Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow

 DS
  • Publisher: Konami
  • Release Date: Oct 4, 2005
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 255 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 213 out of 255
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 255
  3. Negative: 16 out of 255
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Yojimbo2015
    May 21, 2023
    8
    Enjoyable entry to the Castlevania series that maintains its look and feel while adding bells and whistles such as non-linear levels to explore, item shops and equipment that gives your character new abilities - very much in the vein of the GBA Metroid games. Not as good as those classics, but a good, solid addition to the franchise.
  2. hector_bcn98
    Feb 14, 2023
    9
    Como en todos y cada uno de los Castlevania, algunas pequeñas pistas en el mapa para ubicarse mejor o saber por dónde tirar cuando te bloqueas (como hace Resident Evil con los colores de zona) no le vendría mal, porque estar dando vueltas durante horas por culpa de que el color del mapa es igual que el del fondo de pantalla y no detectas la no aparición de una linea blanca de apenas 3Como en todos y cada uno de los Castlevania, algunas pequeñas pistas en el mapa para ubicarse mejor o saber por dónde tirar cuando te bloqueas (como hace Resident Evil con los colores de zona) no le vendría mal, porque estar dando vueltas durante horas por culpa de que el color del mapa es igual que el del fondo de pantalla y no detectas la no aparición de una linea blanca de apenas 3 píxeles... jode. Quitando ese mal endémico, es el juego de la saga más placentero jugablemente y gráficamente hermoso, el mejor desde Symphony of the Night. Excelente en todos los sentidos.… Expand
  3. Alkecyrax
    Nov 20, 2022
    10
    One of the best games in the entire series, it has everything a good Castlevania game needs to have. Using the Nintendo DS touch screen isn't very comfortable, but it's less annoying than it sounds.
  4. CinzaColorido
    Aug 29, 2022
    0
    What hellish atrocity did they with Aria of Sorrow art style? Played through probably 3 to 4 areas of the castle and dropped in a puzzle where you have to literally rearrange the map to progress because I'm not choosing Castlevania to think, just to kill monsters and became powerful.

    Seems stupid, but that's my reason. Probably giving it a 0 because I liked Aria of Sorrow so much, and    What hellish atrocity did they with Aria of Sorrow art style? Played through probably 3 to 4 areas of the castle and dropped in a puzzle where you have to literally rearrange the map to progress because I'm not choosing Castlevania to think, just to kill monsters and became powerful.

    Seems stupid, but that's my reason. Probably giving it a 0 because I liked Aria of Sorrow so much, and this game is a steep downgrade in comparison.    … Expand
  5. Darkshade
    Aug 22, 2022
    10
    Alucard and soma have to be like police girl from hellsing credo and cerezita especially soma and trevor and julius have to be like the werewolf boy in hellsing and nero and jeanne when she was a child especially juluis
  6. Darkspawn677
    Aug 8, 2022
    10
    Soma is acully the son of alucard which means he has to be more like v from devil may cry vergil human half he also has to be more like police girl in hellsing and bayonetta daughter gohan and superboy remember that soma is only a semi vampire i love his soul powers it would have been cool if more people had it
  7. ylnylmn
    Aug 10, 2021
    9
    It was as good a game as Aria and I think I can say that I liked it more than Aria. I think it's my favorite Castlevania game I've played so far. (I played 1-2-3-4 SOTN and Aria). I really liked the story. Dialogues between Yoko and Hammer. Find clues and hidden information with dialogue. Weapon upgrade system. Various skills. Level design. Nice boss battles. The things we do with theIt was as good a game as Aria and I think I can say that I liked it more than Aria. I think it's my favorite Castlevania game I've played so far. (I played 1-2-3-4 SOTN and Aria). I really liked the story. Dialogues between Yoko and Hammer. Find clues and hidden information with dialogue. Weapon upgrade system. Various skills. Level design. Nice boss battles. The things we do with the touchscreen. Magic Seals. It was fun. Music is great. I finished the game in 8 hours and 98% of it. I enjoyed every minute of it.… Expand
  8. ireviewgames123
    May 29, 2021
    7
    Score would be an 8 or 9 if it weren't for farming/grinding and the dreaded Seal System (having to use the stylus to draw increasingly intricate shapes to defeat bosses when they're about to die and if you mess up you have to fight the boss again). Playing Soma over-all is fun and the soul-absorbing 'Power of Dominance' feature is back. Pixel art is good, the anime character portraits areScore would be an 8 or 9 if it weren't for farming/grinding and the dreaded Seal System (having to use the stylus to draw increasingly intricate shapes to defeat bosses when they're about to die and if you mess up you have to fight the boss again). Playing Soma over-all is fun and the soul-absorbing 'Power of Dominance' feature is back. Pixel art is good, the anime character portraits are generic and lack the personality seen in Aria, the music is amazing which is to be expected from this series.

