Tag: ds

Konami changed things in the Metroidvania formula for Order of Ecclesia in a number of ways. Firstly, you play solo as An Actual Woman, a rare thing in Castlevania games. Shanoa is part of an organisation tasked with protecting the world from the possible resurgence of Dracula in a time in history when the Belmonts seem to have disappeared. Spoiler: the organisation actually wants to resurrect Dracula. Secondly, there’s a world map with many discrete, and mostly small levels. Like …

After so many, let’s be honest, near identical Castlevania games where you go into Dracula’s castle and explore and there’s a ballroom and a clock tower and some sewers, Portrait of Ruin comes up with a way of changing that. Sure, you’re still in the castle, but you’re not up against Dracula – just some other guy who has taken over his house and put paintings up everywhere. Each painting leads to a different world, so there’s a creepy house, …

Fun fact: Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow on the DS was my first Metroidvania type Castlevania game. Yes, I played the Holy GBA Trilogy a couple of years after this, and it’s 19 years since I first played Dawn of Sorrow. I’d not even had this diary going for that long at the time. Somehow, I still remembered a lot of the game. Most of the bosses, how to reach certain areas, and certainly the plot were all there in my …