The second installment of the vampire killer series to the Nintendo DS
Review by: Orasion_Seiz
As for a handheld console popularized by games such as Super Mario, Pokemon and other family friendly games; the Nintendo DS still lacks some decent action/adventure based games. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is the second of the vampire killer series to appear on the Nintendo DS. Konami had just to put another one after the success of Dawn of Sorrow. Portrait of Ruin still adopts the 2D hack and slash platforming plus some RPG elements that has made the series popular.
The story of PoR is set during the Second World War, which follows the adventures of two young vampire hunters, Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin. They are on a mission to take down Dracula's castle which was rebuilt thanks to the souls who died during the war. Jonathan is more like a weapon master who can use a variety of weapons from whips, swords and guns. Charlotte on the other hand is a magic user who can cast different spells on enemies. She can also use healing magic if you ever need. This game features the cooperative or partner system in which you can switch between Jonathan and Charlotte at any time in the game. You can also summon your partner anytime to do various stuffs like using his/her equipped skills on enemies or by helping each other on certain situations.
PoR is not actually a role playing game but you gain experience and levels when you kill enemies. Higher level means stronger characters. The gameplay is still very much the same as with the other games in the series. You explore Dracula's castle killing monsters along the way. The catch here is that inside the castle are a number of portraits scattered. These portraits gives you access on some stages waiting to be explored. Exploring the castle to access all of these portraits will not be as easy as like a walk in a park. Monsters will be blocking your way every time. Some monsters are hard to kill so you must use some effective ways. Experimenting with different weapons and magic helps a lot at this kind of situations. There are also bosses before you reach the end of each stage. As any other Castlevania fan should know, boss fights requires a good fighting strategy and in this game the partner system is very reliable when it comes to boss fights. Another thing is that at anytime you can stock up healing items by buying from another character in the game. This guy also sells a variety of weapons, armors and accessories. Be sure to check out his shop from time to time as there will be something new for your two vampire hunters to equip.
There are three types of skills in this game. First type is the sub weapons. Its mainly consist of the usual throwing weapons like knives, bones, shurikens etc. This consumes your MP as you use your sub weapons. When you go to the skills menu, you will see that there is a master rate behind each sub weapons. All of those start rate point 1. Every monsters has a SP rate, which decides the amount of rate points you can earn by attacking with that sub weapon. If you manage to master a sub weapon, the effect of it will be stronger. So try to master as many as you can. Second type are the magic spells skills. Only Charlotte can use magic spells and have to be equipped also just like sub weapons. Magic spells includes flames, ice spears and other spirits. Charlotte can also use support spells than can increase the stats of both characters. Not to mention she can also use healing spells when needed. Of course these also consume your MP when you use it. Unlike the sub weapons, magic spells doesn't have to be mastered as Charlotte will already know how to cast that spell the moment you acquire it. And finally the third type of skill are the dual crush. It's when Jonathan and Charlotte combine there powers resulting into a powerful attack that can be use on cornered situations. Dual crush consumes a lot of MP so make sure to use it only on tough circumstances.
The graphics of the game is pretty much the same as like in Dawn of Sorrow. The 2D engine of the DS makes the game colorfully at the same time elegant. The stage itself is masterfully designed. Dracula's castle is still huge as well as the area behind each portrait. Also the opening movie trailer at the beginning is a good addition made by the creators. The sound of the game is the icing of the cake. Castlevania always features breathtaking music throughout the game. As always the creators really did a good job. This gives players the excitement as they play the game. There is little voice acting in the game though.
PoR also has some bonus features after completing the game once. This includes a boss rush mode in which you have to fight all the bosses you have encountered in the game as fast as you can. By the time you try this mode, you should already know the strategies when fighting these bosses. There are also some other games modes that you can unlock and of course there is a hidden dungeon somewhere in the castle. It's up to you to discover all of these nice little secrets.
If you're looking for a good, long game to play then PoR is perfect. Exploring all the areas of the castle will take a long time and the bonus features of the game will surely satisfy anyone hungry for adventure. To end this review, PoR is a good addition to the Nintendo DS library. I highly recommend this game to anyone looking for a good challenging game. With the recent release of Order of Ecclesia, the series is getting the feel of the DS and is very well accepted by the gaming media. Who knows what's next for Konami's vampire killer series.
"I on my part give up the uncertainty of eternal rest and go out into the dark where may be the blackest things that the world or the nether world holds.."
End of review.