Castlevania
Image: Konami

While Konami hasn't totally turned its back on the beloved Castlevania franchise, we've not had a new entry in the series since 2014's highly divisive Lords of Shadow 2.

Sure, we've had collections and a better-than-expected Netflix animated series (not to mention some very cool cross-over projects), but the vampire-slaying franchise has been dormant for almost a decade, at least as far as mainline instalments are concerned (we don't care what you say, Grimoire of Souls doesn't count).

However, a recent rumour suggests that is about to change. According to our good pals over at VGC, Konami is working on a brand-new Castlevania entry and will unveil the game at this year's E3, along with a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3.

Both of those titles are exciting, but a Snake Eater remake is something of a known quantity; it's the promise of an entirely fresh Castlevania adventure which has us the most excited – but such a prospect is also sure to fill fans of the series with a fair degree of trepidation, too.

It's fair to say that Castlevania is one of those classic 2D series which has struggled to make the transition into 3D. Its 8 and 16-bit entries are almost universally acclaimed, and its 32-bit debut – the sublime Symphony of the Night – is regarded as one of the finest video games ever. However, the N64 and PS2 3D titles were met with a somewhat lukewarm reception, while the 2D side of the series was left to evolve almost exclusively on handheld formats, like the GBA, DS and PSP.

Castlevania
Image: Damien McFerran / Time Extension

When Konami decided to reboot the series in the hope of cementing another AAA brand, it resulted in the Lords of Shadow sub-series. Developed by the Spanish studio MercurySteam, the original game was a critical and commercial success, but, as we've already alluded to, the follow-up was a misstep, effectively causing Konami to shutter any new instalments for the next few years.

Series producer Koji Igarashi parted ways with the company in 2014 to work on the Bloodstained series, which is seen by many fans as the true continuation of the Castlevania lineage.

Given all of this water under the bridge, it begs the question: what shape will this new Castlevania take? Will it be a 2D game, like the classic Metroidvania instalments, or will Konami attempt another reboot in 3D, as it did with Lords of Shadow? Or could it be somewhere in the middle; a lavish 2.5D title with more linear progression? Perhaps Konami is going to go really crazy and make a Castlevania game in VR?

Vote in the poll below to let us know what you want from a new Castlevania, and don't forget to leave a comment to elaborate on your thoughts.

What form would you like a new Castlevania game to take? (127 votes)

  1. A traditional 2D platformer, like the good old days18%
  2. A 2D Metroidvania, like SotN53%
  3. A big-budget, AAA 3D action title, like Lords of Shadow11%
  4. Something entirely different - VR, perhaps?4%
  5. I don't care as long as we get a new Castlevania!11%
  6. I'm not bothered, if I'm brutally honest3%