Why FromSoftware Should Develop The Next ‘Castlevania’ Game
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FromSoftware's Elden Ring was a smash hit. For months the internet was littered with character builds, secrets to find in-game, and a never-ending stream of maiden-less memes. However, the Souls formula took a new spin by easing the difficulty by turning the game into an open-world setting that allowed for numerous hours of grinding while still allowing players to enter areas that would otherwise be impossible without a certain amount of skill or being the level appropriate to do so. This, combined with hidden areas, optional bosses, and unique weaponry and armor, led to the thought, "Why not hand over Castlevania to FromSoftware?"
Much to the dismay of fans, Konami has done little to piggyback off the success of the Netflix anime based on their IP aside from anniversary sets and rereleases of previous titles. While it is always fun to revisit favorites in a series, fans have been clamoring for a new release for years. Aside from the short-lived Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls mobile game released in 2019, the last time players experienced a new Castlevania game was almost a decade ago in 2014 with Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2. The Lords of Shadow games were great in their own right but always felt more like God of War than Castlevania. Without Koji Igarashi, the man who spearheaded all of the games after Symphony of the Night, Lords of Shadow never completely won over the hearts of fans. So fans were overjoyed when Igarashi announced he was developing a spiritual successor to the Bloodstained series.
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All three Bloodstained titles have brought back the 2D Castlevania games that were so beloved with great success. With the Curse of the Moon 1 and 2, players can relive the days of the arcade-style adventures of the originals; with Ritual of the Night, players can once again experience how Igarashi put the "vania" in metroid-vania. The one spot left to fill would be the 3D games that never built the same acclaim as their 2D counterparts but are favorites amongst fans. Curse of Darkness was essentially Symphony of the Night in 3D. This is where FromSoftware could come in.
As discussed earlier, the open-world formula in Elden Ring made it feel strikingly similar to the Castlevania games of the past. Grinding to level up yourself and your familiars are staples of the Castlevania open-world series. This, combined with all the points discussed in the opening and the "get good" mentality of Souls games, would create a unique yet familiar experience that MercurySteam tried to emulate in the Lords of Shadows series. Along with the gameplay, FromSoftware's gothic horror character and world design perfectly fit that of Castlevania. The horrific creatures would blend perfectly into Dracula's castle, not to mention the designs their art studios could come up with for characters such as Dracula, Death, Legion, or the Forgotten One.
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As for the story, it would be a mistake for them not to include Igarashi in the process. Much like they had George R.R. Martin flesh out the story for Elden Ring, Igarashi could act in that same role and give them the tools necessary to craft a story that could fit in perfectly with the world he had a big hand in expanding. He is the man who crafted the official timeline, after all.
Imagine, if you will, an opening quite similar to that of Elden Ring. Alucard awakens in his tomb as Dracula has risen again. Upon completing a brief tutorial within the tomb, you reach the doors, and upon exiting, you witness a world torn apart by demons and hellfire as Dracula's castle slowly rises from the depths of the underworld and decimates all around it. First, you witness a man, woman, and child fleeing and fighting as creatures only read about tearing apart their homes.
Next, the world slips into permanent darkness as the moon slowly covers the sun. As you progress through this hellscape, the world becomes darker and more horrid, and Dracula's castle slowly rises until finally reaching the surface in its entirety. Once you have battled through the countryside and defeated the night creatures standing in the way, you'd enter the hallowed halls of Dracula's castle.
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One could only imagine the twisted imagery that FromSoftware could introduce to not only the countryside of Wallachia but also the sections within the castle. An approach similar to Curse of Darkness would fit perfectly into the game, but with more diversity in each section. The science labs could be filled with warped, half-created creatures and mad scientists; the gallery filled with paintings and statues of monsters ready to come to life and end yours; the caverns below with beings slipping through the cracks that haven't seen daylight since its inception; the monastery with bloodied priests and worshippers driven mad; the possibilities are endless.
A few things would have to be tweaked regarding gameplay to mesh into a soulsvania masterpiece. The approach to Elden Ring would be ideal, with a bit more platforming sprinkled throughout. Half of the challenge of Castlevania comes from the platforming and puzzle sections. The difficulty of the Souls games would have to be toned down as it may turn off longtime fans of Castlevania, but this is up to debate as the difficulty of Souls games may just be the refresher the series needs. While the enemy difficulty of Souls should be included, health and powerups being plenty within candlesticks and walls should still be kept.
A balance would have to be met to pull in longtime fans of both gameplay styles, or they could simply introduce difficulty settings that allow fans of both styles to experience a more challenging approach or the support items of plenty approach. Aside from that, the RPG elements would fit perfectly. Finding new weapons and unlocking new abilities is another majorly fun part of Castlevania. Especially when wackier weapons come into play, it's always fun seeing the grim darkness of the series counterbalanced by wacky inclusions of rubber, squeaky mallets, or electric guitars.
Regardless of how FromSoftware could potentially approach the series, it's difficult to imagine it flopping. They increased their fanbase with their latest release, and Castlevania fans are begging for a new, original title. In addition, the two gameplay styles are ripe with the potential for a crossover. If Konami refuses to release a new title, then perhaps it's time to hand over the reins of one of video game's most iconic series to someone who will.
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