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Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is a combination of various installments of the Castlevania franchise. Players have a choice to play the traditional Dracula X: Rondo of Blood or the enhanced adaptation.

The normal Dracula X: Rondo of Blood has the same two dimensional graphics that were present when it was first released over a decade ago. Everything is identical to the original release except for the English dialogue. However, the new edition of Dracula X: Rondo of Blood features two dimensional and three dimensional visuals. Furthermore, the newer iteration has voice acting, better sound effects, and a change for the better in the music department.

The gameplay in Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles gives gamers a chance to be in control of either Richter Belmont or Maria Renard. Both characters have their separate pros and cons. For example, Richter Belmont is a vampire hunter who has a long range whip. Maria Renard is a woman who has a knack for throwing doves at adversaries (I am dead serious). Richter has more strength than Maria; however, Maria is more agile than Richter.

Each level culminates with a prototypical boss encounter. Some of these boss fights entail vampires, a wolf, and a nefarious man on horseback. By no stretch of the imagination is this game simple. There are platform jumping gameplay sequences that has the potential to make anyone start slamming their PSP’s down in frustration. Even the most mundane tasks will appear laborious because of the ineptitude of the protagonist. For instance, traveling up and down stairs is a hassle in its own right.

This is exacerbated by the fact that every single freaking time Richter suffers any damage while on stairs, he becomes drastically immobile. What kind of vampire is he? With that said, the boss scenes themselves are engrossing to play through. On the bright side, there is a feature that gives players a helpful saving mechanic that works well.

The graphics will not impress the average gamer, but they were an adequate improvement over the rudimentary two dimensional visuals from back in the day. Water and fire effects have a much more realistic feel to them. As you progress, there will be obstacles such as pits that are scattered throughout.

The music is exactly what avid fans of the Castlevania series have come to expect. In other words, the musical score fits the theme of Castlevania well. Disappointingly, the voice acting itself was amusing in an enigmatic way. Gamers will have this eerie temptation to fall down guffawing with every line of spoken dialogue that is heard. It was almost as if the voice actors were trying too hard; consequently, the dialogue felt unintentionally hilarious. I suppose you have to have a bit of a sense of humor with the Castlevania franchise.

The other game is a fresher version of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night that was released on the Sony Playstation and the Xbox 360. This title is a direct sequel to Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. The protagonist is no other than Dracula’s son himself Alucard.

In terms of the plot, it transpires four years after the events of Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. Richter Belmont and Maria Renard are in a much more limited role than they in Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. The gameplay is not much different from the usual Castlevania nuances. You can still pick up accessories after defeating opponents.

Overall, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles has all of the bells and whistles any Castlevania aficionado can grasp.

Sayed Islam