Quantcast

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair Sounds Off On PlayStation 3 In September

By Ishaan . August 20, 2011 . 3:31pm

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair Sounds Off On PlayStation 3 In September 

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair for PlayStation 3 has a release window. Konami announced at Gamescom that the digital download game will be available in September.

 

Harmony of Despair on PlayStation 3 includes the DLC from the Xbox Live Arcade version. This includes additional characters like Julius Belmont and Yoko Belnades, and “Beauty, Desire, Situation Dire” (Pyramid of Ruin) DLC map.

 

Also present in the PlayStation 3 version are a local 4-player co-op mod and 6-player online. Konami released a few new screenshots as well:

 

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair Sounds Off On PlayStation 3 In September Castlevania: Harmony of Despair Sounds Off On PlayStation 3 In September Castlevania: Harmony of Despair Sounds Off On PlayStation 3 In September Castlevania: Harmony of Despair Sounds Off On PlayStation 3 In September


Read more stories about & & & on Siliconera.

  • PrinceHeir

    awesome been waiting for this :)

    will buy it for sure.

    oh konami…
    …
    ..
    ……
    …….

    Otomedius Excellence

    nuff said :)

  • eilegz

    now i hope that after this iga san start making another 2d castlevania but for 3ds

    • http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/members/55321.html FinalArcadia

      We’ve GOT to be due for a new 2D Castlevania by now. They should include Aeon from Castlevania: Judgment, since he kind of got ripped off only appearing in a (I believe) non-canon fighting game.

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Wayne-LaBranch/100002132711844 Wayne LaBranch

        Yeah that was his only appearance, it be cool if we saw him again 

        • Guest

          Yeah he’s pretty cool guy. Not afraid of anything n stuff

          • Testsubject909

            He makes an interesting character. Though I’m unsure if you should categorize him as either a possible villain or possible ally or even as his own playable character… If the last one, it would be quite an interesting, highly interesting idea… Though we’re also due for a Belmont…

            Or how about Julius huh?

      • PrinceHeir

        nice to see people know Aeon :)

        honestly would love to see his group appear more(it is believe he’s in the same group as St Germaine of Castlevania Curse of Darkness. or it could be that he IS St Germain only different look; ala Genya Arikado)

        would love to see Aeon more :)

    • kupomogli

      Castlevania Chronicles Trilogy for PSVita would be my hopes.  CV1, 2, and 3 Chronicles versions in 2.5D graphics with the originals and other unlockables found hidden throughout the games.

  • http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/members/55321.html FinalArcadia

    All my waiting for a PS3 version has paid off! I can’t wait to play this co-op…but I’ll need a new controller first…

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Wayne-LaBranch/100002132711844 Wayne LaBranch

    Well i really can’t wait ( My Wallet…too much but i need it)  I need some for my castlevania craze and to help wipe the memory of “That” Game, then again playing Castlevania 3 and Aria of Sorrow fixed that : P

    • Testsubject909

      Which game?

      If you’re talking about the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow one, I can understand some of the dislike but in general it was a rather properly executed 3D Castlevania game.

      If you compare it to just about every Castlevania games and to all the 3D iterations, it had everything it required to be a Castlevania in terms of content, lacking only one item: A memorable music to add to the Castlevania repertoire.

      Music is feeling, and many people did not ‘feel’ that it was Castlevania and rejected it outright despite the piles and piles of details and items that gave it a true and more retro Castlevania flair.
      It’s quite tragic really. Do two things and I’m sure everyone would’ve loved it.1: Remove Hideo’s suggestion to make Gabriel less badass. If he wouldn’t have been so depressed about his dead wife, people would’ve probably complained less.

      2: Give it a more memorable original score for at least one chapter or for the combat rather then ambiance music.

      Every other arguments as to why it’s “Not Castlevania” can apply to many other Castlevania games that fans have admitted into the ‘True Castlevania’ category…If you’re talking about Castlevania Judgement. I’ve got nothing to say. It’s a 3D fighter that’s not exactly well executed, a bit of fun but far from the pick up and play that you’ll return to. And to begin with, 3D fighting games are a bit harder to engage then 2D fighters…If you’re talking about the Second Castlevania Slot Machine game. (Yes, the second one, not the first.)

      Then all I’ve got to say is, it didn’t make it’s way to western shores, for better or worse.

      • HistorysGreatestMonster

        I loved Lords of Shadow, but not as a Castlevania. I liked it as an action game, a God of War, mixed with Uncharted hybrid. There were parts that felt Castlevania-ish, but very rarely did I ever feel like I was playing a game from the series.

