Topic: The Future of the Castlevania Series

[crisis]

Nintendo has been shunning the Metroid franchise for quite a while now.

[JoshuaKadmon]

I might get bashed for saying it, but I wouldn't mind seeing Ninja Theory take a stab at Castlevania next.  It wouldn't be a huge jump to make after MercurySteam, and NT already went through a remarkably parallel scenario with DmC.  Just like LoS, I shunned DmC for months before finally trying it and ended up enjoying it.  But also like LoS, it drew heavy criticism from fans despite its glowing reviews, and their Japanese-to-Western-development leap was largely identical.

Still, this is a recurring scenario in recent years.  I bash sequels and reboots for crapping on the nostalgia of their IPs, then eventually try them (usually because they're in the bargain bin, on a Steam sale, or just because other gamers tell me I should), and I end up having to eat some of my words.  It's hard not to be that way with long-running classics, from Castlevania and Final Fantasy to Devil May Cry and Tomb Raider, but I guess we have to accept that games are a constant evolution and cannot hope to maintain the consistency of other entertainment media.

I should probably just stop being an elitist pre-judgmental a'hole and enjoy the entries we get... as long as they don't suck goblin balls.

Besides, Ninja Theory places its focus on characters and plot development, with strong cinematic styling that could serve Castlevania well.  And so far, I've enjoyed most of their releases.  I'd be just as happy with a fresh 2D/2.5D outing, but it's an option.

[Ahasverus]

Yeah why not, DmC's combat and platfforming was fantastic.

[e105beta]

I never actually like any of the Ninja Theory games. I mean, they were all solid titles, but they weren't great, IMO. Might be their visual aesthetic that I'm not the biggest fan of.

Klei Entertainment, the guys who made Mark of the Ninja and Shank, I think could make an interesting Castlevania. Maybe a Castlevania more focused on hunting monsters rather than straightforward jump and whip would be cool.

[JoshuaKadmon]

I never actually like any of the Ninja Theory games. I mean, they were all solid titles, but they weren't great, IMO. Might be their visual aesthetic that I'm not the biggest fan of.

Klei Entertainment, the guys who made Mark of the Ninja and Shank, I think could make an interesting Castlevania. Maybe a Castlevania more focused on hunting monsters rather than straightforward jump and whip could be cool.

When it comes to Ninja Theory, there aren't many titles to evaluate -- just Heavenly Sword, Enslaved, and DmC.  Granted, the first 2 were very similar in production style, and like I said, DmC was pretty devisive.  But that may also leave a lot of untapped potential for a well-loved franchise.

As for Klei, I agree that (much like WayForward and Retro) they could provide a unique and welcome take on 2D Castlevania.

[e105beta]

When it comes to Ninja Theory, there aren't many titles to evaluate -- just Heavenly Sword, Enslaved, and DmC.  Granted, the first 2 were very similar in production style, and like I said, DmC was pretty devisive.  But that may also leave a lot of untapped potential for a well-loved franchise.

As for Klei, I agree that (much like WayForward and Retro) they could provide a unique and welcome take on 2D Castlevania.

I'm not trying to say they COULDN'T make a cool Castlevania game, they just wouldn't be my first pick based on the fact that I haven't been a huge fan of their other games.

I mean, MercurySteam wouldn't have been even close to one of my first choices for a Castlevania game, but hey, I love LoS, so there's that.

[JoshuaKadmon]

I'm not trying to say they COULDN'T make a cool Castlevania game, they just wouldn't be my first pick based on the fact that I haven't been a huge fan of their other games.

I mean, MercurySteam wouldn't have been even close to one of my first choices for a Castlevania game, but hey, I love LoS, so there's that.

Word.

[Little Dracula]

I will like Platinum to develop a Castlevania game, but maybe they will make it to hardcore and with a weak franchise like Castlevania it may not sell very well. They can't do another LoS with another studio, they need to do something new and better, something that will bring new people to the franchise like LoS did.

