https://gamerant.com/new-castlevania-game-rumors-2025/

Many reports out there are stating that the long in development Castlevania game is being announced this year. Suppose to be "AAA". Good to see it finally ready to be revealed, but I am also worried about what we're going to get. What does everybody want from this new Castlevania and what would disappoint you?

Disappointment

METROIDVANIA - I would be utterly disappointment if the next Castlevania is yet another 2D Metroidvania(or 2D in general). Even before Castlevania went on hiatus, I believed that series had hit a wall. Post hiatus the genre has been carried on by a plethora of Indie developers and at this point Castlevania coming back as a Metroidvania would end up with it just being another Metdroidvania vs a New Castlevania.

A SOULS GAME - Mostly the same sentiments as above. 

WANT

 I want a Zelda-ish Castlevania game. Maybe take a look back at the Castlevania 64 series for inspiration. I always found it wasted potential that they never tried that style again. I thought they were better than PS2 ones.

I just hope it's not a mobile game.

I don't mind it being a Metroidvania, since I enjoyed Mirror of Fate.

I was just thinking the exact same thing, when I read the thread title!

Legit surprised when I saw your post OP.

I'd love to see it go 3D as well, and more action-rpg.

There are enough indie metrovania like games, that Castlevania shouldn't be stuck, doing something that now indie devs seem to pull off well enough.
Time to use the IP for something better.

Classic 2D style would be interesting, but something new with a lot of story/cinematic action, and more intense/forward moving gameplay not bogged down by grinding.

Castlevania kinda fell into a rut, and stopped evolving, just trying to do 3D games and more Metroidvania games. It hasn’t been the same since about the era of Circle of the Moon. IMO, the series has been a shell of itself since the 1990s: Draculas Curse, Bloodlines, Rondo of Blood, Super Castlevania, and Symphony of the Night were this franchises era… each of those games were unique and had their own personality. That stopped at Circle of the Moon.

So, little/no interest in the Metroidvania/3D Castlevania games. 3D action adventure and Metroid and Metroidvania-like games are commonplace.

What would be my wish? Something like a high production Castlevania 3 style framework, Super Castlevania gameplay, modern production values with more story, and way more content.

I’d also go for a spin-off delving into a new genre, like a straight up overhead RPG with all sorts of characters and villains active in the world. Or even a Phoenix Wright style adventure game. Something new feeling that feels fresh for the franchise; a departure from the same-old Metroidvania and 3D Castlevania stuff.

I don't want more bullshit souls clone. We have 50 thousand of those out now. Fuck off with that shit. I don't want another Metroidvania. 80000000000000 of them already and 2/3rds of that is CV itself. No, I want classicvania back. The peak of the series. Castlevania IV. Dark. Brooding. Atmospheric. Linear. Gothic. Horror. Lords of Shadow 1 was the closest to bringing that back. I want 2:5D. Tho I have liked all the 3D ones so far and get a bad rep.

If Konami is working on another Castlevania, who'd be working on it? I thought Konami had lost most of their talent that worked on the franchise.

Either way, if they are doing it, I'd prefer it to be a classic 2D metroidvania, but I expect either a mobile game or a 3D action game (no Souls-like, regular action game).

If they go with the classic approach, I'd want something that takes inspiration from Rondo of Blood, which I consider to be the best of the bunch and near the top of CV in general.

But to be honest I would prefer a continuation of the 3D series, using the PS2 games as a template. Lament and CoD were good games with their own distinct atmosphere.

I would not have a problem with more Metroidvania but mainly if they skipped the part where devs start with a safe reboot before trying interesting stuff. It's a saturated market and if they go this way they should try something weird right off the bat.

I want it to be like Castlevania, which is unfortunately the last thing I think they'll do.

I also hope they don't embody too much of the TV series (which started good but quickly fell into massively disrespecting the source material), but given it was popular that's probably exactly what they'll do.

Lords of Shadow was already a massive departure from what the series tended to be, and I'd imagine they're going to try for something like that again. If the game was a natural followup to Rondo of Blood, Symphony of the Night or Lament of Innocence as far as atmosphere, gameplay and direction goes I'd be over the moon. But I don't expect anything like that, unfortunately.

A 3D metroidvania would be fine for me, Symphony of te night was the only one I really loved.

Well curiously, my picks here would be sort of the exact opposite of yours.

Want: Classic Metroidvania, be it 2D, 3D or a mix of both most likely.

Would be (somewhat) disappointed in: A 3D Zelda-like adventure game.

Would be (very) disappointed in: A 3D hacknslash game