GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
Famed ‘Castlevania’ dev Koji Igarashi coming to ESGS 2016
When we think of the best “Castlevania” game, “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” often comes to mind.
Good news for “Castlevania” fans, then. Koji Igarashi, the assistant director of “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night,” will be a VIP guest at the E-Sports and Gaming Summit (ESGS) 2016, to be held at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, from October 28 to 30.
“Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” is considered one of the greatest games ever made. But Igarashi didn’t stop there; between 2001 and 2010, he produced more than a dozen “Castlevania” games for various platforms. Examples include critically acclaimed gems such as 2002’s “Harmony of Dissonance”; 2003’s “Aria of Sorrow”; 2005’s “Dawn of Sorrow”; 2006’s “Portrait of Ruin”; and 2008’s “Order of Ecclesia.”
In 2014, Igarashi left Konami – the company he’d been working for since the early 1990s.
“I’ve decided to break out on my own to have the freedom to make the kind of games I really want to make – the same kind I think fans of my past games want as well,” stated Igarashi. “Leaving Konami was a big decision, and not one I took lightly – I’ve spent my entire career there, made many friends, and had a lot of great opportunities – but I hope all the gamers and fans who have supported me in the past will join me in being excited about what comes next.”
He eventually became a part of Inti Creates, a company formed by ex-Capcom developers responsible for the “Mega Man Zero” and “Mega Man ZX” series.
Of course Igarashi, who is known to fans as IGA, hasn’t been resting on his laurels. He’s now the producer of “Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night,” a Metroidvania game and the spiritual successor to “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.”
At ESGS 2016, Igarashi will be showcasing “Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night” at the ArtPlay booth.
The game, which is being developed by Inti Creates and published by 505 Games, started life as a Kickstarter campaign that accumulated over $1 million in its first day alone. Thanks to around 65,000 backers, it eventually grossed over $5.5 million in funding, and went on to become one of Kickstarter’s most funded games.
In the video below, Igarashi explains 505 Games’ involvement in the project.
As seen in the video, the game is still early in development. What we do know is that it will be a 2D side-scrolling action RPG with 3D graphics.
The game takes place in 18th century England. You assume the role of the Miriam, an orphan raised by alchemists. Thanks to an alchemist’s curse, her skin is slowly transforming into crystal. Desperate to reverse her fate, she must explore a dark castle crawling with demons and find Gebel, another victim of the curse. Gebel, the main villain, is to be voiced by David Hayter, the voice of Solid Snake before he was replaced by Keifer Sutherland.
“Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night” is expecting release in 2018, when it will be available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Wii U, Mac, and Linux. — BM, GMA News
For more information about “Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night”, visit the game’s official Facebook Page.
ESGS is an annual e-Sports and gaming convention. The tickets for the event are already on sale at SM Ticket outlets located in all SM Cinemas nationwide. Tickets for October 28 (Friday) cost P140, while tickets for October 29 and 30 (Saturday and Sunday) cost P165.
Visit ESGS’s official Facebook site for more information.