To be honest I don't know what can they do with the franchise, after LoS probably they will not accept a game that sells less than a million.

[adelcs]

I never actually like any of the Ninja Theory games. I mean, they were all solid titles, but they weren't great, IMO. Might be their visual aesthetic that I'm not the biggest fan of.

Yeah, this is basically how I feel. I've played Enslaved and DmC and both of them were just... okay. Enslaved seriously bored the hell out of me but the story and characters were neat. DmC wasn't as much of a bastardization to the DMC series as I thought it would be but the combat was nowhere near as deep as it was in DMC3/4 and, strangely enough, the story and characters were laughably bad. And I mean that literally. I laughed out loud at how bad some of the dialogue was.

If I had to choose a new developer to make a Castlevania game, they definitely wouldn't be my first choice.

[Intersection]

Just a curiosity: why hasn't anyone mentioned a Japanese dev? I've even heard some of us ask for anything but...
The truth is, Japan was where Castlevania was born, and Japan was where it had always stayed, up until when Lords of Shadow came along. It may be just me, but it seems logical for a Japanese developer to be better positioned when it comes to understanding the series than a foreign newcomer to the franchise.

[e105beta]

Just a curiosity: why hasn't anyone mentioned a Japanese dev? I've even heard some of us ask for anything but...
The truth is, Japan was where Castlevania was born, and Japan was where it had always stayed, up until when Lords of Shadow came along. It may be just me, but it seems logical for a Japanese developer to be better positioned when it comes to understanding the series than a foreign newcomer to the franchise.

Platinum has been mentioned at least once.

I can't speak for anyone else, but seeing as Castlevania's roots are almost entirely in western mythology and folklore, I find it appropriate that the series is finally in western hands.

I personally was growing a bit tired of the increasing "Japanization" of the series under IGA, and I don't see anything that a Japanese developer would be able to uniquely provide to the series that a western developer wouldn't other than that. I mean, anyone can go play Castlevania and understand what it's about.

[shelverton.]

Having just finished A Link Between Worlds I was thinking... What if someone would make a topdown 2D Castlevania? I mean, for real? It could have an overworld (Wallachia) and play a bit like Zelda though maybe slightly more action oriented. It could have "dungeons" much like in Zelda, some being mansions or chapels, others being ruined towns, caves, forests and graveyards... It would essentially be Simon's Quest or Ecclesia but with a topdown perspective, complete with metroidvania gameplay. It could be really dark and gothic like the first Blood Omen.

I dunno. Since Castlevania is all sorts of things these days, I could see it trying this as well.

[e105beta]

That's actually a really neat idea, it's just...

I can't imagine a Castlevania game with no ability to jump.

[shelverton.]

That's actually a really neat idea, it's just...

I can't imagine a Castlevania game with no ability to jump.

I was thinking the same at first, but then I thought... why not? Depending on how the levels are laid out, maybe you could make a game where it's not needed to jump around. Taking further inspiration from the Zelda series, maybe jumping could be handled in a similar fashion - approach a ledge and the character makes a little, automatic skip!

OR MAYBE (!) the game could actually have light platforming, complete with a jump button and everything? Games like Landstalker have a jump button, and the major reason platforming was frustrating in that particular game was the isometric perspective IMO. We don't have to have that. A topdown Castlevania with jumping mechanics could possibly work on the 3DS, much like how the 3D effects in A Link Between Worlds really helped judging distance etcetera...

I am 99.9% sure a game like this will never ever happen, but it would be an interesting experiment, at least as a side story type of game. Though aren't all Castlevania games "side stories" these days? The "canon" is kinda...gone.

[Nagumo]

I would be fine with that idea. I think the series would be suited for a whole lot of different gameplay styles, as long as it's action based. It's fun to think of ideas like these. In my opinion, there really wouldn't be a reason why they couldn't do a rogue-like, or a puzzle-action game, a full-fledged RPG, etc. Games like these with a gothic horror aesthetic haven't actually been done before, so it would definitely allow for some creativity.