Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Now with 100% less Dracula!
Plotline:
After the events of "Aria of Sorrow", Soma Cruz's power of Dominance is called back into affect when a sorceress named Celia attempts to resurrect Dracula with two new candidates. The catch is that they have to dispense of Soma, in order to acquire the power of the Dark Lord inside of him.
Review:
Alright, lets get started. I'm a HUGE Castlevania fan. I've been playing the games since my parents bought me a Nintendo, so i'm not treading unfamiliar ground, here. I'm going to be a bit more critical with these 2D titles, seeing as how they have to fit a certain legacy the others have set. And with games like "Symphony of the Night", and "Circle of the Moon" holding the title of "Best in the Series", there's going to be quite a lot to live up to.
The game itself starts pretty quickly. The story catches you up to what's been up with Soma since Dracula's Castle was sealed back inside the eclipse at the end of "Aria of Sorrow". Most of the mechanics you remember from that game, (or don't remember if you never played it), are still there. Soma still acquires souls from his fallen enemies, with which to use to summon magic or allies to aid him in his journey to prevent Dracula's Resurrection. Also, Soma will acquire weapons and armor throughout the game to upgrade his stats and attacks with. He can also combine the previous two game mechanics to "synthesize" new weapons, using souls he has in reserve, and lower-grade weapons, to allow for more powerful attacks than would be capable with his normal equipment.
Here-in lies the first issues with the game: Some of the souls are WAY too difficult to acquire. And no, i'm not talking the end-of-game, "Needed for the ultimate weapon" souls. We're talking ones that you'd use to upgrade your Long Sword to a Rapier. Which then requires an extremely common soul to be upgraded yet again, and again, and again. Why would the developers make low-level items so rare, yet make some of the most insanely powerful weapons/souls available so effortlessly? This just screams of unrefinement, but i'll give it a break, since this is a Castlevania game, and balance has always been a big part. (Although it's usually balancing the difficulty AGAINST you, not for you.)
As you travel through the game, you uncover more about the other two candidates for the Dark Lord's revival, and what Celia has in store for Soma. The story is pretty simple, but still enough to make you feel like you've delved a bit more into the series legacy. It's not story-heavy, but it brings it in when needed. Characters from the past game return, such as Hammer, Yoko Belnades, Julius Belmont, and "Genya Arikado". (If you've played Symphony of the Night, and CAN'T guess who this is, get the fuck out.)... They all offer you aid on your journey. Yoko synthesizes weapons for you, Hammer sells you equipment and weapons, and Genya and Julius play the roles of your mentor and ally, respectively.
The game is fun, there's no doubt about it, but for a Castlevania title? It's simply TOO easy. There is an issue when I can beat a boss the FIRST TIME, with what I have equipped when I walk into the room. These games are notorious for making you learn patterns, wait patiently, and equip the right combo to give you maximum damage output and extreme kick-ass ability. When it comes down to it, the battles are just too easy. And some of them are just ridiculously easy to cheap-shot in.
Example: In the battle with Abaddon, he conducts (Yes, conducts. Like a fucking concertio.) locusts in patterns, across the screen. The pattern he makes is the path they will travel, so it gives you time to take cover, or jump over them. The issue is, at this point in the game you have the Gergoth soul, which allows you to fire a concentrated energy beam. The locusts just fly STRAIGHT into the beam, and disentegrate, making this battle a total joke. (As if Abaddon wasn't a joke enough, already.)
The biggest killer, in my eyes, is that it's a Castlevania game where you DON'T battle Dracula at the end. What the fuck, guys? Didn't you give us a good enough doseage of "No Dracula" in Aria of Sorrow? And you're repeating the shit again? No. Go to bed, you lose. Good day. The end boss, instead, is this wacky giant skeleton, mutant, fucked up thing that shoots gas out of its chest, and tries to stab you with his bone fingers. What the fuck is this shit, a Tim Burton movie? Someone write this script up, and cast Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, I think we have an Oscar on the way!!!