        Although I completely agree on the music. I think it’s a huge missed opportunity that there were only, what, two classic Castlevania tracks done in the soundtrack and one of them was a music box version. Otherwise, I can’t remember a single song, outside of the boss theme. There were so many periods of the game where big orchestral versions of classic themes would’ve worked. Imagine when you got to Claudia’s castle (I think that was the name of the second Lord), if this huge epic version of “Vampire Killer” would’ve played or something. That would’ve made the game so much better.
        As I said, I loved the game. I intend to platinum it, but it very rarely felt Castlevania-esque to me.

        • kupomogli

          Your thoughts echo mine about not feeling that Lords of Shadow was a Castlevania game.  The game was going to get cancelled until they pitched it to Konami, why not call it Castlevania? Amazing game though and definitely one of my favorites this gen. While I haven’t done so yet, I’ll also platinum it as well. 

          Not a fan of GoW though and Lords of Shadow blows it out of the water with the amazing gameplay.  Sure it’s a clone, but it’s a better game altogether.  Let’s also not forget that GoW is a clone of DMC, Lament of Innocence, and Ninja Gaiden. All of which are better.

          • Testsubject909

            That’s a new one for me.

            From the extensive research I’ve done, the general story of it is that Konami pitched in to three different divisions to revitalize the series and the european branch of Konami won out with Lords of Shadow whose alpha was Belmont exiting Castlevania.

            So this idea that ‘the game was going to get cancelled until they pitched it’ is honestly news to me. If you go search through all the extensive interviews, it really sounds as though it was built as a Castlevania from the grounds up.
            But hey, whatever lighetns up your load… Anyhow, this is pretty much the same way that Lament of Innocence was first received and with time quite a few fans turned around and just accepted Lament of Innocence as part of the ‘True Castlevania’ family for some odd reason.

        • mikanko

          Yeah, I don’t think there’s been another title where I used custom soundtrack for over 90% of the game to make it more tolerable… and it was usually the soundtrack to Rondo, Bloodlines or the Dracula Battle cds.

          Ok, I did throw some Ys IV Perfect collection, but yeah

      • mikanko

        I personally think Castlevania may have been better captured as something a bit more survival horror’ish like Demon’s Souls or even RE4 with a whip and minus the puzzles. 

        The original games had a lot more tension and were far more methodical than Lords of Shadow.  That’s not counting the atmosphere which 70% of the time just felt off in that game.  As a hack ‘n slash game with big combos etc. I felt it paled in comparison to an NG Black or Bayonetta. Compared to the series it’s supposed to represent I just felt it did a poor job of capturing it. It didn’t feel like the tense action of the OG titles, or the Metroidvania of the more recent portables.

        If it was a different IP I’d probably not critic it too harshly, but it’d probably not have been a game I’d ever pick up to begin with.  I think it was mostly competent if just a bit lacking in identity.

        • Testsubject909

          Obvious Disclaimer: This is one huge long post. If you don’t feel like reading, skip to the last paragraph.

          Personally I felt the ambiance was well done for the most parts and certainly captured the same sense of traversing towards a greater goal and deeper into the heart of darkness that the original Castlevania provided.
          As said, it aimed to be similar to the original Castlevanias so the idea of comparing it to a Metroidvania is ill advised, it’s like comparing a theatrical drama piece to a B-movie comedy. They’re just not in the same category and whatever result you’ll get from the comparison is only going to displease you from your misguided expectatinos.On the action bit, it is true that unfortunately things could be boiled down to dodging and countering which made combat more of a chore, though for the more mindful and those who’d explore more of the combat options, the combat does provide and deliver. Every move has it’s uses and once you master it, the combat is fluid and fun. Perhaps not as massively entertaining as some of the more finely tuned games like Bayonetta.Though you could see why. Most of the production went into creating the set pieces, which it does provide beautifully. You could definitely get a Hideo touch by the end with the rather long winded and odd twist ending, though oddly enough it respected well the canon that was set by Iga and his 3D castlevanias. Which is amusing since some people complain about the remake doing so without talking bull about the original (Lament of Innocence). Then again, people did complain heavily at first, including the whole “You don’t fight Dracula” bit, for both LoS and LoI.

          As a game, it isn’t the strongest. In terms of Ambiance, it does very well. As for the tension provided by the games… Well, horror, much like comedy, is very subjective. Castlevania to me was never a horror survival title, only a strainful platformer much like how Ninja Gaiden strained me. I wasn’t so much scared as I would be experiencing horror, as I was mindful of the high risks of defeat.

