Review: Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles

[L.S.D]

Game: Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles
System: PSP


To be honest, I have never completed a Castlevania game before. The PS2 was a shamble, I was only one
or two levels through before deciding not to play that 3D crap anymore. And I find that I can't get used
to those on GBA and DS too. So, when konami releasing news about this game, with emphasis on the old
school system before those Metroidvania versions, my interest was piqued.
For the uninformed, this game is a remake of an old PC-Engine Castlevania game, Rondo of Blood. It is said
that Rondo Of Blood (ROB) is the defining game in the series where a lot of the animations are used in
future upcoming Castlevania series. It is also from this storyline where the much raved about Symphony
of The Night (SOTN) continue the story from. In this PSP UMD, we have the remake version with enhanced
graphics,the original ROB which has not been released outside of US and in other format AND the acclaimed
PSX's Symphony of the Night. 3 in 1, not bad eh? This review will mostly concentrate on the remake version
with mentions to original ROB and SOTN.

Graphics:

Look at the level of details on the screen!

Wow! Right off the bat, the enhanced graphics is really, really great on the eyes. All the graphics are in
3D, and yet the gameplay still retain the 2D feel to it. You can call it 2.5D if you want but the 3D
graphics on this game is simply amazing. A lot of hardwork and details are put into each levels. You
could call it a work of love and art. I recalled reading an interview with Iga on the making of this game.
he has stated that he has taken great stride not to smear the good name of ROB and he would not give out
a half-assed effort. You can easily seen it in this game. All the characters' models are finely detailed.
Even Dracula look really, really great and opening CG is beautiful and at PS2 standard. PSP has seen
an amazing numbers of remakes with enhanced graphics (Megaman X, Megaman Powered up etc) but this game
give out the best graphics seen. The short cutscenes before boss battles and some areas are also looking
great.

The original ROB's graphics are slightly dated but that doesn't mean they are not beautiful. It is
a major accomplishment 14 yrs ago. Heck, even compared to SOTN, original ROB still managed to win SOTN in
some levels. It is that good.



Graphics: 10/10

Controls:

You'll see this kind of cutscenes from time to time

You have your standard jump, whip, special attack buttons. Tapping the jump button another time will
cause a backflip (or double jump in one of the extra characters). D-pad is used for controls or you
can opt for analog stick, which is highly NOT recommended. The controls are so old school like with
the need of pressing up when trying to jump up to a stair. if you forget that, you might find that
you are not steeping unto the stairs and down to your doom in some cases. Slightly annoying but
not game breaking. Will take some time to get used to.

Controls: 8/10

Sound:


The music in this game is a beauty. The bgm has been remixed from the original ROB with astounding result.
Even the original version has its own beauty and SOTN's bgm has always been a favourite among the fans.
THe sound effects of the game are also beautifully rendered and appropriate in most cases. However, the
voice acting leave a lot to be desired. SOme of the voice acting is really good (like the Dracula's
voice acting; majestic and yet sinister at the same time) but some are just downright atricious. Richter's
voice sound like a 19 yrs old boy. One minute he sound all manly and tough and the next second he sounds
like a whiny snotty nosed brat. Same goes for Maria with the high pitched voice. Really get on the nerves.

Sound: 7/10 (would have get higher if not for the bad voice acting)

Gameplay:

That's what you get for trying to pull my nose ring!

Now we come to the meat of the game. Remember the platform games where we used to play back in the NES
or SNES days where you will battle through the level and rewarded with a boss fight at the end of the
level? This game is exactly that. Instead of leveling up and giving you the chance to explore the premises
ala Metroid Prime (HENCE the term metroidvania/castleroid) in the recent Castlevania series, this game
hack back to those old action platform style but with branching levels. You get to battle a boss at the
end of each levels and if you managed to found some secret access, you get to battle a different boss
in the same level and taking a different route from the normal. The game however retains its difficulty
it is famous of. The jump can be very risky at some areas and you will find that you are likely to fall
into death instead of to the below level in safety like recent Castlevanias. This is the main grip of most
Castlevania fans. This game is about skills. heck even trying to hit those moving bats take skills as
their flight patterns are unorthodox. This game forces you to use the limited arsenals that you have at
your disposal; your whip, your special items (which is limited) and your backflip. A mastery on the skills
available will ensure an easier walkthrough the remaked version. however, players will find that the
original ROB is much more HARDER compared to the remaked version with higher speed and the tight timing.
I am still stuck with beating Dracula just because I can't avoid his jump in the 2nd form. The timing is
much much tighter and leave no room for errors.
The game also contain an extra hidden character which you must find during the game. Using Maria to play
is easier as she HAS the double jump! No more falling into your doom at most places! Also, Maria is faster
and her special attack is much stronger. Exploring the levels will help you find hidden discs contain
musics for the games and also the original ROB and SOTN. Yes, these two games are not available from the
start much to the chagrin of some people. my advice to them is to play the remaked version to truly
appreciate the work of art and love that the developers have put in.
In addition to the extra two games, there is also a boss rush mode where you rush to beat all the bosses
under a certain time to unlock some bonus musics and also a certain mini-game that is in original ROB.
Yes, this game will last you for quite some time indeed.



Gameplay: 8/10 (old school gameplay not for everyone)

Conclusion:

Graphics: 10/10
Controls: 8/10
Sound : 7/10
Gameplay: 8/10

Overall: 8.25/10

With 3 games in 1 UMD, this is a really good bargain to begin with. The remaked version is already a game
in itself. Coupled with the original version which can be also considered a full game in itself with
harder difficulty and the complete SOTN without any glitches at all, this is a must to all Castlevanias
fans and platfomers alike. Buy it.

pictures courtesy of ign.com with no intention of getting their permission to publish

[pspcrazy]

Very VERY! Nice review L.S.D I was waiting for some to write a review on this awesome game as I have played it myself as well I found it really hard to unlock SOTN though, so my game ended when I unlocked the first version of the game

Honestly though I loved how they redid the GFX and made the gameplay more modern compared to the original, as that made the game much more fun to play with. I disliked the older version of the game as it was a bit too stiff for my liking.

[coolie]

Wow! I didn't know they have unlockable sont on this umd. I am a castlevania fan, but I don't like this game or any other one with the wipe that much. That's because I don't like how they move. They just move so slow. I like the sorrow of aries and the other two on the nds.

[L.S.D]

Can we move the review section to somewhere easier to find? I have a hard time looking for this section

[Tanuki]

Originally Posted by coolie

Wow! I didn't know they have unlockable sont on this umd. I am a castlevania fan, but I don't like this game or any other one with the wipe that much. That's because I don't like how they move. They just move so slow. I like the sorrow of aries and the other two on the nds.

Yeah. the ROB remake was rediculously hard for me. I kept this game because SOTN is on it. Playing it again brought back memories as did the original ROB.

[xownage]

seems good mite try finding a demo for it =)