The graphics for the game are what we've come to expect from the series, since SotN, and it's not a disappointment. Character and enemy animations are spot on, and always look crisp and clean. The game slows down VERY rarely, and only when a lot of action is on the screen, with a lot of effects mixed in. The attack animations are quite comedic, at times, with the Great Swords and Axes consisting of amazingly drawn-out overhead swings, with the daggers and swords being extremely quick and precise.
Audio is the same way. Everything you've come to expect from Konami, over the years. The sound is clean and crisp, the music is extremely memorable and enjoyable, and the boss attack sound effects are well done, and the effects for the souls match up with what the soul came from, to a "T".
Summary:
All in all, it's a good installment in the Castlevania series. It's a bit of a let-down in the Story and Difficulty departments, but exceeds expectations with the Audio and Graphics. Julius Mode, unlocked after beating the game, is back from "Aria of Sorrow", and allows a more difficult and rewarding experience. If anything, beat the game just to play as Julius Belmont. The man reaks of badassness.
What the ... :
Why the HELL is Abaddon CONDUCTING Locusts?! It looks fucking TRIPPY. -_o. AND WHY THE HELL IS THERE NOT A SINGLE WHIP-LIKE WEAPON FOR SOMA?!?
Score
Story
2
Gameplay
3
Graphics
5
Audio
5
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
(And Dracula's actually in this one!!!)
Plotline:
Jonathan Morris, son of "Castlevania: Bloodlines" John Morris, sets out with his companion, Charlotte Aulin, to stop Dracula's revival (again.), unlock the power of the whip his father left for him, and all around have a smashing good time whilst tromping aroung different portraits inside Dracula's Castle. What awaits him behind the portraits? Well hopefully not a copy of "Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest".
Review:
I played this back-to-back with "Dawn of Sorrow", and I cannot stress enough how much cooler this game is. Don't get me wrong, Soma. You're a great character? But Jonathan Morris exhumes "Yes, i'm gonna kick your ass, and i'm gonna hate my father while I do it."
First, we have the reappearance of "Castlevania", the Lord of Darkness' Castle. It only appears when his power is growing, and the wielder of the Vampire Killer whip must ALWAYS confront him, lest all kinds of hell break loose. Or, y'know, someone might leave the stove on. That always kills things, too. Damn memory...
ANYWAYS! Jonathan and Charlotte show up to stop him, and find out that Brauner, another vampire lord, is actually the one who summoned the castle back, and he's using Portraits to bind Dracula from returning, and to harness his power to attack the humans responsible for the death of his daughters in World War 1. However, his Daughters are still with hi-... What the fuck... Eric LeCarde?! FROM BLOODLINES?! HOW'D YOU GET IN MY PORTAIT OF RUIN!?.... Let's just get on with the Review.
First, you have the equipment system. Since you have two characters to mind, it gets kind of confusing at first, but then you figure out what goes best where. You are given more weapons than in "Dawn of Sorrow", but if you're a purist like me, you'll end up using the Steel/Rose-stem whips for most of the game.
The only flaw with having two characters is the fact that your secondary character (whoever you choose to play less), will essentially only ever be used for Co-op attacks, pushing blocks with you, and the occasional support spell. That's really it. I managed to beat every boss with Jonathan alone, with Charlotte jumping in once or twice for the Co-op "1,000 Blades" attack.
And also, following the tradition that "Dawn of Sorrow" laid down, the bosses are YET AGAIN, too god-damned EASY. I only fought each boss once, with the exception of a game-breaking glitch I had in the fight with Death, which required me to start over from 20 or so minutes back. Not a horrible issue, because I was digging the game immensely. The big issue? Is that The Big D himself is literally a minute long fight. I just whailed on him with the unlocked power of the Vampire Killer, and threw my Boomerang Cross at him every couple of seconds. Mofo went down like a sack of bricks. TOO EASY.
The story is well written, and has a small plot twist towards the middle. It's very fun to watch unfold, and better than what we were given with "Dawn". Jonathan becomes a very likeable protagonist, and you almost start to feel a little bad for him when he finally realizes the truth about his Father. Charlotte is equally likeable as the goofy, childish sidekick. Sadly, she falls short in terms of intelligence, and her dialogue is pretty flat.
