Topic: What do you think of a CV made by Vanillaware?

[le052383]

A Vanillaware Castlevania game would look awesome, but as others stated, the gameplay might be more RPG (walking back and forth) and beat em up - afterall, the guy behind all the Vanillaware game started off being involved in the Capcom Dungeons and Dragons games, which Dragon's Crown is considered a spiritual Sequel to.

How about Arc Systems and Wayforward?  I think the former would be innovative, but would be filled with an exaggerated anime art style with a heavy metal soundtrack.  If one could over the art style, the game would probably be good.  As for Wayforward, I would imagine them making a CV sequel more like a remake of the first Castlevania game, but with a few elements thrown in.  One of the things I do not like about Contra 4 is that the gameplay feels too dependent on nostalgia with the first half of the game being based on Contra 1 with an ability of Bionic Commando thrown in.  I had fun playing their Ducktales remake, but that, of course is a remake of a classic Capcom game.  Then again, Castlevania games of the past heavily used stages and boss battles from other Castlevania games, so that might work for CV.

[Mike Belmont]

Yes, I vote for WayForward in a Castlevania game. Handheld or digital. I love Contra 4, because its feels like a true Contra game.

As for the art direction from Vanillaware, I prefer the one from the Order of Ecclesia game. But, lets give them an opportunity, if is available in the end. But, I can´t imagine CV characters like the Amazon or the Sorceress from Dragon´s Crown...

...But, anything than Anime art, please!!!

P.D. Yay, at least I am a Vampire Hunter !!! After a few years, I know...

[X]

...But, anything than Anime art, please!!!

It depends on the artist in question really. There is an entire demography of anime styles out there. Some are bad, some are good and some are just plain awesome. There's got to be some stylization of anime that will cater to your liking.

[Nagumo]

I took a look at what Wayforward produced over the years, and the vast majority appear to be poorly received licensed titles. I really wouldn't want a studo with such a poor looking track record take a shot at a Castlevania game.

[Abnormal Freak]

But, I can´t imagine CV characters like the Amazon or the Sorceress from Dragon´s Crown...

Dragon's Crown is George Kamitani's most stylistic game. He originally envisioned the art style to be more typical of '90s RPGs (since the game was conceptualized as far back as that time).



He has a broad scope of character design.

I took a look at what Wayforward produced over the years, and the vast majority appear to be poorly received licensed titles. I really wouldn't want a studo with such a poor looking track record take a shot at a Castlevania game.

They've also done some of the most fun games of recent memory. Contra 4, Aliens Infestation (a better Super Metroid styled game than everything after Symphony of the Night), LIT, Mighty Switch Force!, and their remakes and entries to existing video game IPs have been pretty well-received, including A Boy and His Blob, Bloodrayne: Betrayal, and DuckTales Remastered. They're a wholly competent game developer and could do the series justice.

[Nagumo]

Compenent perhaps, but there are better choices in my opinion.

[kaiwai]

Hi guys,
I found a nice vampiric succubus from Vanillaware:

How about Arc Systems and Wayforward?  I think the former would be innovative, but would be filled with an exaggerated anime art style with a heavy metal soundtrack.  If one could over the art style, the game would probably be good.  As for Wayforward, I would imagine them making a CV sequel more like a remake of the first Castlevania game, but with a few elements thrown in.  One of the things I do not like about Contra 4 is that the gameplay feels too dependent on nostalgia with the first half of the game being based on Contra 1 with an ability of Bionic Commando thrown in.  I had fun playing their Ducktales remake, but that, of course is a remake of a classic Capcom game.  Then again, Castlevania games of the past heavily used stages and boss battles from other Castlevania games, so that might work for CV.

You suggest Arc System but unlike Vanillaware, they only have one type of games to their credit!!
I can't see them doing an adventure game like Castlevania, even if I like their titles (the next Guilty looks amazing) !!

I admit that Wayforward is not the worse choice, when we know that they already worked with Konami. They have some good games in their name, but in my opinion, their graphic style is maybe generally a bit too "toony" and certainly not gothic. But I guess they could adapt their style... this is what you ask to your artists when you are a video game studio!! 

[kaiwai]

Double post, sorry. 

[thernz]

they made guilty gear 2 overture which was like 10 genres
and hard corps uprising too

[Ahasverus]

I want the devs who did GuiltyGear Xrd. That's magic in motion.

[kaiwai]

they made guilty gear 2 overture which was like 10 genres
and hard corps uprising too

Yes, true, I forgot about "Hard Corps Uprising"!! That's a very dynamic Contra-like indeed. 

But "Guilty Gear 2 Overture" was really bad and was more like the proof that it's hard for Arc Systems to make another type of game then the classic Guilty and Blazeblue!! I love their style but I'm not sure it fits to the Castlevania universe. And their chara-design is too manga-style for me!! It's a question of taste but the "Dawn of Sorrow" and "Judgement" chara-design still haunt my worse nightmares!!!

[X]

DoS's art style isn't too bad when you pair it along-side Judgement's which I find is even more atrocious. Two leather-pimped Belmont's, a mummified Grant, and a male lipstick-wearing time traveler?? No thank you! At least in DoS there was a sense of normalcy in the characters. Same deal with PoR. While the style is not to everyone's liking at least it didn't end up looking like Judgement's. I will say I really like the art style of OoE. It captured Kojima's Gothic style nicely, but at same time it showed people as people and not androgynous prettyboy clones. I also don't mind the art style of Dragon's Crown either. While it's true that the characters are exaggerated in terms of bodily proportions everything else is fantastic. And it's not like they can't draw out a properly proportioned character anyway.

[kaiwai]

DoS's art style isn't too bad when you pair it along-side Judgement's which I find is even more atrocious. Two leather-pimped Belmont's, a mummified Grant, and a male lipstick-wearing time traveler?? No thank you! At least in DoS there was a sense of normalcy in the characters. Same deal with PoR. While the style is not to everyone's liking at least it didn't end up looking like Judgement's.

The artworks of DoS and PoR was not terrible, but really not worthy of Castlevania IMO. It was really standard manga style with an obvious lack of inspiration. That was artistically really poor and uninteresting!! Same for the ingame character portraits.

I will say I really like the art style of OoE. It captured Kojima's Gothic style nicely, but at same time it showed people as people and not androgynous prettyboy clones.

Yes, I really prefer the art direction of Order of Ecclesia and Harmony of Dissonance. That's really a good compromise and the artworks has definitely more personality. That results in a very nice intro movie for OoE.

[kaiwai]

I also don't mind the art style of Dragon's Crown either. While it's true that the characters are exaggerated in terms of bodily proportions everything else is fantastic. And it's not like they can't draw out a properly proportioned character anyway.

Of course, the direction that Vanillaware took in the character-design of Dragon's Crown doesn't mean that they can only create deformed characters!! Same for the gameplay and game-design of their titles: a video game studio is supposed to be able to adapt a little bit their formula for every project... since they keep their amazing 2D graphics !! ♥

[Mike Belmont]

Yeah, its true that a Vanillaware game can adapt to a Castlevania one without lose its distinct identity (CV identity). I mentioned Vanillaware´s female characters, but only in the art direction, because in terms of gameplay in their games, they have much potential.

And yes, maybe WayForward doesn´t have perfect games, but I have a lot of fun with its games.

By the way, we are all talking about 2D gameplay, isn´t???