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Thursday 6 March, 2008
Gameplay
The save points in the game are sometimes difficult to find and scattered a bit far from each other. I found that this made the game more challenging as I cant just run through the areas getting hit by every enemy along the way and expect to make it to the next save point.
The way the power ups worked in the game is that you would collect the souls of enemies you have felled. With the large variety of different monsters scattered throughout the map, I was really drawn into it anticipating what kind of ability I would gain after defeating a certain monster. The game separates the souls into three different categories. You are allowed to equip or use one soul from each category at a time, meaning you are able to equip three souls at once. This allows for combinations of souls and abilities.
The main abilities that allowed players to go deeper in the castle came from boss fights. The bosses in the game were quite challenging and required more than just hacking and slashing. I found myself having to retry a certain boss quite a few times before I was able to best it. Defeating a boss also means having the right souls for the fight. Having souls that are effective in the fight really helps you out.
Design
The game is played on the lower screen while a map is displayed on the top screen. The map can be switched to show your character’s information as you make your way through the castle. In the menu screen, you are able to see how much of the castle you have explored. Though the map is large and you are free to choose where you want to explore next, the game actually does pretty well in keeping you going where they want you to go. there are blocked passages, obstacles, and areas that are inaccessible until you have obtained certain abilities.
Castlevania also features multiple endings, which gives the game a greater replay value. I was unsatisfied with the ending I got so I found myself running around the castle grounds once again in hopes of achieving a better ending.
Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow has some RPG elements embedded within it. Though it is clearly an adventure-platformer, it has a level up system and equipment system. You can increase your stats by leveling to make fights easier and you can also change the gear your character is wearing.
Though Castlevania is a platformer, it does utilize the touch screen function. There are seals that need to be drawn on the touch screen after defeating bosses and there is an ability that allows you to break apart weak blocks by touching them on the touch screen.
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