The real shining point in the game is when you see/play Richter. Oh sweet christ, how much more badass does this series get? You have to fight the MEMORY of Richter contained in the whip, to truly be able to wield it's full power. Not only is the motherfucker some uber sunuvabitch that can knock your ass out in 3 hits? But the motherfuck has AXES, KNIVES, A CROSS, AND A GOD DAMN SHOULDER TACKLE. Plus the whip, that you're trying to unlock. Talk about fucking odds being against you. That cross can hurt like a bitch. Bastard's got some good aim. And he's quick. See this shit?
Moving on to the Graphics, you have yet AGAIN a 10 out of 10. Considering this is on the Nintendo DS, you have to give the developers credit for getting 3D enemies AND backdrops into the game, without a single hitch. Not one bit of slowdown for me, this round, and the animations are spectacular. The boss designs are nice, as are their attack animations.
Audio is AMAZING. You can actually hear the kinks in the whip, when you swing it. The music is epic in boss fights, and the corridor music gives you that classic Castlevania "Oh Yeaaaaaah!" feeling. Seriously spot on, this time around, and the voices in the game are fantastic.
Summary:
Definately replayable. It has an online-capable Co-op mode that allows you to tackle bosses together, and also a Shop Mode, which allows for trading of items via internet. After beating the game, you unlock Richter Mode, where you get to play as the hardcore badass himself (complete with nigh-superspeed, like the motherfucking flash), and Sisters Mode, where you get to play as Brauner's "Daughters".
In short this is one of the best Handheld Castlevania's to date, only topped by "Circle of the Moon". It's fun, it's got an ok length to it, and it'll leave you wanting a bit more, leading
to the constant replayability. This is definately worth the purchase, and will keep you quite happy until a good, solid 3D game comes to the next-gen consoles.
What the ... :
ABADDON IS BACK AGAIN!? DIDN'T I ALREADY KILL THAT FUCKER!?... What the hell, Richter. WHY ARE YOU SO FAST!? Jesus! And what the hell happens to Jonathan, now that he has the whip's full power? Eesh, plothole...
Score
Story
3
Now with 100% less Dracula!
Plotline:
After the events of "Aria of Sorrow", Soma Cruz's power of Dominance is called back into affect when a sorceress named Celia attempts to resurrect Dracula with two new candidates. The catch is that they have to dispense of Soma, in order to acquire the power of the Dark Lord inside of him.
Review:
Alright, lets get started. I'm a HUGE Castlevania fan. I've been playing the games since my parents bought me a Nintendo, so i'm not treading unfamiliar ground, here. I'm going to be a bit more critical with these 2D titles, seeing as how they have to fit a certain legacy the others have set. And with games like "Symphony of the Night", and "Circle of the Moon" holding the title of "Best in the Series", there's going to be quite a lot to live up to.
The game itself starts pretty quickly. The story catches you up to what's been up with Soma since Dracula's Castle was sealed back inside the eclipse at the end of "Aria of Sorrow". Most of the mechanics you remember from that game, (or don't remember if you never played it), are still there. Soma still acquires souls from his fallen enemies, with which to use to summon magic or allies to aid him in his journey to prevent Dracula's Resurrection. Also, Soma will acquire weapons and armor throughout the game to upgrade his stats and attacks with. He can also combine the previous two game mechanics to "synthesize" new weapons, using souls he has in reserve, and lower-grade weapons, to allow for more powerful attacks than would be capable with his normal equipment.
Here-in lies the first issues with the game: Some of the souls are WAY too difficult to acquire. And no, i'm not talking the end-of-game, "Needed for the ultimate weapon" souls. We're talking ones that you'd use to upgrade your Long Sword to a Rapier. Which then requires an extremely common soul to be upgraded yet again, and again, and again. Why would the developers make low-level items so rare, yet make some of the most insanely powerful weapons/souls available so effortlessly? This just screams of unrefinement, but i'll give it a break, since this is a Castlevania game, and balance has always been a big part. (Although it's usually balancing the difficulty AGAINST you, not for you.)
