Castlevania: Harmony of Despair

 PlayStation 3
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 39 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 39
  3. Negative: 5 out of 39

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  1. Tardisblue49
    Mar 7, 2012
    7
    This game is an absolute blast to play with a group of friends; however, by yourself it's not really all that interesting to play. When playing alone repetition sets in with figuring out which way to get to a boss room, whether it be finding the correct switch or beating enemies it can at times feel a little too hard. Playing in a group however increases your chances to get rare itemThis game is an absolute blast to play with a group of friends; however, by yourself it's not really all that interesting to play. When playing alone repetition sets in with figuring out which way to get to a boss room, whether it be finding the correct switch or beating enemies it can at times feel a little too hard. Playing in a group however increases your chances to get rare item drops, and helps you gain experience faster. It's imperative you get the most out of HOD by having a bunch of people willing to play the game with you. If you have a few friends who love Castlevania then by all means this is a worthy buy, but single player wise I'd wouldn't recommend it.… Expand
  2. BoogieMan1980
    Aug 14, 2012
    6
    Why does it show 1 player? For the PS3 version, it's up to 6 players online and I 4 locally.

    The game is pretty fun, for awhile, and worth playing, but I don't believe it has good longevity due to poor design. The goals and methods are those of an MMO, where you grind tediously for item drops and try to do speed runs. But MMOs get expansions and new content, this game does not. It has a    Why does it show 1 player? For the PS3 version, it's up to 6 players online and I 4 locally.

    The game is pretty fun, for awhile, and worth playing, but I don't believe it has good longevity due to poor design. The goals and methods are those of an MMO, where you grind tediously for item drops and try to do speed runs. But MMOs get expansions and new content, this game does not. It has a few DLCs, sure, but it does little to add anything to the game. In a game with very finite playability such a system makes little sense.

    There isn't much of an online community and there is very little variance in it. 75% of all players play the same character due to it being more fleshed out than the others and can be brokenly overpowered. One of the worst parts of the game is the requirement to get a low drop pair of boots that make you run much faster. If you don't have them, you'll be left behind everyone else with very little to do than pointless kill the odd monster that they avoided, and if you manage to catch up with them at the boss, you'll be more of a hindrance because the bosses are all designed purely around avoiding ultra powerful attacks, and being slower you have a much smaller margin for error.

    I really hope we see more complete, balanced Castlevania games based on this type of gameplay in the future, as it has promise were it to be more intelligently executed.

    So to recap, worth playing for awhile but it's cut off at the knees by it's short length and even worse balancing.    … Expand
  3. Fickelbra
    Nov 17, 2011
    5
    I am a long time Castlevania fan, but.... they missed the boat on this one. It is by and far not the worst game I have played, but the fact that Castlevania is in the title adds an expectation of quality for me. The idea is a good one, and a very interesting twist on an aging but solid gameplay formula. Unfortunately, the content and length of the game doesn't quite satisfy, not even at aI am a long time Castlevania fan, but.... they missed the boat on this one. It is by and far not the worst game I have played, but the fact that Castlevania is in the title adds an expectation of quality for me. The idea is a good one, and a very interesting twist on an aging but solid gameplay formula. Unfortunately, the content and length of the game doesn't quite satisfy, not even at a $15 price point. Will you have fun? Probably, especially if you're a Castlevania fan. Will you get sucked in? I would wager a majority of fans would not. At the very least, double the levels and the customization of the characters, and then you would start to see more of an appeal.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

97
#97 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 11
  3. Negative: 1 out of 11
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Feb 13, 2012
    80
    The amount of money a player has to spend in order to get all out of this game is ridiculous, especially when all of the content is recycled from older games. The multiplayer is pretty fun, though. [Feb 2012]
  2. Games Master UK
    Dec 17, 2011
    78
    Combine powers for a vamp-squishing blast of energy. [Jan 2012, p.91]
  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Dec 3, 2011
    60
    Unresponsive controls. [Christmas 2011, p.111]
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