A great adventure for DS. However, a relativley short length and random power ups hold it back somewhat.
Graphics: 2-d junkies will love this game. The sprites look amazing, and animate very well. There are also some 3-d enemies, and they animate very well. For the most part, though, the game is glorious 2- d, and it proves that 2-d can stack up against the likes of 3-d. That aside, the art style is very strong, with some truly gruesome enemies, and some various environments. Over the course of the game, you will explore places like a demonic guest house, a twisted green house, a church with a torture chamber beneath it, and more. They are all very well done, and pleasant to look at. The bosses are sights to behold, as well. They are huge; like, screen filling huge. They are very well animated, and are very intimidating, with good reason. All in all, this is one of the best looking 2-d games on DS. (Rivaled by the other Castlevania titles.) And, the best part is, there is no slowdown. I've played this game a lot, and I have never encountered slowdown. 10/ 10
Sound: The sound effects are, unfortunately, less stellar than the graphics. Don't get me wrong, there are some very good ones, but there are more than a few that could have been better. Some good sounds are ones like death screams of bosses, stabbing noises, and a few of the Souls have great sounds. However, there are some that are just too generic. With that said, I feel this game has the best music of any of the DS Castlevanias. My personal favorite is the Condemned Tower. It starts off with a beautiful melody, and then gets very hectic and crazy. Every tune sounds great, with the exception of the one in the Garden area. I really didn't care for it. However, it's difficult to complain when every other song in the game is so amazing. 8/ 10 (because of many bland sound effects.)
Story: In Aria of Sorrow, Soma was destined to become Dracula. (Or something like that.) Now, a year later, he is drawn back in to the cult- scene when he is attacked by monsters in Tokyo. Eventually, he travels to a castle, which, as it turns out, is the base of operations for a cult hell bent on finding a vessel for Dracula. Soma sets off to stop it. It is functional, and many familiar faces return. It's not the greatest story ever told, but it's far from the worst. Besides, there are a few interesting twists. 7/ 10
Gameplay: This is a Metroidvania title. That is, you explore a 2-d castle, finding power ups and fighting enemies, while finding new ways to continue. It's a winning formula, and it's very polished in this game.
You start off fairly weak, and you have weak weapons and no money. However, as you progress, you gain levels (like in an RPG) from defeating monsters. Speaking of which, you have many ways to dispatch the gruesome demons and monsters you fight over the course of the game. There are several different types of weapons to use, like swords, Large swords, Axes, Hammers, Katanas (it is set in Japan), and even a few guns, as well as some special unlockable weapons. Each type has a distinct feel to it, and many are satisfying to use. However, the majority of Soma's arsenal comes from his enemies' souls.
Basically, every time you defeat an enemy, there is a small chance that you can absorb their Soul. This grants you a new power, like throwing knives, firing a huge laser, or stat boosts. There are 3 different types of souls: Bullet (offensive), Guardian (or something like that. This usually summons a familiar to help you, or has a strong attack, or may even shield you) and Status. (I think. These give you some kind of stat boost or advantage.) There are also Souls that are always equipped, and give you game critical abilities like double jump. The only flaw with this system is that it feels too luck based. You will most likely have to grind if you want to get every soul. (Unless you are very lucky.) Bosses give you some of the coolest souls in the game, but there are many fun ones to use.
However, offense isn't the only thing they are used for. You can upgrade weapons by offering up certain Souls. This is a good system, and, without it, you wouldn't be able to beat the game, most likely. The only way to get the best weapons in the game is through this system. Again, though, it can be frustrating, because of the role that luck plays when searching for a particular soul.
The levels in this game are well designed, and hard. On your first run through, expect to die a lot. This game can be very challenging, but that's a good thing, in this case. It rarely feels like it's being overly cheap; as a matter of fact, if you are a platforming expert, you could go through this game with minimal damage. The greatest source for these challenges is in the boss battles. There are many of them, and they are tough. However, there are a few epic ones, like the one in Condemned Tower. You fight a giant beast thing at the top of a tower, where it jumps, taking out the floor you're on, and every floor beneath it. You freefall more than ten stories. There are many more great boss battles in the game, but I won't spoil anything further.
There are also a few cool modes you get after beating the game. There's Boss Rush, Sound Test, and Julius Mode. The latter allows you to play as Julius, Yoko, and Alucard. This is a very nice extra mode. Also, there is New Game+, and Hard Mode. This game has plenty to do after beating it.
All in all, this is a well done Castlevania game. 9/ 10
This game is a good example of what the DS can do. It has amazing graphics, some great music, and polished gameplay, and plenty of post- game stuff to do. I recommend this to anyone looking for a great adventure, platformer, or all around great DS game. So long, thanks for reading, and keep on saving humanity from Dracula!