Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Price: 1200 msp ($15)
Platform: xbla
Release Date: August 4, 2010


Castlevania Harmony of Despair. As someone who has liked the few Castlevania games I have played I decided to give this game a shot. The idea of a multiplayer version of this great franchise made me both excited and scared for it.

To start off the game doesn't look any better than what you may remember from your childhood. So if your looking at the title and thinking this is a High Def. Castlevania? Think again. It looks as though they took the sprites from the old games and just threw them into this one. The surroundings and characters are all very nostalgic. All of the annoying enemies are back as well, I'm talking to you flea men. But to be honest who cares about graphics while playing a Castlevania game? This is a multiplayer game with up to 6 friends playing at once so its nice to see great characters from the games past stepping back into the limelight.



This game also shows off a new style to the series. They give you a full view of the entire level. That way you can zoom out and see where the chests and switches are. It is kind of confusing sometimes and really only really helps you see where your friends are in multiplayer. The entire point of this game is to reach the boss of the level before the time runs out or you die.

If you have played a Castlevania game then you will know there is a learning curve. The game is made to be both challenging and fun. Castlevania HD does this very well. Instead of actually leveling up you will go around the level collecting various clothes or weapons to equip to your character and make them stronger. There is a LOT of level grinding in the beginning. (I am going to assume you will be playing solo). You will probably need to play the first level about 3 - 4 times before you are good enough to advance. It seems as though they bumped up the difficulty to try to get people to play together. It is so much easier when playing with others. You can be revived and if you are hurt they can take the front and kill things. Multiplayer is almost a must.



How does it look? Castlevania is a new game that uses old models. I am not saying thats bad and I have no trouble with it, but it seems as though this game could have been so much more. Konami played it safe in the visuals area.

How does it sound? The levels have great music. The grunts and groans that characters and enemies make are all very normal. If you like the sounds from the previous games then you will have no problems with this one.

How does it play? Like above, it is a Castlevania. It is difficult, has a learning curve, and will turn some people off. I would not suggest playing this one if you haven't played any of the others. It is the traditional Castlevania controls.

How long will it last? This one really depends. The game only has 6 levels. That said it will take you a long time to reach and beat all these levels. You will have to replay each level more times than you will ever want to but the trip is satisfying. If you are the type of person who likes to see new areas and progress with a game do not play this one. I would say you could get an easy 15-25 hours out of it.

How is it presented? It is presented in a storybook format. When you are in the menus it will flip pages to access all the different settings you may want to change. This is really interesting. The new leveling up system of collecting items to grow stronger is also a change, though I don't think for the better.

Final Comments: Play this game if you are big into Castlevania or if you have a few friends to play it with. Otherwise you will want to give this one a pass.