Topic: What if Aria of Sorrow had been set in America?

[Dracula9]

Soma would have been called Tom Cruz. 

POST OF THE FUCKING YEAR.

On a joking note, I'd imagine that it would be like any American-based monster movie. Troops get pumped in like hosewater, and those in power can't quite grasp that they can't actually just shoot it to death, and then at the last minute they let the one guy take care of everything.

On a more serious note, I think it would hurt the romanticized atmosphere to the game. Not even going into the wardrobe department (and on that note, X, I think you're being a little bit too pessimistic on this; because I've seen men wear far more extravagant things than a fur-collared coat and they didn't "get the shit beat out of them." That's a really uncool mindset, dude. Just sayin'. I would wear that coat, and would rock that look.), a lot of the themes going on in Aria would either feel forced or entirely nonsensical. For instance, the Hakuba Shrine and its (admittedly small) role. The US doesn't have shrines like Japan does (ours have price tags and food courts), so Mina's entire plot role would lose a lot, if not all, of its sensibility.

[The Puritan]

OH HI IM A SHINTO PRIEST AND I SEALED THE CASTLE IN AN ECLIPSE

it feels like fanfiction tier insertion...

This is exactly what made me think of a US setting to begin with. Modern-day Romania would indeed be too weird and (ironically)... I guess, not very interesting? Stateside felt like the better option to me.

Soma would have been called Tom Cruz. 

Oh dammit.

Ba Dum Tss!

On a joking note, I'd imagine that it would be like any American-based monster movie. Troops get pumped in like hosewater, and those in power can't quite grasp that they can't actually just shoot it to death, and then at the last minute they let the one guy take care of everything.

On a more serious note, I think it would hurt the romanticized atmosphere to the game. Not even going into the wardrobe department (and on that note, X, I think you're being a little bit too pessimistic on this; because I've seen men wear far more extravagant things than a fur-collared coat and they didn't "get the shit beat out of them." That's a really uncool mindset, dude. Just sayin'. I would wear that coat, and would rock that look.), a lot of the themes going on in Aria would either feel forced or entirely nonsensical. For instance, the Hakuba Shrine and its (admittedly small) role. The US doesn't have shrines like Japan does (ours have price tags and food courts), so Mina's entire plot role would lose a lot, if not all, of its sensibility.

Joking note: and towards the climax, you discover:

(click to show/hide)

The US military actually sent Hammer to detonate a nuke inside the castle, in case it couldn't be neutralized in 24 hours. Hammer refuses to do it, having grown attached to Yoko, Mina, and the others, so the evuhl 'Murrican government sets off the countdown remotely. Cue a Metroid-esque escape sequence after you defeat Chaos, which ends with you jumping into an escape chopper as the castle goes up in a mushroom cloud.

This would also make one hell of a Michael Bay movie.

Serious note: mmm not really. I get what you're saying with a romanticized atmosphere, but a US setting could still very much retain it. Plus reimagining Mina as a minister's daughter or niece wouldn't affect her plot role at all.

[Inccubus]

I think no matter where the game is set, there can always be wacky landmarks with questionable histories to fill with monsters. Winchester Mansion, anyone?

Dawn of Sorrow felt kind of empty plot-wise, and the idea of a high schooler being Dracula's reincarnation is still kind of dumb, but the post-Dracula setting has some promise still. Why not expand upon the cult? Why not make them an actual cult that does actual cult things, like kidnapping, brainwashing, and ritualistic sacrifice?

Also I want to see Soma being as old as Julius, possibly with a goatee.

This.

[X]

and on that note, X, I think you're being a little bit too pessimistic on this; because I've seen men wear far more extravagant things than a fur-collared coat and they didn't "get the shit beat out of them." That's a really uncool mindset, dude.

No mindset dude, just an opinion.

[Lelygax]

Hey, Hey! I had a idea about what could happen to a boss if it was set in US.

[chainsawmidget]

Hey, Hey! I had a idea about what could happen to a boss if it was set in US.

... I'm not seeing this is a bad thing. 

