Reviews (51) 
May be quite possibly the best Castlevania ever...
While the past two GBA Castlevania's were good, this one is leaps and bounds ahead of them.
The Soul system of this game is brilliant and is quite addicting. However, getting the souls of every monster in this game can be quite time consuming. Though, one expensive ring does make this task much easier...
And the main character, Soma, just looks downright cool.
Plus the dozens of swords, hammers, spears, and even guns he can get all behave differently and are unique. No two weapons look or act the same.
And its just plain fun to swing a sword twice the size of your main character. :)
The challenge in this game can be a bit high in some areas but never leaves you frustrated.
Add to the fact that this game has hidden final bosses, hidden areas, a special arena mode which earns you rare and awesome weapons, a hidden playable character, and a mode which allows you to restart the game with all your items intact makes this game a gem and a real joy to play. Also, there is a special Hard mode which can earn you rare items like Deaths Scythe and a werewolf killing Silver Gun.
All in all, this game plain old rocks and will give you plenty of enjoyment and fun for your money. Pick it up, you wont be sorry.
Every bit as good, and better, than Symphony of the Night!
For people who fell in love with Castelvania: Symphony of the Night for the PSX, prepare to be dazzled yet again by Aria of Sorrow! The Soul system is easy and fun to use, the locales you'll explore in the castle are beautiful, the music is awesome, and plays as smoothly as you could ask.
If you are a big fan of Castlevania, this is THE Castlevania to pick up. If you aren't a big fan of Castlevania, then this is still the one game you should run out and buy! I couldn't recommend it any higher.
If HoD was the Test...This is the Result.
Iga's second game on the GBA, Aria of Sorrow, triumphs over Harmony of Dissonance, and while it's nothing revolutionary, it presents a few fresh ideas, and manages to be a satisfying and engaging adventure, if lacking in some areas.
Soma Cruz, a high school exchange student studying in Japan, is making his way to his friend's shrine, when he loses consciousness. What's going on? Right off the bat, Aria of Sorrow scores points for *actually* having a very fresh and interesting story.
Continuing the tradition started by Circle of the Moon, AoS has a new gameplay addition, called the Soul Steal System. Soma has the power to take the souls of monsters that he defeats. This factors into the game in that it's a necessity to have Souls to get further into the Castle, and the powers of some can also aid in defeating certain enemies, or raising your attributes. There are a great many souls, as there as over 100 enemies in AoS, and some include using a massive axe gained by obtaining the soul of the Red Minotaur, or summoning the Familiar Alastor, which kind of is a less cool copy of the Sword Familiar in SotN. Unfortunately, a lot of the Souls will go unused, as some are simply pointless, such as the Killer Doll's, or the Zombie Soldier. It's too much trouble to have to constantly switch back and forth to utilize all of the Souls to their full extent, so once you find a good one, such as the Lightning Doll's, you'll probably stick with that one for a long time until you find a better one.It's an interesting idea, but again suffers from Iga's desire to have myriads of options for the sake of amount, not for the sake of functionality.
Dracula's Castle looks absolutely stunning. This game is many steps above Harmony of Dissonance's neon-like and static, boring backgrounds. Notice the Castle Corridor's slightly broken walls which expose swarms of bats and a brightly glowing moon and clouds, or the foreboding Top Floor's sinister architecture, with the pillars engulfed in flames; this game is a visual treat. The artistic beauty of this game shines all over, with places like the Floating Gardens and its flowing sea of clouds in the higher structures. Stop and take a look while you're in the Underground Waterway to admire the brilliant speckles of light reflecting on the overhanging surfaces above the water, and the faintly luminescent rock formations in the immediate and far background. There are little details like this all over, and it's a feast for the eyes. Soma looks more graceful than the floaty and stiffly animated Juste. The animation of his jacket is just great, and every move he makes looks much more believable. Another area in which Aria of Sorrow succeeds in terms of graphics is its huge number of enemies, which total over 100. The great thing about them all is that they're all interesting, and some are actually quite aggressive, like the Rubicant Demons. This is very welcome, when I compare it to the poor direction Harmony was going with its repetitive and goofy looking monsters, which all seemed to want to be killed. However, AoS still struggles with having boring enemy death animations, which mostly consist of the beast bursting into flames and disappearing. Still, the sheer diversity of their designs and habits overshadow this little problem.
