40
Harmony of Despair isn't a failure of concept but a failure of ambition, one that leaves Koji Igarashi still waiting for his next great discovery.
75
Only a modest success and there is definitely room for improvement. The focus on multiplayer came at the cost of the single-player experience. With so little of the game explained, some players may find themselves confused or, worse, frustrated.
60
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair looks gorgeous and has some cool ideas, but ultimate it feels like Castlevania Lite -- a stripped down version of a real Castlevania game with none of the depth or clever design.
8
Este juego me parece divertido a pesar de tener mucho reciclado, aunque es frustrante debido al límite de tiempo en cada etapa y además tienes que moler mucha EXP.
6
O jogo é muito bom, mas há dois pontos que devem ser destacados. O ponto número 1 : Embora o foco do jogo seja o online é possível jogar offline e conseguir realizar toda a progressão e farm jogando sozinho.
O ponto número 2: O maior erro desse jogo foi o sistema de microtransação. Inúmeros mapas/ fases e personagens são vendidos separadamente e foram lançados em datas diferentes, o que resultou numa frustração enorme.
10
I’m a big castlevania fan. I’ve had alot of fun with this game playing with my friend. Takes some time getting into learning how to upgrade your character and what not, but once you do it’s a lot of fun. (You can change the zoom on the screen by using the R stick)
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair
Released On:
Aug 4, 2010
Metascore
Mixed or Average
67
User score
Generally Favorable
7.5
My Score
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All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
67
29% Positive
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
61% Mixed
38 Reviews
38 Reviews
10% Negative
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
100
A fascinating multiplayer experiment, but also a really solid, streamlined single player 'vania. [Nov 2010, p.120]
77
While Castlevania: Harmony of Despair contains a good but not quite stellar multiplayer experience, and is fairly far from an enjoyable single player game, I must say can't wait to see what Konami pulls off with an improved follow-up.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.5
61% Positive
28 Ratings
28 Ratings
26% Mixed
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
13% Negative
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
May 14, 2023
10
I’m a big castlevania fan. I’ve had alot of fun with this game playing with my friend. Takes some time getting into learning how to upgrade your character and what not, but once you do it’s a lot of fun. (You can change the zoom on the screen by using the R stick)
Aug 10, 2015
10
Although it may be hard to get into, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is a fun and extremely addicting game. The first level is sure to get any one frustrated with its difficulty, but as the player gains powerful items it becomes much easier to get through. Because of this, many players will likely beat certain chapters over and over in the attempt to get a good item. With the addition of many different characters to play as and level up, the replay value is quite high. The online multiplayer proves to be very smooth and requires teamwork to beat a level. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is therefore a hidden gem in the cluster of old Xbox Live Arcade games with great gameplay, replay value, and multiplayer.
70
It's a time-or-score attacker's dream. [Issue#100, p.142]
70
In the end, Harmony of Despair is a paradox. Konami wants Castlevania fans, the gamers who are most likely to enjoy the game to its fullest, to pay for content they've already played. First-time players, on the other hand, will probably enjoy the game less, even though all of the content will be new to them.
60
If you aren't familiar with the difficulty of the Castlevania games previous to SotN you will probably see Castlevania HD as nothing but an exercise in frustration. If you want to get into Castlevania you can pick up the excellent Symphony of the Night from the Xbox Live Marketplace - and while it doesn't have multiplayer you're much more likely to have a good time.
55
The entire game can be completed in under an hour with an organized team, although a Hard difficulty will test the skills of the most devoted fans. Beyond that, there is nothing to keep players' interests past an initial run.
40
Harmony of Despair isn't a failure of concept but a failure of ambition, one that leaves Koji Igarashi still waiting for his next great discovery.
Nov 4, 2011
10
the game is very good. But where the Leon Belmont, Trevor Belmont, Sypha belnundes, grant, juste belmont, Maxim, Hector, John Morris, Eric lecard, albus, hammer
We would have eleven characters and new maps. the game would be bigger and better please konami more DLCs. after all my note is also positive
Mar 16, 2022
7
As a hardcore Castlevania fan, I was a bit disappointed of Harmony Of Despair. It lacks the oldschool vibe, even if the 2D look is kind of charming. It´s not bad at all, but it lacks innovation and fan service...
Aug 16, 2010
7
An interesting idea for a game. I give it a 7 versus a lower score due to it being a relatively novel idea and working well in what it attempts to accomplish (i.e. being a multiplayer metroidvania style game). However, it can feel sluggish at times, and the feeling of exploration and discovery is noticeably absent once you've finished the paltry 6 levels. Granted, finding new items is always exciting, but it seems like there is too much grinding to be done. Overall, I find HoD to be a positive experience and worth a try, but perhaps only for those who are fans of the series. Playing a game like this really makes you thirst for a real Castlevania 2-D adventure on an HD console, though...
Nov 19, 2022
3
Rubbish I dont ever remember this game being zoomed far out to the universe back in the old days on old snes then i purchased this on xbox digital and wtf is this bs the cameras zoomed out and i dont know wtf happening i tried to ignore the zoomed out view but it puts me off i hate it so it gets a hated score
Aug 27, 2010
3
Whoever decided to put an 8-bit graphics style game on XBLA is a bit out of touch. Now I'm not saying 8-bit is bad, but let's be honest. This game came out in the same month as LIMBO, a game that managed to look gorgeous with only two colors, and Lara Croft GoL, a combat platformer with very nice graphics. The game was unoriginal, offered a terrible navigation and menu setup, and looked like it was from the 1980s. Not worth the money.
Summary[Xbox Live Arcade] Designed by the legendary producer of the Castlevania series, Koji Igarashi, Castlevania Harmony of Despair allows up to six friends to play together via online co-op story mode or see who the best vampire hunter is in Survival Mode, which challenges you to fend off your friends while fighting for your very survival. ... Read More
Rated Tfor Teen