[Jorge D. Fuentes]

The first skeleton boss is basically a giant ape... skeleton.
Hell, some are called "Skeleton Ape" and hurl barrels.  heh heh...

[Flame]

I think no matter where the game is set, there can always be wacky landmarks with questionable histories to fill with monsters. Winchester Mansion, anyone?

Dawn of Sorrow felt kind of empty plot-wise, and the idea of a high schooler being Dracula's reincarnation is still kind of dumb, but the post-Dracula setting has some promise still. Why not expand upon the cult? Why not make them an actual cult that does actual cult things, like kidnapping, brainwashing, and ritualistic sacrifice?

Also I want to see Soma being as old as Julius, possibly with a goatee.

I would imagine older Soma looking kind of like SoTN Dracula.

[X]

The first skeleton boss is basically a giant ape... skeleton.
Hell, some are called "Skeleton Ape" and hurl barrels.  heh heh...

Nothing wrong with a little homage to Donky Kong right? Like the one featured in this monster list?

http://www.inverteddungeon.com/ratzuo/monsters.php

[Ahasverus]

This thread:

No, Castlevania should never be set outside Europe. Unless the story calls for it. Dracula's Castle is in europe and Dracula's blood runs through Europe. 'Murica not thanks.

[chainsawmidget]

No, Castlevania should never be set outside Europe. Unless the story calls for it. Dracula's Castle is in europe and Dracula's blood runs through Europe. 'Murica not thanks.

Maybe it's just me, but whenever I see anyone use the word 'Murica I always read it as "I am a complete and total idiot, please ignore me." 

Look, if you're going to try to insult somebody, try and use a word that doesn't make you look like a moron for saying it. 

[Ahasverus]

Dracula, your castle doesn't have enough democracy.
And about the word, well, focus on the people who invented it, in your country, you know.

Ok you don't want Soma to be japanese, ok, why couldn't he be Argentinian? Mexican? Russian? Mongolian? Australian? Haitian? no, of course it HAS to be AMERICAN because AMERICA FUCK YEAH.

I have nothing against the us or the majority of their people, but one thing is really tiring and that is the reasoning that everything has to be about them even things that don't even tangentially are needed to. That's what really pisses me off.


Castlevania is fine where it is, thanks.

[chainsawmidget]

Ok you don't want Soma to be japanese, ok, why couldn't he be Argentinian? Mexican? Russian? Mongolian? Australian? Haitian? no, of course it HAS to be AMERICAN because AMERICA FUCK YEAH.

I have nothing against the us or the majority of their people, but one thing is really tiring and that is the reasoning that everything has to be about them even things that don't even tangentially are needed to. That's what really pisses me off.

Castlevania is fine where it is, thanks.

It actually isn't fine where it is.  That's the whole point of the topic.  Castlevania is European and because everything has to be about Japan, even the things that have nothing to do with them they moved it here. 

The idea was brought up that moving things to Japan seemed heavily forced, so if you're going to move it for no real reason, why not America?  Frankly, I don't think it needs to leave Europe either, but hypothetically if you are going to move it, I see no problem with it on that basis.  Not because America just needs to be better than anyone else, but because it certain fits a hell of a lot better than  movie it to Japan does.  At least Europe and America speak the same language and have some strong historical ties to each other. 

But if you're going to move Dracula's castle out of Romania, then there are certainly quite a few places that would fit better than America, and a hell of a lot more places that would would work better than Japan.   

If your problem was with the idea being unnecessarily American centric, then you could have said so reasonably and explained yourself without going, "Duhh... Uhmuhrica suck, hyuk hyuk."

[Gunlord]

To be fair, Chainsaw, Castlevania is a Japanese series, i.e conceived of and developed by Japanese people as opposed to game designers in Transylvania. Or Spain, in Cox's case. XD It's not *entirely* unreasonable for them to want to put their own game in their own homeland. If Wayforward or another American developer were doing a CV game, I wouldn't begrudge them too much for putting in America.

[Flame]

Morris was from Texas, so there's an American Connection there. Plus, Dracula failed to get himself settled into England in the novel, so why not try it on England's spawn across the waters?