Castlevania: Curse of Darkness

"This game is wonderful!"

Well, this will be my first review, so here goes.

In this review, I will go over the pros and cons of this game. Not much comparison will be done to other Castlevania games, as I have little experience with them. I am just going to review the different aspects of this game and rate each one out of ten.

Levels: 8/10
For one thing, the levels are very long. For some people, this is a quality that they look for in a game. Others, however, prefer fighting to walking. The main character's slow movement speed can make exploring new parts of old levels a real hassle. The levels are very well designed. The intricate setup of every level makes each one a maze, made even more challenging by a myriad of monsters and specially locked areas. However, they do get rather repetitive at times, but that is to be expected in a game with such extensive levels.

Sound: 10/10
The music in this game is wonderful. It matches the levels very well, and the change in music when a difficult area is reached makes for a much more intense fighting experience. The sound effects are also great, especially those related to Innocent Devil abilities. The battle sound effects are not too extravagant, but this make them less distracting and easier to view as real sound.

Innocent Devils: 10/10
This new system of companionship is something that should be used more often. In my eyes, it seems to be a mixture of MAGs from Phantasy Star Online and Pokemon, in that the ID's can level up, evolve, and gain new abilities. The genealogy of each ID is unique, so there is always a surprise waiting for you. The ID's also tie into the level structure, as certain areas can only be opened with certain ID skills. The ability to turn Evolution Crystals on and off is also a great idea, as some skills are not related to the number of enemies killed. The ID's are also very well animated, and the artwork is beautiful.

Making Weapon and Armor: 10/10
In my own words, "This is kick***!" I cannot count how many times I have been frustrated by having a character whose weapons and armor just mysteriously upgrade as they gain levels and grow stronger. There is also a myriad of hilarious joke weapons and armors that are funny, even if they are not necessarily useful. The fact that some weapons within the four standard weapon classes (Swords, Spears, Axes, Knuckles) have different finisher moves. And this leads me into the combat system.

Combat: 10/10
Most of you can probably think of a few examples of games where the worst, yet most important, thing is the combat system. This combat system is easy to learn and master, and the additions of Perfect Guard and Dodge abilities are something that a lot more games need. Some of us may recognize the dodge system as akin to the ones presented in the Zelda games for N64 and GCN. However, the downside of that was that normal movement was almost impossible to synchronize with dodging. ID's also have special combat abilities to help you get out of trouble when you really need it. The system of having normal and special 'finisher' attacks is also new, and another thing that I wish was available in more games.

Enemies: 5/10
This has got to be the one thing that I dislike about this game. In most games, new enemies are not merely upgraded versions of old enemies given one or two powers and a new name and design. It is not uncommon in this game to run into multiple enemies that have the same fighting style. This makes the list of enemies not very diverse, and puts a bit of a damper on the excitement of discovering new, more difficult enemies.

Bosses: 9/10
The bosses in this game are well animated, but they have the same problem that is seen in many games, and that is boss strategies. They are very easy to figure out and defeat. This really makes some bosses much easier than even the normal enemies in the level, because a boss can't gang up on you from several directions.

Replay:1/10
The only reason anyone would want to replay this game is the chance to play a Trevor Belmont. However, his gameplay is much less developed, as the weapon creation system is not available to him.

Overall: 10/10
Although the bosses and enemies, other than a select few, are easy enough to defeat, this is a challenging and fun game. I would recommend it, even to people who have little Castlevania experience, such as myself.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/18/05