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Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow Review - GBA

Introduction

Dracula. Castlevania has always been about killing Dracula, even when playing as his own son. Dracula has been vanquished and his coffin nailed shut. Of course, that doesn't stop power hungry mortals from deciding to inherit his powers.

While visiting a shrine, young Soma Cruz finds himself, along with his dear friend Mina, watching a strange lunar eclipse at the mountain shrine.

They wake and find themselves in the courtyard of a strange castle and, after meeting an odd fellow, find themselves attacked by demons. During the ensuing battle, Soma finds dormant abilities awakening within him. Searching for a way to heal his friend, he heads inside.

Throughout the game, the story gradually reveals itself to be even more interesting, as familiar characters from previous titles show up and converse without hero, Soma. All is not as it seems and, if you unlock the best ending, you'll discover quite the surprise. Needless to say, this starts an interesting new chapter in one the longest running, and most cherished, game series.

Gameplay

The mechanics are, on the surface, as simple as can be. Run, jump, kill. Of course, there's more to it than that, but it's easy enough to understand. After offing creatures, you may find yourself in possession of their soul. It just so happens that Soma himself can absorb these souls into his own body and use them to unleash hidden talents.

A handy ability to have if you happen to get sucked into an evil castle, for sure. The souls themselves vary in ability and you can equip three at a time, one in each category. Some boost stats, some allow extra attacks such as spear throwing or magic and some grant abilities, like walking on water or flying.

It's a nice break from the usual Castlevania magic book and helps steer the game in a new direction. This is compounded by the game's weapon and armour system. No longer confined to the Vampire Killer, the Belmont family's heirloom, the whip that cracked a thousand vampires, Soma is free to use any weapon found within the castle.

From swords, daggers, bigger swords and even bigger hammers, each one handles a little differently. Armour protects you from the more serious injuries to a certain degree while potions and the like restore health. You've got all you need to make your way through an evil infested castle.

And what a castle it is. All the bases are covered, the underground sewers, the clock tower, the dancing hall, the parapets, the gardens, all the familiar territories are there to traverse. The place is big and if it weren't for the handy map, getting lost would be easy. Actually, scratch that. Despite the map, getting lost is easy.

As with most games in the (continued next page)