Considering the Castle's layout this time compared to HoD's, I found it to be noticeably improved, though still lacking, when compared to CotM. The good parts? First of all, there are no pointless little blocks in your way (Like HoD's Skull Key Doors) that make you needlessly backtrack to get somewhere else. AoS also sports eight Teleporter Rooms, as opposed to HoD's few, making getting around easier. Castlevania has never seemed so populated with enemies, and the decent amount of actual platforming, such as a certain huge room in the Underground Waterway, is a blessing when I compare it to HoD's insulting overuse of completely straight, nearly empty corridors and unpleasant, redundant vertical corridors. However, there is nothing in the design on the structures in the rooms that is truly hard. Perhaps truly involving in a few instances, but nothing that will ever really make you sweat due to the pressure of intensity, and that's where AoS really could have stood to improve itself. Iga's games still rely too heavily on the major obstacles only coming from the enemies, and not from the actual environment, as well.
This time, since the main character is not a Belmont (and is not restricted to using a whip), the player is treated to a huge array of weapons to use. Some can be found in secret rooms in the castle, others can be bought at the shop near the Castle's Corridor, and still others can be obtained by defeating enemies or beating the Boss Rush Mode under a certain time.Most of the weapons in this game are interestingly designed, though I guess the designers got a little lazy in some areas (The Kaladbolg Sword looks exactly the same as the Burtang Sword, except with a red outline). Regardless, I found it to be much more fun than simply finding a bunch of whip add-ons which really didn't contribute much to your fighting (*cough*HoD*cough*). Ranging from the stylish Valmanway sword to the popular Claimh Solais, you'll have lots of fun collecting and using all of these items, since mixing up your weapons actually makes a difference in this game. Have low HP and encounter a Flame Demon? Switch up your current sword for Rahab's Sword, which has elemental properties for more than double the damage of which you would have done if you had not switched. You'll even get a gun later on, to reflect the sign of the times, but it's very weak.
Sound-wise, and compositional-wise, this game also runs rings around Harmony of Dissonance's mainly forgettable and sometimes depressing soundtrack. It sports more songs than CotM's, though whether they're on the same level of the masterfully done ones in that game is left up to you. I personally still prefer CotM's much more. Sound-wise, AoS just goes to show that great graphics don't bring down a game's music quality, as the sound composers of HoD said. Michiru Yamane, composer of games' soundtracks, such as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and partial contributor to HoD, finally has joined in on the soundtrack for most of the songs, I believe, if not all. The Castle Corridor's theme has a good pace and is memorable, though definitely not in the same league as "Awakening" or "Dracula's Castle."The Chapel has a suitably urgent and powerful beat to it, and the arranged version is divine (unfortunately, it's available on a Japanese-only soundtrack, as are the arranged versions for the Castle Corridor and Top Floor). The Arena's action-based theme is very catchy, as is the Top Floor's "dance-sonata" tune. The Clock Tower level of the Castlevania series is famous, partially due to almost always having one of the most memorable songs of the soundtracks played there. AoS is no different; starting off quietly, it projects a feeling of seclusion and airiness, and then descends in to a much more intense tune and erratic flow, to go along with one traversing deeper into the structure. However, AoS also sports a ridiculous amount of merely adequate or simply forgettable songs, which is inexcusable for a series such as Castlevania. Examples include the Inner Quarters' theme, which is rather too reserved and uninteresting, and the music for the Dance Hall is simply silly sounding, which makes me wonder what the composer was thinking when they were wondering what kind of mood they wanted to create with their composition. As far as the soundtrack goes, there are a few great, though not incredible, pieces, and a lot of merely "decent" pieces. There are a TON of voice samples and sound effects. Succubae slur devilish erotic words as you come near them, and demons scream in rage as they try to spear you with their tridents. There is a lot of personality behind all these sounds, and it's where AoS's sound truly succeeds.
