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Castlevania: Harmony of Despair

Game » consists of 3 releases. First released on Aug 04, 2010

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is a downloadable 2D platformer focusing on online multiplayer for up to six players, allowing control of various characters from the series's history.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair's First DLC Released

Posted by BradNicholson (812 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair's long-rumored pyramid-shaped DLC level became a reality yesterday afternoon. Konami has released the game's first bit of content, "Beauty, Desire, Situation Dire," an Egyptian-themed level that is set in a... massive golden pyramid of doom, gloom, and hidden meat.



Available for 400 Microsoft Points and crafted by Castlevania creator Koji Igarashi, "Beauty, Desire, Situation Dire" doesn't appear to add any new mechanics or offer a challenge that isn't already included in the core XBLA game. It also appears as if only a small amount of new creatures (possibly just one) has made it into the level. But two things the level does have are length and a unique boss.  
 
== TEASER ==As for the length, 1UP reports that "Beauty, Desire, and Situation Dire" takes much longer to complete than many others in the game, leaving (in their experience) just five minutes left on the game's timer upon completion. And considering this level doesn't look like it has crazy teleporting mirrors, that's a pretty good time. But what about that new boss? According to the press materials, Asharte is the unique end boss and she's being described as a "femme fatale" who wants to break "[our] souls into oblivion." My kind of lady. I wonder what she benches?  
 

 I appreciate gold for what it is.


 Alucard in love?
 
Oddly, the press materials also spill the beans on the next bit of content. Soon, Castlevania vets Julius, Maria, and Yoko will join the game's cast of monster-killers.  
  

 
 
Here's a Quick Look of the regular game if you want to know a little bit more about Konami's unique but depressingly tedious hack-and-slash.
 
  
#1 Posted by BradNicholson (812 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair's long-rumored pyramid-shaped DLC level became a reality yesterday afternoon. Konami has released the game's first bit of content, "Beauty, Desire, Situation Dire," an Egyptian-themed level that is set in a... massive golden pyramid of doom, gloom, and hidden meat.



Available for 400 Microsoft Points and crafted by Castlevania creator Koji Igarashi, "Beauty, Desire, Situation Dire" doesn't appear to add any new mechanics or offer a challenge that isn't already included in the core XBLA game. It also appears as if only a small amount of new creatures (possibly just one) has made it into the level. But two things the level does have are length and a unique boss.  
 
== TEASER ==As for the length, 1UP reports that "Beauty, Desire, and Situation Dire" takes much longer to complete than many others in the game, leaving (in their experience) just five minutes left on the game's timer upon completion. And considering this level doesn't look like it has crazy teleporting mirrors, that's a pretty good time. But what about that new boss? According to the press materials, Asharte is the unique end boss and she's being described as a "femme fatale" who wants to break "[our] souls into oblivion." My kind of lady. I wonder what she benches?  
 

 I appreciate gold for what it is.


 Alucard in love?
 
Oddly, the press materials also spill the beans on the next bit of content. Soon, Castlevania vets Julius, Maria, and Yoko will join the game's cast of monster-killers.  
  

 
 
Here's a Quick Look of the regular game if you want to know a little bit more about Konami's unique but depressingly tedious hack-and-slash.
 
  
#2 Edited by ruffedgz (117 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

I haven't heard anything good about this gaming come to the XBLA so not to excited about this DLC :P

#3 Edited by Kintaro (120 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

Well, second.
 
Haven't been interested in Castlevania in a while, at least after the DS games.

#4 Posted by Raymayne (1265 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago
@ruffedgz said:
" I haven't heard anything good about this gaming come to the XBLA so not to excited about this DLC :P "
Well, it's brilliant, sold pretty damn well, and got some great review scores so you must not have been looking too hard. Also, why do people like you feel the need to seriously go onto an article and say "I don't give a shit about this game", you're just a douche, Sir, a douche.
#5 Posted by locolukah (112 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

5$ for one level? Pass.

#6 Posted by Chemin (620 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

Sounds a bit overpriced. But, if you want more - who am I to say?

#7 Posted by ruffedgz (117 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago
@Raymayne: I'm sorry you feel that way about my option but once I played the game and read mixed reviews, I didn't see the need to play it any further and paying for something like this on XBLA just doesn't seem like a 'win' for me.  
 
