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Castlevania - Dawn of Sorrow: Reviews

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Game Score: 9/10

Having finished Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow not too long ago, I thought I'd share my opinions about it.

The story takes place a year after the events of Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, and again it revolves around Soma Cruz. I'll leave the rest of the story for you guys to find out. The storyline's good by the way, and there are multiple endings to it!

(DoS= Dawn of Sorrow, AoS= Aria of Sorrow)

DoS plays out similar to that of AoS, with the Tactical Soul system making a comeback yet again, and more slashing and whatnot than whipping compared to most other Castlevania titles. New to this this instalment, however, is soul synthesizing and the use of magic seals, where one can fuse souls to create more powerful weapons in the former. The latter is quite unique, as it requires players to use the stylus to draw out a symbol within a set time to seal away bosses as a finisher. Failure to do so will result in the boss gaining some HP back, thus repeating the process until the player gets it right (hence a minus point here, as it can be quite tedious and troublesome, especially drawing out the more complicated symbols...), hence there is a practice mode to perfect the art of drawing them. Other than that, the stylus can be used to shatter ice blocks, or command a familiar to attack enemies. Sadly, that's all that the stylus can be used for.

Apart from the main game, the extra features from AoS are not left out either, namely the usual Boss Rush Mode, and a mode that allows players to control Julius Belmont, known as Julius Mode. Even Sound Test is not left out for those who appreciate the in-game voices and music! New to the mix is Enemy Set Mode, where players use collected souls from the main game to create a 5-room gaunlet to race with friends through wireless connectivity for bragging rights (or go solo if preferred). New Game Plus and Hard Mode are available for those who would like to be a pefectionist and uncover all the secrets in the game, or would like the extra challenge, therefore contributing to the replayability of the title.

Although the graphics remain at 2-D level, sprites are carefully animated with a lot of detail, from having the snow fall off a car when you land on one, to seeing a Student Witch trying to get on her broomstick, but to no avail. The game still tries to add a little 3-D in a few areas, like the background for example. Nevertheless, you can't really blame this game in the graphics department. It's a direct sequel to AoS after all.

The music in DoS are very well placed to fit the different themes of each area of the castle, some of which are memorable depending on your taste, but there are none which are considered noise pollution either, so no turning off the volume here (unless you're conserving the battery, that is). I personally prefer the themes of Lost Village, Wizardry Lab, Subterranean Hell, Mine of Judgement, and the opening theme in Julius Mode (there are a few more, but I can't name them at the moment, but you should more or less get the picture about this game's music anyway).

Overall, DoS would definitely appeal to newbies and veterans alike, as there are quick hints and easy enemies to help the former gain a grasp on the game early on, and different fighting styles to customize the latter, thus making the game an enjoyable experience to both parties. I'll now sign off with a final note: If you like Action RPGs (more action, actually) and enjoy taking out enemies with a myriad of arsenal, along with a few strategic elements here and there, go get it!