    Julius mode, that you unlock if you get the bad ending, is actually quite good. You get to play as Julius and Yoko and Alucard join your team. A really refreshing alternative game mode actually worth playing. It also eliminates the seal system!

    It's a shame that they added the Seal System and made it a little grind-heavy. It really does take away from an otherwise great experience.    … Expand
  9. Cancery1987
    Mar 21, 2021
    6
    Not good as Aria of Sorrow

    Bad weapon system. Force you farming soul to upgrade weapon

    Farming soul is stupid thing too

    And seal, whats wrong?! Max stupid !
  10. Parrots
    Dec 31, 2020
    8
    Dawn of Sorrow is a solid game but I'm not sure how I feel about a solar eclipse in Japan being the best setting for the game. As ridiculous as I find some of the story, it's still Castlevania at heart. Sticking to the Metroidvania SOTN style it did an amazing job. I also heard from many of my friends that Hard is pretty dang hard. However I didn't have any problems. I actually thoughtDawn of Sorrow is a solid game but I'm not sure how I feel about a solar eclipse in Japan being the best setting for the game. As ridiculous as I find some of the story, it's still Castlevania at heart. Sticking to the Metroidvania SOTN style it did an amazing job. I also heard from many of my friends that Hard is pretty dang hard. However I didn't have any problems. I actually thought this was pretty easy overall. That or it's because I'm well established in these types of games.

    One thing I will admit though, Julius Mode's final boss was actually pretty tough but once you learn the patterns, it gets easy. Just gotta be very careful on placement.

    Characters are great and returners are always awesome, soundtrack as always is amazing and you can find them on spotify and graphics for a DS game, not too shabby.

    It's a solid title just for the Castlevania experience but to me, it didn't feel like it was much new. If you want to play better, play Aria of Sorrow.    … Expand
  11. Mattia9336
    Aug 30, 2020
    10
    The best Castlevania games on the DS and one of the best in general, especially gameplay wise. The touch-screen mechanics are a bit annoying but I can't take seriously anyone who says they ruin the game
  12. tom974
    Apr 15, 2020
    7
    Not a bad game, but quite a copy-paste from Aria of Sorrow. Graphics seems to have been made for GBA globally. The most interesting point is the Julius mode which is quite good and offers a challenge.
  13. tukumalu
    Jan 25, 2020
    10
    The wonderful score made the game memorable for me. The soul harvest system is a good retain from previous entry.
  14. Lassic
    Apr 30, 2019
    8
    Not as good as Aria of Sorrow, but a good game on its own right. I preferred the art style of the original game rather than the anime style used on the sequel. The soundtrack has many great tunes, including many references to old games in the series.

    Normal mode is a bit too easy, especially if you try to collect items and souls. Most bosses were a breeze to kill with the proper souls    Not as good as Aria of Sorrow, but a good game on its own right. I preferred the art style of the original game rather than the anime style used on the sequel. The soundtrack has many great tunes, including many references to old games in the series.

    Normal mode is a bit too easy, especially if you try to collect items and souls. Most bosses were a breeze to kill with the proper souls and weapons equipped. The game relied upon a bit too much into grinding in order to achieve 100% completion.

    Julius mode, on the other hand, was very fun and quite challenging. The lack of an inventory where you could carry healing potions made boss fights a matter of skill and survivability. The gameplay where you switch between Julius, Yoko, and Alucard is reminiscent from Castlevania III and still works quite well. Each character is useful in different scenarios.

