Another fun entry, yet falling short of the expectations left from Dawn of Sorrow.

User Rating: 7.7 | Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin DS
By basludanto | Review Date:
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, is another great playing game from Konami that, despite a strong pedagogy, feels a little rushed and recycled. The graphics, as usual, are wonderful in this game. It has been said, and must be agreed, that the 2d scrolling platformer is not dead. The character designs are fun, the effects are fluid and impressive, and there is quite a bit of variety packed into the game. Unfortunately, it is all variety from previous Castlevania games. Most of the enemies are recycled; some would argue that this is to keep it in the Castlevania world, and while this may be true it is wearing a bit thin after a few decades. The bosses in this installment are sadly a letdown after Dawn of Sorrow's terrifying entries, not only in the case of design but also in difficulty.

Which brings me to my next point: why is every game on the DS so short? It feels that it is just as I am hitting my stride is a game that I get to a boss, only to find that it is the last one. Yes, there are multiple endings, but the first comes so soon it is a disappointment, and the additional ones do not add an extreme amount of time. I found myself playing for hours in Dawn of Sorrow to find rare souls for either stronger attacks or to upgrade weapons. This sense is sadly lacking in Portrait of Ruin. The abilities learned from the enemies defeated are unnecessary and feel tacked on.

The addition of Charlotte was fun, and dispelled my initial misgivings about having two characters on the screen. The use of puzzles when interaction between the two is fun, thought spare.

All in all, had I not played the previous entries in the series or had the game been longer I might have been more impressed. As it is, it feels a bit like a mod from Dawn of Sorrow. Fun, but not lasting or innovative enough.

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  • Rating:8.2

    Portrait of Ruin is another successful Castlevania reincarnation.

    By tbui54 | Review Date: Mar 25, 2007 | DS

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  • Rating:9

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