Control is spot on. Whereas in HoD you felt like your character was very either too stiff or too airy, Soma controls almost like a human Alucard. Jumping and maneuvering in the air are flawless, and when you get hurt, you know it was because you messed up, not because the control sucked. It's more along the likes of its GBA brother, CotM, only more fluid in some ways, and a little less heavy. You ALWAYS feel like you have complete control over your character, and that's truly something that stands out in AoS.
Aria of Sorrow is actually the first Castlevania game where you can get Level 99 without taking your whole life to do it. Whereas HoD basically lost all reason to fight any enemies when you got to level 50 because most monsters gave 1 EXP by then, AoS's experience-reward system never changes (a.k.a., if an enemy gives 250 experience the first time around, it won't give 10 experience points the next time, due to you being a higher level), and therefore, the fun and purpose of fighting enemies remains intact. Enemies will also drop weapons and armor that can't be bought at the shop. In addition, it also helps for the Boss Rush Mode if you're at a high level. AoS scores again the RPG-Leveling aspect.
AoS has probably the highest replay value of all the 3 GBA Castlevania games. When you beat the game for the first time, you can restart on Hard Mode, and additional modes become accessible, as well as a secret character. Boss Rush Mode actually rewards you for good times with very cool items.Plus, there are almost certainly things you missed your first time through that you'll experience your second time around, or maybe your third, or more! AoS is, without a doubt, a replayable game that won't be put on the shelf after you've beaten it and left to collect dust.
Final Score (Not an average): 8.5/10
Great game.My favorite Castlevania yet.
I have known about the series ever since the NES was out (I think Castlevania 2 was the second game I played, right after Zelda).It's one of those series I'd always rent a game from if I ever saw a new one out.To this day, I still consider Castlevania 4 (for the Super Nintendo) a classic.Sadly, these days my opinion of the series is not so cheery.Part of this may be because I'm more able to tell how bad a game is before I play it just by checking the internet.Even then... I didn't like Circle of the Moon, and it got rave reviews.
But enough history.Aria of Sorrow is a truely exceptional game.Everything I didn't like about Circle of the Moon (which was a lot) was fixed here.The visuals are clearer, the controls are solid, and the gameplay is more balenced.Despite certain qualms I have over elements that shift the difficulty toward easy a little (like health healing potions), the game is still difficult without being cheap, perhaps with the exception of hard mode, but they don't call it "hard mode" without reason (not to mention it's entirely optional).
For anyone not familiar with the series, there are two types of gameplay standards in the series.One is stage based gameplay (think Contra, or even Mario), which some of the older games in the series have.The other, which this one utilizes, is what some like to call "Metroid-vania."This basically means you can explore this huge castle and backtrack to different areas at will.However, that's not exactly as derivative as it sounds (in fact, Castlevania 2 used this format, so it's been used a long time ago).This game uses it in a sort of an Action RPG-esque method.This does mean your character levels up throughout the game, though this does provide one minor weakness in the game.Areas you went through at the beginning will become VERY easy should you come across them again later in the game.This is not much of a problem, since you'll basically be looking for a different area to go to anyway, and that new area will almost certainly be loaded with challenge.Bosses are particularly rough and very fun
Well, lets go to one of my favorite additions to this game.Weapons.Unlike previous Castlevania games, the main character isn't restricted to a whip (he also isn't a Belmont, so that would explain why he has no whip).This isn't new, as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night also had this.However, Symphony of the Night had a rather basic weapons set (mostly swords), and basic weapon dynamics.This game has a full arsenal.You have anything from knives and swords, to lances, hammers, and even guns (the game takes place several decades after 2000AD, so this isn't out of place)!Not only that, the soul system gives you several abilities you can snatch from enemies, at times, to use.Most of these are in the form of secondary weapons that use Magic (MP), which does recharge over time.The customization is great, so you'll undoubtibly be able to find several ways to customize your character to be ready for more fighting.