Maybe I just like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night so much, I haven't really played another Castlevania game quite as good.
#8 Posted by ImperiousRix (2933 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

I was one who got a little bit of enjoyment (emphasis on "little bit") out of Harmony of Despair, but this seems a little unfair.  Five dollars for one map?  A map that has a time-limit and is essentially a re-hash of a map from Portrait of Ruin?  I'm beginning to feel as if this who thing truly was just a desperate grab to cash in.

#9 Posted by JackSukeru (5224 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

I remember those sprites from Portrait of Ruin. I didn't like the pyramid levels too much in that.

#10 Edited by Brackynews (3450 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

Mmmmm.. sandbeef.
 
Any Castlevania product with Alucard is now an attempt to cash in.  Having acknowledged that, I did pick up the new SOTN-themed iPhone puzzler, which looks like a cross between Columns (or maybe Dr. Mario?) and Puzzle Fighter.  Hoping to try it out this weekend.  I expect that will be a better use of $2 than this map will be of $5.

#11 Posted by SuperSambo (2743 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

I could have got this game for free with the summer of arcade thing. I chose not to... 
 
That is how bad this game is.

#12 Posted by Romination (2736 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

I remember this level from Portrait of Ruin! 
 
And I remember going through it TWICE because that game feels lazy at times.

#13 Posted by MisterMouse (3497 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

This game will be remembered for what it could have been, not for what it was.

#14 Posted by MrCrushin (42 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

I played an unhealthy amount of Castlevania: HD, over 30 hours across all the characters.   I bought this right away to jump back into co-op with a friend, and I was sorely disappointed.  5 bones for ONE level, and it doesn't even seem to have any new loot!       The stage layout is pretty frustrating, requiring you to hit a few switches that are very far apart, although it might go faster with 4+ players rather than 2. 
 
One thing I can say is that the boss is challenging as hell.  I was playing a maxed out Charlotte, and my friend was Alucard with valmanways, and we got our asses handed to us.  If you're looking for a challenge, its there, but probably not worth the price of admission.   They could have at least included the 2 new characters with this pack to make it worth it...

#15 Posted by ch13696 (4582 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

Is this on PSN?

#16 Posted by wolf_blitzer85 (5178 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago
@ruffedgz said:
" @Raymayne: I'm sorry you feel that way about my option but once I played the game and read mixed reviews, I didn't see the need to play it any further and paying for something like this on XBLA just doesn't seem like a 'win' for me.  
 
Maybe I just like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night so much, I haven't really played another Castlevania game quite as good. "
You should at least play some of the GBA or DS versions. Some of these are incredibly well made, if not better than what SotN had to offer which is still a great game on by it's own right.
#17 Posted by EdsXwing (57 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

I love this stuff... but I had hoped it would be most around the 240 microsoft points price tag... oh well.

#18 Posted by stafax (283 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

LOL $5 for a level that they just ripped out of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

#19 Posted by steevl (141 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

Yeah, I loved Harmony of Despair, but I think they're asking too much for a single map.

#20 Posted by Favocado (20 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

Have your say here...

#21 Posted by Favocado (20 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago
@Favocado
Have your say here...
Damn, hit the submit button by mistake. Just wanted to say that I feel this DLC is a bit overpriced. 240 MS points might have been a better price point.
#22 Posted by MysteriousBob (6209 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago
@wolf_blitzer85 said:
" @ruffedgz said:
" @Raymayne: I'm sorry you feel that way about my option but once I played the game and read mixed reviews, I didn't see the need to play it any further and paying for something like this on XBLA just doesn't seem like a 'win' for me.  
 
Maybe I just like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night so much, I haven't really played another Castlevania game quite as good. "
You should at least play some of the GBA or DS versions. Some of these are incredibly well made, if not better than what SotN had to offer which is still a great game on by it's own right. "
Aria of Sorrow is better than SOTN. There. I said it.
#23 Posted by JohnZimmerman (147 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

why?

#24 Posted by OfAnAwesome (3 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

I would totally buy this game if my XBL subscription didn't run out.

#25 Posted by Dinoracha (49 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago

I'll be the first to bet they'll have micro-payments out the ass for this game down the line.

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