put into it. Pressing the same button to initiate the same attack over and over again isn't going to work this time. Wouldn't that be a very good way to bring back challenge into the series without having to resort to making the enemies damage sponges? Combat like that is really satisfying, and when you finally figured it out you genuinely feel like you're a competent monster slayer.

Secondly, the game uses a lot of environmental hazards. You can just as easily be killed by a trap you didn't notice instead of enemies. I'm really suprised 3D Castlevania games have made use of them more. Is has a lot of simple but effective ones that would be perfect for the series since a lot of them are implented in a castle environment: boulders that come rolling down stairs, barrels with explosives that are triggered by enemies, enemy ambushes etc.

From what I've seen, this idea is very popular. I think it would be very refreshing change of pace from the recent combo based 3D Castlevania games. If you're going to steal, you might as well steal from the best, am I right?           

[darkwzrd4]

Well, it's an idea anyway. Although I have never played Demon's Souls, I have recently started playing Dark Souls (which is supposedly a spiritual successor to Demon's Souls) and a CV like that does have potential. I mean the Catacombs area in Dark Souls just screams CV. It's dark. Most of the enemies are skeletons. And, do to the presence of necromancers, the skeletons don't truly die until the kill the necromancers controlling them (that is of course unless you have a divine weapon which kills skeletons regardless of the presence of a necromancer).

So, yes, in my opinion, if done right, a CV game done in a similar vain as the Soul series has some real potential.

[Trevorcard]

I already noted this in a another thread of the potential of Castlevania being done in the vein of the Souls games. I actually think Demon Souls and Dark Souls does resemble a 3D imagining of a combination of the first Castlevania with its challenge and the combat being nerfed  and need to be careful with you having to avoid pits and traps. Also the need for spells and other weapons shows that you can't rely on waling through combos. Also the horror atmosphere resembles the older Castlevania NES games then the new ones.

 However I think not just gameplay of Dark Souls but way it tells the story should be taken. You learn about story through small conversations with other NPCS as well as reading texts (Ala LOS knight scrolls) rather then it being fed to you by cut scenes. Also Dracula and the monsters being much more more horrifying then the previous Castlevania games.
So I am all for this idea  .
 Also a interesting idea as that you could choose to be a person from the Belmont Clan, a Magician, a Knight, A Dhamphir or a Werewolf or a former servant of Dracula. That would be pretty cool.

[darkwzrd4]

I already noted this in a another thread of the potential of Castlevania being done in the vein of the Souls games. I actually think Demon Souls and Dark Souls does resemble a 3D imagining of a combination of the first Castlevania with its challenge and the combat being nerfed  and need to be careful with you having to avoid pits and traps. Also the need for spells and other weapons shows that you can't rely on waling through combos. Also the horror atmosphere resembles the older Castlevania NES games then the new ones.

 However I think not just gameplay of Dark Souls but way it tells the story should be taken. You learn about story through small conversations with other NPCS as well as reading texts (Ala LOS knight scrolls) rather then it being fed to you by cut scenes. Also Dracula and the monsters being much more more horrifying then the previous Castlevania games.
So I am all for this idea  .
Also a interesting idea as that you could choose to be a person from the Belmont Clan, a Magician, a Knight, A Dhamphir or a Werewolf or a former servant of Dracula. That would be pretty cool.

Now that is an idea I like. As much as the Belmonts are a part of CV, the fact is that they all seem the same and it gets boring playing as one in every game (which is why I liked SotN so much). The option of different types of characters gives you different play styles and thus adds to replay ability. Not to mention if such a game also uses new game + the way that Dark Souls did in that you stay as strong as you were, but the enemies are stronger with every new game +, which also requires higher skills levels adding even more replay ability.

[Lelygax]

First of all, enemies are very challenging. Plus, there are this for the right reasons. You have to learn the patterns of their attacks before you can effectively dispose of them. You don't have acces to any combos, just a fast regular attack and  a very powerful but slow one. It's like a little puzzle. Blindly attacking gets you killed very fast, so every action you take has thought put into it. Pressing the same button to initiate the same attack over and over again isn't going to work this time. Wouldn't that be a very good way to bring back challenge into the series without having to resort to making the enemies damage sponges? Combat like that is really satisfying, and when you finally figured it out you genuinely feel like you're a competent monster slayer.

So its like Monster Hunter?

[Gunlord]

I remember my old friend Dippy-sama (diplo) saying that Demon's Souls gave him a lot of the same enjoyment Castlevania used to. I suppose it's not surprising there's so much overlap between the series and their fans, given Souls' emphasis on aesthetics, exploration, and challenge.

[Ahasverus]

If you mean Dark Souls/Demon Souls, yeah, it might work, just be less punishing, add platfforming and physics in controls (Dark Souls controls a little ragdoll-y) an call it a day.
But I'd like a different kind of "soul".

[Maedhros]

physics in controls (Dark Souls controls a little ragdoll-y)[/img]

It controls perfect.

[Ahasverus]

It controls perfect.

Tell that to yourself, but Dark souls controls have no weight. But it's your pet game and the only one you'd allow Castlevania to copy from so whatever you say.

[Lelygax]

It controls perfect.

Explain it please, I've never played this game.

[Ahasverus]

Explain it please, I've never played this game.

Have you played Monster Hunter? It's kind like Monster Hunter 

[The Puritan]

If you're going to steal, you might as well steal from the best, am I right?           

Absolutely. From Software's always been my second choice to do a new 3Dvania. If Konami doesn't want their post-LOS CVs to go the extreme combat route again, they could always go for a weightier more strategic approach that calls back to the NES titles. That's best embodied in the Souls games, and to me, that would truly be Castlevania reimagined in 3D.

[Lelygax]

Have you played Monster Hunter? It's kind like Monster Hunter 

So we're really heavy xD

[Maedhros]

Tell that to yourself, but Dark souls controls have no weight.

Have you really played Dark Souls? lol

[Ahasverus]

Have you really played Dark Souls? lol

Yes, and I like it, but the controls while very serviceable and work for the kind of game it was needs some rifinement, if only in pure movement/traversal, it does feel weight-less. And it's too unforgiving too, which is nice for a "souls" but not that great for a CV. However I think some elements could be adapted greatly.