          Looking simply to the world that Castlevania Lords of Shadow presents, it is a deep dark world filled with many things in the night that could rip us regular mortals to shred, much like the original Castlevania. But here comes in the mighty Belmont wielding the Vampire Slayer and annihilating all these creatures of the night.

          There’s also the unfortunate reality that, in the great grand extremely high majority of the case, 3D eases up a gameplay’s difficulty. I’d even argue that Demon’s Souls isn’t all that tough (Yes, I’ve played it, extensively).Compared to other much harder 2D games, Demon’s Souls isn’t hard rather then challenging and fair. You can easily beat up the first two to three bosses after the tutorial one without dying so long as you’re mindful of what you do.

          Unfortunately it might have been caught in a sort of trapping, balancing itself between the original’s image and the newer image of Castlevania.The newer Castlevanias by Iga have been far more platforming puzzle action then it has been platforming survival action. One can see how they might’ve been caught between trying to appeal to the older audience, to the newer audience and to attempt to capture a new audience as well. By far not an easy task.By no means is Lords of Shadow a masterpiece. It’s a good game, a great game if you put enough time to discover all that it has to provide. But it’s not the best they could have done. Don’t get me wrong on that.But I for one do not deny it’s place as a Castlevania in long part due to knowing the history of Castlevania, the many different Castlevanias that are considered canon, knowing the general majority of complaints given by ‘old school’ and ‘new school’ Castlevania fans (which typically range from ridiculous to easily ignored since other ‘canon’ Castlevanias ignored such traits: such as not having hearts for ammunition (See Castlevania N64) or not fighting Dracula (See Lament of Innocence).)But I have nothing to say on tension and music as well as the main character. The musical score was mainly supportive ambiance whereas for most Castlevania it was almost a piece that would exist by itself. That was a mistake on their end and I for one hope to see it rectified in the sequel.

          ….Anyhow.For those of you who skipped, and those who didn’t. Give them a second chance. They aren’t incompetent by any means and they did provide a good game with good ambiance and a deep enough combat system if one choose to explore it. It’s not an excellent game and it’s not the best first step into a new direction for a 3D Castlevania, but it could lead to better games with far greater promise. At least give them a second chance and see how they go about it in the sequel. (And if you’re worried about how it might take place in the present day. Keep in mind that the adored Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow both take place in the future)

          • mikanko

            I don’t know.  I think largely I just have to agree to disagree. 

            The art direction and ambience for LoS to me most of the time came off as a bit overly generic.  It always felt more a fantasy setting ripoff closer to Lord of the Rings than Castlevania.  That’s pretty subjective though.  Some of the environments were quite nice, but the monster design in particular just felt incredibly bland.

            I played through the entirety of the game at the hardest difficulty setting that’s selectable on your first playthrough(I don’t remember if there’s a harder one you unlock), and I just never felt it was that tense.  The most “difficult” moments of the game felt artificially so, with bad camera angles and wonky platforming segments where the rules set forth by the game weren’t very discernable.  The enemy ai never felt particularly good, and in general I thought the combat was presented a bit wonky. 

            I play a lot of Ninja Gaiden Black, so I’m kinda picky on the combat front, and 30fps in an action game like always comes off as a bit unpolished to me.  Overall I felt the combat didn’t leave a lot of room for creativity, and several of the tools you could pick up just weren’t particularly useful compared to others.  I’m pretty sure I maxed out his entire toolset at one point, or at least pretty close, but never bothered with half of it because there was simply a more efficient way of doing things.

            I still think if you’re going the OG route something with the pace of Demon Soul’s is a lot closer to the original.  Maybe not the horror parts, but as far as the OG titles being methodically paced would be a lot more fitting.  A much simpler combat system would be easier for them to polish too, though it’s apparent we just have to disagree that LoS’s combat was polished.

            And those SotC ripoff boss fights were perhaps the most bored I’ve found myself in a video game in 2010, and I love SotC lol.  So I try to just pretend they weren’t there, but it can be hard.

            I prefer the IGA games, though those are a bit hit and miss at times, and their level design(or lack there of) can get too repetitive after a while.  OoE was probably the best one they made in a while, so I’d be remiss if they don’t get around to following it up. 

