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Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow Review
Written by Señor Cha Cha on Monday, October 10, 2005
Lots of gore, slick graphics, classic Castlevania gameplay.
Sealing away enemies irritates me.
Whenever the Senor Cha Cha thinks about whips, chains, and a bunch of bizarre looking freaks, two things come to mind. The first is a naughty San Francisco night club, and the second is Konami's Castlevania series. With that being said, and since I write for Modojo and Modojo is a videogame website, I've decided to discuss the more appropriate topic, that topic being...
The night club.
Ok so I'm really going to discuss Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Konami's latest 2D epic adventure that's actually the official sequel to the exquisite GBA title, Aria of Sorrow. Almost everything about this game is up to speed with the fantastically delectable Symphony of the Night, and what doesn't work all that well is more aesthetic and doesn't hamper the gameplay too much. Another must buy DS title and a reason to own the system? Don't even ask that question, lest I steal your soul and wirelessly swap it with my friends.
Konami has always received high marks for keeping it real on the portable systems. While the publisher's been desecrating the franchise on the PS2 (the 3D just doesn't work), the GBA and now the DS have received some of the best entries in the series, fabulous 2D Halloween fright fests loaded with scores of terrifying creatures, titanic bosses, superb music, and detailed visuals. Dawn of Sorrow continues this trend but there's some interesting twists to its gameplay, none of which are revolutionary per se, but wind up nicely fitting the mood of this title.
Once again, you'll play as Soma Cruz, the young and flamboyant-looking man who's actually Dracula reincarnated. This time, a maniacal cult is trying to get its rotting meat hooks into out hero so they can resurrect the Dark Lord, but Soma isn't about to just hand himself over. And so, he embarks upon a dangerous quest to annihilate hordes of monsters as well as cult members.
Like the GBA games, Konami's stuck to the standard Castlevania formula. This means there is lots of platform jumping, enormous bosses, and standard item collection (leave no hearts behind). The developers have gone with what works and it's much appreciated, as the graphics are amazingly detailed and the soundtrack, well...it's like Ghiradelli chocolate for the ears. It's absolutely stellar.
Also familiar is Soma's ability to steal the souls of his victims and use that power against his enemies. Basically, just about every monster in the game has a soul, and by consuming it you'll gain access to all sorts of interesting powers, so for example, when you kill the very first skeleton you run into you'll take its soul and be able to throw bones. It sure beats chucking daggers.
The developers could've gone all out and integrated a plethora of DS specific features but chose to restrain themselves, probably to preserve the gameplay. Having the map available on the top screen isn't a huge DS innovation but it's certainly welcome, but I must say that chipping blocks with the stylus to create stairs and ledges is a lot of fun. It's just a bit disappointing that there isn't all that much of it. However, there's quite a bit of magical sealing going on. Basically, whenever you kick a boss' ass you have to "seal it" away which basically amounts to drawing a special pattern on the screen with the stylus. It, like the map screen, doesn't blow any wind up my skirt, especially since sloppy drawing usually leads to a botched attempt; not cool when the boss takes up the entire screen and I've been battling it for fifteen minutes and my hands are all sweaty. I just don't like having to fight the creature using the standard controls and then whip out the stylus real fast. It's an ok feature, but not a great one.
As I previously mentioned, the visuals in this game are outstanding. The backgrounds are extremely well drawn and the numerous enemy types really keep things fresh and thrilling. Plus, because the DS is this super mega scaling machine the game's developers have managed to shove these immense bad guys into the mix and they provide a beautiful contrast to the standard art that I'm used to, though if there is anything to complain about it's the character designs. Everyone (monsters excluded) looks like they were pulled right from an anime and its disappointing to see given the fabulous drawings that adorn the boxes of the previous games. I'm hoping that it's an acquired taste that I'll eventually get used to, but as of this writing...nyeh.
In addition to the excellent single player adventure there's also some multiplayer options. The first is the ability to trade souls with friends which is nothing new if you played Aria of Sorrow, but the other, the racing, is far more intriguing. It's just a race to the finish line really, a way for you and a friend to prove who's better at slaughtering monsters the quickest. It's not one of the game's best features, but it's a bit addictive.
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is another reason why you own or should own a Nintendo DS. It's a delightful trip through a macabre fun house full of blood and assorted horrors that should not be missed by anyone who enjoys playing games, that is, unless you're just sick of 2D Castlevania. Then I suppose this one isn't for you. If that's the case, don't purchase this game. And don't be my friend, either.
posted October 10, 2005