    Great game, was a pleasure to play.    … Expand
  15. Gjmzvs
    Oct 23, 2017
    10
    És el meu joc preferit de Nitnendo DS, té caps i bèsties amb habilitats especials i tota la temàtica del joc és incomparable, diria que és un dels millors de la mateixa companyia.
  16. Playingall
    Jul 26, 2017
    10
    It is the first Castlevania that I had, but not the first that I played, because the first one was SOTN. If you have already played the SOTN (Symphony of the Night), you may see similarities with Dos (Dawn of Sorrow). The difference is that is another history, a completely different castle and also better graphics. You can see the evolution of Konami developing the Castlevania games. YouIt is the first Castlevania that I had, but not the first that I played, because the first one was SOTN. If you have already played the SOTN (Symphony of the Night), you may see similarities with Dos (Dawn of Sorrow). The difference is that is another history, a completely different castle and also better graphics. You can see the evolution of Konami developing the Castlevania games. You may play it if you enjoy a good 2 game and if you enjoy searching secrets rooms and stealing rares souls.… Expand
  17. Piece_of_uncle
    Jul 12, 2017
    10
    To me, this is the best Castlevania game and is in my top 10 all time favorites. It's a perfectly executed side-scroller with beautiful parallaxing effects to bring the environments to life. Literally hundreds of monsters, weapons, and abilities each with additional power increase possibilities. You combine weapons and souls of monsters you defeat to create unbelievable combinations. EachTo me, this is the best Castlevania game and is in my top 10 all time favorites. It's a perfectly executed side-scroller with beautiful parallaxing effects to bring the environments to life. Literally hundreds of monsters, weapons, and abilities each with additional power increase possibilities. You combine weapons and souls of monsters you defeat to create unbelievable combinations. Each one of these has a challenging/fun learning curve to master. The music is as beautiful as always and the gorgeous art style adds to the overall epic ness of this game. Not to mention, the anime style animatics are an awesome touch to this gens delivery. Easily a 10/10!… Expand
  18. harryjc
    Sep 24, 2016
    9
    This game is really fun. It's Castlevania with RPG elements. You can play it however you like, and explore the castle, but there is a story line to follow. If you like Castlevania you will definitely like this. This is one of the best Castlevania games of all time. There are a few problems with it, which is why I gave it a 9 rather than a 10, but overall it's pretty much a completeThis game is really fun. It's Castlevania with RPG elements. You can play it however you like, and explore the castle, but there is a story line to follow. If you like Castlevania you will definitely like this. This is one of the best Castlevania games of all time. There are a few problems with it, which is why I gave it a 9 rather than a 10, but overall it's pretty much a complete package. You won't get bored with this.

    The Good:

    - It's classic Castlevania but with RPG elements.

    - There are so many things to collect, but they really add to the experience. All the souls, weapons, crafting, etc, are really just a nice time waster.

    - Lots of exploration to be done, and mystery.

    - The story is basic but it motivates you onward.

    - Killing monsters is very satisfying. There are a ton of enemies. You'll never get bored with all the creatures.

    - The game is not too easy, and not too hard. It has the right level of difficulty.

    - The music is nice.

    - Despite console limitations the graphics are well done, other than the winter scenes, which just look washed out. The art is good.

    The Bad:

    - The game displays the action on the lower screen instead of the upper screen. It's a bizarre choice to make. Clearly, the menu, and map belong on the bottom. It would have been really handy if you could tap the screen, and look closer on the map (which is rather small).

    - There is one section of the game where you have to do some type of sliding puzzle. It was confusing. Not really fun if I have to say so myself.

    - The characters walks kind of slow. I would have liked it if he could walk a bit faster. But there is a method for fast travel, so this isn't a huge issue.

    - The teleport, and save areas really should be right beside each other. They are close to each other but not beside.

    - When you die you go back to the start up point of the game, like you resetted your console. Instead the game should ask you if you want to begin again from your save point. Yes or no? Simple, right?

    - A lot of grinding is required to get souls. It would be nice if acquiring souls was just little bit easier. I don't want it to be too easy, but sometimes it's frustrating. One character I killed literally a hundred plus times, and yet got no soul. I was just thinking, "C'mon now!"

