Topic: Was N64 the perfect concept for 3D Castlevania?

[KaZudra]

Castlevania 64 and Legacy of Darkness are short from being perfect, but I'm pretty compelled to say that it's still the best attempt to translate Castlevania into 3D.
The classic elements were all there, classic platforming, precision and timing, but it wasn't executed too well, but the real question is why did Konami just decided to partially clone Devil May Cry and God of War for later titles instead of refining this formula?

I mean Legacy of Darkness is STILL good, while the other 3D vanias range from terrible to pretty good, none really filled the shoes as well as the N64 titles.

[zangetsu468]

Castlevania 64 and Legacy of Darkness are short from being perfect, but I'm pretty compelled to say that it's still the best attempt to translate Castlevania into 3D.
The classic elements were all there, classic platforming, precision and timing, but it wasn't executed too well, but the real question is why did Konami just decided to partially clone Devil May Cry and God of War for later titles instead of refining this formula?

I mean Legacy of Darkness is STILL good, while the other 3D vanias range from terrible to pretty good, none really filled the shoes as well as the N64 titles.

Legacy of Darkness is the best rendition of 3D Castlevania in my opinion.
- Right amount of narrative + tying into CV64
- Improves on a game which was slightly flawed in all the right ways
- Improves levels from 64 such as the clocktower
- Actually has instantaneous pitfall deaths, none of that "lose energy" bullshit
- Cornell is fucking badass
- Gets the eeriness, ambience and ost just right

LOI is not really a DMC clone as such, its gameplay is simpler and it's AI isn't fantastic. It would have been better if there was a purpose for a long combo system, otherwise you end up using simple attacks and subweapons/ orbs moreso. Though I dug the bossfights and it kinda does work for them. OST is great and probably one of the most faithful to the feeling of the series. The actual gameplay just lacked more punishing elements and enemies from older CV's.

I really liked playing through COD and it has a lot of fun and redeeming factors as well as one of the best ost's imo. But the characters move too slowly and the platforming amd combat has been dummed down even more than LOI. At least there are more variety of weapons and the ID's make the game fun and interesting. Again just lacking something core to CV.

LOD is the only one that gets it right through and through on all fronts.

[Abnormal Freak]

Legacy of Darkness still feels to me the most Castlevania-y of all the 3D games. I never exactly got why the other attempts went combo-hit hack and slash.

Call me crazy but when I think N64 greats, LOD is among them.

[Inccubus]

I agree about LoD mostly.
The soundtrack was better than CV64, but still leaned a little too much towards ambience.
Everything else was good, but lacked polish.

Some think Dark Souls is a good conceptual base for a 3D CV, and I agree as far as the environments and overall atmosphere.
But it would need to have a very different core game play and music.
The story telling style I think would work great, though.

Combining the two and adding an OST akin to LoI could end up in a "perfect" 3D CV experience.