Overall, this game is easily recommended to any fan of Action games (with a dash of RPG), and is certainly recommended for any Castlevania fan.If you do buy it, I recommend you look through an FAQ after you finish it.Chances are, you may not have finished it as much as you think.;)
(P.S.I didn't play Harmony of Dissonance, so I can only compare it to Circle of the Moon).
One of the best GBA games ever made.
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is one of the better Castlevania games to hit the GBA.Fans of the all time best "Symphony of the Night" will absolutely LOVE this title.
Aria of Sorrow does the best it can to mix in the best of the old with the best of the new.Aria of Sorrow borrows TONS of elements from Symphony of the Night and anyone who enjoyed that one will love this.
Aria of Sorrow begins in the year 2035 with Soma Cruz and his childhood friend Mina in Japan.Suddenly an eclipse opens up and they find themselves in Dracula's castle.Surprisingly enough, it really looks no different than it did in say... 1797 (Symphony of the Night). It bears a strong resemblence and any Castlevania fan will notice all the different places (Libraries, Catacombs and the like).
Gameplay in Aria of Sorrow is very close to SOTN in several ways.Your character resembles Alucard in the way he looks and walks.Perhaps what separates this from the past two GBA releases is that your main character doesn't use the whip as his primary weapon.Actually, you don't really have a primary weapon.You can use, Swords, Daggers, Axes, Javelins, whip swords and more!Its fun to experiment with all the different weapons to see what fits you best.The strongest weapon may not always be the best.
Since, Symphony of the Night, Castlevania has gone into an RPG style character building stage.This is for the better and Aria of Sorrow is no different than the past games.As you kill enemies you'll eventually level up.It doesn't require too much to level up (at least not as much as it takes in Circle of the Moon).
Aria of Sorrow also has well balanced difficulty.It's harder than Harmony of Dissonance but easier than Circle of the Moon.Aria also throws in a unique twist.You can now absorb enemies souls at random.When you kill an enemy you may or may not get their ability.There are over 100 enemies meaning that the game even has more abilities to unearth than the DSS System allowed you to in Circle of the Moon! Most souls cost MP and that brings me to my first con.The game has a lot of souls but for whatever reason they cost A TON OF MP to use.Granted your MP regenerates but it regenerates REALLY slowly.
The game also presents lots of bonuses.You can unlock a sound test and a hidden character to play through the game as.There's also a boss rush mode and perhaps whats best is that you can link up with a friend and trade souls!Perhaps one bonus I would've really enjoyed would've been if they'd brought back the ability to play as different "Jobs" like in Circle of the Moon. But its still a really cool experience and the game has lots of replay value.
Visually, Aria of Sorrow is BEAUTIFUL!Your protagonist stands out in a crowd and the screen isn't so dark.One of the better looking GBA games that truly stands up to what the GBA is capable of.
I wish I could say the sound surpasses all else.Castlevania is known for having good soundtracks.The music is WAY better than the godawful soundtrack of Harmony of Dissonance, but it can't hold a candle up to the far superior soundtrack presented in Circle of the Moon.The sound effects are incredible and fun to listen too.
But Aria of Sorrow is not without fault.The most noteworthy con in Aria of Sorrow is that this game is short!It'll only take you 5-6 hours your first time through.The second is that while its harder than Harmony of Dissonance, its still rather easy for any Castlevania veteran.
Overall, Aria of Sorrow is an INCREDIBLE game. I still think "Circle of the Moon" is the best GBA release and its no contest that "Symphony of the Night" is the all time best but Aria of Sorrow comes AWFULLY close to being as good as those two.
The Good
+AWESOME Gameplay, collecting Souls is creative
+Good Soundtrack
+Large Castle to explore
+Much more "free" than other Castlevania games (you're not limited to one type of weapon)
+Lots of Secrets
+Konami is smart to model this game after "Symphony of the Night".If you liked that game then you OWE it to yourself to pick this up.
The Bad
-Still a little too easy
-Souls cost a little too much MP
-Too Short
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Better than X7, but the series is getting tiring now
Better than the last few games, but still old and tired... 
A Waste of Money!!!!!!