The Castlevania that mixes the old with the new
I couldn't just play Aria of Sorrow without playing the other GBA Castlevania that I happen to own Circle of the Moon. They both may be from the same franchise yet this one feels a lot more like a NES Castlevania mixed in with a giant explorable castle. I know your not expecting this but Dracula has returned and a small group of vampire hunters have come to banish him into darkness. Nathan Graves happens to be the protagonist this time and he welds the legendary vampire killer whip. Along with the usual set of sub weapons like holy water or the boomerang cross. The DDS system is the new power they added to this game. Which is a set of cards that can be combined to create power ups like a flame whip. Similar to traditional Castlevania's it will be key to use sub weapons to defeat the assortment of bosses that stand in your way.
Although most of the bosses aren't super hard they will require the player to learn all their moves in order to defeat them. Each boss is also a unique encounter and they don't feel like super sized normal enemies. I hate using this term but the gameplay loop is satisfying. Going around whipping a variety of threats throughout the castle never gets old. Good use of all your items can also lead to satisfying victories when it looks like your about to lose.
On the other side the story is almost nonexistent. Sure it has a obvious twist at once point but it really just comes down to kill Dracula THE END. The DDS system feels like it never really helps the player make his way through the castle other than a few useful skills. Powers like the vine whip never give the player a advantage over enemies thanks to the fact that they only knock a few extra HP points off. Figuring out where to go next after obtaining a new movement power can take a while which can be annoying.
Overall this mixture of new and old made a good game that happens to have a assortment of flaws. This doesn't mean it isn't worth seeing. The general atmosphere, level design and the music make it a compelling game that should be checked out if your a Castlevania fan.
