Classic Castlevania titles are heading to PS4 in Castlevania: Requiem

Fans of the series that partly defined the Metroidvania genre have something to look forward to, at least on PS4. Next month, Konami is releasing Castlevania: Requiem, a bundle which includes both the PS1 classic, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood, which was originally released on the PC.

Both games have been enormously influential on modern game design, helping popularise an entire genre of exploration-focused action games. Modern games that have been influenced by the Symphony of the Night include Dead Cells, the Dark Souls series, and the upcoming Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.

According to Sony on the official Playstation Blog, “Both games are the originals emulated for the PlayStation 4, with several updates that take advantage of the new hardware…This includes 4K/1080p upscaling, multiple high resolution backgrounds, different rendering options such as smoothing and full Trophy support.” The remaster will also use the PS4 controller’s speakers for certain sound effects as well as offering the choice of the analogue sticks for movement.

Although Symphony of the Night began on the original Playstation, it has since been ported to multiple consoles. The Castlevania franchise has had a presence on various platforms, which is why the PS4 exclusivity has been controversial. Responding to requests for clarity in regards to the situation, a Konami representative stated that  “as it stands, there are no plans to bring Requiem to other platforms–[Requiem] is a PS4 exclusive.” 

The relative unpopularity of the Xbox One in Japan would probably explain why it isn’t being released on that console. However, it is a shame that it is skipping the Switch and PC platforms. Then again, it probably wouldn’t be Konami if they didn’t make at least one counterproductive decision that angers its fans, so this move at least fits the trend.

Castlevania: Requiem will be releasing exclusively for the PS4 on October 26.

In other Castlevania news, the second season of the animated Netflix adaptation is also releasing on that date. It stars Richard Armitage as Trevor Belmont, the latest in a line of vampire hunters who must defeat the evil vampire Dracula and his army of demons.