Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow DS
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow Image
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Metascore
89 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 52 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.4 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 107 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Summary: The year is 2036, one year after the events of "Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow." Soma Cruz finds himself at the center of a mysterious cult's plan to resurrect their evil lord and master Dracula. In order to save himself and protect the lives of those he loves, Soma must infiltrate the enemy's home base, a towering replica of Dracula's castle that is teaming with monstrous creatures. Defeat foes with the "Magic Seal" system using the touch screen. Exchange souls with other players via the DS wireless connection. Features an incredible musical score, next-gen graphics & stunning special effects. [Konami]… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 52
  3. Negative: 0 out of 52
  1. AceGamez
    100
    Though more touch screen functionality would have been preferable, or maybe even a bit of microphone-influenced play, at least there are options to connect to other players wirelessly for some trading or versus play.
    All this publication's reviews
  2. G4 TV
    100
    Dawn of Sorrow has everything that makes the Castlevania series great: excellent platforming, exquisite level and puzzle design, gorgeous 2D graphics, and fantastic sound.
  3. RPG Fan
    85
    If you liked "Aria of Sorrow," pick up DoS. If not, steer clear.
  4. Edge Magazine
    70
    Core game play remains largely undeveloped from Symphony Of The Night, and, despite the additions, is aspirational rather than inspirational. It’s certainly the best handheld Castlevania game, but Igarashi’s team is too dedicated to the framework he masterminded for this to be anything innovatory. [Nov 2005, p.108]

See all 52 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 41
  3. Negative: 4 out of 41
  1. bolt7
    9
    If you love Castlevania, you'll love Dawn of Sorrow. Not a whole lot has changed since the switch to 'Metroidvania' in Symphony of the Night- but how is that a bad thing? Dracula's castle is as exciting as ever, with some impressive DS visuals presenting players with a wide variety of different areas to explore. It's possible to level up and equip a wide array of different weaponry and armour, giving players a perfect amount of customisation for their character. The classic Castlevania formula works flawlessly on DS and will be sure to have you coming back for more.… Expand
  2. MarkS.
    8
    As far as the 2D castlevania games go, I always like to think of Symphony of the Night as the L.A. Lakers, whenever the Lakers were dominating, and the gameboy castlevanias as either the Sacramento Kings or Dallas Mavericks. Worthy contenders, always pounding away with the flashy offense but never quite able to achieve the pinnacle of greatness needed to dethone the mighty champion. This latest Castlevania, "Dawn of Sorrow," has perhaps come the closest, however like the great Sacramento Kings of 2002 when they took the Lakers to the brink of game 7 in overtime, this castlevania comes up barely short of Symphony's greatness. Comes really really close, but doesn't quite have the stuff to be number one. Perhaps with their next try, they should trade in Soma for either Vlade Divac or Chris Webber. Or maybe a tall german vampire hunter like Dirk Nowitzki. At least something where you can tell for sure if it's a girl or a guy, this weird effeminate look doesn't quite do it for me.… Expand
  3. Caestus
    7
    Is not a bad game but somehow i cant get hyped about dawn of sorrow.
  4. DavidS.
    0
    It's a GBA game. That's all.

See all 41 User Reviews

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