I don't purport to be some sort of Metroidvania expert, but I have played quite a few of them over the past few months. That might seem like a strange way to start a review, but I just wanted to provide context for the following statement, which might come off as a bit controversial: I think Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is not only the best Castlevania game by a pretty significant margin, it's also the best Metroidvania I've ever played.
The game's Tactical Soul system is the real star of the show here. Having just played its predecessor Circle of the Moon, it's really hard for me to overstate just how much of an improvement it is over that game's DSS system. Aria of Sorrow essentially takes the Mega Man concept of absorbing your foes powers to the logical limit without forcing you to engage heavily with it just to progress in the game. If you want to really go hog-wild and break the game, you can, but it strikes the fine balance between encouraging experimentation without mandating it.
Other than that, the thing that elevates Aria of Sorrow about its contemporaries is its level of precision and polish. Pretty much every aspect of this game is sharpened to the point of absolute excellence, from its pinpoint controls to its fantastic soundtrack to its expansive (but not too expansive) map. Aria also has one of the best-crafted difficulty curves I've seen in a game of this type. While I struggled with a handful of the game's bosses, they never felt unfair, and one of Aria's final foes is among the most memorable boss fights in any game I've ever played.
Even the game's story manages to take the old Castlevania formula and turn it on its head. It's nothing ground-breaking, but I actually connected to Aria's handful of characters far more than I expected, which is a testament to its power. Yes, this is a short game by Metroidvania standards, but I'd rather play a game that's four or five hours of pure brilliance than ten hours with 30% filler.
All-in-all, Aria of Sorrow is the apex of the Castlevania series, and a demonstration that games can be both innovative and expertly-wrought at the same time. If you're a Metroidvania fan who hasn't played this game, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Needless to say, I can't wait to play Dawn of Sorrow.
The game's Tactical Soul system is the real star of the show here. Having just played its predecessor Circle of the Moon, it's really hard for me to overstate just how much of an improvement it is over that game's DSS system. Aria of Sorrow essentially takes the Mega Man concept of absorbing your foes powers to the logical limit without forcing you to engage heavily with it just to progress in the game. If you want to really go hog-wild and break the game, you can, but it strikes the fine balance between encouraging experimentation without mandating it.
Other than that, the thing that elevates Aria of Sorrow about its contemporaries is its level of precision and polish. Pretty much every aspect of this game is sharpened to the point of absolute excellence, from its pinpoint controls to its fantastic soundtrack to its expansive (but not too expansive) map. Aria also has one of the best-crafted difficulty curves I've seen in a game of this type. While I struggled with a handful of the game's bosses, they never felt unfair, and one of Aria's final foes is among the most memorable boss fights in any game I've ever played.
Even the game's story manages to take the old Castlevania formula and turn it on its head. It's nothing ground-breaking, but I actually connected to Aria's handful of characters far more than I expected, which is a testament to its power. Yes, this is a short game by Metroidvania standards, but I'd rather play a game that's four or five hours of pure brilliance than ten hours with 30% filler.
All-in-all, Aria of Sorrow is the apex of the Castlevania series, and a demonstration that games can be both innovative and expertly-wrought at the same time. If you're a Metroidvania fan who hasn't played this game, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Needless to say, I can't wait to play Dawn of Sorrow.