            My favorite of the series is definitely older stuff or even the PCE DracX, who in my other post I alluded to needing the soundtrack of to get through LoS.  So I am definitely open to something going away from the Metroidvanias.  I just think LoS is the wrong direction.  ^^;

  • http://soulcaster.gametrailers.com/gamepad/index.php [§oulÇaster]

    I’m still trying to decide if I should get this or not… I’m LOOONG overdue for my Iga Castlevania fix so this could give me a quick fix… I’m just hoping it is not too long before he starts working on a real 2D Castlevania :D (preferable for the 3DS).

    [T.O.S.C.]

    • Testsubject909

      Well, from what I’ve seen, though it is indeed a platformer action game with RPG elements much like most of Iga’s metroidvanias and that it does have an element of exploration and backtracking, it’s nature is far less discovery rather then it is a Diablo-esque Castlevania. In the idea that due to the limited stages and bosses, a good portion of the replay value comes from the items that you gain which also includes the powers you gain from drops or, in Shanoa’s case, from monsters with the appropriate glyphs or for Soma, from the souls that occasionally pop out.

  • Christian Wright

    good things come to those who wait :P

    • http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=2704923 Buntar0

      Sony’s biggest strength. They get so many games in the long run.

      • Guest

        Still waiting for mah U.S. copy of Deadly Premonition and Tales of Vesperia

        • Testsubject909

          Well, for Deadly Premonition, it’s maker did say he preferred the PS3 over the 360… Though that doesn’t mean anything, as it’s the company as a whole that’ll decide whether or not we get it.

          As for Tales of Vesperia. I think all hopes have long been lost.

          • Guest

            Wut a cruel video game world we live in. God set in on hard mode

    • badmoogle

      Kinda feels bad for the 360 players who paid for the DLC.:/

  • http://twitter.com/Vanpan110494 Sentoro Katarashi

    I want this game so bad, but do you remember Castlevania Order of Ecclesia? I really want to know what happens to Shanoa at the end, as she just runs off after the castle was destroyed. Glad she’s at least playable in another game other than Judgment. I cannot wait for this.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Wayne-LaBranch/100002132711844 Wayne LaBranch

      If they make a sequel of Shanoa’s adventures or a story that follows near that, I’d be a very happy person :D

    • SolidusSnake

      I’m pretty sure she left humanity behind and went roaming the earth. That’s the impression I got from the ending.

      Also, I would suggest that you, and my other PS3 bros, try this game before you buy. It’s not very good, and if you are expecting a god-tier Metroidvania game like Order of Ecclesia you are likely to be disappointed.

      • mikanko

        Agreed.  I’m not really sure what people are expecting here.  I don’t believe it’s a horrible game even, just maybe not what people are looking for.  If you have a friend or two to play it with consistently, and want something similar to Gauntlet meets Castlevania it’s probably worth the price of admission. 

        I was quickly turned off from random pickup games feeling like the later life of PSO vanilla on Dreamcast where one person just solo’d the whole stage with a spread needle.  PSO was prettier at least!

        • SolidusSnake

          Yeah that’s basically what I was thinking. To be fair I only played the demo, but that was enough for me to decide not to invest in the title. The co-op kills the gothic horror atmosphere of Castlevania and the level design in the demo seemed lame with a lot of backtracking and forced co op. It might be good for really hardcore Castlevania fans or folks who love co op games though. Me, I love creating and executing strategies with my squad in a game like Battlefield, but trying to get a friend to go stand on the lever in Drac’s castle so I can go under the gate is kinda lame…

          I’ve never played PSO so I’ll have to take your word on that one. :p

          Seriously, I’d suggest that you guys check out the demo first, I’m sure they’ll post one on PSN. It never hurts to try the game and get a feel for it before you pull the trigger. It’s a lot different from Symphony of the Night and the handheld games. Speaking of Order of Ecclesia though, I still need to finish Lv. 1 mode. It’s a real ball-buster. :p

          • http://www.facebook.com/people/Wayne-LaBranch/100002132711844 Wayne LaBranch

            Well yeah its been on XBLA so i think everyone knows its not like handheld Metroidvania games.  Playing it from the demo though doesn’t show more about the game, i know what u mean by some stuff but things like one person pulling a lever so u can continue from somewhere else, that’s what u think would be in a Co-op game (of course it ain’t going to get as deep like Battlefield derp).  But yeah to people who think this will be like the usual castlevania, they’ll be disappointed but i played and it was pretty fun for what it was.  Also OoE on Lvl 1 mode, ARE U MAD?!

