Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA) Review

Developer	KCET
Publisher	Konami
Genre	Adventure

Within the last three years, the Castlevania series has really shined on the GBA. Three spectacular games in three years is quite a feat, but it's true; Aria of Sorrow continues the legacy that is Castlevania, and succeeds as being yet another hit game for the franchise and the GameBoy Advance.

Aria of Sorrow stars Soma Cruz, a brand new character to the series, who -- after a solar eclipse in the year 2035 -- awakens to find himself in a mysterious castle. Soma discovers that he did not end up in this dreadful abode for nothing; but to in fact, face his destiny.

Gameplay - Aria of Sorrow plays very much like both previous GBA Castlevania's: Circle of the Moon and Harmony of Dissonance, which play very closely to the PSone's classic Symphony of the Night. In fact, if we have any real gripe at all, it's that the game's basic setup is way too repetitive. Much like the Metroid games, Aria of Sorrow (and the previous Castlevanias) contains one gargantuan area to explore, complete with multiple types of enemies, bosses, special items, save points, etc. The player can access only so many places within the castle until he stumbles upon an item that will allow him to reach previously inaccessible areas. Enemies continue to respawn each time you return to a room to keep the action flowing, and as is Castlevania custom, the game has many platform elements. As usual, the game is complimented by tight, responsive controls that allow the player super-fluid play throughout; all with not one solitary flaw. In fact, the controls here in Aria of Sorrow are the best yet in the series. Also, the player is able to level up his character, and equip him with different weapons, armor, and magical items.

In terms of gameplay, there are two major changes, though one of them don't particularly have much effect in the game. The first is the timeline. Aria of Sorrow is the first Castlevania set in the future, but don't get your hopes up of something refreshing and original. There is a handgun to be found, but by the time you attain it, it's pretty much useless, as other weapons you seize are more powerful and effective. There are a couple of enemies that derive from modern times (a war soldier zombie who tosses grenades), but otherwise, it's the familiar Castlevania you've always known.

The second, and far better aspect of Aria of Sorrow, is the soul system. There are over 100 souls to collect throughout the game that are attained by defeating enemies. When done, Soma gains some sort of magical ability that derives from that creature. We can assure you now that this system of power-ups is better than any previous system in past Castlevanias. Not only are the powers more effective, but attaining them is a great reward, and pushes the player to keep on going. Even better is the ability to trade your souls with a friend's via link cable. The powers you receive by collecting these souls are fun to toy with, and come in great varieties. What's more, utilizing the powers Soma gains from souls help to even out the game's excellent challenge factor. In Harmony of Dissonance, the game overall was fairly easy. But here, enemy strengths are more balanced, and while boss fights are challenging, they are never too hard.

Combine the solid gameplay mechanics of Castlevania, and add the soul system, and what you have is the best playing Castlevania in quite a long time. Better than Harmony of Dissonance and Circle of the Moon in sheer gameplay for sure.

Graphics - Aria looks nice. As usual, the effects in the spells and the assorted ways a monster perishes takes the podium in the graphics department. We like the game's overall speed too. The game plays much faster than Harmony of Dissonance did, and the animations are just as smooth. Character and enemy models are all drawn well, but not nearly as detailed as Harmony. In fact, Harmony of Dissonance's whole graphics presentation is better than Aria. It is most notable by the detail of the castle's backdrops. Very simply put, Aria's doesn't look quite as good.

Sound - The sound took a serious hit in Harmony of Dissonance, but not here. Perhaps some of that processing power in the GBA was less focused on the graphics to improve the sound. What matters is that the tunes just plain sound better, as well as the effects. The entire sound package lives up to the Castlevania standard; excellent.

Overall Value - Aria of Sorrow is the best playing Castlevania on the GBA yet. The tried-and-true gameplay formula that Castlevania is known for makes another triumphant return, and the addition of the soul system is absolute brilliance and equally addictive. Despite not taking full advantage of the game's futuristic setting, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is still an instant classic and deserves a spot in your GBA games library. Drop whatever it is you're doing, and go buy this. It's worth every penny.

Review by Brendon Hivner