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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.

Not an experienced player

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: December 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I got this game on the recommendation of my daughter's boyfriend. I had just finished "Legend of Zelda, Phantom Hourglass" (five stars there), and was looking for another game. I enjoy this game because of the puzzles and the ease of use of the characters. It's a bit challenging for me as I'm not very experienced with these things (I'm 47). I would recommend this game, but if you're not very experienced, like myself, be prepared to spend some time on it. 'Course that's not a bad thing either.

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!

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.

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.

Castlevania- A Legacy of Greatness

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: September 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The latest venture into the world of Castlevania is pure magic. It's huge, with rich backgrounds, audio, and all the classic castle crawling fans have come to know and love. As far as the newer Castlevanias go, this is one of the best.

You control two characters in this one- which is a first for the series. Though not taken to it's fullest use, this concept is dynamic and can either be used to challenge yourself as a player, or just annoy you. Personally, I like to have both characters on screen at all times.

One of the coolest things in Portrait of Ruin is dispelling the various paintings hidden around the castle. You actually enter the paintings by diving into them. The world you find on the other side is heavily theme-based, just as you would expect from a painting. Exploring the painting gets you out of the castle and makes you feel like you really are somewhere else!

The new Castlevanias are becoming more strongly story-driven, and this game has a ton of character dialog to enjoy. I think this adds personality to the characters which makes the player empathize with them.

Overall, I fell this game is a blast to play! There's lots to do including extra mini Quests you can complete inside the castle which can be both riddle-like or just plain challenging.

I really enjoyed this game and I think you will too! ^_^

Good Game overall

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: September 10, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This caslevania game is a good game to own. its rather long. (which is a good thing) and it has a lot of secrets and hidden things. Also the ability to play through again after beating with different characters or the same characters with almost all your old stuff is great as well. The downside to this game is the replay value wasnt that good. i just didnt feel like picking it back up after i beat it. overall though a great game to play!!

Must have!!!!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

It was a well made game. The storyline a bit cheesy but worth it. It was actually fun to play. Not many games out there can be given that title. The draw back to the game is a short storyline. Eventhough there are side quests (dont sell anything, unless you have multiple of same item) still a short game. Online game play is a great addition to it. Its worth getting.

Fun, but not a classic.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: May 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Let me start off by saying that this game was pretty fun, and I would say that it's worth the money if it's something that's on your "might buy" list. But, it's nothing near a classic. It doesn't compare with Symphony of the Night. The graphics are pretty much the same style as SOTN, which is a good thing in my opinion. The gameplay is also very similar even with the ability to switch between 2 characters. Honestly, I rarely switched unless it was a small situation that required it. As for fighting, I found myself always sticking with the male character, so the new system doesn't really add anything extra. The story isn't bad, but is also nothing memorable which to me is really the only downfall to the game. Even though the game to me felt like a watered down rip off of SOTN, I would've considered it a classic if the story would've caught my attention more. But, like I said before, the story isn't bad, and I did find myself enjoying the gameplay quite a bit. If you're considering buying it, I would say go for it. If you're looking to be amazed or get the same experience that you got out of SOTN, don't hold your breath.

Dawn of Sorrow 1.5: Portrait of Ruin

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: May 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game would've score much higher if it wasn't a sucessor to Dawn of sorrow which is one of my favorite Castlevania games. It was still pretty fun, mind you, but I felt like I was playing Dawn of Sorry with differnt characters most of the time. It's mainly because both games use the same game engine, I believe. That is not that bad by itself but I had a problem with sooooo many enemies being lifted straight out of Dawn of Sorrow. With the game featuring many familiar enemies and the new "dual attacks" you can perform, the game seems so much easier. I had no problem mowing down the enemies and bosses alike! Maybe it's time to change things around for Castlevania because I can't really distinguish one game from another anymore. It's a fun game but if you played the Dawn of Sorry recently, it won't be anything special.

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