          • http://twitter.com/Vanpan110494 Sentoro Katarashi

            Oh my….well I should be careful in the future. I thought if it’s a 2D platforming Castlevania, then it is bound to be fantastic. Well the graphics do look the same as Symphony of the Night, which I find bad, because the PS3 can do so much more. Thanks for the story about Shanoa though!

          • Testsubject909

            I did it, and I didn’t find it especially hard. Just gotta get some good glyphs and you’re pretty much well set… So long as you know how to dodge of course.

            Queue Piccolo from Dragon Ball Z Abridged saying the following…

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6npO-NoOPOg

          • Guest

            Gothic horror? What does that even mean? And Metroidvanias were always about backtracking

          • SolidusSnake

            It means Castlevania games have a certain atmosphere that is lost in this title, troll. Also, backtracking while exploring a huge castle and backtracking while exploring a crappy dungeon that takes up a handful of screens have a very different feel. Have you actually played the game, or are you just trolling as usual? I’m guessing it’s the latter.

          • HistorysGreatestMonster

            That co-op you mentioned actually sounds exactly like what I was expecting (and hoping for) in a co-op Castlevania. Battlefield? Ugh. Hate FPS games.

          • SolidusSnake

            Your loss, Battlefield is a lot more fun than this game. Though, good for you if you enjoy it. I would still recommend trying the demo first.

          • Guest

            Your harsh words saddened my day AND it’s raining out. Two foldsadness panda

          • SolidusSnake

            daaawwww now I feel bad ;_; Cheer up and live, live damnit ! Don’t let the internet bastards grind you down !

            If it makes you feel better, it’s sunny here but it’s been over 100 for the past several weeks. I wouldn’t mind a little rain, not at all.

  • mikanko

    This game was a cool idea, but I’d like to see it polished up a little better.  It doesn’t take long for pickup games in this to feel an awful lot like high lvl Phantasy Star Online on the Dreamcast where you blindly follow everyone else around spreadneedling stuff, and it becomes a bit autopilot.

    Still a pretty cool idea.  I’m really glad it appears to be getting the XBLA dlc, because the cost of it on XBLA is pretty high after it all adds up, and really not worth it at that price.

    • Testsubject909

      Imagine if they did this:

      Drop in/drop out multiplayer enabled non-restricted exploration (can be on individual screens) multi-level, monster-free city hub with shop and storage, exploration focused metroidvania spanning multiple stages and areas, some new, most old, mostly condensed versions and ‘remixed’ stages from older Castlevania games providing multiple bosses per ‘level’ and randomly created connected levels for Modern Dracula’s Castle (Leaving the Retro Dracula’s Castle open for Castlevania 1 and 3 port similar to the Castlevania 1 retro DLC stage)
      Still focused on the same Diablo style loot gameplay but with a wider selection of items, skills, spells and whatnot as well as a slightly larger cast of characters with the same maximum 4 players offline, 6 players online with groups being able to be expanded on the fly or reduced with no trouble though with parties preferably built prior to entering a level.

      Said level would constitute a minimum 3 bosses and since they’d be larger, would enable more of that same Metroidvania exploration feel.

      Now that would make for an epic sequel to Castlevania Harmony of Despair.

      [edit]

      I forgot. With a stage selector similar to Order of Ecclesia’s.

      • http://twitter.com/PafuPafu7 Kevin Lor

        No lets keep diablo away from this

        • Testsubject909

          It’s a bit too late.

          When I say Diablo, I mean loot focused gameplay. And Castlevania HD is pretty much a loot focused sidescroller action platformer.

          There’s nothing you can do on that end. The Diablo loot-based gameplay has already made it’s way in this, much like how it made it’s way within Borderlands.

  • Daniel13789

    I’m definitely getting this one. The local co-op sold me

    Also, I wonder if it will only come with the DLC mentioned or if it will come with ALL the DLC form the Xbox version. Probably not though…

    • Testsubject909

      I’m getting this one plain and simple.

      I’ve been wanting to dig my teeth into a Castlevania mixed Diablo game for a bit since I’ve been watching gameplay videos and partial LPs of this thing.

  • KeyCross

    It´s good to consider, local co-op and all that. But I think this kind of game can only be fully enjoyed in 2 or 3 players mode. Not always the more players = the better.

  • http://twitter.com/ExceptionL ExceptionL

    I still need this, even though september hits me hard with car registration, School, books, and parking pass. etc. man I sure was glad NMH paradise dropped to 30$! 

Video game stories from other sites on the web. These links leave Siliconera.

Popular