The Castlevania series, like Dracula, is coming back to life — at least in Japan. Konamihas announcedthe iOS gameCastlevania: Grimoire of Souls, a 2D action-platformer that looks to be inspired by Koji Igarashi’s “Metroidvania” games.
Castlevania: Grimoire of Soulstakes place in a world where Dracula has “completely disappeared,” but a magic book appears to have revived the world’s most famous vampire, sending our planet into turmoil once again. The story features a grab-bag of Castlevania characters, including Dracula’s son Alucard as well as original series protagonist Simon Belmont. The version of Alucard we see is from the original line of games rather than MercurySteam’s Lords of Shadow series, as is Simon.
Grimoire of Soulswill support up to four players in a cooperative mode, with numbers-based combat that looks like a match made in heaven for fans ofSymphony of the Night. It also includes a four-on-four competitive multiplayer battle mode, as well as a “boss rush” mode and a selection of music from the past — “Vampire Killer” from the original NESCastlevaniacan be seen in a promotional screenshot.
The translated Japanese page for the game also calls the game “the beginning of a new story of Dracula,” suggesting this could be the start of something new for the series. With the animated NetflixCastlevaniashow getting a good reception from fans, now is as good a time as any.
Unlike most other 2D Castlevania games,Grimoire of Soulsuses 3D character models and environments. It looks quite similar to the style used inBloodstained: Ritual of the Night,a spiritual successor to the series that Koji Igarashi has been developing for several years. UnlikeGrimoire of Souls,Bloodstainedis planned for release this yearon PC, Linux, Mac, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and even the PlayStation Vita. A Wii U version was previously in the works as well, but has since been canceled.
