Sony Santa Monica game director Eric Williams, the man who helmed the critically-acclaimed God of War Ragnarök, has stated that he'd love to work on a Castlevania game next.
Speaking on the Kinda Funny Games Spoilercast (thanks, VGC), Williams said:
You guys can make it happen, because you have the audience of the world here… I don’t know what I’m doing next, but if somebody gives me that Castlevania license, we would love to make that.
Castlevania is one of Konami's longest-running franchises, but we haven't had a new mainline entry since 2014's divisive Lords of Shadow 2, which, like its forerunner, was developed by external studio MercurySteam.
In fact, outside of some collections of classic titles, Castlevania is perhaps most famous today for its Netflix adaptation, which ran for four series. Another series, set during the Rondo of Blood era, is on the way.
Konami has allowed several of its key franchises to lay dormant, but, as VGC reported last year, it would seem that is now changing, with the Japanese company now open to the idea of external studios working on its IP. Silent Hill 2, for example, is being remastered by Bloober Team.
In the same report last year, VGC also stated that a Castlevania reboot was in the works – but as an internal project at one of Konami's Japanese studios.
[source videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 4
I would love to see an entirely new take on Castelvania. While I love the 2D Metroidvanias, and ALSO want those to resume, it would be great to see this series bought into the modern age in the same way Mario 64, Ocarina and Metroid Prime did for those franchises. Castlevania's 3D entries never quite nailed the new formula in the same way. While I personally loved Lords of Shadow as a game, it wasn't a good Castlevania game.
Sony Santa Monica have shown again and that they are in the top tier in the field and always push the bar. Would be great to see this, but sadly never going to happen
At this stage though i'd take almost ANYTHING Castlevania... beacuse Konami are the worst.
Absolutely love Castlevania, especially the originals from the Nes, Snes, PC Engine, Megadrive. Never really enjoyed anything after that. Never liked the Metroidvania design and the jump to 3D. Maybe it can be done properly in 3D in the right hands. Or just make another classic 2D Castlevania again!!
A little funny, since "Lords of Shadow" is basically a "God of War"-rip-off. A very good one at that, but it doesn't really convey the spirit of "Castlevania" in my eyes.
I'm not sure how an ideal new "Castlevania" could look like. There are some genuine rivals mostly from the indie-scene in the 2D-action-platformer/metroidvania department. So, they have to show some serious ambition if they want to make a 2D-"Castlevania" stand out.
For a 3D-"Castlevania" structurally and mechanically I think of something like "Arkham Asylum" and "Tomb Raider" (2013). High emphasis on fighting, not open-world, but still with a lot of platforming and exploration, even a few puzzles or also Metroidvania progression. But the combat system should be simple and not super deep and complex like in a character action-game (like "Lords of Shadow" or the "God of War" games tend to be), but still with enough depth and variety. More like the 3D-"Zeldas".
And first and foremost the atmosphere should be right. Don't forget a little bit of humour. And don't make it a gritty cinematic action epic, like every First-Party Playstation game nowadays. Somehow I don't think the series could be handled properly by a non-Japanese Studio (yet, by Konami either).
But proof me wrong. And especially just do it! Make that game!
Oh yeah, let's have edgy, dark-father Dracula with edgier teen-Alucard in a game /s
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