Topic: The Future of the Castlevania Series

[shelverton.]

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.

I agree. Also, while many of us would probably prefer 2D sidescrollers (be they classic or metroidvania) or possibly 3D action games, there's no guarantee that either of those are successful or even remotely "Castlevania enough" either. Mirror of Fate is an example of this. Many people just didn't care for it despite its dark, gothic sidescrolling nature. A topdown Zeldaesque Castlevania could also fail miserably, but probably not because the concept is bad in itself. In the end, it's all about the developer and the actual execution.

IGA and Cox are both guilty of doing questionable things with this franchise, but I don't necessarily think that their ideas were bad. It all came down to execution, I think.

[Chernabogue]

Every game can sound like a great idea as a concept. Then there's the developer.

[DragonSlayr81]

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!

I'm actually the opposite of that, as in, I think the LoZ series would be quite superior if they added jumping mechanics. Hell, quite personally, I would love the LoZ series to be more ARPG-esque, with lots of different attack chain techniques, double jumping, air dash, in short, more Kingdom Hearts-ish as far as control went. That's just me, tough.

For CV, I still want my ultimate CV, the ultimate 3D platformer that not only looks good, plays good, but features ample amounts of horizontal-level platform areas, as well as ample amounts of verticle-level platform areas. If anything, not JUST for CV, but to act as a "breaking of the misconception" that such a thing is impossible to do, so other developers can say, "It CAN be done. Let's apply this to _____!".

[VladCT]

The previous talk of the idea of a top-down Castlevania reminded me of one thing: Vagrant Story.
...What? It was top-down-ish, and exploration in that game was somewhat similar to SotN.

[Belmontoya]

My first idea for a Castlevania fan game was to have it play like a Golden Axe game being able to walk up and down, but retain the tight CV controls and platforming elements. It was a multi-player game too.

I still think it could be cool to see a Castlevania game done that way. It would probably make for a funner co-op game.

I think CV would lend itself better to that style of game than it would a top down experience.

[X]

My first idea for a Castlevania fan game was to have it play like a Golden Axe game being able to walk up and down, but retain the tight CV controls and platforming elements. It was a multi-player game too.

You're not the only one who's thought of this idea 

[Ahasverus]

no. multiplayer.
There's no a single series that got better with it, and most of them went to the toilet.
no. multiplayer.

[zangetsu468]

I Personally think a Gauntlet Legends style of axonometric gameplay would better suit a CV game in 3d. With all the stair walking and voluminously high spaces the game could potentially offer, that would impress me more than LOS. Even though LOS basically nailed the combat, I don't feel CV was always combat based, it is at heart a platformer which requires good timing more so than a combat based game.

[Belmontoya]

no. multiplayer.
There's no a single series that got better with it, and most of them went to the toilet.
no. multiplayer.

Dungeons and Dragons and Contra are both great co-op games. Just because CV hasn't done it right yet doesn't mean it can't be done.

[Nagumo]

Personally, something I also think would be an interesting concept for a game, though perhaps less drastic than other ideas already suggested, is a 3D Castlevania game that is designed similarly to Ico. By that I mean having to think about how to proceed without the game immediately shoving the answer in your face. The game also takes place in a castle and it involves a lot of jumping and climbing. Perhaps an interesting alternative to the gameplay that the 2D games have, which seems difficult to translate to 3D properly.   

[Chernabogue]

A stealth-action game, like Arkham Asylum, with Grant DaNasty would rock.

[Little Dracula]

What about open world?, but something not super big like Skyrim, more like Dragon's Dogma. I don't envy the people in charge of the franchise, they have a hard job for the next game after LoS2.

[Ahasverus]

Dungeons and Dragons and Contra are both great co-op games. Just because CV hasn't done it right yet doesn't mean it can't be done.

No they are not. They might be fun or whatever but nor they are memorable or deep. Not to mention it kills the atmosphere. Resident Evil, Dead Space, Warcraft, Legacy of Kain (my poor heart), Silent Hill, all ruined and devoid of heart thanks to some suit that decides to scrap atmosphere story and gameplay because kids like mp these days. Not to mentions countless dead tacked on ones (tomb raider, assassins creed, BioShock, batman...) that feels like their resources were needed in the sp and were dead in weeks anyway. And don't get me started on paid online (requirement this gen) server closing (the game gets unplayable at some point of history) and of course, microtransactions (holy mother of god).
no. Multiplayer.

[Belmontoya]

Multiplayer can be deductive for a lot of games. But amazing games like contra and dragons crown make me believe it could work for cv.

It's not what we're doing with our fan game. But I think it can be done well.

[Ahasverus]

Those games have absolutely nothing in common with Castlevania, and as you can see history is against the odds. I'd rather not take the risk. Let MP to fan games or a novelty mode in some future game, not the main focus.