Castlevania game series discussion

[Fierce Deity]

I'm not doubting Lords of Shadow's success, I'm just thinking that another Alucard game could be successful. It doesn't have to be IGA. David Cox could make it, or better yet, Hideo Kojima. I'm just trying to point out that Alucard is a fan favorite. I liked his character in the Aria/Dawn of Sorrow storyline, but I don't think anybody could screw up his character considering his lineage:

MAJOR SPOILERS

[spoiler]Alucard is Dracula spelled backwards.  [/spoiler]

[Baggins]

I think everyone knows what Alucard's name is derived from... BTW, it originates from an old move Son of Dracula...

but I don't think anybody could screw up his character considering his lineage:

You haven't played Legends have you?

[Fierce Deity]

I think everyone knows what Alucard's name is derived from... BTW, it originates from an old move Son of Dracula...

but I don't think anybody could screw up his character considering his lineage:

You haven't played Legends have you?

Can't say that I have. I played Castlevania 3, SOTN, and the Aria/Dawn of Sorrow saga. And those depictions of Alucard were spot-on in my opinion. My perception of the series could be skewed, but I don't think that the original series of Castlevania is over. This reboot was successful and will probably build a brand new series out of Castlevania, but there is still a niche audience that finds the old series appealing, me being a part of that niche audience. I liked IGA's games, regardless of sales or reviews. I can enjoy the new series, but the old series has more than enough potential to continue spitting out new games. Whether they are good or not is clearly debatable though.

[Baggins]

I'd say the biggest problem with Legends, was that it had the female Belmont character essentially shack up with Alucard, and it implies that their son, is Trevor Belmont (or at least the father of Trevor)...

That seemed a little off for Alucard's character for me... It would also make the belmonts all Dhampirs...

I think that, and the fact he didn't think women could be heros in that era, and must all be weak swooning maidens (we'll ignore Joan of Arc for example), that he scrubbed that game from the timeline...

Castlevania 3

Ahh well actually Castlevania 3's depiction was very different really... He's depicated as a standard Hammer film villain... Bela Lugosi style Dracula type character... Very different than the SOTN depiction. That and there wasn't much of a storyline for him in the game.

but there is still a niche audience that finds the old series appealing, me being a part of that niche audience. I liked IGA's games, regardless of sales or reviews. I can enjoy the new series, but the old series has more than enough potential to continue spitting out new games. Whether they are good or not is clearly debatable though.

Oh and don't get me wrong, I love and enjoyed most of IGA's games, even if they were 'low-budget', treated as the 'b or c-quality' games for Konami... I think he did well for what he had to work with... It would have been interesting to see what he could have done, if they had given him a chance on a bigger budget (or at least the same budget Lords of Shadow received)...

I wish he could have gotten the chance to make the 1999 game, or the John Quincy Morris (Dracula novel adaptation) he always talked about doing...

[Fierce Deity]

I was also hoping that he was going to make the 1999 game. In Aria of Sorrow, you keep hearing how Julius had a team of vampire hunters who killed Dracula (or I'm assuming Mathias' incarnation of Dracula) for the final time. It sounded like it would have been an epic game, but he continued with Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia. They weren't bad games, but it's almost like he was deviating from the game that he was tempting fans with.

Also, I know we're past sales, but as far as scores, I went on IGN to see what they posted for the Castlevania games. Pretty interesting.

Order of Ecclesia

Portrait of Ruin

Dawn of Sorrow

These were not a surprise, but . . .

Lament of Innocence

This one shocked me. I wasn't a huge fan of Lament, but I'm thinking the score was good because Lament was leagues better than Castlevania 64.

Lords of Shadow

This is what my opinion originally was. It wasn't a bad game, but it's too similar to a lot of other games in the industry. It's a nice compilation of the elements of God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, and Uncharted, but it's still just that. The story is good though.

Harmony of Despair

This game was not even in my radar because it seemed like a Castle Crashers slapped on a Castlevania template. The score doesn't surprise me, cause the game is designed for mediocrity. I'm sure it sold successfully due to its market. Games on Xbox Live Arcade or the PSN tend to sell well because of the convenience.

Judgement

A Castlevania fighting game. Enough said.

It's comparing apples to oranges, I know. A game's success will differ depending on the price, the system it's on, the generation it's from, etc. But I find it interesting that the more that Konami tries to reinvent the series, the more likely the series will spiral down in quality, Lords of Shadow exempted.

[Baggins]

I thinK lament was more fun as far as an action game.
, and it's more agile combat style...

But I seriously loved the level design and atmosphere and story in Castlevania 64 and Legacy of Darkness (the architecture of the castle was believable)... IMO great adventure games. The cutscenes had interesting camera shots, and I liked the lesser vampire enemies. The Villa alone was worth the admission. The game reminded me of a playable Hammer film...

But ya the controls were kinda clunky in an early Castlevania kinda way... It also had alot of the early castlevania platforming elements.

(Posted on: September 10, 2011, 01:37:49 PM)

Speaking of other reasons I think improved the story in Lords of Shadow, are the long backstories for nearly every creature and boss in the game... Plus backstories you discover by searching the dead knights throughout the game...

No previous Castlevania game has taken the time to develop rich backstories for nearly every element in the game.

A Castlevania fighting game. Enough said.

It's comparing apples to oranges, I know. A game's success will differ depending on the price, the system it's on, the generation it's from, etc. But I find it interesting that the more that Konami tries to reinvent the series, the more likely the series will spiral down in quality, Lords of Shadow exempted.

That being said, although it limits the fighting to those restricted short levels/arenas, the fighting style is very similar to past 3D castlevania games by IGA (particularly in Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness). Even going so far to toss the occasional lesser enemies at you taken from the earlier 3D games. The adventure mode is actually kinda fun as well!