    - I don't like those medusa heads! The ones that turn your into stone are just terrible.    … Expand
  19. pooooooooooooop
    Jul 20, 2015
    1
    I apologise for the username i just needed to type something quik, Castlevania DoS was so horrible, it made me scared to buy another game on the nintendo ds... the plot is stale and recycled, the gameplay, it just throws in monsters and enemies from sotn and remasterd versions of Aos... And this is comming from a HARDCORE CASTLEVANIA FAN !!! honest to god , i got bored of this game afterI apologise for the username i just needed to type something quik, Castlevania DoS was so horrible, it made me scared to buy another game on the nintendo ds... the plot is stale and recycled, the gameplay, it just throws in monsters and enemies from sotn and remasterd versions of Aos... And this is comming from a HARDCORE CASTLEVANIA FAN !!! honest to god , i got bored of this game after i was halfway through it
    i'm sorry to tell you... but DO NOT BUY THIS GAME unless you want to ruin the ENTIRE castelvania series for you i'm telling you... i talked up this game to my mom , and when i got it , i wanted to kill myself becasue it ruined castelvania for me....    … Expand
  20. PatrickRS
    Jun 9, 2015
    9
    Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow:
    What a Horrible Night to Love a Game/
    I hadn’t played Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow before playing Dawn of Sorrow, but the game does a good job of catching one up to speed on what they need to know. There will be some light spoilers for Aria of Sorrow here. Set in the year 2036, one year after Aria of Sorrow, you play as Soma Cruz, the reincarnation of the    Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow:
    What a Horrible Night to Love a Game/

    I hadn’t played Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow before playing Dawn of Sorrow, but the game does a good job of catching one up to speed on what they need to know. There will be some light spoilers for Aria of Sorrow here. Set in the year 2036, one year after Aria of Sorrow, you play as Soma Cruz, the reincarnation of the dark lord, Dracula. While hanging out with the love interest, Mina (both of them insist that they’re just friends), Soma is suddenly attacked by a woman named Celia. Celia retreats after you receive aid from Genya Arikado, a government agent who also holds another significant identity in the Castlevania universe. Arikado explains to Soma that Celia is the leader of a religious movement that believes that in order for there to be a God, the perfect embodiment of light, there must be a dark lord, the perfect embodiment of darkness, so they are trying to resurrect the dark lord. With the help of his friend, Hammer, the shop keeper, Soma infiltrates Celia’s castle. Along the way, Soma also runs into his friends, Julius Belmont, descendant of the Belmont clan that fought Dracula for hundreds of years, and Yoko Belnades, partner to Julius. The plot is just an excuse to keep the game going, but it’s still pretty interesting and I’ve always loved a villain that is driven by some sort of religious belief. There are a few surprising twists and even multiple endings. While I did enjoy the game’s story, the way the game plays is really where it shines bright./
    The moment I started playing Dawn of Sorrow I fell in love with it. I loved exploring the castle with tight platforming, interesting and varied enemies, and snappy but satisfying combat. You will see as you play the game that there are areas that you won’t be able to access right away. You’ll have to come back later with new abilities in order to explore the enemy’s stronghold to the fullest. Speaking of abilities, there are so many abilities available to you to customize Soma with. Soma has what is called the Power of Dominance, which lets him sometimes absorb the soul of an enemy he has defeated, and almost every enemy has a soul he can absorb. These souls are abilities you earn from that specific enemy type that can then be equipped to Soma in order to give him new powers. These include throwing axes like in classic Castlevania games, turning into a bat to fly around the area, summoning a creature to assist you in battle, or a simple stat increase. Dawn of Sorrow is an RPG and the soul drops are random, so you may need to grind if you’re looking for a specific soul, but combat is fun enough that it is not too much of an inconvenience. Being an RPG, you can also improve Soma with by leveling up or by equipping him with different armor or weapons. There are many different weapon types that each feel different from each other and every weapon can be upgraded to become more powerful. Perhaps you will like the power given to you by the broadsword or maybe the range of a handgun. This, combined with the large amount of souls, provides you with an amount of options even larger than the castle that is such a joy to explore. Speaking of which, the world around you excels almost as much as the gameplay./
    The ambiance of Dawn of Sorrow is truly impressive. It is, as said before, a Metroidvania style game. With such a sense of exploration to the game, each area should be able to feel unique but still very much connected. The game’s Gothic environment does this quite well while inside the castle. You’ll find yourself going from a small village, to an elegant dance hall, to a mysterious lab, to a spike filled torture chamber while fighting your way through hoards of nefarious demons. Speaking of which, I love the character designs in this game. I’ve heard some people complain about the character portraits not being as stylized as the previous games, which doesn’t bother me since I didn’t play the previous game. The greatest designs go to the enemies, however. The enemy design mostly takes inspiration from classic horror figures and iconic creatures of lore. You’ll be coming up against Frankenstein’s monster, unsuspecting witches, howling werewolves, and giant suits of armor trying to hurl axes at you. Of course, there are some more creative enemies too, like one of the bosses being a giant, rotting, zombie dinosaur. While you run into the occasional goofy enemy, like a blue haired maid named Persephone, the enemies give the game a disturbing, horrific tint about it, which makes fighting them all the more fun. Not only do the enemies look good, but the soundtrack is exciting too. I enjoyed listening to every track in the game, including one or two Castlevania classics, like Bloody Tears. The art design and music were great to experience from beginning to end.    … Expand
  21. funkydoodycool
    May 8, 2015
    10
    The GBA games were close to perfect. This tips it over into completely perfect. My favourite of all the metroidvania games this has a fun story, great graphics, tight controls and plenty to see and do.

