Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow

***Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow*** is an action/adventure platform game developed and published by Konami, part of the *Castlevania* franchise. The game was first released on August 25, 2005 in Japan, where it's known as ***Demon Castle Dracula: Cross of the Blue/Pale Moon*** (悪魔城ドラキュラ 蒼月の十字架 *Akumajō Dracula: Sōgetsu no Jūjika*).

The game is a direct sequel to *Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow*, with Soma Cruz reprising his role as the protagonist; other characters from *Aria of Sorrow* also appear in the game, including Genya Arikado and Julius Belmont.

## Plot

In 2036, one year after *Aria of Sorrow*, Soma and Mina are attacked by Celia Fortner, the priestess of an enigmatic cult (unrelated to the cult led by *Aria of Sorrow'*s antagonist Graham Jones) who seeks to kill Soma and revive the dark power of Dracula sleeping inside him, as a sort of retribution for Soma 'denying his destiny' in becoming the Dark Lord incarnate in the previous game. In the cult's mind, Dracula represents the ultimate evil that must exist for there to be an ultimate good, and with the Dark Lord sealed, that cannot happen. But instead of running from this new threat, and against Arikado's warnings, Soma decides to take the initiative and confront his foes head-on, eventually discovering a castle and monsters similar to those owned by Dracula, supposedly constructed by the cult as the scene for the ritual required to sacrifice Soma and revive the vampire lord.

*Dawn of Sorrow* has several possible endings, depending on the course taken by the player.

## Gameplay

The game also features most of *Aria of Sorrow*'s main gameplay, including the Tactical Soul System (Soma's ability to absorb enemies' souls and use their powers). This time Soma can upgrade most abilities by acquiring multiple copies of the same soul. New to the series is the Magic Seal System, which makes use of the system's touch screen. Using a finger or stylus, the player must draw an intricate symbol or "seal" on the touch screen to trap defeated boss enemies. If the seal is not drawn quickly and correctly, the boss can regenerate energy and continue to fight but the boss is weaker than before the seal was drawn. The touch screen can also be used to break certain blocks, navigate menus, and control certain familiars.

The game also features a multiplayer vs. mode, where one player creates a section of the castle, complete with enemies, and both players race to defeat the enemies and reach the end of the level; players are also able to trade souls they've found in the game. In addition, there is a Julius mode where you can play as Julius Belmont, armed with the Vampire Killer and sub-weapons. In this mode there is a tribute to *Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse* in the sense that you can gain two allies to your task and switch between them at any time: Yoko Belnades, a witch who fights like her ancestor Sypha Belnades with a staff and fire, ice, and lightning spells, and Alucard returning from *Castlevania: Symphony of the Night* with his signature sword, Hellfire spell, and the ability to turn into a bat.

## External links

* *Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow* at the Castlevania Wiki