Topic: What "lacked" to make Castlevania a mainstream ip?

[olrox2]

You forget the unfamous point and lcick series of Dracula games on PC.

I think the main reason there is no Dracula Game is it seems hard to make something consistant around Dracula, you cant just throw him like this in a random shooter ip.

Castlevania used Dracula when games didnt have complex and long stories. Nowadays to make a good Dracula game you would need talented people. and Castlevanias is already using the romantic backgroundof Dracula, no Publisher is gonna risk money like this.

[darkwzrd4]

Seeing how we have talked about what CV has lacked preventing it from being mainstream, how about discussing what could make it mainstream?

I'm no game developer, but I do have an idea for a new CV game separate from all the others. Basically, you play as Dracula trying to reclaim his castle which has been taken over by a new species of vampire who aren't hurt by the sun. They only sparkle and are so emo.

As far as gameplay would go, you have your chose between two versions of Dracula: Classic Mage like in the early games where he would teleport/fireball routine; Warrior like Gabula in LoS2. Just imagine tearing through "team Edward" as either version of Dracula and reclaiming the castle from those freaking sparkling beings who give vampires a bad name. For someone like me who hates twilight and feels that it ruined vampires, I think it would be a lot of fun regardless of if it had a strong story or not.

[theANdROId]

I'm pretty sure what I feel as I read your post is an aura of sarcasm...but nonetheless, I think I would buy and play such a game if it existed! ;-P

[theplottwist]

Seeing how we have talked about what CV has lacked preventing it from being mainstream, how about discussing what could make it mainstream?

I'm no game developer, but I do have an idea for a new CV game separate from all the others. Basically, you play as Dracula trying to reclaim his castle which has been taken over by a new species of vampire who aren't hurt by the sun. They only sparkle and are so emo.

As far as gameplay would go, you have your chose between two versions of Dracula: Classic Mage like in the early games where he would teleport/fireball routine; Warrior like Gabula in LoS2. Just imagine tearing through "team Edward" as either version of Dracula and reclaiming the castle from those freaking sparkling beings who give vampires a bad name. For someone like me who hates twilight and feels that it ruined vampires, I think it would be a lot of fun regardless of if it had a strong story or not.

A Castlevania game where you play as Dracula, for me, feels like a Smash Bros game where Ridley has been made playable through rescaling his sprite and nerfing his powers. I simply can't feel it. It happened with LoS2. I can't see Gabriel as Dracula. I simply can't. He'll always be Gabriel. Dracula doesn't exude warrior-esque feels, and thus I can't see him walking, running, attacking melee, flinching. I dunno, doesn't feel right.

As you proposed, here I go.
How to make Castlevania mainstream:

-Make the protagonist mute and characterless. Let the player sympathize with the character. Make it's gender and class selectable, too. Male or Female, Vampire Hunter (Whip), Warrior (Swords/Flails), Mage (Magic). Yeah, make it like "The Arcade".

-Make it disconnected from the main timeline. People won't play Castlevania because of the sheer size of the franchise. It scares people. See how LoS fared? That's because it felt so much disconnected that people received it as being a completelly new game. It felt new. (However, new doesn't mean good).

-Add Alucard somewhere.

-Advertise the game as a [movietrailerannouncervoice]"New epic take on the classic gothic tale of Dracula!", "Explore a vast universe ravaged by darkness!", "Face hellish creatures in relentless combat!", "Customize your hero with relics and weapons to crush your foes!"[/movietrailerannouncervoice]. Yeah, advertise it like a MMO;

-Add tutorials in between loading screens. Bitches love tutorials in between loading screens.

-Make the story have as much relationship with real world events as possible, and incorporate in it actual events as much as possible.

-Make Dracula witty, snarky, but evil to the core. Make people love to hate him.

I think that's all.

[theANdROId]

"Castlevania MMO" ...interesting.  Because of my CV obsession, I did (often!) suggest to PlayNC that they add whips to the Scrapper and Tanker weapon selection in the "City of..." games.  Sadly, it never happened.

I like what you're suggesting though.  (Although, I guess my obsession might lead me to like almost anything suggested at this point...almost anything...just to have something.

[X]

"Castlevania MMO" ...interesting.  Because of my CV obsession, I did (often!) suggest to PlayNC that they add whips to the Scrapper and Tanker weapon selection in the "City of..." games.  Sadly, it never happened.

Interestingly enough they have chains that you can whip around in Champions Online. I made Sonia Belmont in that one, lol.

[darkwzrd4]

I'm pretty sure what I feel as I read your post is an aura of sarcasm...but nonetheless, I think I would buy and play such a game if it existed! ;-P

Well, I guess I could say it was half sarcasm and half serious. I guess it could be a stand alone game that took place in the CV universe, but separate from existing games. Just something that was different and could be fun for a certain group of people (*cough twilight haters cough*).

Considering that Twilight seems to have single-handedly killed that image of vampires as scary monsters, it would be nice to restore that scary image vampires once had.

