Can anyone make me like the "new" Castlevania?

[Krawu]

Now, before I start: I do realize that I am not completely, but somewhat alone with my opinion on this.
Ever since I first played Castlevania: Circle of the Moon on GBA, I was in love with this franchise. Action platformers have been my favourite genre of video game ever since, and I have replayed Symphony of the Night, all Castlevanias on GBA and all on Nintendo DS more than once. I also played those that came out on Gameboy, NES and SNES, but preferred those with strong RPG elements. When I heard there was one coming out a Castlevania on PS3, I was going to go buy that console just for this game. Until I saw what they had done with it. They made the same mistake on the N64, and failed horribly. Then one for the 3DS was announced, and I was happy again, because when was Castlevania on a mobile platform ever bad, right? Except for the one on PSP. Then I saw that Mercury Steam Entertainment, the same developer responsible for that atrocity on PS3, was making it. I wanted to give up on the game right then and there, but I read up on some interviews, watched some trailers. Then I wanted it even less. Streamlined on-rails fugly 2.5D horribleness full of quicktime events and other gameplay interruptions like kill moves, shitty voice acting and none of the original flair of the franchise? Yeah it has all of those.
The thing is, I don't want to be old and cranky about it, I WANT to like it, but what they have done with the franchise just pisses me off so much. I just want Castlevania, not some other, in itself maybe even decent game with the name of my favorite franchise nailpistol'd to it. Because that's how it feels to me. What's worse, no new Order of Ecclesia on the horizon, just yet ANOTHER full 3D one on PS3. I know many people like the direction they have taken it, but so far, I definitely am not one of them.
Anyone have anything to say that'll calm me down on this topic, or get me to buy the 3DS one? Because so far, I'm not planning to.


TL;DR: Nerdrage over recent changes to Castlevania franchise, can you guys talk me into liking it again (or hating it less)? Also, discuss.

[Static Transit]

Idk, I haven't really liked Castlevania much since Lament of Innocence (though they did keep making the classic-style games for a bit longer).

[Video Games]

I doubt it will be as bad as lord of shadows but still meh. And if you don't like it then you don't like it. Shitty games have a right to be called out without all these people calling us haters or whiners or whatever the fuck because they like whatever the company puts out no matter how bad it is.

[Static Transit]

I doubt it will be as bad as lord of shadows but still meh. And if you don't like it then you don't like it. Shitty games have a right to be called out without all these people calling us haters or whiners or whatever the fuck because they like whatever the company puts out no matter how bad it is.

Well I won't go as far as to call it shitty, as from an objective viewpoint, it's really not that bad. I just feel it's targeting a different group of gamers than the traditional Castlevania games, and I can't say I like it (there's enough 3D action-adventure games being thrown out there already).

[Crackleslap]

Never even heard of it until Castlevania: Lord of Shadows 2 and now I want it really badly.

[Krawu]

Shitty games have a right to be called out without all these people calling us haters or whiners or whatever the fuck because they like whatever the company puts out no matter how bad it is.

I agree absolutely. But the problem with the Castlevania games Mercury Steam makes is that they aren't necessarily bad as games per se. Many people really liked them, but they are an entirely different type of game, like God of War or Darksiders. It feels like they made some half-decent videogame, and as a method to market their product they somehow aquired the Castlevania name and just shipped it.

[Video Games]

Hey I didn't say it was drake and the 99 dragons bad but good lord was it ever boring and generic. And I know a lot of people liked patrick stewart but I mean come on; one guy's voice acting doesn't make a game ok.

[RicardoZ]

I'm one of those rare and loutish rogues who lurks about in caves and under bridges that thought Simon's Quest was the best game in the entire Castlevania series. I pretty much tuned out from then until Symphony of the Night, as the installments that followed starting with Castlevania 3 went back to the linear platforming of the first one which really didn't interest me very much, not even when I was 7 years old and the box art had a big drop of blood on it. I really liked the GBA CV games too, especially Aria of Sorrow which was a little too anime inspired for my tastes, but was one helluva ride.

Haven't played anything Castlevania more recent than that so I guess I'd have to get caught up before I can comment, but the DS games look like more of the same anime stuff that was Aria's weak point in my book, so I guess I could go either way on them if I ever get around to giving them a spin.

[IdTheDemon]

What they need to do is make a 3d Symphony of the Night.

I haven't played a Castlevania since the first PS2 version and I was pretty disappointed in that.

[Video Games]

I'm one of those rare and loutish rogues who lurks about in caves and under bridges that thought Simon's Quest was the best game in the entire Castlevania series. I pretty much tuned out from then until Symphony of the Night, as the installments that followed starting with Castlevania 3 went back to the linear platforming of the first one which really didn't interest me very much. I really liked the GBA CV games too, especially Aria of Sorrow which was a little too anime inspired for my tastes, but was one helluva ride.

Haven't played anything Castlevania more recent than that so I guess I'd have to get caught up before I can comment, but the DS games look like more of the same anime stuff that was Aria's weak point in my book, so I guess I could go either way on them if I ever get around to giving them a spin.

Ecclesia isn't anime, it uses goth 2d portraits. Having played all the metroidvanina's ad nauseum, I think it's honestly the best one.

[Krawu]

Haven't played anything Castlevania more recent than that so I guess I'd have to get caught up before I can comment, but the DS games look like more of the same anime stuff that was Aria's weak point in my book, so I guess I could go either way on them if I ever get around to giving them a spin.

Yeah, I feel the games with Soma as the main character were kinda made with the more recent cheesy cliché over-the-top Final Fantasy weirdness stories in mind, but they were totally solid as far as gamplay goes. Absolutely try out the DS titles if you haven't played them, they are waaay more fluid than the ones on GBA. The last one on DS, Order of Ecclesia essentially broke free of the Belmont story line, and is my favorite so far because it feels fresh without violating the core gameplay, which is - as stated - my gripe with the Mercury Steam Castlevania titles.

[luckieststrike]

Been a long time since I last played this franchise. Anything to be excited about with this one?