For what it's worth, Aria of Sorrow makes a superficial effort to be different from every Castlevania before it. Namely, it's the first Castlevania that's set in a dark, gothic future, rather than in a dark, gothic past. So what's Dracula's castle like in the year 2035? Actually, it's pretty much the same as it ever was. There are maybe a handful of futuristic touches in Aria of Sorrow, but for the most part, the setting of the game is all winding, mazelike passageways through cathedrals, dining halls, catacombs, and so on, just like pretty much every Castlevania since the first one came out in 1986. Here, as the androgynous, white-haired hero, Soma Cruz (who looks just like Juste from Harmony and Alucard from Symphony), you'll wield a wide variety of medieval weapons against a wide variety of undead and demonic foes in your quest to try to find a way out of Dracula's castle. Those keeping up with the Castlevania series will recognize many of the enemies and locations in this game and will feel right at home from the moment the game begins. The gameplay of Aria of Sorrow is definitely similar to that of its predecessors, but it's been appreciably refined and improved. For one thing, the game packs the most well balanced challenge of the three--it's easier than the very tough Circle of the Moon but tougher than the rather easy Harmony of Dissonance. It also offers more variety than either of those games. Soma can find and equip a huge arsenal of different weapons, including swords, hammers, punch daggers, and much more. These all have different properties--some are quick but lacking in range and power, while others cover a wide range but are relatively slow. Some weapons are flat-out better than others, but it's fun to experiment with all of them. Soma Cruz will square off against some familiar foes and some new ones--hundreds in all. Moreover, the esoteric card system of Circle of the Moon and the elemental magic system of Harmony have been replaced by Soma's ability to absorb his enemies' souls and gain their powers. It's a great system and, much like all the weapons in the game, packs a surprising amount of variety. Basically, each time Soma strikes down a foe (of which there are more than a hundred different types), there's a chance that he will absorb that enemy's spirit and be able to use it in battle. There are three different types of souls: Most of them can be "equipped" and used in place of the traditional Castlevania subweapons. So for instance, Soma might shatter one of those bone-tossing skeletons, steal its soul, and then be able to chuck bones right back at his foes. A second type of soul is used for defensive and offensive auras, which can be triggered with the right shoulder button. The first such power Soma gains makes him fall more slowly, like a feather, so that he can drift to previously unreachable areas. A third type of soul can be equipped to grant passive bonuses to Soma's core stats (like strength and intelligence) or to give him powers like the ability to walk on water.
Other Helpful Reviews for Castlevania: Akatsuki no Minuet
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Castlevania warps to the future in the latest Dracula-busting sequel--different time period, same type of characters and environments. Does a shift in time period hurt the series? Hardly. With the setting 2035, the ti... Read Full Review
