Superb side-scrolling action.. shame it does'nt last.
The gameplay is absolutly great - all of the usual stuff from previous castlevania games are there and a whole lot more. Such as the new 'soul system' where you can trap enemies souls and use them as either an instant attack, an ability or enhancement. You can even use souls to fuse with weapons, thus creating new, more powerful weapons. However, once you combine a soul with a weapon you cannot use the souls abilities meaning its a good idea to save a bunch of souls that have cool abilities.
There is also a huge amount of new weapons, each with different strengths and weaknesses. For example; you may want to use a weaker weapon on regular enemies as you can swing it faster and therefore cut down the huge numbers of them. But when it comes to boss fights, you're usually better off equipping a beafier weapon that swings slower but causes more damage with each blow.
There is also some touch screen action going on, which is'nt that compelling, touch parts are more of an annoyance to be honest - usually just simple puzzles you have to skim past. Oh and you also need to draw seals in order to defeat enemies which is slightly awkward.
Final verdict? This games rocks, superb gameplay, graphics and sounds - everything u'd want in a Castlevania game. But sadly, it really is way too short. An excellent game for Castlevania virgins, but it'l leave the more experienced fans of the series wanting much, much more.