Konami’s flagship series returns to the Xbox a second time following the release of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night in 2007, originally released on the Sony Playstation in 1997.Instead of once again releasing a previous title on a different console, Konami have taken it one step further and gone all Frankenstein on us, creating a monster mash-up of what is essentially a 30 minute time attack mode.
No new characters, no new graphics; instead, we have an amalgamation of graphics, bosses and characters dragged from their platforms on the Game Boy Advance, Sony Playstation, and Nintendo DS to face off in 6 co-op levels, slaying the monsters standing in their way on the path to defeating Dracula.
The fan base is going to be split on this one. Whilst there’s no story and no RPG elements, we do finally have a multiplayer Castlevania game, with up to six player co-op. Whilst you can play single player, it’s pretty much a given that the game has been optimised for the multiplayer format, as trying to navigate your way through a level solo proves to be quite a challenge and this isn’t just down to the various levers and lift arrangements that require two characters to manoeuvre in order to progress; there are no save rooms! If you’re playing single player and take one hit too many, its game over and you’re back at the beginning. If you’re enjoying a co-op game however, your fellow vampire hunters can resurrect you with the Water of Life potion when you’ve been killed, as your character takes the form of a skeleton with a golden halo marker above its head upon your untimely demise. And its even armed…with a bone; a pitiful bone to throw at the multitude of enemies baying for your blood. But that should keep them off you until help arrives. And if it doesn’t, running away usually does the trick.
Whilst one might argue that Konami have churned out a multiplayer game which cannibalises previous Castlevania titles in order to make a quick profit, I think that in this instance, it’s a means to test the waters before they invest in creating a brand new multiplayer experience. This is the first time Castlevania has had the option of multiplayer after all and the reception it receives will surely dictate if this is to be incorporated in the future.
Konami’s motives aside; whether you’re a long time fan or a newcomer to the Castlevania games, accept it for what it is; a multiplayer offering from one of the most popular long-standing series of games of all time that’s a hell of a lot of fun to play.
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