Castlevania: Harmony of Despair Joins PSN This Fall

[Earnest Cavalli]

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair Joins PSN This Fall

Though it's spent a year as an Xbox Live exclusive, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is now headed for Sony's platform, with a few upgrades in tow.

Castlevania junkies will recall Harmony of Despair (henceforth Castlevania HD) as essentially one giant, downloadable mashup of the finest 2D Metroidvania [http://www.giantbomb.com/metroidvania/92-2440/]-style Castlevanias of the modern era. It features heroes plucked from disparate timelines and canonical roles, and maps that combine familiar architectural and geographical features from around Dracula's beloved universe.

Gameplay-wise, Castlevania: HD is something of a cross between a multiplayer Boss Rush and a timed dash through the decrepit landscape.

Liberally borrowing art assets from the majority of its 2D predecessors, Castlevania HD is basically Konami offering Xbox Live gamers a huge dollop of fan service, wherein they could team with up to three friends to kill familiar bosses and those stupid red skeletons that just refuse to die.

Now, it's en route to the PlayStation Network.

Eurogamer reports:

Last year's multiplayer take on the 2D Castlevania bloodline, Harmony of Despair, comes to PlayStation Network some time next month, Konami has announced.

It's the same game that launched on Xbox Live Arcade last summer, though PlayStation 3 users get the Beauty, Desire, Situation Dire map pack for free as an added purchase incentive.

The add-on includes the Pyramid of Ruin level and additional playable characters Julius Belmont and Yoko Belnades.

So far there is no word on whether the PSN will also see the host of downloadable content add-ons that are currently available for the title's Xbox Live iteration.

While Castlevania HD never really reached the same critical heights as its forebears, it's still a solid game. So, PlayStation gamers, are you up for another chance to whip, stab, and immolate vampires in the name of whatever mutation of Christian mythology Konami is currently favoring?

If not, would you be willing to pay cash money to hang out with Alucard yet again?

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-17-castlevania-hod-confirmed-for-psn]

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[Onyx Oblivion]

I'm a huge fan of Harmony of Despair. I mean, few downloadable titles let me rack up 60+ hours as that one did.

But I won't buy it twice since it doesn't come with ALL of the DLC for free.

It's Castlevania boiled down to it's combat and RPG elements, with the addition of grinding. It's like a 2D Demon's Souls. No story, no real exploration after the first run through a level, and no forgiveness.

And you know what? I LOVE THAT.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Castlevania 64 did not exist

Huh? Why are you making up game titles?

*curls into fetal position*

 

[otakon17]

I couldn't care actually since I don't like HoD compared to the other Castlevania's.

 

[Alufear]

Enjoy your Copy/Paste'vania, people.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Enjoy your Copy/Paste'vania, people.

While all of the art assets were indeed copy/paste, same with the music, they actually changed quite a bit. AND WE FINALLY GOT NON-ANIME VERSIONS OF CHARLOTTE AND JONATHAN. At least in the background art in menus.

Many of the characters leveling systems were changed, and skill sets shuffled around, too. Each of the level had some puzzle solving, too, with exception of Stage 6, which moved in a basically straight line. There were a large number of hidden items in the levels. And then there was the co-op focus, too.

Nothing is really copy/paste about the gameplay, though. Unless you are seriously going to contend that since SOTN, CV has been stagnant or something.

 

[GeorgW]

It sucks that it took so long for PSN to get it, but nice that it's finally there. I won't be getting it though, don't have any friends to play with and never got into Castlevania.

 

[Xyphon]

Never really got into Castlevania. However, I did finish Aria of Sorrow yesterday and it left me hungering for more. Depending on the price, I may buy this.

 

[xPixelatedx]

Oh nice, I will probably buy it again just to have people to play with. The XBL version is pretty dead now, which is sad because it's still one of my favorite XBL games. Time to get some new blood interested in it.

 

[Rad Party God]

If I still had a 360, or if I had a PS3 or if this would be available for PC, I'd immediatly buy this game and play the heck of it.

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

Well, the one thing that was keeping me on Xbox is now on PS3.

Guess it's time to switch, no?

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

I was wondering if this was coming to PSN or not, and I'm happy it is.

I will most likely get it when it gets there, all assuming I'm not in the middle of another game,