The game basically feels like IGA took Castlevania and the Boss Rush modes, and combined them into a single game...

I personally say it definitely feels like a Castlevania game... Though the art style is hit and miss...

If you want to compare apples to oranges, compare SOTN to the other Castlevania game, you never brought up;

Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night.

[Fierce Deity]

Castlevania Puzzle, was another estranged attempt for Konami to reach out to a demographic that was not there. I would toss it in with Harmony of Despair, easily.

Although, the one thing I liked about Judgement was the character Aeon, and his story. The story wasn't too bad, all things considered.

The only reason I brought up the statement "apples to oranges" was cause I was comparing games from two different generations. Times were different back then, but now, I feel like gamers are spoiled and require more for a game to be good. Yet, a simple-minded shooter with a generic multiplayer experience can sell millions worldwide. Go figure. If they released Lords of Shadow ten years ago, despite the graphics being ahead of its time, the gameplay would impress gamers tenfold. But now, all you are going to hear is "God of War clone" because the series is "playing it safe". It's not that the game is bad by any means, it's that the industry is spoiled.

[Baggins]

Harmony of Despair, easily.

I've played Harmony of despair it is very much a castlevania game, actually it's pretty much the two player mode/level editor mode from Order if Ecclesia (or was it Portrait of Ruin), on steroids. Basically it combines all the DS/GBa games characters and gameplay into one. It still has the RPG elements, the random item drops (weapons, armor, gear), secret areas, the similar castles ect. The only diff is you can choose to play it with close ups of each section of the castle like the old castlevania or zoom out to see the rest of the castle (this is mainly for the purpose of tactical reasons and replaces the metroid style map).do

The game can be played single player like a traditional castlevania or multiplayer co-op or competitively.

Btw there is a free demo that let's you try out a character or two and one of the random generated castles.

The only thing the game doesn't have is a story (other than maybe a brief description as to why all the characters are coming together), but IGA and most fans knew that with his games story is secondary to the gameplay.

Basically the game involves collecting better armor/weapons etc, and leveling up  your character, so that you improve your character each time you play the game...This helps you get stronger and stronger and capable on taking on tougher bosses and enemies in later random generated castles.

The game uses the same engine, though enhanced a bit used in the DS games...


(Posted on: September 11, 2011, 11:09:03 AM)

Btw, another couple of games you didn't bring up Castlevania Chronicles on the playstatiob (remake of an obscure Castlevania 1 remake), Castlevania Chronicles for the PSP (rondo remake), and the remake of Castlevania Adventure on the wii!

Absolutely awesome remakes of the old school games (the ones I grew up on), nearly just as unforgiving in difficulty, new castle designs, new traps... With Chronicles he expanded the story of the original even... Those were gifts to the fans that felt Castlevania had strayed from it's roots, and given us way too many RPG games. I love the RPG games, but it's nice to get some old school loving once in a while...

[Fierce Deity]

The only thing the game doesn't have is a story

That's what bothered me. The gameplay was fine, and it was fun considering that the game was garnered towards a multiplayer experience. But it wasn't bringing anything new to the table. It was like a Castlevania Puzzle or a Castlevania fighting game. They aren't bad games, they just aren't adding anything to the series, Just gameplay, no story.

Btw, another couple of games you didn't bring up Castlevania Chronicles on the playstatiob (remake of an obscure Castlevania 1 remake), Castlevania Chronicles for the PSP (rondo remake), and the remake of Castlevania Adventure on the wii!

Absolutely awesome remakes of the old school games (the ones I grew up on), nearly just as unforgiving in difficulty, new castle designs, new traps... With Chronicles he expanded the story of the original even... Those were gifts to the fans that felt Castlevania had strayed from it's roots, and given us way too many RPG games. I love the RPG games, but it's nice to get some old school living once in a while...

I agree, those remakes are amazing and bring back a whole lot of nostalgia. I loved the Castlevania Chronicles for PSP. Cause once you were done, you could play SOTN, and see the full story through to the end.

[Baggins]

They also tossed in the original Rondo of Blood, which previously didn't have an American release!

That's what bothered me. The gameplay was fine, and it was fun considering that the game was garnered towards a multiplayer experience. But it wasn't bringing anything new to the table. It was like a Castlevania Puzzle or a Castlevania fighting game. They aren't bad games, they just aren't adding anything to the series, Just gameplay, no story.

Frankly, most of IGA games weren't bringing anything new to the table... They are pretty much regurgitations of the same RPG metroid engine, over and over, with new characters... That's really one of the biggest complaints by most of the gaming critics, and many of the fans (who wanted something more old school, but with new ideas)...

Though I'd argue that Order of Ecclessia kinda went old school in one way, as far as how it split the levels up into individual levels, as opposed to one super metroid map...

Judgment was an 'attempt at bringing something new', but it really doesn't. The storyline threading between the various characters, was generally pretty interesting... Cornell is probably my favorite character in the game... Seriously wish he had his moves in that game back in Legacy of Darkness, . But the actual gameplay didn't stray much from any other 3D castlevania game (other than keeping the action in short arena levels), its still strictly tied to its action-adventure roots...

Harmony of Dispair, is basically the DS RPG games regurgited again, and mashed together for a multiplayer experience (ripped from the multiplayer experience included in one of the last DS games)... But its the same action-adventure game basically...

There is no way I would compare Castlevania Puzzle to rest of the series... It doesn't even have any similar gameplay whatsoever! It's basically Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine remade with a Castlevania coat of paint... It's not really an attempt to 'bring something new', since its so completely different than anything in Castlevania genre... It's not an action-adventure, or an action-game...