It’s been a while since fans have heard anything from theCastlevaniaseries. After Koji Igarashi left Konami in 2014, and Hideo Kojima left in 2015, the spark of life seemed to fade from Konami’s game development side. Aside from a couple re-releases on modern consoles and some mobile games, the house ofCastlevaniahas gone dark. For a while, there were fears that Konami’s classic franchises were simply being left to rot.
However, something has changed in the last few years.Rumors of newSilent Hill,Metal Gear, andCastlevaniagames have been swirling around the internet. It almost feels possible that Konami’s old, beloved franchises can come back to life. Now, the discussion has turned towards which studio is capable of doing these old series justice. There have been many spiritual successors toCastlevaniain the years since its last major entry, so there are plenty of development teams to consider.
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Artplay
The first and most obvious choice for a newCastlevaniastudio is basically the one that already made one: Artplay, developer ofBloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Headed up by Koji Igarashi himself, this team set out to bringCastlevaniaback to life under a different name, and by all accounts succeeded. Like a mixture ofSymphony of the NightandAria of Sorrow,Bloodstainedstands as a testament to what a modernCastlevaniacan be. With new modes and characters still being added, including a classic mode that lets players experiencea new, extra-hard take onCastlevania 1,Bloodstainedcan keepCastlevaniafans more than happy until the next real entry drops.
Inti Creates
One cannot bring upBloodstainedwithout also mentioning Inti Creates’Bloodstained: Curse of the Moonspinoffs. Beginning life as a stretch goal for a retro side game, theCastlevania 3-likeCurse of the Moontitles have become a sister series toBloodstaineditself. Inti Creates is no stranger to tough, old-school 2D platformers. If it was tapped to create a more modernCastlevania-likePortrait of Ruin, Inti’s experience working on theMegaman Zeroseries should inspire confidence in its abilities. Branching out into aSymphony of the Night-like game might even do Inti some good. Regardless, Inti also has a seat at Dracula’s table.
MercurySteam
High on any list of potentialCastlevaniadevelopers is the team responsible for making some of its last games: the Spanish developer MercurySteam. Known primarily for developing theCastlevania: Lords of Shadowtrilogy, it also made a surprise entry in theMetroidseries withMetroid: Samus Returns, a 3DS remake ofMetroid 2: Return of Samus.
While MercurySteam isn’t known for makingCastlevaniagames that bear a strong resemblance to the series’ past, it has proven itself capable of going 2D if need be withCastlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of FateandMetroid:Samus Returns. If Konami continues pushing for a 3DCastlevania, MercurySteam can still bring its 3D dark fantasy expertise to bear, though hopefully with a few less dated trends like quick time events.
FromSoftware
Speaking of 3D dark fantasy, FromSoftware andCastlevaniawould be a match made in heaven. Often considered to be 3D versions ofCastlevaniagames,Dark Soulsrepresents some of the best 3D action-adventure designin the industry. With large, interconnected worlds, deliberate combat, and a huge variety of enemies and areas, it’s easy to see the similarities between the series.
Bloodbornetakes this several steps further with its optional Castle Cainhurst and whip weapons. The former even ends with a rooftop battle against a reaper analog, followed by climbing a set of stairs to find a vampiric noble on their throne. FromSoftware has arguably come as close as Artplay to making aCastlevaniagame already, so it would be a no-brainer to give them a shot at reviving the franchise.