Hell, throw the Belmonts in their too. Have them hunt this new threat.

[Mike Belmont]

Seeing how we have talked about what CV has lacked preventing it from being mainstream, how about discussing what could make it mainstream?

Eh, I think that I missunderstand the topic of this thread . That`s the reason for my last post.

A Castlevania game where you play as Dracula, for me, feels like a Smash Bros game where Ridley has been made playable through rescaling his sprite and nerfing his powers. I simply can't feel it. It happened with LoS2. I can't see Gabriel as Dracula. I simply can't. He'll always be Gabriel. Dracula doesn't exude warrior-esque feels, and thus I can't see him walking, running, attacking melee, flinching. I dunno, doesn't feel right.

Totally agree with you. When I see the first ingame gameplay, I asked to me, why, if I see Dracula in the game, why he have a whip? Yes, I know that he "inherit" the whip when he destroy it at the end of the first game, am I wrong? When I play the demo, I feel exactly like controlling Gabriel from the first LoS. I would prefer that Gabula fights only with his sword, and uses Dracula`s powers: a better bat form, more fireballs, real flying... you know, that things that a vampire like Dracula does. In fact, I simply don`t like that Gabriel becomes Dracula in first place .

Considering that Twilight seems to have single-handedly killed that image of vampires as scary monsters, it would be nice to restore that scary image vampires once had.

Oh, yeah, I miss that days were vampires were real vampires. And now, lets see how the future new Dracula "another story" movie goes ...

[Nagumo]

-Make the protagonist mute and characterless. Let the player sympathize with the character. Make it's gender and class selectable, too. Male or Female, Vampire Hunter (Whip), Warrior (Swords/Flails), Mage (Magic). Yeah, make it like "The Arcade".

-Make it disconnected from the main timeline. People won't play Castlevania because of the sheer size of the franchise. It scares people. See how LoS fared? That's because it felt so much disconnected that people received it as being a completelly new game. It felt new. (However, new doesn't mean good).

I'm not sure if you were being ironic here, but I really like that idea, and I thought of something similar.

I tried to come up with a system where the player's abilities were based on the equipment that is being worn. For example, if you want to change into a mage class you dress up in blue robes, or you can collect Simon's gear from SCIV or something. Seems to me like something the developers could have fun with and it could lead to some nice fan service.   

Also, about being disconnected from the timeline, Castlevania would probably benefit more from having less of a story. Instead they could focus more on lore and make the world more interesting and immersive. So having a mute protagonist would work well in combination with that idea. Less is more, and all that.

[theANdROId]

While I generally like a good story in a game, I agree removing it would work with CV.  I don't think it would hurt if there is a little bit of story, or if the character speaks some...I think what was in SotN was a good amount of each, but beyond that they started adding more.  Again, I never minded it but for the suggested idea I personally wouldn't add any more than was in SotN.

[olrox2]

Its hard to define the tone of the series: its not really a lighter and softer series, and not something "darker and edgier" either.

I think it would be nice if it went darker. It will never be as family friendly as a mario games(-because castle+vampires will keep away parents who want light content for their children) sot it should go all grim dark.

But in a different way than PS2 and Los Games. A mastered dark story can please people and sell well.

[theANdROId]

It will never be as family friendly as a mario games(-because castle+vampires will keep away parents who want light content for their children) sot it should go all grim dark.

I'd still hope they are careful not to go too dark though...just personal preference.  The bloodier/darker games get, I just don't like them.  They just become stupid somehow...sorry to those who like that kind of thing.  Although, I do love Eternal Darnkess, which seems fairly dark to me, so maybe it just has to be done "just right" or something?

[Claimh Solais]

I would seriously love a new "spooky" Castlevania game, rather than a "horror"-ish one. You know, maybe a Mega Man: Powered Up-esque remake of CV1 or CV3.

[TheouAegis]

i feel i couldnt struggle long nowadays with such a difficulty level, unless i have quicksaves

The old CVs weren't that hard. Tough, yes, but not too difficult. My buddy never played Castlevania but downloaded CV4 and Rondo on his Wii after I kept pestering him to play the series (and of course he loved both games). He beat CV4 and gave up on Rondo after that goddamn boss rush fight with Shaft. By comparison to Shaft's fight, the other old CV games were a bit of a cakewalk.

[X]

I'd still hope they are careful not to go too dark though...just personal preference.  The bloodier/darker games get, I just don't like them.  They just become stupid somehow...sorry to those who like that kind of thing.  Although, I do love Eternal Darnkess, which seems fairly dark to me, so maybe it just has to be done "just right" or something?

I would seriously love a new "spooky" Castlevania game, rather than a "horror"-ish one. You know, maybe a Mega Man: Powered Up-esque remake of CV1 or CV3.

I agree with these above. And to me it seems that Castlevania was at it's absolute best when it was the classic horror, campy Halloween-esque series we grew up with. Personally it should have stayed there.