My thoughts on Castlevania: Harmony of Despair

[Deleted]

Aug 9, 2010 10:11:20 GMT -5 @robertagilmour said:

So he was behind this?

It's my understanding he was, at least in a producer's capacity. It seems almost like something Konami farmed out to a couple of lily white MUGEN fanboys in a basement somewhere, doesn't it?

I still enjoy the DS/GBA games, but the series is in the same rut as Harvest Moon...same fucking game over and over and over and over (not to mention the recycling). They're still worth playing, and I found myself still buying them, but jeez...at least HM has the Rune Factory spinoff series, which is a pretty decent game with some new elements and ideas.

[deemer]

I'll defend it. Prepare to be mind-numbed.

I'm not going insult you guys by accusing you of "not getting it." I just think you are ascribing motivations behind the creation of the game and taking offense to that. This was never intended to be "the next Castlevania"; it was never intended to be an all-new anything. As I understand it, Igarashi had the idea to stitch the rooms from the DS games into a large image to fill the HD TV screen. He was granted a minor budget by Konami to throw something together. It is meant to be a quick, grindy, co-op game, not an epic adventure, nor an exploratory fun-house. This is a Konami-sponsored, official fan-game.

If you don't like how it plays or what it is, that's completely understandable. I bought it, I like it, I've had a lot of fun with it the past few days.

[Ike]

Aug 9, 2010 11:35:14 GMT -5 deemer said:

I'll defend it. Prepare to be mind-numbed.

I'm not going insult you guys by accusing you of "not getting it." I just think you are ascribing motivations behind the creation of the game and taking offense to that. This was never intended to be "the next Castlevania"; it was never intended to be an all-new anything. As I understand it, Igarashi had the idea to stitch the rooms from the DS games into a large image to fill the HD TV screen. He was granted a minor budget by Konami to throw something together. It is meant to be a quick, grindy, co-op game, not an epic adventure, nor an exploratory fun-house. This is a Konami-sponsored, official fan-game.

If you don't like how it plays or what it is, that's completely understandable. I bought it, I like it, I've had a lot of fun with it the past few days.

So to recap: Konami, a multi-million dollar video game company, takes one of its most beloved franchises and releases a game that even you admit is of the caliber of a fan game. And charges 15 dollars for it. Plus god knows how much else for the upcoming DLC. Not only that, but they reserve basically the entire Belmont family, the ones the fans wanted from the start, and will charge you even more to play as those fan-favorite characters.

How can this be construed as anything but a slap in the face?

[deemer]

This game is a snack and you're insulted that it is not a meal.

[susanismyalias]

When you've been eating the same food over and over again you tend to get sick of it

[deemer]

Sorry, that came off a bit more curt than I wanted it to. This whole thing isn't worth getting angry about. I'm a total glutton for Castlevania, so I eat this stuff up with a spoon. There's no accounting for taste. [elongated food analogy, etc]

[Ike]

Aug 9, 2010 12:04:34 GMT -5 deemer said:

This game is a snack and you're insulted that it is not a meal.

I'd really compare it more to a restaurant charging me for day-old leftovers and pretending they're giving me a discount.

Then charging me for sauce.

[deemer]

Think of it as breakfast hash.

[thethird]

This is a really good analogy, guys. Please don't stop.

[Rash]

I agree with most of you on both sides of the discussion, but in defense of my purchase I must state:

I've spent $15 on far, far worse.

It's no mystery that Castlevania reuses baddies and level sprites. In HD, I could care less because it's not a full Castlevania experience, but on games like Portait of Ruin you'd think they could of at least tried to make some fresh enemies.

[rorshacma]

Aug 9, 2010 12:15:41 GMT -5 deemer said:

Think of it as breakfast hash.

Which should be one of the cheapest items on the menu. When Live Arcade has so many other games that were actually built from the ground up going for the same price or less, is there any reason why we should have to pay $15+ for this particular piece of stale scraps?

[robertagilmour]

I think the price is the main issue. If it were a quarter of the price I dont think anyone would be that angry.

It is possible Konami are in trouble and are looking for a quick buck, since the Metal Gear, Castlevania and Silent Hill cash cows have started to get people angry or less interested.

Pro Evolution always does well, but they need to put some more push into Frogger, ZOE, Suikoden, Contra, Mystical Ninja and Gradius.

Could someone fill me in about Kojima stating MGS4 was his last and what happened since then? I didnt really keep up, there has been two games since then, Kojima did one, is that his last? Is it ever going to finish?

[deemer]

I figure the reason it costs $15 is that you have money, and they want it.

Of course I wish it were cheaper, that's true about everything, but that's the price of all the Summer of Arcade games. So it goes.

[justjustin]

What an age we live in where people claim a game isn't supposed to be good, and equate quality with price. Would the game be better if it was more or less expensive? No, wouldn't change a thing. Would it be worse if Igarashi said it's a sequel to Symphony of the Night? No, the game remains the same regardless of how its marketed.

And since when does economic figures, or quotes from a developer change whether a game is good or bad? Since never. I don't know where this brainwashing process started, but I can only guess from the lowest class of idiot marketers pushing "bang for your buck" mentality. Now the players believe it! And thanks to that, games are created around this thinking pattern... doesn't stop them from being piles of crap, though.

[Warchief Onyx]

Harmony of Despair is scrapple. All the leftover scraps left from other things, and it tastes like crap.