Konami has done it yet again. Still building off the success of 1997’s Symphony of the Night, Portrait of Ruin mixes a creative blend of old and new gameplay techniques.
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The biggest edition to this version of Castlevania is the two characters working together to stop Dracula’s latest scheme. Jonathan Morris takes on the more physical role by attacking more strongly than his cohort, Charlotte Aulin. Following the usual video game stereotypes, the male is used for attacking with weapons while the chick uses magic.
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Using both characters is balanced quite nicely as the player has the option to use this co-op function as personal preference. Thanks to a well thought out button scheme, it is possible for the player to play as either character, with or without a partner, with minimal button presses. By default, two of the face buttons are used to switch the playable character instantly and call the partner in and out of battle. Like usual, if your character takes damage from an attack, health will deplete. However, if your buddy gets attacked, your magic meter will diminish. Keeping your cohort in at all times could be quite costly as your magic could completely vanish in moments if care is not taken.
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From time to time, both characters must be used in tandem to solve puzzles and progress through the castle. Sometimes you will need to call your partner to stand on a switch while another puzzle forces the player to switch between characters as they race across screen in mine carts. Luckily, the game is not bogged down by these gimmicky puzzles. Instead if offers a breath of fresh air right when you need it.
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Unlike the previous game, Dawn of Sorrow, this game does not use the touch screen while in gameplay. If chosen, the stylus can be used to point your computer controlled A.I. character in the right direction. Menu screens can also be navigated by stylus. But there is no need to worry about “sealing” away bosses by drawing complicated shapes.
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Both protagonists work together to stop a madman from reviving Dracula through the use of paintings. Like Mario 64, the main castle acts as a central hub for the rest of the game. When a new painting is found, a simple tap of “up” on the D-pad will magically teleport the player to that land. Going in a new direction, Portrait of Ruin will take players through new environments including a topsy-turvy carnival and an ancient Egyptian tomb. These new stages are a nice break from the standard goth castle theme and work well with the rest of the game’s balance.
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Leveling up and finding new items is addicting as ever even though it retains the same ‘MetroidVania’ gameplay ideals. Using the tried but true RPG level up system, the more enemies you kill, the stronger you become. With a little luck, foes might drop that new and more powerful sword you have been looking for. But now, thanks to your computer controlled A.I. partner, killing baddies can be quite entertaining.
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Ever since Castlevania first appeared on NES, it has always been a benchmark for 2D graphics. Portrait of Ruin carries on this tradition by offering some of the most fluid 2D pixel art to date. Mimicking Dawn of Sorrow, players will never grow bored of enemy death animations and the use of multiple types of weapons. No matter what is happening on screen, everything moves with intense fluidity. The top screen is again used for map and seeing your personal stats. This seems like a cheap way to fill up the top screen, but it provides an infinite amount of help throughout your adventure. After completing these last two Castlevanias, I do not think I could stand hitting the start button and scrolling through menus to see a map again. The convenience of this option is unsurpassed. I would, however, liked to have seen a few more 3D backgrounds and enemies. Only a handful of enemies, like the Peeping Eye, are rendered in full 3D. Some backgrounds also are built with polygons instead of pixels, but they could have benefited if used in tandem a little more.
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This game is quite lengthy. It took me about 20 hours to complete my first time through, collecting most extra items and completing most side quests. But when the single player experience is over, there is no need to put the game away. Once finished, the player has the option to play through the game again playing as a classic Castlevania character and an enemy from the storyline. While I don’t want to spoil anything, each of these new characters creates an entirely new way to play. My only gripe about this is the lack of a menu screen when playing as these bonus characters. Because I was used to the GBA button configuration, I switched my controls around from the default. However, because using these characters are designed to be a challenge, the player cannot equip new armor or weapons nor can health regenerating items be used. Hitting start when playing as these characters simply pauses the game. There is no option to change the control settings, a major turn off for players not sticking with the norm.
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Because this game is rather large, there are tons of extras to collect. The developers knew this so they created a Shop Mode that can be used through Nintendo WiFi or local wireless. If the player connects to the internet, you can sell or buy items from other people around the world. This can be a great way to snag a powerful weapon when playing early in the adventure. This would bring a little bit of unbalance to the gameplay, but all selling prices are set by default. So early players probably will not have the money to buy powerful items right anyway.
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Besides the standard Boss Rush mode that becomes available after the game is completed, a new co-op stage has been added for the first time in a Castlevania game. This mode can be played either online or locally as well. Although very short and repetitive, this mode is a great way to obtain new and rare items. Because this mode only contains one stage, it feels a little tacked on. Instead of teasing players with a linear short string of big enemies, why can’t we play a new section of Drac’s castle playing with a buddy over a high speed internet connection? Perhaps this mode will be more fleshed out in the next installment.
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Like most Castlevania games, this game has a killer soundtrack. Using orchestrated sound effects and a wide array of instruments, each track fits the gothic mood of the game. On the other hand however, it is annoying to hear your playable character call the name of the character you are swapping out. These voice quips are nice, but perhaps a new more phrases could have ended the monotony.
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Subweapons again play a major role in the asskickery of the demons of the night. If used enough, these subweapons can be leveled up to a mastery skill, which in turn will be easier to use by causing more damage. Co-op super attacks are also a great way to burn through your magic meter. These attacks are quite powerful, like 1,000 Blades, but use a lot of magic power. These extra weapons and super attacks can be found throughout the labyrinth castle making players search high and low.
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Because of the sweet gameplay, the wickedly smooth graphics, the haunting soundtrack, and a story that will stick with you, Portrait of Ruin is one of the best Castlevanias yet. Although the co-op feature is not as strong as I would have liked, it is a step in the right direction. Kudos to Konami for utilizing the underused Nintendo WiFi Connection. The two player scheme works surprising well when only controlling one character. The computer A.I. actually does a decent job of holding his own, causing little reason to baby sit.
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If you have never played a Castlevania before, this would be a great place to start. Fans, however, will immediately fall in love with this game for its addictive quality.
