Since the early days of Simon Belmont, down through the generations,
Dracula and his evil minions continue to find ways to resurface.
Similar to the great heroes of time, each descendant manages to come of
age with powerful new techniques and abilities which hold evil at bay.
However, no matter what picture you paint within the haunting realm of
the dead, every new Castlevania game will always remain true to its
series. From the groundbreaking customization of Symphony of the Night
to the card-based combat system of Circle of the Moon, each title
brings something new to the table. And Dawn of Sorrow is no different.
Even with the new look, Konami’s latest package encompasses all of the
challenges and charms its series has always possessed. It couldn't of
hurt to take advantage of the touch screen a bit more though.
Nevertheless, I was having too good of a time to worry about a few
minor complaints that surfaced here and there. The improved enemy
intelligence and intriguing soul weapon system bring about a monumental
improvement that many of the early titles lacked. The passive
puppet-esque motions of foes from the past have been replaced with
active adversaries that seem to come to life when you draw near. I
can’t tell you the number of times I was fooled by a demon archer’s
precision or an explosive plant that looked like a normal shrub. New
demons spawn with each passing room that you tear through, and you are
given nothing less than a rough time by each one of them.
Poor Soma Cruz just can't seem to catch a break.
A year has passed since the events of Aria of Sorrow and Soma still
struggles with the fact that, he alone, is the key to awakening
Dracula. Even conquering the demons inside himself wasn’t enough as now
a deranged cult, led by the evil sorceress Celia, plans to resurrect
the dark lord by force. Of course, our protagonist could just keep
himself hidden but to protect the world from yet another evil, he
decides to venture beyond the door and return to the castle.
Within the halls of the great fortress are a tremendous number of
demons that require slaying. Luckily Dawn of Sorrow introduces a new
combat system that gets the job done like never before. What brings
about the fresh feel to the game mechanics is a three piece system that
all works around capturing souls: enchantment, summoning, and
absorption. With each soul captured you can use their power to enchant
weapons, summon a previously defeated monster, or use their abilities
to solve puzzles. This makes combat very addictive and you will spend
every waking hour searching for demons to vanquish, so that you can add
their essence to your collection.
On another note, unlike the previous titles in the series, there are
many more save points. So, if real life responsibility rears its ugly
head you won’t have to journey too far to take a breather. What also
helps relieve some tension is the helpful map layout borrowed from
previous titles in the series; no more getting lost and running into
that same dead-end thirty or more times. This of course all occurs on
the top screen alongside a menu that displays player stats and equipped
items. The touch screen though is what brings about the most unique
element hidden in the game’s repertoire -- the Magic Seal system.
Not too far from the starting bell will be the introduction to the
seals and how you utilize them. Opening doors with magical barriers,
vanquishing reoccurring obstructions and banishing evil manifestations
to oblivion are just a few of the options available to you. With the
stylus in hand you draw a particular pattern when a seal appears,
usually when facing any of the previously mentioned events. Each
successful drawing has certain effects, as one pattern could send
certain monsters to their doom, another could possibly unlock
previously unreachable areas. However, the system can get frustrating
later on when some seals get very complicated and hard to memorize, and
failing a seal at opportune moments could have you fighting that boss
multiple times.
I suppose that we can forgive it though. The boss fights alone are almost worth the full price of admission.
Towering behemoths that launch eye beams, pyro-maniacs, and acrobatic
dagger throwers -- each one provides a challenge and several are quite
the sight to behold. Taking full advantage of the DS’s visual capacity,
many of the creeps you will be battling with seem to be part of the
very background itself. Balore immediately comes to mind when I think
of immense. Dodging his massive punches gives you the sense that you
are fighting both him and the room, all the while his expansive lasers
are ripping through the fragile icicles that surround the corners of
the frigid cathedral. Unfortunately for him, it doesn’t take long to
memorize his attack patterns, and a couple of head shots with your
claymore will send him packing. With each antagonist you lock away, a
new power is yours, and aside from the level grinding, it will be the
primary way to increase your strength throughout the game.
Complementing your progression through the castle is a series of great
tracks that really make you feel like the great demon hunter himself.
The eerie sound effects and excellent composition of some pieces help
bring about a greater sense of involvement in the game. Hear the
classic organ playing a dramatic, upbeat theme as you scurry within the
wizard's laboratory and an ambient melody for some of the underwater
portions. And of course, it wouldn't be a Castlevania game without the
disturbingly quiet save rooms. The only complaint that I have here is
that there aren't quite enough different tracks, with some of the same
music being repeated throughout. All in all though, everything comes
together remarkably well.
Yet, if there was one minor detriment noticeable throughout Dawn of
Sorrow, it would be the uninteresting side characters. You will come to
find out that most of the people Soma interacts with are generally
introverted. Well, except for Hammer. He is just hilarious. However,
one has to wonder if there was something more that could have been
built into the storyline. The result is a tried and true formula that
gives off a cliched blockbuster sequel feel, but truthfully, you
shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken. On the bright side, if you have not
played Aria of Sorrow then you will not be affected by this in any way.
Just like all other side-scrolling platformers, the game is easy to
pick up and will have you feeling as if you have been hunting down
zombies for years.
Simply put, it is hard to complain when everything comes to together so
well. The haunting overworld themes, the barren setting, the diverse
combat capabilities, and the engaging boss confrontations all make
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow an unforgettable experience. Even after
everything is said and done, there is a lot to work for in the form of
unlockable characters and extra endings. Sure the anime style makes it
feel less Gothic and the touch screen isn’t used nearly enough, but in
the end it doesn't really matter. Konami took all the strong points
from previous Castlevania’s and crammed them together to form one of
the best action adventure titles I have played in a long while. The
attentions to relevant detail and building on what makes this series so
excellent, are the key reasons it will be around for a long time.
