User Reviews (1 - 11 of 34)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

The castle got a new paint job

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 02, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Just about 15 months ago I was whipped with Konami's Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, which was at the time and still is one of the best Nintendo DS games. With its only flaw being a severe lack in touch screen support, Dawn of Sorrow was a game that even the most jaded gamer would have trouble complaining about. Just weeks ago, Konami released their second DS Castlevania, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. Does this second attempt manage to replicate the same greatness of Dawn of Sorrow?

Jonathan, who's inherited the Belmont vampire hunting mumbo-jumbo, is joined by spellcaster Charlotte in yet another journey to explore Dracula's castle and defeat the bloodsucker himself. The pair finds out that Dracula isn't the big boy in charge, however-that would be the daunting Count Brauner, who's filled the castle with enchanted portraits that take Jonathan and Charlotte to different worlds. Jonathan and Charlotte have to stop Brauner and his minions. The story is very Castlevania-ish and won't surprise anyone who's played a game in the series before.

Two characters can be controlled at once on the game screen. Jonathan primarily attacks with weapons found throughout the castle, while Charlotte uses magic abilities that can be found randomly in the souls of defeated enemies. You have the option of playing with just one of the two characters or both at the same time, and both styles of play yield different benefits. Playing with two characters requires you to watch out for the health of the CPU-controlled second character, which is actually represented by the Mana bar that also limits your magic attacks or skills. If the Mana bar depletes, the second character disappears and you continue on normally with a single character. This system works but I felt at times that it made some battles too easy. Castlevania has, for years, been a game where even a single large enemy posed a huge threat. Now, with two characters attacking at the same time, that's not such the case.

Still, everything looks and feels just right. Both characters control very well and special attacks are done easily with a simple button combination. Throughout the game you'll find all sorts of special abilities that allow you to move around the environment even more than before-just like in every Castlevania, getting the double jump ability opens up a large amount of real estate, and it's quite exciting to find any new ability. I've always put Zelda, Metroid, and Castlevania in similar places for their adventurous progression; it isn't until you find a new item or ability that you can truly proceed or unlock every nook and cranny. I like this design, it's simple but still forces you to look around and play with everything.

Replay value is extended beyond the normal kill-the-boss-and-proceed progression of past Castlevanias. You can now accept mini-quests and side missions to earn special moves, weapons, and the like. Some of these side quests are very simple, but others aren't explained well and will have you searching high and low through every area of the castle just to complete. The rewards are well worth the trouble, making this distraction a worthy addition to the game.

Portrait of Ruin, like Dawn of Sorrow before it, has beautiful 2D visuals with a ton of detail. Enemy sprites seem to have several layers that react independently, making the animation that much better. Some of the 3D effects used are very, very nice, like 3D enemies and backgrounds. The only thing I'm starting to like less and less is the anime character style. What happened to the gothic style of Harmony of Dissonance, Circle of the Moon, and Symphony of the Night?

Overall, Portrait of Ruin is a good game that doesn't outdo its predecessor but definitely deserves some attention from action, adventure, and Castlevania fans. In future Castlevania games I'd like to see Konami tinker with more 3D effects and less anime-inspired art, and I'd also prefer if they'd stick to a more traditional design. The portrait idea was cool but just seems like a cheap way to introduce levels that are dramatically different than Drac's castle. So the final word: it's good, even great, but not as good as Dawn of Sorrow.

Stylish platformer!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Symphony of the Night was a masterpiece and it has set the standard for Castlevania games. Portrait of Ruin (PoR) is almost as good. The graphics and music are beautifully crafted, and the gameplay entices you to play just a little longer...

The only element missing from PoR is a likeable set of characters. Jonathan is no Alucard! But overall PoR is a superb effort and will be a worthy addition to your DS collection.

As enjoyable as Dawn Of Sorrow

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

If you liked Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow (or any other Castlevania game for that matter) you will find much to love about this one. And even if you've never played a Castlevania game before this is a great time to jump in. The hand drawn graphics are amazing, and the gameplay feels fresh from the constant upgrading of weapons. I must own.

Some re-playability

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: September 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

where to start, the heart of the game with johnathan and charlotte has enough secret areas to explore without getting dull. theres also enough unlockable characters for replayability, and this is where the game really becomes challenging. using richter and maria which are unable to use potions or the desimating magic attacks of charlotte only adds to that challenge.

personally i like using richter and maria far more then the intended characters, if only for the added diffaculty.

this game is quite a blast, with an excellent, and beautifully told story.
portrait of ruin may not be another symphony of the night (PS1) but it is a wonderful addition to the castlevania series, and a deffinate must get.

Phenomenal 2D platformer with RPG elements.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is a great game that allows for plenty of customization.

Jonathan's numerous weapons are varied in attack power, range, and speed. His secondary ability, typically use of thrown weapons, also depends on the player's selection. Though Charlotte's weapons offer much less variety, her spells are diverse and powerful. Characters may be swapped on the fly, and both can be used at once (with the decent AI controlling the second character).

Characters become stronger as they gain experience and level up, so even if the player gets stuck at a boss, (s)he can grind for a level or two and try again.

Level design and enemy design are superb.

Unfortunately, the game is pretty linear. Although all explored areas may be revisited easily (through waypoints), most unexplored areas will be blocked off until specific abilities are gained.

The Best Castlevania Game for DS

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: November 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Castlevania - Portrait of Ruin is a game for the Nintendo DS, rated Teen. If you've never played a Castlevania game before, they revolve around exploration of a Dracula's castle. You play as Jonathan and Charlotte as a type of co-op. I'm a huge fan of Castlevania and this one does not dissappoint. It has some interesting aspects that are new to the series. The title, "Portrait of Ruin," is used because although the story takes place in Dracula's castle, there are many portraits that take you into little mini zones you must clear. I felt like this added a unique aspect to the game and allowed the developers to change up the scenery instead of the typical castle. You also control 2 different characters, which is new. This aspect is ok, I felt like I could do without it. It didn't really add anything new or different. Overall if you're looking for a great exploration action game then Castlevania - Portrait of Ruin is for you!

if you like castlevania SOTN or dawn of sorrow...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 05, 2008
Author: Amazon User

you will love this. just like symphony of the night & dawn of sorrow (and apparently aria of sorrow but never played that) -- it's a blast. lots of sidequests & secrets, it uses the same levelling up system & map systems of the others, but there are warp rooms to different areas, too. so while the main castle isn't as big as in dawn of sorrow, the game area is actually bigger. totally awesome purchase for ds, makes my daily train rides go by so fast.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: January 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

A wonderful addition to the castlevania series, recommended to anyone that enjoys rpg games.

It's good, but...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 3
Date: January 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I loved the game. Really I did- even with the anime-esque approach they took to it. I just had to take points off for the fact that this game has its problems.

The freezing.

Dear god the freezing! Why Konami, WHY?

One of the Best

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 3
Date: January 20, 2007
Author: Amazon User

One of the best games money can buy. The co-op mode can get a little stale after awile, but the game is huge and once beaten you unlock two more sets of characters to tour the paintings with.

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 Next 

Actions