II'll keep this short and sweet. I just haven't enjoyed PoR as much as any of the other 'Vania games that I've played. And you know what? I just can't put my finger on why. All the requisite elements are there - exploring large areas, bashing imaginatively-designed monsters, finding loot, gaining experience and leveling up, challenging boss battles - but the magic just isn't happening for me. The game is extremely polished in terms of graphics, sound and gameplay (except for one area I'll mention shortly), but the whole experience seems somehow rather sterile and by-the-numbers by comparison with, say, Aria of Sorrow. Level design seems rather weak, perhaps because the size constraint imposed by the castle setting has been removed - maybe the designers got lazy as a result? Either way, the levels are fairly linear and generic (in design, not in locale - the locales are fantastic) and generally not massively fun to explore. Part of what for me has consistently been a favourite element of Castlevania is the element of discovery - knowing there is a section of castle just beyond your reach which you might be able to get to once you learn a particular ability. This joy of discovery seems lessened in PoR, maybe down to the level design, combined with the fact that you seem to get most of the movement abilities rather early on. The "two characters" and side-quest aspects of the game, frankly, feel somewhat tacked-on alongside the highly-polished core gameplay. There are few situations where both characters come into their own, and the few puzzles which demand cooperation between Jon and Charlie are clumsily-implemented, as if the developers weren't entirely sure what they were doing. The side-quests also seem very arbitrary, with little justification even within the game's admittedly-fragile plot framework, and some can be rendered uncompletable if you incautiously sell a required item, which is frankly really bloody annoying.
It might sound like I'm ragging on this game, but there's no denying it's a good adventure that sticks close to the series' strengths. However, I considered some of the new elements to be superfluous at best, and I didn't find the intangible game experience nearly as enjoyable as any of the past games in the franchise from Symphony of the Night onwards. Take from that what you will.
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THE GOOD: Interesting dual-character mechanics. Improved visuals. Various weapons, spells, and items to collect. THE BAD: Not as lengthy or challenging as previous installments. Plot and character development aren't i... Read Full Review
Castlevania PoR ia a great platformer for the nintendo DS.You play as two main characters Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin.Your a two vampire slayers seeking out a mysterious new uprising in the Dracula Mansion.Your n... Read Full Review
