marspot

Portrait of ruin is a tonka truck wishing it were a big-rig. It looks, smells, and acts like Castlevania, but at the core it's simply a watered down adventure game derived from more successful ventures of the same franchise. The anime art direction undermines the serious Gothic overtones that should prevail in any Castlevania entry. The characters are surface level and cliche. There is little to no innovation, nor are there any clever game play elements. Portrait is frustrating. Not in the sense of difficulty, or boss fights (both can be solved by simply gaining a few levels and trying again not much skill required there), but in that you find yourself meandering around lazy copy-and-paste environments filled with cheap challenges looking for the end of the dungeon so you can move on. Then, the game has the audacity to send you back through those levels on fetch quests for a fat, bald priest and a ghost with too much fashion sense. The game's redeeming factor, the boss encounters, save it from a score in the red, but it's not enough for me to recommend this title over others for the DS. The story is lame. The levels are lame. The action is decent. But then again, you can get incredible action, story, and levels with Order of Ecclesia, so go buy that instead.

Ecclesia is DS Castlevania grown up. From it's unrelenting difficulty, to it's stray from the typical anime art style of previous installments, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is exactly what the franchise needed to create a fresh new spin for an old audience (and reign in new fans alike). Game play The controls are smooth and natural, giving you the option to switch between skill sets on the fly with an array of powerful attacks at your mercy. It gives you the feeling that you really are something of a vampire hunter given special powers. The game itself is brutal, but rewarding. If you're looking for an easy ride, sit this one out. You'll find your Shanoa being pummeled over and over again by the same bosses, with you ready to chuck your DS in frustration, but that same challenge is what keeps you playing and makes the game all the more tense. Environment /Art Direction The art style is simply beautiful. It's fitting for a vampire-esque adventure, sad townsfolk and looming clouds over dead forests. Forlorn caverns and dark castles, as well as a creepy head-of-the order to boot. The game will **** you in throughout your travels in it's many environments. Gone is Soma's poofy silver hair, as well as Charlotte's cute anime optimism (which both felt amiss in a Castlevania game), replaced by a gloomy, emotionless heroine who tells her enemies to "go to hell". A true vampire hunter, indeed. Sound The Castlevanias have always impressed with catchy themes and upbeat rhythms. Although not on the epic scale that accompanied Symphony of the Night, Ecclesia comes with it's own brand of eerie melodies and upbeat adventure tunes. Story Here is where Ecclesia shines. The characters are so deep (again, something the recent DS installments didn't provide), you begin to play purely for the sympathy of Shanoa's trials and to discover what strength she could possibly have left. Be prepared for an emotional ride as you push through this game.