Topic: If Castlevania Legacy of Darkness/Castlevania 64 was released today

[Johnny]

What if they made a new Bloodrayne Betrayal but with an all-new name?
Would that be CV without the name?

Well not sure what the game is like but if you take most games with the same horror element to them many are similar. It just all depends on the execution as to whether or not it will actually be unique, amusing to play, and at the same time just have that feel. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver IMO captured the feeling of Castlevania and yet was unique in its own right. Raziel could be described as the Alucard of the game.

[Pfil]

No, this sentence is entirely a joke xD

Really? What do you here?

Well not sure what the game is like but if you take most games with the same horror element to them many are similar. It just all depends on the execution as to whether or not it will actually be unique, amusing to play, and at the same time just have that feel. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver IMO captured the feeling of Castlevania and yet was unique in its own right. Raziel could be described as the Alucard of the game.

I'll have to check that game, I only know the cover, I never actually saw gameplay.

[Super Waffle]

Considering it's the only good 3D Castlevania game to date it would probably do pretty well.

[Johnny]

The music was even great in Castlevania LOD/64. Could you imagine orchestrated updated music? That would be pretty awesome.

[X]

The music was even great in Castlevania LOD/64. Could you imagine orchestrated updated music? That would be pretty awesome.

I can. But at the same time I wouldn't want it to be overly complex in sound as the simplicity of CV64/LoD's tracks are what helped give the game its unmistakable atmosphere. They could update the synth with current, realistic instrumentation, but I wouldn't want them to go beyond that. I had noticed that there were a couple of tracks from CV64 that had been made over just for LoD and I still feel that they are inferior when compared to their CV64 counterparts. They added an extra instrumentation when it was not needed and I feel strongly that this has detracted from the feeling that CV64 had captured.

[Pfil]

The music was even great in Castlevania LOD/64. Could you imagine orchestrated updated music? That would be pretty awesome.

I like it the way it is, I believe I wouldn't want it orchestrated. It would lose part of its charm and mystic.

[Johnny]

I can. But at the same time I wouldn't want it to be overly complex in sound as the simplicity of CV64/LoD's tracks are what helped give the game its unmistakable atmosphere. They could update the synth with current, realistic instrumentation, but I wouldn't want them to go beyond that. I had noticed that there were a couple of tracks from CV64 that had been made over just for LoD and I still feel that they are inferior when compared to their CV64 counterparts. They added an extra instrumentation when it was not needed and I feel strongly that this has detracted from the feeling that CV64 had captured.

Exactly what I had in mind. just minor updating on the synth a bit like you're saying.

[DoctaMario]

I LOVED the OST to the 64 games, but especially thr Villa, Tower Of Sorcery and tower of Execution.  I loved how sparse and lonely it was sometimes tooooo in the Forest of Silence. It really made you feel how the characters must feel and captures the mood of the stages perfectly!

[The Silverlord]

Ah, I would love to see another Legacy of Kain game...

The Legacy of Kain series was outstanding.  Have to make do with upcoming free-to-play game, Nosgoth:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-09-25-this-is-what-nosgoth-the-f2p-multiplayer-legacy-of-kain-game-looks-like

[RichterB]

One thing's for sure, there's really only one way to title this proposed relaunch/reimagining of Castlevania 64/LoD, and that is...

Castlevania: Dracula 3D

See: Nintendo 64: Castlevania 64 - Dracula 3D (Prototype) Trailer (and notice how if you slow down older tunes, they could work for the N64 era in combination with what was already done).

[Ratty]

I don't think you could really make a game like CV64/LoD today, at least not outside of the Indie market. It's got a beautiful unique artstyle and pace you just don't see anymore. As someone else mentioned earlier in the thread one of the best things about these games was just looking at the environments after the enemies have been killed, listening to the wonderful music. Really soaking in the atmosphere and story.

That's something we'd already lost by the time LoI came out, while that is a good game it's much less about atmosphere and feeling like you're really experiencing a haunted Castle, and more about hallways connecting set pieces. Today, when you strip out the platforming and signature Castlevania elements and throw in needlessly long combos and QTEs... it's much much worse.

HOWEVER if we got an upscaled re-release of these games, perhaps with some control tweaks for CV64, I would be very happy. Though it would be tricky to adapt the unique N64 controls to a modern gamepad. Sadly given the negativity that unfairly surrounds these games today I don't think we're likely to see anything like that for a long time if at all.

[X]

Though it would be tricky to adapt the unique N64 controls to a modern gamepad.

I did it through an N64 emulator. It was a bit of a hassle getting the buttons I wanted for my gamepad, but in the end it works well. It's also not quite as awkward as if I were using an N64 controller (control stick in the center of the pad).

[Intersection]

The Legacy of Kain series was outstanding.  Have to make do with upcoming free-to-play game, Nosgoth:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-09-25-this-is-what-nosgoth-the-f2p-multiplayer-legacy-of-kain-game-looks-like

This doesn't bode too well. Legacy of Kain isn't the type of franchise you'd consider adapting for a free-to-play PC game. This is essentially a business choice, and not much else; my warning bells are sounding.
I've given up on f2p's long ago. It doesn't matter how much these games will stress that they don't follow the Pay to Win model -- because that's fundamentally how they work. It's essentially a business method, and it's proven itself very profitable: after all, you wouldn't pay for game if it doesn't help you... win, right?
So, even if the game's under Square Enix's supervision, I'm still worried here... "Nosgoth" sounds far too close for comfort to the masses of "World of" games that swarm the market today.

[Johnny]

I don't think you could really make a game like CV64/LoD today, at least not outside of the Indie market. It's got a beautiful unique artstyle and pace you just don't see anymore. As someone else mentioned earlier in the thread one of the best things about these games was just looking at the environments after the enemies have been killed, listening to the wonderful music. Really soaking in the atmosphere and story.

That's something we'd already lost by the time LoI came out, while that is a good game it's much less about atmosphere and feeling like you're really experiencing a haunted Castle, and more about hallways connecting set pieces. Today, when you strip out the platforming and signature Castlevania elements and throw in needlessly long combos and QTEs... it's much much worse.

HOWEVER if we got an upscaled re-release of these games, perhaps with some control tweaks for CV64, I would be very happy. Though it would be tricky to adapt the unique N64 controls to a modern gamepad. Sadly given the negativity that unfairly surrounds these games today I don't think we're likely to see anything like that for a long time if at all.

The indie market still does give it a chance though. So I dunno seeing it done and done well by an indie dev would be just as good if not better than Konami could do it. Just my opinion. Of course just like a big dev an indie dev could also screw it up.

[Ratty]

The indie market still does give it a chance though. So I dunno seeing it done and done well by an indie dev would be just as good if not better than Konami could do it.

A good spiritual sequel would be great, you never know I suppose.