I have had Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin ever since it was released, but only now am I finally going to beat it. The first time I played it, I screwed up and wasn't going to get the best ending. Yeah, I'm one of those gamers who would rather start over than continue after making a bad plot point choice. Unfortunately, I just haven't been in the mood for a Castlevania game for quite a long time. After a few false starts, the game has languished on my shelf for months. There's another Castlevania coming for the DS soon, however, so it's time I closed the book on this one.
I'm enjoying a staycation from work this week, thus I've been attacking my backlog with a vengeance. I've chewed my way through a couple games already and C:PoR will soon be my third conquest, though the final battle looks to be a really nasty one. Also, there's a secret area in the game I want to unlock and play through before I finish off the big bad. This is another excellent entry into the metroidvania style Castlevania games that have graced the GBA and DS. I don't think I've enjoyed it as much as the Aria and Dawn duo that came before it, but I have no big complaints. Well, maybe I am a little annoyed by the art style.
Starting with Dawn of Sorrow, Koji Igarashi decided to switch from the distinct look of Ayami Kojima's Gothic art style and go with a more generic anime style. The new look is okay, but it lacks the dramatic personality of the former. Thankfully, it seems this is about to be fixed. The next Castlevania on the horizon is Order of Ecclesia.
Ahh, now that's looking much better.
Related Links:
When Good Developers Go Bad: Koji Igarashi
New Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia Pics
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