GAME BOY GAME REVIEW
Castlevania: Aria of SorrowForget Buffy - when the demons invade you're going to need a really extreme approach |
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Like the patience-grating members of your extended family, demons have the most annoying habit of turning up at the least expected and most inconvenient times. Thankfully, when dealing with demons, social conventions don't apply, meaning that rather than feeling obliged to serve them tea and cake, you're free to stake them through the heart, pump them full of silver, or whip their arse back to Supernatural City.
And what better practice for the day you'll need your exorcising skills (and it'll come!) than a play through Aria of Sorrow? Trapped in an immense castle that's populated with the most unambiguous evil around, you must unravel the many mysteries of your temporary home whilst disposing of anything that moves with one of the many varieties of spirit-slaying artillery available to you.
An interesting addition to Aria of Sorrow is a collect-'em-up dynamic that sees you absorbing the souls of vanquished enemies in order to upgrade your weapons, a trick that's particularly useful when facing some of the game's sizeable boss monsters, and also to enhance your character's abilities, allowing you access to new areas of the game. The castle itself is exquisitely structured (and supported by an indispensable map), with careful placement of save and teleportation points to minimise the amount of tedious backtracking, while the side-on viewed action is beautifully supported by an uncommonly atmospheric soundtrack.
Unusual, too, is the game's carefully crafted complexity, which guarantees a level of depth and longevity typically absent from the majority of platform titles. But it's the immediacy of the action at the core of the Castlevania experience that should engross you in your newfound digital demon slaying duties - to the point of not registering the ring of your door bell, should unexpected family suddenly turn up.
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow |
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A rich and compelling action adventure that will satisfy even the most demanding demon hunter.
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