Castlevania whips back onto consoles
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Producer Dave Cox explains why Lords of Shadows 2 will bring fresh blood to the series.
Castlevania whips back onto consoles
© Konami
Konami's Castlevania series has been a part of gaming lore since the days of the Nintendo Entertainment System - in fact it was and was one of the killers franchises which helped that console take on all challengers and swallow up the majority of the North American market in the late '80s and early '90s.
However, like so many 8-bit success stories, this legendary vampire-slaying series has struggled to remain relevant in the shift to 3D. 1997's PlayStation outing Castlevania: Symphony of the Night represented a highpoint, but was followed by some dismal 3D entries which ensured a slow and painful fall from commercial grace.
That depressing turn of events was dramatically reversed by 2010's Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, a drastic reinvention of the franchise's core themes which - according to Konami - is the best-selling instalment in the entire lineage. Developed by Spanish studio MercurySteam, the game successfully fused the traditional Castlevania experience with elements borrowed from God of War to create a title which pleased critics and players alike, but left a sour taste in the mouths of some lifelong fans.
Castlevania producer Dave Cox admits that it's difficult to please everyone all of the time, especially now that the series has a legion of entirely new fans thanks to Lords of Shadow. "It's a fine line for sure," he tells Red Bull. "But we have tried very hard to keep the core ideas of the series intact. There are always some people you are never going to please, but the important point is that we managed to grow the fan base, create the most successful Castlevania game in the series history and make Castlevania relevant to a mass market again. The critical acclaim was welcome, but the overall success means we achieved our objective to reinvent the series."
Castlevania
© Konami
If you haven't yet played the original Lords of Shadow, you might want to look away now in case we ruin the twist for you - hero Gabriel Belmont becomes the Dracula you control in this sequel. Lords of Shadow 2 sees his tortuous journey to the dark side complete, meaning that the game is the first in the history of the franchise to put you in control of the legendary Dark Prince himself. This in itself is quite a stylistic leap for Castlevania, and is something Cox admits caused some headaches during development. After all, how do you make controlling such a badass character satisfying? If he’s too powerful, suddenly there’s no challenger and it’s no fun to play. Too weak, and you’ve tarnished a legend by turning him into a wimp.
"We had to be careful not to make Dracula overpowered and yet still feel like Gabriel," he explains. "We focused very hard on balancing the enemies so that Dracula’s abilities made sense. The story was always planned from the beginning, and making an epic, tragic story that had depth and allowed the character to move away from one-dimensional to multi-faceted was always our objective. We didn't want to portray Dracula as just pure evil, so it was important on the one hand to make him do bad things but give him a viable reason to be doing these things."
That's not to say that Lords of Shadow 2's blood-sucking anti-hero is going to be as soft and loveable as recent vampire protagonists in popular media - Twilight’s shoegazing heartthrob Edward Cullen being the chief offender. If anything, it was one of Cox's aims to create a genuinely scary representation of Dracula, and in turn make vampires terrifying again.
"We had the character in mind whilst developing the original game, so many design decisions were made then," he says. "We considered what the original Dracula in Castlevania games was able to do and we built the powers and abilities from there. We wanted to draw on vampire mythology but we also wanted a modern interpretation of a vampire. We felt vampires had become a bit soft in recent film and media and tried to make Dracula grittier and darker, more akin to the horror movies I grew up on."
Castlevania
© Konami
Putting Dracula at the forefront has forced Konami and MercurySteam to tinker with the core mechanics of the franchise - the Belmont clan's famous Vampire Killer whip and Combat Cross are both out of bounds, so our lead must resort to other means of attack - although there are obvious similarities. "Dracula uses the Shadow Whip, which is his main weapon and is used to soften enemies and build focus. He alternates this with the Void Sword and Chaos Claws, both of which are entirely new. The Void Sword recoups life while the Chaos Claws break enemy defences The weapons have other attributes and abilities too which help in combat and exploration. Relic and other items add a boost to Dracula’s innate vampiric abilities too."
Another big difference is the setting. The bulk of Lords of Shadow 2 takes place in a modern city, where Dracula has awoken from his slumber in a withered state and must regain his strength to combat Satan's return. While this news may set alarm bells ringing for stalwart fans, Cox explains that the setting won't be all that jarring when compared to the traditional Castlevania experience. "We designed the city based on European cities, where old and new live together in harmony," he explains. "You won't be seeing a city like New York, but a city that feels like it belongs in the Castlevania universe. In this game, Dracula’s castle and the city are in fact one big entity, with both merging into each other. It makes for believable gothic environment that feels like it belongs."
This new environment calls for new technology; MercurySteam has been hard at work overhauling the game engine and make things even more striking and immersive. "This time around we have a free camera system which allows a greater freedom for exploration," Cox reveals. "The game is no longer linear and has a world that grows as you explore. It's seamless with zero loading and plenty of opportunities to revisit areas finding new secrets. We have more offensive options and a new mastery system that allows you to level up your weapons, giving players a greater sense of owning the character and playing a way that suits them." Of the improvements made, Cox believes that the open world is going to delight fans the most. "I think the greater emphasis on exploration will address many player requests from the previous game. We have beefed up and refined the combat system but I think exploring this unique world will be the big pay off."
Castlevania
© Konami
The enhancements made in Lords of Shadow 2 are a direct result of the feedback gained from the first title, Cox says. "The linearity of the previous game was a strength, but also a weakness too. I think this game will certainly give players the feeling that they are playing a much improved sequel. We have tried to build the engine to facilitate a combat system that is faster and more responsive than the previous game, making Dracula feel much more powerful." It's a challenge that will keep players glued to their systems for longer than the original, too - almost twice as long, Cox claims. "From our playtests with first-time users, we estimate it will take approximately twenty hours for the main story and up to thirty hours with other game modes, which are yet to be announced."
Fans that are displeased with the modern-day setting and controversial identity of the main character may be pacified by the fact that some famous faces from Castlevania's illustrious history will be given roles in the game. The most notable of which is Dracula's wayward son, Alucard - the half-human, half-vampire lead of Symphony of the Night who was recently re-imagined for 2013's Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate on the Nintendo 3DS, a game which served as a bridge between the original Lords of Shadow and this impending sequel. Konami is once again calling upon an enviable selection of Hollywood talent to bring these characters to life, including Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting), Patrick Stewart (Star Trek), Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) and Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter).
Those who followed the development of the original Lords of Shadow may wish to know if Kojima Productions is involved this time around. Founded by Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima, the Japanese studio helped shape the first game and was rightly given a co-development credit as a result. Cox confirms that Kojima Productions is not involved this time around, wryly commenting that Kojima himself appears to be busy with "a little game called Metal Gear Solid V." Ah well, you can’t have everything.
Like the original Lords of Shadow, the sequel will be coming to the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Cox explains that there are currently no plans for a next-generation version. "The story began on this generation and its fitting that it ends on it. We spent a lot of time developing this game trying to improve on the original, bringing it to next gen would have meant a further delay." However, Cox reveals that MercurySteam does have some plans for the PS4 and Xbox One, and that its next project will be hitting those systems, but won't be taking place in the Castlevania universe - Lords of Shadow 2 will be the Spanish company's last contribution to the franchise.
As for where the series goes from here, Cox is unsure - but he's keen to see a fresh take, just like the one he and MercurySteam delivered back in 2010. "I think who ever takes up the torch after us should go with their heart and try to bring their vision of the series."
