"Fun game, but lacking in some areas"

First thing first. I have never played a Castlevania game before; and if I ever did, I don't remember doing it. So this review is probably more geared towards Castlevania first timers like myself than veterans of the series. Now with this out of the way, let's get on with the review.

***** Plot *****

The game started off as Soma Cruz, our protagonist and his friend, Mina Hakuba were discussing about their traumatic experience in the previous game. Soma seemed to gain the ability to suck mindless souls that could turn him into a Dark Lord. Somehow, he conveniently 'lost' that ability after the great battle in Dracula's castle.

Suddenly, an evil woman by the name of Celia Fortner with a laugh that only evil woman could do appeared and as all evil people do, she started a cult and did, ahhh, evil things. Anyway, so now Soma needed to, once again, ventured into yet another castle to rid of the evil doers.

In terms of plot, this is a typical good vs. evil game. Characters from previous games made Dawn of Sorrow a familiar setting for veterans while beginners do not feel entirely left out. I am not sure how much of the back story you need to know in order to get the full picture, but it is fairly easy to catch on. I have never played any of the previous games before, and I have no difficulties in understanding the story.

***** Gameplay *****

Dawn of Sorrow is a traditional 2D game that follows the path of kill the monsters, dispatch the boss, next area; kill more monsters, dispatch the next boss, next area. Rinse and repeat. If you think that it is tedious. Well, it is. So how does it keep players coming back for more? Castlevania might employs the tried and true formula of monsters and bosses, but each enemy is different, and each boss presents its own set of challenges. Even though some enemies might look the same, and behave similarly, they get tougher, and harder to kill. With 100 different enemies, that's a lot of killings to be done.

As part of the plot device, Soma has the ability to suck souls. Apparently, he did not 'lose' the ability. He had it all along, he just never needed to use it until now. Nice one, Soma.

Anyway, the soul harvesting allows Soma to inherit the fiend's ability. For example, the Flying Amour soul allows Soma to slow the rate of falling. Trust me, you need a lot of slowing down in this game.

There are 3 types of souls, but you get it all the same way, kill, kill and kill. I think the whole soul sucking thing is a random occurrence. You don't actually suck the souls. Like items and money, the enemies 'drop' them. Of course, luck has something to do with the 'drop rate'.

You need, however, to equip it in order to use it. You have three slots to use, one for each type of soul. Depending on the situation, you would need to use the most appropriate soul for the task at hand. And here the problem lies.

Sometimes, in order to pass an area, you might need a special skill that is only available from collecting certain soul. And because the drop rate depends on luck, you might find yourself killing the same enemy over and over again until it sells its soul to you, the devil.

The bigger problem is the inability to know which soul is needed in which area. For example, a spike infested area makes it impossible to pass without a soul that can carry you like an African King or one that lets you fly. How did I know that I need that particular soul? I didn't. It was through pure accident that I collected the soul needed. It would be better if Soma gives some sort of hint as he comes across such area. Either that, or read a FAQ/Guide.

Frustration sets in as you collect the souls. As mentioned, souls, like items, are dropped by fiends, so the entire soul collecting part of the game is dependent on how much luck you have. If you are one to complete a collection, you will need a lot of time to do so, even if you have the best of luck.

Besides the whole soul sucking thing, there are of course, weapons you can wield and amours that you can wear. It's not unlike an RPG game, really. There are different types of weapons to choose from, from knives, which hit fast, but not as deadly to axes, which hit harder, but slower.

However, it is my next problem. I have found myself using a long range weapon for the entire game since they became available. Unlike souls, you can just use one or two weapons for the entire game. Unfortunately, there is not much difference between weapons. Hammer, the shop keeper, does have some weapons for sale, but if you want more powerful weapons, you need to synthesis with souls you have collected. And because souls are such a random thing, your chance of getting a powerful weapons will be just as random.

Not every weapon is synthesis-ble, either. Throwing / long range weapons, for example, cannot be synthesized. Truth be told, the throwing sickle is the only weapon I used. The best thing about it is that even when it hit an enemy, it kept going and hit other enemies behind them as well. The lack of finding a more powerful long range weapon is somewhat frustrating for me.

The touch screen is underutilised. It is mainly used for killing off bosses by performing a magic seal. The use of the top screen for the map and the action on the bottom screen makes sense. You can select between the map and character profile with a press of a button. And if you have the right soul, you can switch between two sets of equipments 'on the fly ', something very useful in the middle of a boss fight.

Each area has one or more save point, strategically placed just before a boss fight. Also present is a wrap room that allows you to wrap to another wrap room that you have visited before. It is a neat feature that saves a lot of time backtracking.

***** Graphics *****

Don't think for a second that just because the game is 2D, the graphics will be below par. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The backgrounds are very detailed and well presented. Characters can even interact with some of the back drops. For example, Soma can sit on a chair.

Each area has its own theme, so they look and feel different from each other. Some areas are bright and colourful, while others are dark and evil.

The characters, both friends and foes alike, are well animated. You can't see their faces, but their movement are quite fluid.

***** Sound *****

Different areas have different theme music. They are all nicely rendered and fit the area that you are in. Sound effects aplenty, ranging from the cry of the monsters when they die to the cry of Soma when he summon the souls. Monster's getting hurt, weapons getting thrown, souls getting sucked, all the sound effects are all there. It is what you expect from these sorts of games. For a game on a handheld, the sound is great.

***** Replay Value *****

Dawn of Sorrow features multi-play where players can battle against each other or swap souls Pokemon style. With 100+ souls to collect, it will certainly take some time to finish.

In term of the actual game time, it will probably take you somewhere between 10-15 hours. A 'New Game+' is available once you have completed the story in which you can play as one of Soma's allies.

Julius does not have a different storyline, so if it is story that you are after, Soma is probably all you will play. But if your mission is to collect souls, or challenge yourself to a harder level, then replay value will be very high for you.

***** Overall *****

Having never played a Castlevania game before (though I know of it), I found this game entertaining, though somewhat lacking. There are plenty of souls to collect and secret rooms to uncover. Characters are well animated, and the music is great. Even though the touch screen is underutilised, the use of the dual screen is as helpful as it could ever be.

Sure, it's only in 2D, but it beats a lot of the 3D games out there on the DS. The only complaint I have is the drop rate of the souls, and the lack of weapons variety. It could become frustrating at times. But other than that, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is a solid game.

Good:

* A big castle with lots of areas to explore
* Great music
* Lots of replay value

Bad:

* Soul harvesting could be a chore
* Touch screen underutilised

Score (out of 10)

Plot: 6
Gameplay: 7
Graphics: 8
Sound: 8
Replay: 7

Overall: 7

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/06/07