Aria of Sorrow marks a huge step up from prior GBA titles. From pretty much every angle, be that music, gameplay, design, visuals, story, it's a far better realised game. Not only that, I think it might surpass Symphony of the Night in some design elements, though that game will always triumph over its successors in terms of visuals and music.
Speaking specifically, I think doing away with sub-weapons in favour of this "Soul" system was the right move. I always felt that temporary, one-at-a-time sub-weapons were a shaky fit for the explorative Castlevania titles; I honestly think Simon's Quest kind of gets one over on Symphony in this regard. While these Souls being random drops initially gave me flashbacks to the awful DSS system of Circle of the Moon, it's made up for by the fact that every enemy has a Soul. The player is certain to encounter a great number of useful Souls, and every kill has the potential of bolstering your abilities.
There are two instances where I think the Soul system falls flat. The first is when Souls are used for traversal, as having to switch between them constantly is tedious. The second concerns requirements for the true ending, at which point the random nature of the Soul drop becomes less acceptable. I still think Symphony of the Night's requirements for the true ending are by far the most enjoyable to engage with, and the most achievable without looking to outside help (after getting the standard ending, I confess to looking online for how to progress).
Aria's gameplay moves pretty fast. Though Harmony of Dissonance's dash is gone, the general speed of movement and compact level design keep things moving at a brisk pace. Everything just had such a nice flow to it, it's great. The one major critique I have regarding game-feel and flow concerns weapon animations, which, outside of weapons that fall under the standard sword category, are generally poor. It's not entirely clear which frames of animation are start-up, active, or recovery. With arced weapons, such as large swords and hammers, I think all frames are active? In any case, this element needed improving.
The animations of Soma and the enemies are just marvellous though. His flowing clothes give him such a sense of momentum and agility, while the enemies telegraph their attacks clearly and look fantastic. Some bosses have utterly inspired designs, and the true final boss is suitably abstract considering its implications.
Aria of Sorrow is a fantastic game, and the best explorative Castlevania I've played to date. I loved its more compact design, which made backtracking much more accessible than in prior titles. Of that flaws it has, a few are on its own terms, but I do think the Castlevania form of Metroidvania has some limitations built-in that keep the series from Super Metroid levels of greatness. A reduced focus on movement compared to Metroid hampers non-glitched sequence-breaking potential, which I think should be at the core of these games. That aside, Aria of Sorrow is incredible, and one of the best of its kind.
Speaking specifically, I think doing away with sub-weapons in favour of this "Soul" system was the right move. I always felt that temporary, one-at-a-time sub-weapons were a shaky fit for the explorative Castlevania titles; I honestly think Simon's Quest kind of gets one over on Symphony in this regard. While these Souls being random drops initially gave me flashbacks to the awful DSS system of Circle of the Moon, it's made up for by the fact that every enemy has a Soul. The player is certain to encounter a great number of useful Souls, and every kill has the potential of bolstering your abilities.
There are two instances where I think the Soul system falls flat. The first is when Souls are used for traversal, as having to switch between them constantly is tedious. The second concerns requirements for the true ending, at which point the random nature of the Soul drop becomes less acceptable. I still think Symphony of the Night's requirements for the true ending are by far the most enjoyable to engage with, and the most achievable without looking to outside help (after getting the standard ending, I confess to looking online for how to progress).
Aria's gameplay moves pretty fast. Though Harmony of Dissonance's dash is gone, the general speed of movement and compact level design keep things moving at a brisk pace. Everything just had such a nice flow to it, it's great. The one major critique I have regarding game-feel and flow concerns weapon animations, which, outside of weapons that fall under the standard sword category, are generally poor. It's not entirely clear which frames of animation are start-up, active, or recovery. With arced weapons, such as large swords and hammers, I think all frames are active? In any case, this element needed improving.
The animations of Soma and the enemies are just marvellous though. His flowing clothes give him such a sense of momentum and agility, while the enemies telegraph their attacks clearly and look fantastic. Some bosses have utterly inspired designs, and the true final boss is suitably abstract considering its implications.
Aria of Sorrow is a fantastic game, and the best explorative Castlevania I've played to date. I loved its more compact design, which made backtracking much more accessible than in prior titles. Of that flaws it has, a few are on its own terms, but I do think the Castlevania form of Metroidvania has some limitations built-in that keep the series from Super Metroid levels of greatness. A reduced focus on movement compared to Metroid hampers non-glitched sequence-breaking potential, which I think should be at the core of these games. That aside, Aria of Sorrow is incredible, and one of the best of its kind.