Castlevania: Harmony of Despair Review and Gameplay Video

Being a huge fan of Castlevania IV and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, I was ecstatic to learn that this year's Xbox Live Summer of Arcade would introduce a new title in the series by the name of Castlevania: Harmony of Despair. Wow. That's quite a title. Initially, I, and I'm sure many others, expected a more traditional experience in the same vein as the aforementioned titles, but as Harmony of Despair neared release, I began hearing things that concerned me. First, the game would use maps and sprites from previous Castlevania games, specifically those released on the Game Boy Advance. That didn't seem like quite the best choice for HD consoles, but I figured I'd continue to hold out hope. Then I learned that the game would be centered around the idea of cooperative multiplayer. Again, not the best news I'd ever heard. Regardless, I've always had a great deal of faith in the 2D Castlevania games, so I decided to give it a shot and see what it was all about.

First, the game is a lot of fun. Those of us who were worried that this wouldn't live up to the Castlevania name can sleep soundly at night knowing that this is very much in the same spirit as other entries in the franchise, but even so, there are quite a few differences. First, as mentioned, the game was created with the idea of cooperative play in mind. Up to six people can independently navigate each chapter (just another word for a huge map) in search of treasure and in the hopes of slaying the target boss. To help players tell their characters from others, you can choose from several prominent characters in the Castlevania universe. Unsurprisingly, Alucard seems to be the most popular choice, but there are several others to choose from that others might find even more appealing. Even if everyone wants to play as Alucard, everyone can select, or is assigned, a different color palette.

The game consists of six chapters, which will probably take the average player around two hours to complete. The game is short, but the levels are enormous, and being able to explore one area while others in your team explore others is truly an experience unlike any other Castlevania game. As the map is quite large, being able to locate other players and survey the area is key. Rather than the traditional map found in most Castlevania games, you're given the ability to select from three levels of zoom, the first being up close and personal, the second being a little further out so that you can see a handful of surrounding areas, and the third being even further out so that you can see the entire map at once. Switching between these views is done by clicking the right thumb stick, so you can quickly get the information you need as you need it.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is on the short side, but you'll still feel motivated to continue playing each level over and over as you pursue better gear. The loot system is really simple and very rewarding. It doesn't matter who opens a treasure chest. Everyone receives an item. The same goes for gold. When someone else picks up a huge bag of money, you too will get what everyone else gets. It's simple without having any rolls for gear or anything along those lines, and it goes a long way in encouraging a cooperative experience where no single player is rushing to get treasure for the sake of sabotaging other players.

A great loot system isn't much without having an extensive list of equipment and spell customization options. This is one of the places Harmony of Despair shines the brightest. You get to choose your main weapon, an offhand weapon, spells, and several kinds of defensive gear. Further, as you defeat enemies, you'll occasionally earn new spells, which are used throughout your quest. You can fit your gear to provide a great deal of attack power or defense or you can choose to focus on magic. With so many options, this is a loot hound's dream.

Visually, the game is pretty stale. Most, if not all, of the game's visuals were taken from the Castlevania games found on the Game Boy advance, and boy does it look the part. Everything is pixelated just as you would expect. It's kind of sad to think that the developers weren't able to invest a little more into the graphics. Yes, the game is only $15.00, but even at that, I'd liked to have seen them do a bit more. That being said, the game comes off as very nostalgic and charming, and seeing the entire map at once is pretty awesome.

My biggest complaint is the game's platforming. Sometimes I found that jumps were quite difficult to make; you need perfect timing on double jumps for success. If it weren't so frustrating, it might almost be funny to see six people all trying, and failing, to get from one ledge to another. Just a tiny little tweak to the height of the jumps would have made all the difference, but having spent quite a bit of time with the game, I can say that it is something that you get used to after time.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is a great game that any and all Castlevania fans need to check out. Don't let the changes scare you off. In the grand scheme of things, they're changes that make this game completely different, yet strangely familiar. The game's price comes in at 1200 points, which is on the expensive side of the Xbox Live Arcade pricing spectrum, but I personally found it worth it. Look at all the time I spent writing this review! Looks like it's just about time to get back to some vampire slaying.