In the NTT-PUB official guidebook, Koji Igarashi stated the team wanted to give players enough enjoyment with the game to match their money's worth by giving them more freedom to roam around to lengthen the playtime, unlike the previous Castlevania games which were shorter. To accomplish this, he inserted RPG elements like experience points and a level up system into the game so players would be more encouraged to challenge themselves against difficult enemies.