As you travel through the game, you uncover more about the other two candidates for the Dark Lord's revival, and what Celia has in store for Soma. The story is pretty simple, but still enough to make you feel like you've delved a bit more into the series legacy. It's not story-heavy, but it brings it in when needed. Characters from the past game return, such as Hammer, Yoko Belnades, Julius Belmont, and "Genya Arikado". (If you've played Symphony of the Night, and CAN'T guess who this is, get the fuck out.)... They all offer you aid on your journey. Yoko synthesizes weapons for you, Hammer sells you equipment and weapons, and Genya and Julius play the roles of your mentor and ally, respectively.
The game is fun, there's no doubt about it, but for a Castlevania title? It's simply TOO easy. There is an issue when I can beat a boss the FIRST TIME, with what I have equipped when I walk into the room. These games are notorious for making you learn patterns, wait patiently, and equip the right combo to give you maximum damage output and extreme kick-ass ability. When it comes down to it, the battles are just too easy. And some of them are just ridiculously easy to cheap-shot in.
Example: In the battle with Abaddon, he conducts (Yes, conducts. Like a fucking concertio.) locusts in patterns, across the screen. The pattern he makes is the path they will travel, so it gives you time to take cover, or jump over them. The issue is, at this point in the game you have the Gergoth soul, which allows you to fire a concentrated energy beam. The locusts just fly STRAIGHT into the beam, and disentegrate, making this battle a total joke. (As if Abaddon wasn't a joke enough, already.)
The biggest killer, in my eyes, is that it's a Castlevania game where you DON'T battle Dracula at the end. What the fuck, guys? Didn't you give us a good enough doseage of "No Dracula" in Aria of Sorrow? And you're repeating the shit again? No. Go to bed, you lose. Good day. The end boss, instead, is this wacky giant skeleton, mutant, fucked up thing that shoots gas out of its chest, and tries to stab you with his bone fingers. What the fuck is this shit, a Tim Burton movie? Someone write this script up, and cast Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, I think we have an Oscar on the way!!!
The graphics for the game are what we've come to expect from the series, since SotN, and it's not a disappointment. Character and enemy animations are spot on, and always look crisp and clean. The game slows down VERY rarely, and only when a lot of action is on the screen, with a lot of effects mixed in. The attack animations are quite comedic, at times, with the Great Swords and Axes consisting of amazingly drawn-out overhead swings, with the daggers and swords being extremely quick and precise.
Audio is the same way. Everything you've come to expect from Konami, over the years. The sound is clean and crisp, the music is extremely memorable and enjoyable, and the boss attack sound effects are well done, and the effects for the souls match up with what the soul came from, to a "T".
Summary:
All in all, it's a good installment in the Castlevania series. It's a bit of a let-down in the Story and Difficulty departments, but exceeds expectations with the Audio and Graphics. Julius Mode, unlocked after beating the game, is back from "Aria of Sorrow", and allows a more difficult and rewarding experience. If anything, beat the game just to play as Julius Belmont. The man reaks of badassness.
What the ... :
Why the HELL is Abaddon CONDUCTING Locusts?! It looks fucking TRIPPY. -_o. AND WHY THE HELL IS THERE NOT A SINGLE WHIP-LIKE WEAPON FOR SOMA?!?
Score
Story
2
Gameplay
3
Graphics
5
Audio
5
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
(And Dracula's actually in this one!!!)
Plotline:
Jonathan Morris, son of "Castlevania: Bloodlines" John Morris, sets out with his companion, Charlotte Aulin, to stop Dracula's revival (again.), unlock the power of the whip his father left for him, and all around have a smashing good time whilst tromping aroung different portraits inside Dracula's Castle. What awaits him behind the portraits? Well hopefully not a copy of "Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest".
Review:
I played this back-to-back with "Dawn of Sorrow", and I cannot stress enough how much cooler this game is. Don't get me wrong, Soma. You're a great character? But Jonathan Morris exhumes "Yes, i'm gonna kick your ass, and i'm gonna hate my father while I do it."
First, we have the reappearance of "Castlevania", the Lord of Darkness' Castle. It only appears when his power is growing, and the wielder of the Vampire Killer whip must ALWAYS confront him, lest all kinds of hell break loose. Or, y'know, someone might leave the stove on. That always kills things, too. Damn memory...
