Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

Overview

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is a 2003 action role-playing game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and published by Konami for the Game Boy Advance. It is the 20th main entry in the Castlevania series, as well as the third and final game produced for the system. Producer Koji Igarashi, who had led the production teams for previous Castlevania games, oversaw Aria of Sorrow's development in parallel with its predecessor Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (2002). Michiru Yamane returned to compose the music alongside Takashi Yoshida and Soshiro Hokkai. Director Junichi Murakami was new to the Castlevania series.

In contrast with other Castlevania titles taking place in the late medieval period or the early 20th century, Aria of Sorrow is set in 2035, decades after a climactic war resulted in Dracula's permanent demise and his castle being sealed in a solar eclipse. The plot follows the journey of Soma Cruz, a teenager granted occult powers, as he is trapped in the eclipse and encounters dark figures who wish to inherit Dracula's power. The game has been described as an action-adventure game with elements of role-playing games. Aria of Sorrow introduces several features to the series, such as the "Tactical Soul" system that enables Cruz to absorb the properties of defeated enemies, as well as a full New Game Plus mode.

Aria of Sorrow was released in May 2003. Although it sold poorly in Japan, selling 27,000 units nearly one month after its release, it was commercially successful in the United States, with more than 158,000 units sold in the three months following its release. Aria of Sorrow received universal acclaim, with praise for its visuals, gameplay (particularly the Tactical Soul System), music, and level design. Some critics considered it the best Castlevania game since Symphony of the Night (1997), as well as one of the best Game Boy Advance and Metroidvania genre games.

Official trailer

Trailer. Watch on YouTube

Gameplay

Game Boy Advance Longplay [021] Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, World-of-Longplays. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Platform, Role-playing (RPG), Adventure

Developer

Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo

Publisher

Konami

Series

Castlevania

Platforms

Wii U, Game Boy Advance

Age rating

ESRB T

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

No

Co op

No

Age ratings

CERO

A

PEGI

12

ESRB

T

ACB

M

Release dates

Editions

Check out the store

Space and patches

Update patchNo patch

DLC

No DLC. Game Boy Advance games had no downloadable content.

Playable today

Playable offline todayYes

Single player only, with no online features. The cartridge runs on any Game Boy Advance, and the game is sold today in Castlevania Advance Collection.

Online

Plays offlineYes

Reception

Critics

Outlet	Score	Scale
Famitsu	36	40
GameSpot	8.6	10
IGN	9.3	10
Game Informer	9.25	10
Eurogamer	9	10

Staff and cast

Staff

Role	Name
Developer	Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo
Publisher	Konami
Director	Junichi Murakami
Producer	Koji Igarashi
Programmer	Shutaro Iida
Artist	Ayami Kojima
Writer	Koji Igarashi
Composers	Michiru Yamane, Takashi Yoshida, Soshiro Hokkai

Notes for collectors

• Set in 2035: Soma Cruz absorbs the souls of the monsters he defeats to gain their powers.
• Two players can trade souls between cartridges with a link cable.
• Has a full New Game Plus.
• Sold poorly in Japan but well in the United States, more than 158,000 copies in its first three months.
• Included in Castlevania Advance Collection in 2021.

Credits

Publisher

Konami

Developer

Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo

Director

Junichi Murakami

Released

2003-05-06

Age rating

ESRB T

Region

US

Time to beat

about 7.9 hours