Technical Information

Developer: Konami Digital Entertainment
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Release Date: September 23, 2021

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is part of the Castlevania Advance Collection. Castlevania: Dracula X, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, and Castlevania: Circle of the Moon are the other titles that make up the collection.

This version is a remastered release of the original Game Boy Advance game.

The adventure takes place in 2035 and features Soma Cruz as the protagonist. While visiting the Hakuba Shrine with his friend Mina Hakuba, an eclipse occurs and he is transported to Dracula’s castle. There, he meets Genya Arikado and learns about his ability to absorb the souls of monsters, discovering that he must find the Master’s Chamber.

Final Considerations – Analyzing the Game as a Whole

Graphics and UI

Compared to Harmony of Dissonance, I didn’t find the screen resolution strange or the pixel art confusing. Everything is very well drawn, the monster colors are well chosen, and they don’t blend into the scenery.
Even though it’s an old game from 2003, the animations are well-made and detailed. There are many indie games today that have far more resources than Aria, yet still feel rough in this regard.

When killing a monster, its name is displayed along with a small sphere, indicating whether you already possess that soul. This is a unique feature of this collection that helps a lot, since in the original version you had to open the bestiary to check which souls had already been captured.

Soundtrack and Sound Effects

The soundtrack is sensational and unforgettable!
I love Aria of Sorrow’s music, every track is beautiful and none of them feel annoying or disconnected from the game.

The sound effects are fine, nothing extraordinary. They work well for attacks, magic, and other actions.

Gameplay

It’s a very easy game to learn, with simple controls. Basically, everything you do is walk, jump, and use different abilities.
As you defeat monsters, you can collect their souls. Each soul has a specific ability, and from then on, you can equip the one that best fits your strategy.
It’s not a difficult game, the only boss that gave me trouble was Death. The rest is just a matter of having a high level and memorizing the attack patterns (which are mostly simple), and you’ll finish the game quickly.

The map design is very straightforward, unlike Harmony of Dissonance.

After a certain point, you can buy items and equipment. I actually forgot where the shop was, and ended up buying my first potion after already being halfway through the game.

Here’s a tip: find the shop early in the game, near where Mina appears.

For those who have never played it, get ready for a big plot twist! 😀

Finally, last but not least, the game has multiple endings. I recommend checking how to obtain them, just to make sure you don’t miss any. It’s not complicated, you just need to meet a few specific conditions.

Replayability and Game Retention

I beat Aria of Sorrow for the first time on the original cartridge (it’s one of the games I made sure to own physically). This time around, I barely remembered anything except that Soma gains different abilities depending on the souls he absorbs.

It’s a pleasant game, relatively easy, and can be completed in about 10 hours or less. It’s an excellent choice for people who want to start playing this genre.
It’s one of my favorite metroidvanias, and I replay it from time to time. <3