    It's on the easy side compared to some of the series, but that doesn't harm it in my eyes.
  22. Ramiro1992
    Oct 18, 2014
    8
    This game is awesome!!!!!
    I love every single TRUE Castlevania game, i mean the sidescroller titles! I don't like lord of shadows or that 3d's awful titles.
    Castlevania Dawn Of sorrow can be defined as one of the best Castlevania games ever made! Of Course it took the famous "Metroidvania" style. originated in Symphony of the night, but that's fine, because that style just fits very    This game is awesome!!!!!
    I love every single TRUE Castlevania game, i mean the sidescroller titles! I don't like lord of shadows or that 3d's awful titles.
    Castlevania Dawn Of sorrow can be defined as one of the best Castlevania games ever made! Of Course it took the famous "Metroidvania" style. originated in Symphony of the night, but that's fine, because that style just fits very well in this kind of games. The music is a masterpiece, what a wonderful songs this game has. The argument and characters are simply great, very interesting things happens while you play, and that keeps you interested the whole game. Some enemies are new, there's some improved things, this game has much fun to offer, there's some puzzles also, like a door that you can open if the number match you gold, or if you buy a newspaper, it gives you some clues about certain creatures you can find. This game is really excellent, i am glad to be one of the gamers that LOVE CASTLEVANIA series. Sadly, this is one of the last Castlevania games that are actually good. hope in the near future we receive games like this one.

    Positive(+):
    + Excellent storyline
    + Wonderful music
    + Very good and innovative gameplay mechanics, like touch the screen to break the ice.
    + The characters are very cool, each one has a very interesting personality.
    + A new mode in wich you can create your own list of enemies to defeat.
    + This game retains all the good elements that made the Castlevania series so great.
    + Some good puzzles and secrets to discover, this game rewards the exploration.
    + Wireless mode has been imrpoved

    Negative(-):

    - Some combat elements are exactly the same as the previous Castlevania games.
    - Some enemies are too easy to defeat.    … Expand
  23. MIDP
    Aug 4, 2013
    9
    The first game I bought for my DS besides Pokemon and FIFA.

    An amazing Platformer/ Adventure/ RPG/ Action game with an awesome level of weapon/ ability customization. It has great visuals and an awesome, humorous dialogue. On the downside it can get repetitive when exploring to find new things and ways to get to some places, and if you are unlucky you can end up just scanning    The first game I bought for my DS besides Pokemon and FIFA.

    An amazing Platformer/ Adventure/ RPG/ Action game with an awesome level of weapon/ ability customization.

    It has great visuals and an awesome, humorous dialogue.

    On the downside it can get repetitive when exploring to find new things and ways to get to some places, and if you are unlucky you can end up just scanning through everything to find what you are looking for which gets a bit boring.
    Also there is an element of grinding that can get annoying as well.

