Microsoft’s Summer of Arcade is a time for great games to appear on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Last year we had some real gems including Splosion Man and Shadow Complex. This year so far, we’ve had the opinion-dividing Limbo, Hydro Thunder Hurricane and this week, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair.
Critical response to Castlevania appears to have been almost universally negative. Yet having spent some time with it, I’m struggling to see what the problem is. It’s a solid old-school platform game that I imagine will be an enormous amount of fun in co-op. I’m hoping to test that theory this very weekend—so if you want to play, do get in touch. I’m “sonicfunkstars” on LIVE.
Sure, there are one or two stupid decisions. Offer six player co-op and only five different characters to choose from? Silly Konami. Still, it’s highly probable that most people will want to play as Alucard anyway, so the fact that multiple players can choose the same character is possibly a sensible decision.
The game itself, if you haven’t checked it out, is a curious twist on the usual Castlevania formula. It’s split into six “chapters”, each of which features a version of Dracula’s castle based loosely on one of the past games. They’re not as big as the entire games they’re based on, though the different areas of each castle are clearly recognisable to those who’ve played the games.
The objectives for each chapter are twofold. First of all, the players must work out how to get to the boss. And then they have to beat the boss. Both of these things must be achieved against a strict thirty-minute time limit. This is more than enough time if you know what you’re doing. But, this being Castlevania, there’s one or two confusing “So… where now?” moments to contend with. And there’s no hand-holding whatsoever. If you weren’t aware that characters can double-jump off the surface of water, for example, there’s no way you’re ever going to finish the first level. You can have that tip for free.
Character progression isn’t handled the same way as the RPG-style levelling of the Metroidvania games. There’s no experience points, but characters do have equipment. The different playable characters each have their own quirks. Jonathan Morris, for example, can only wield the Vampire Killer whip as his weapon, but is able to equip up to four subweapons to throw at enemies. Alucard gets suitably dhampiric skills to hurl at enemies while yelling things. (“DARK METAMORPHOSIS!”) And the others have skills appropriate to how they played in their respective games.
Characters can level up individual stats by picking up various food items from around the levels. These don’t appear to bear any particular relation to the stat they increase—donuts increase intelligence, apparently—but I guess you can learn what they do. And if you’re learning the layout of a level, you’ll quickly learn where you can go to increase various stats, because they’re in the same place each time.
Where I see Castlevania being interesting is in challenging yourself to beat each level faster and better. The top few gamers to beat a level have a replay saved online for all to witness. And there’s some impressive playing on display already.
I also predict that online co-op will prove to be thoroughly entertaining, but as I say, I’m yet to try it.
It’s not for everyone. If you don’t like platform games, Castlevania in general, pixel art or prog rock backing music you’ll probably hate it. But for those of us who can recite Dracula’s full speech from the beginning of Symphony of the Night? Enough talk! Have at you!