Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow

[bignds]

Cults. Lets face it, anyone who’s anyone in Hollywood is in one. But none of them are really as freaky as you'd like them to be, but hear this one, a group of "devotees" who want to resurrect their dark lord Dracula, weird enough for you? Yeah, i thought so, throw in a ridiculously cool lead character and you see this is the premise of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow.

Storyline, - Soma Cruz, need i say more?

This game picks off where previous GBA title Aria of Sorrow left off its now one year after the 2035 solar eclipse where Soma Cruz found out that he was the rebirth of Dracula, and how his friends helped him to over come the evil power that was trying to engulf him,



When the game actually starts you are briefed on the previous events and are lunged straight into a conversation between Soma and Mina, with Soma stating that he has lost all the powers he obtained whilst inside the castle last year, but how appropriate- he realises that he still has them but never actually used them because he had no reason too, up until the first boss fight at the beginning of the game, introduced by new Cult leader Celia Fortner, who’s sole mission is to kill Soma Cruz so it is possible for one of the two heirs to Dracula-whom you will meet later on in the game, to take over the rebirth role.


The story is definitely one of the strong points in the game and is really something you have to experience, and Soma Cruz is one of the coolest lead characters in any game- doesn’t that box art shout "hey i can be evil AND cool at the same time?"



Gameplay- Souls? Me like souls.

Castlevania has come along was since its days in the 80s, graphically but more obviously, game play.

We've seen it develop from your standard hit and jump side scroller to your fully fledged Action RPG.

This game takes Aria of Sorrow and expands on it in every direction. There is a bigger variety of weapons, the stat building side of things has grown to the point where not being up to a certain level can harm your chances of beating a boss. A more strategic element can be seen here as well, be it with what weapons you choose, how you spend you money, at what time you visit the shop, weather you should level up your player and what souls you use for which boss battle.

Combat is what you’d come to expect of Castlevania but with a lot more to it this time, choosing the right weapon is crucial to surivial, you can choose the quick but not so hard hitting spear or go all out with the brute force of an Axe but leave yourself vulnerable to attack due to the slowness of the chosen arm. Another seriously awesome feature of C:DS is the ability to mix souls with weapons, which again makes things a whole lot more interesting.

Souls which i just mentioned above play a big part in this game, seriously, knowing when to use one at the right time can heavily sway the game in your favour, and in turn adds another layer to the game. Each boss fight is like a puzzle, no two are the same and each require a certain level of strategic skill.
I keep saying that word, "strategic", but that really is what Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow is about, its no longer being quick with your fingers that counts, its now a steady mix with both that and your head.



Graphics and Sound- run out of snappy lines

Visually this game is the full works for a 2-D side scroller. Character animation is perfected to the smallest detail, and with some bosses even in the now famed "2.5D". The back drops are well done and really set the mood.

The game makes full use of the DS' stereo functions and it makes sure you it. Its got the spooky tunes that we've come to accustomed with series but it just sounds all-round better now.

Conclusion-

If you need a reason to buy a DS, then this is very clearly it. If your looking for a rewarding gaming experience, then this is it. Konami have really hit all the right notes here, everything is just done to such a high standard, and the fact that it doesn’t use the touch screen in a "gimmicky" way is great, it just uses it when it feels necessary and its never pushed into your face.

Gameplay: 9/10
I loved every aspect of this game, be it the boss fights, exploring the castle to just messing about with the souls, its a great experience over all.

Story: 10/10
This is what really captivated me into the game, it really is something you have to deal with, first hand to get the full enjoyment out of.

Graphics: 8/10
Nice looking game, and does push alot of he DS' capability’s .

Sound: 8/10
Its the perfect soundtrack to the game.

Lifespan: 9/10
The single player mode is pretty lengthy on the first play through, and the puzzles and difficulty will keep you going. Once youve finished it, youve still got souls to collect and multiplayer.

Overall: 9/10

[Sepharite]

Nice review but can you expand on the multiplayer feature? Thanks.

[theONE]

well i would write a review... but im too lazy

[Euan]

Uh, Castlevania has multiplayer? I haven't heard anyone talking about it (people who own the game, and reviews...)

Anyway Biggy I like this review. Like the way you have topic sentences almost which work well and ask questions, and then you answer. WEll done.

[ShadowMarth]

It certainly does. You have two modes. The first is soul trading, quite useful to speeding your game if you need to, and also a mode where you set up a gauntlet of sorts and race your opponent to the finish. You use aquired souls to set monsters along the battlefield.

[kratos]

hey there is a new mode after completing the game like:
Julis mode:play as julis belmont
Boss rush mode:Fight aganist most bosses and earn new weapons
Sound test: veiw music in game

[ShadowMarth]

Of course, but most reviews have a certain anti-spoiler element...