    Still a great game which deserves a 9 out of 10.    … Expand
  24. augoosto
    May 31, 2013
    9
    Tight gameplay, compelling construction, and satisfying story aesthetic. I came into this as a first time Castlevania player, so I can not speak for long time fans, but I love this game. Scratches the same itch as Super Metroid.
  25. Caestus
    Mar 11, 2013
    7
    Is not a bad game but somehow i cant get hyped about dawn of sorrow.
  26. Matseb2611
    Jul 29, 2012
    9
    *REVIEW EDITED*
    Sequel to Aria of Sorrow which was on GBA, Dawn of Sorrow takes place a year later with the player getting to control Soma Cruz once again and to explore the entire castle, dominate monster souls, experience breathtaking boss fights, and to find a variety of weapons and armor. I must say I was really impressed with the storyline in Dawn of Sorrow. As well as the awesome    *REVIEW EDITED*
    Sequel to Aria of Sorrow which was on GBA, Dawn of Sorrow takes place a year later with the player getting to control Soma Cruz once again and to explore the entire castle, dominate monster souls, experience breathtaking boss fights, and to find a variety of weapons and armor. I must say I was really impressed with the storyline in Dawn of Sorrow. As well as the awesome characters from Aria, there were some new interesting characters too, as well as some nice twists. The game is simply beautiful. The stages are designed exceptionally well, with lovely 3D views on the background, and the soundtrack is just mindblowing, perhaps even surpassing Aria's. The game's difficulty is also somewhat moderately high, but not frustrating like Circle of the Moon. Most of the game can be played without the need to level grind. Only near the end of the game, when going towards the good ending, some grinding is greatly beneficial. The only feature I sort of disliked in Dawn of Sorrow was the magic seal system. Although the idea is good, the punishment for failing to draw a magic seal correctly is too extreme, i.e. the boss you    … Expand
  27. Shierzhi
    Jul 10, 2011
    9
    Epic game. As almost every Castlevania ever released. The game is very fun to play through, and collecting souls is less boring than it sounds. The only issues are the dated graphics, which resemble too much it's prequel, and the somewhat boring and unbalanced alternative game mode. As that's gimmicky anyway and doesn't affect the basic gameplay, still a solid 9.
  28. Nurv
    Jan 26, 2011
    10
    I personally haven't played the old Castlevania games, dawn of sorrow was the second (due to rarity) Castlevania I've ever played and the best of the other Castlevania titles on the DS.

    Though the story was a little edgy here and there, the combat is excellent!
  29. bolt7
    Sep 16, 2010
    9
    If you love Castlevania, you'll love Dawn of Sorrow. Not a whole lot has changed since the switch to 'Metroidvania' in Symphony of the Night- but how is that a bad thing? Dracula's castle is as exciting as ever, with some impressive DS visuals presenting players with a wide variety of different areas to explore. It's possible to level up and equip a wide array of different weaponry andIf you love Castlevania, you'll love Dawn of Sorrow. Not a whole lot has changed since the switch to 'Metroidvania' in Symphony of the Night- but how is that a bad thing? Dracula's castle is as exciting as ever, with some impressive DS visuals presenting players with a wide variety of different areas to explore. It's possible to level up and equip a wide array of different weaponry and armour, giving players a perfect amount of customisation for their character. The classic Castlevania formula works flawlessly on DS and will be sure to have you coming back for more.… Expand
  30. AnonymousMC
    Aug 15, 2009
    8
    I had a lot of fun with this game, which was my second Castlevania game ever (the first was Order of Ecclesia). The gameplay is really superior in this game, and the level design is brilliant. Some of the monsters are also really, really cool. And the different endings are nice. I have two objections to this game, though. The first is the boss fights, which are *way* too easy. All but twoI had a lot of fun with this game, which was my second Castlevania game ever (the first was Order of Ecclesia). The gameplay is really superior in this game, and the level design is brilliant. Some of the monsters are also really, really cool. And the different endings are nice. I have two objections to this game, though. The first is the boss fights, which are *way* too easy. All but two or three can be won by basically standing near the monster and hitting with a good weapon while using healing potions and food. I had to retry two fights in the entire game, and I'm a noob who rarely uses slide, back off or even the powerful attack features. That's really bad. The two last fights were much better though. My second issue is the story, which is very poor if you haven't played Aria of Sorrow (it might be poor even if you did play that game -- I wouldn't know). I know story isn't important here, but how hard can it be to actually put a good one instead of a tame one in the game? Anyway: I had great fun, and I'm looking forward to playing Portrait of Ruin once I get hold of it.… Expand
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best DS Game of 2005
8
#8 Most Discussed DS Game of 2005
2
#2 Most Shared DS Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 52 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 52
  3. Negative: 0 out of 52
  1. Siliconera
    80
    It is clear that Dawn of Sorrow originally started out as a GBA title. It plays more like an advanced GBA game instead of a full fledged DS title.
    Read full review
  2. NintendoWorldReport
    95
    Dawn of Sorrow matches and in some cases exceeds the quality of "Symphony of the Night" in almost every way. Yet the two games have their own styles and features, so the newest addition to the series is in no way redundant with its legendary forebear. [JPN Import]
    Read full review
  3. Nintendo Power
    90
    If the graphics and sound aren't engrossing enough to draw you in, the intriguing story and exhilarating action should be. [Nov 2005, p.104]
See all critic reviews »