Even if their vampire hunting franchise has now appeared on PS2, you can always count on Konami to grace a Nintendo console with a new Castlevania game. Follow up to the GBA’s Aria of Sorrow, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow once again follows the exploits of the somewhat androgynous Soma Cruz. It’s a few years since Aria of Sorrow and our purple-clad hero is called upon to fight his way to the heart of a castle which is some sort of ghoulish homage to Dracula’s own dread fortress.

The sprawli ... more >>

Even if their vampire hunting franchise has now appeared on PS2, you can always count on Konami to grace a Nintendo console with a new Castlevania game. Follow up to the GBA’s Aria of Sorrow, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow once again follows the exploits of the somewhat androgynous Soma Cruz. It’s a few years since Aria of Sorrow and our purple-clad hero is called upon to fight his way to the heart of a castle which is some sort of ghoulish homage to Dracula’s own dread fortress.

The sprawling, maze-like citadel is populated with all manner of chimaeric beasts and other enemies, and it’s up to Soma to explore and battle through, be it with axe, whip, or whatever other satisfying weapon takes his fancy. If you enjoyed Aria of Sorrow, be prepared for more of the same, but this sequel makes full use of the DS’s capabilities with vastly improved graphics and a powerful, anthemic musical score. Most DS games aim to exploit the more unique abilities of the DS and Dawn of Sorrow is no exception. You’re required to trace occult symbols on the touch screen to gain entrance to various doors throughout the game. Defeat of enemies is rewarded with their ‘souls’, the collection of which will grant Soma new skills and attacks. As your collection of souls grows, you can trade them with friends using the DS’s effortless wireless capabilities.

And it’s souls that you’ll need if you are to progress in this game. Soma Cruz may be barely more than a schoolboy, but his powers increase dramatically as he collects souls and fuses them as necessary to acquire impressive new abilities. He’ll need a broad range of powers if he is to stop the plot – it turns out that the castle-like nature of the enemy HQ is all part of a wider plan to resurrect the vanquished Dracula to terrorise the earth once again. Dawn of Sorrow, like Aria, is directed by Koji Igarashi, and continues the pleasing resurgence of the Castlevania franchise, with or without a certain Simon Belmont.
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