ANYWAYS! Jonathan and Charlotte show up to stop him, and find out that Brauner, another vampire lord, is actually the one who summoned the castle back, and he's using Portraits to bind Dracula from returning, and to harness his power to attack the humans responsible for the death of his daughters in World War 1. However, his Daughters are still with hi-... What the fuck... Eric LeCarde?! FROM BLOODLINES?! HOW'D YOU GET IN MY PORTAIT OF RUIN!?.... Let's just get on with the Review.
First, you have the equipment system. Since you have two characters to mind, it gets kind of confusing at first, but then you figure out what goes best where. You are given more weapons than in "Dawn of Sorrow", but if you're a purist like me, you'll end up using the Steel/Rose-stem whips for most of the game.
The only flaw with having two characters is the fact that your secondary character (whoever you choose to play less), will essentially only ever be used for Co-op attacks, pushing blocks with you, and the occasional support spell. That's really it. I managed to beat every boss with Jonathan alone, with Charlotte jumping in once or twice for the Co-op "1,000 Blades" attack.
And also, following the tradition that "Dawn of Sorrow" laid down, the bosses are YET AGAIN, too god-damned EASY. I only fought each boss once, with the exception of a game-breaking glitch I had in the fight with Death, which required me to start over from 20 or so minutes back. Not a horrible issue, because I was digging the game immensely. The big issue? Is that The Big D himself is literally a minute long fight. I just whailed on him with the unlocked power of the Vampire Killer, and threw my Boomerang Cross at him every couple of seconds. Mofo went down like a sack of bricks. TOO EASY.
The story is well written, and has a small plot twist towards the middle. It's very fun to watch unfold, and better than what we were given with "Dawn". Jonathan becomes a very likeable protagonist, and you almost start to feel a little bad for him when he finally realizes the truth about his Father. Charlotte is equally likeable as the goofy, childish sidekick. Sadly, she falls short in terms of intelligence, and her dialogue is pretty flat.
The real shining point in the game is when you see/play Richter. Oh sweet christ, how much more badass does this series get? You have to fight the MEMORY of Richter contained in the whip, to truly be able to wield it's full power. Not only is the motherfucker some uber sunuvabitch that can knock your ass out in 3 hits? But the motherfuck has AXES, KNIVES, A CROSS, AND A GOD DAMN SHOULDER TACKLE. Plus the whip, that you're trying to unlock. Talk about fucking odds being against you. That cross can hurt like a bitch. Bastard's got some good aim. And he's quick. See this shit?
Moving on to the Graphics, you have yet AGAIN a 10 out of 10. Considering this is on the Nintendo DS, you have to give the developers credit for getting 3D enemies AND backdrops into the game, without a single hitch. Not one bit of slowdown for me, this round, and the animations are spectacular. The boss designs are nice, as are their attack animations.
Audio is AMAZING. You can actually hear the kinks in the whip, when you swing it. The music is epic in boss fights, and the corridor music gives you that classic Castlevania "Oh Yeaaaaaah!" feeling. Seriously spot on, this time around, and the voices in the game are fantastic.
Summary:
Definately replayable. It has an online-capable Co-op mode that allows you to tackle bosses together, and also a Shop Mode, which allows for trading of items via internet. After beating the game, you unlock Richter Mode, where you get to play as the hardcore badass himself (complete with nigh-superspeed, like the motherfucking flash), and Sisters Mode, where you get to play as Brauner's "Daughters".
In short this is one of the best Handheld Castlevania's to date, only topped by "Circle of the Moon". It's fun, it's got an ok length to it, and it'll leave you wanting a bit more, leading
to the constant replayability. This is definately worth the purchase, and will keep you quite happy until a good, solid 3D game comes to the next-gen consoles.
What the ... :
ABADDON IS BACK AGAIN!? DIDN'T I ALREADY KILL THAT FUCKER!?... What the hell, Richter. WHY ARE YOU SO FAST!? Jesus! And what the hell happens to Jonathan, now that he has the whip's full power? Eesh, plothole...
Score
Story
3
Gameplay
4
Graphics
5
Audio
5
