This collection has a SNES game called Vampire's Kiss, which is like a much worse, alternative version of Rondo of Blood, and that's a classic style one.
In all honesty though, I'd say any of the games in the series altogether are good starting points outside of the Lord of Shadows sequels, Dawn of Sorrow (a DS sequel to a game on this GBA collection), and nowadays SotN, as Rondo of Blood is finally readily available outside of Japan, and SotN starts at Rondo's final boss. That being said, if you have a PS4, I'd recommend the Castlevania Requiem collection, as it contains Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night, which, in my opinion, are the best classic and IGAvania Castlevania games, respectively. now to try and withhold myself from portrait of ruin before Dread drops.Ĭlick to shrink.Sure, story wise, they're all fine points to jump in with. Still Dawn was my first CV game so I'm always gonna have that bias I guess, if anything the fact that I'm finally putting Aria alongside it or even past it is a testament to Aria's quality.
Plus considering the setting, the fact Dawn's castle (like, it didn't even need to be a castle this time!) repeats so many area concepts, especially those seen in its direct predecessor, is a bit underwhelming! Subterranean Hell starts intriguing but soon just becomes a lamer version of the aqueduct in Aria for instance, Demon Guest House is upper quarters 2.0, the pinnacle is top floor part 2 but damn that track slaps so I can't complain there. Perhaps Aria does lack bosses that do as much, those extra visual flourishes and audio boost a DS enables, but there's something to be said for it being infinitely snappier and how it carries a better atmosphere I'd almost believe soul drops are rarer as well despite the need for more of them due to the aforementioned weapon upgrading as well as an ill advised leveling system requiring multiple souls per soul, the grind is very real.
Then again Dawn's bosses are a lot better, I dig the secret monsters hinted in papers, greater weapon variety and having two loadouts available (I'm gonna change my mind again reeling this all off!)īut Dawn really seems to dig into the worse aspects of these games, bosses start becoming really tanky towards the end, I guess the idea being that it has more endgame worthy weapons to grind for via souls so sponge it up, which is of cours ein itself a timesink, my ice blade or whatever needed an iron golem soul and unlike in Aria there's no secret way to one shot them. I just finished a replay of Dawn (obviously not in this collection before you think there's some sick hidden titles in here) and I think I now have to admit to myself the truth.Īnd that's Aria being better than Dawn, I mean it's a close race, but there's just something tighter about Aria. Don't get me started on the shops either- I added like an extra 45 minutes to my playtime looking for one to stock up for the final battle.Ī remake that has a map that colour codes everything properly, including door types, jump controls that don't feel awful, lets the single standard teleporter work with the Castle swap teleporters, is slightly more challenging, has no stupid blue outline, and has orchestral bgm would be a GOAT Castlevania. Mainly just in terms of the amount of to and fro'ing you have to do, and the fact that the game doesn't really mark anything on your map save for save rooms, and both forms of teleporter rooms under the same colour, makes navigation a pain, especially when you constantly have to travel the ENTIRE length of the Castle, and there are lots of areas that sort of snake in on each other, so instead of going left to right, you go right, down, left, down, right, up, right, down, etc. It's very close to being a fantastic game, but there are just some minor issues that make it feel like a chore at times. I ended up really enjoying it- it clicked for me when I hit the clock tower area.