Video Game Review: Unusual Rhythm of ‘Castlevania: Harmony of Despair’

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Video Game Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – “Castlevania: Harmony of Despair” (or “Castlevania HD” for those who like to be overly clever) is not unlike a remixed version of your favorite CD. The creators have taken already-existing elements including graphics, levels, and characters and increased the beats per minute to ridiculous levels in an attempt to turn something you loved before into something you’ll love again.

Sadly, like most remix albums, the most common reaction is merely to be reminded of enjoyable experiences in the past instead of creating new ones. One of the weirdest downloadable games of the year, “Harmony of Despair” is a must-play for “Castlevania” fans just for its remarkable oddity but it’s also frustrating and, ultimately, a bit disappointing when one considers the anticipation those of us who are hardcore fans of this franchise had for this title.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair
Photo credit: Konami

It may not get the press of franchises like “Super Mario Bros.” or “Legend of Zelda,” but “Castlevania” has maintained a loyal, rabid following for over two decades and appears to be on the verge of an international resurgence. “Castlevania: Harmony of Despair” is merely the warning shot. It’s joined by a well-received iPhone game that blends “Puzzle Quest” technology with the franchise with the bloated title of “Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night” and there will be a major console, 3D, bad-ass-looking reboot of the franchise called “Castlevania: Lords of Shadow” before the end of the year. And while we’re all killing supernatural baddies at home and on our phones, maybe Paul W.S. Anderson will finally start shooting that “Castlevania” film that he’s reportedly been circling like Uwe Boll at an arcade.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair Photo credit: Konami

Back to “Harmony of Despair.” This super-weird title features timed levels with 6-player co-op multiplayer functionality. Yes, you can get a team of vampire killers together and jump into levels that play like a game tester’s nightmare after a 16-hour day with “Symphony of the Night.” The gameplay will be familiar but the one-life-only, timed aspect of the levels gives it a new dynamic. Breakneck speed was never a part of the “Castlevania” universe and, to be honest, it doesn’t fit within it.

So many of the “Castlevania” games have been about exploration with some titles that even have completely different sections and final chapters depending on your choices. With “Harmony of Despair,” there’s no time for choices. It’s a team race to a target boss that feels much more like an arcade game (and, as such, is a part of Xbox’s “Summer of Arcade”) than fans of this franchise will be expecting.

And it’s TOUGH. Having played the game over the week before it was released, there weren’t a lot of opportunities for co-op, which meant there weren’t a lot of levels that didn’t kick my ass. On your own, “Harmony of Despair” is one of the most difficult DLC titles ever released and it almost feels like there shouldn’t even be a single-player option. Of course, most people downloading DLC titles through the excellent “Summer of Arcade” also have friends who will be doing the same, but if you doubt your ability to find a buddy online with whom to play then you may want to think twice or risk serious frustration.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair Photo credit: Konami

The difficulty extends to the fact that the developers include no tutorial at all. I’m pretty well-versed in my “Castlevania” experience but the learning curve as to how to even control some of the characters was remarkable. And each character has different strengths and weaknesses that you’ll only learn through experimentation. I get that they wanted to throw players right into the action, but games this complicated require a refresher course in a number of areas.

As for the graphics, it’s definitely cool to see some of these timeless characters and enemies in HD. For a side-scrolling adventure, it looks fantastic. Structurally, the game is broken up into six maps, which may not sound like a lot but, trust me, you’ll have to play several of them more than once to complete them either due to time or the aforementioned ass-kicking you’ll endure. In fact, repeat play seems almost built into the game in that when you die or run out of time, you can keep the loot you found. So, each time it gets a little easier. I doubt anyone will complete a level on the first run. It’s designed to make that difficult.

So, where are we with “Castlevania: Harmony of Despair”? It features levels and characters you’ve seen before, you need five friends who buy it and are online to really enjoy it, and the learning curve is ridiculously high. And yet with all of these flaws, there’s something very encouraging and likable about a game that tries something so different with the core of a franchise. “Harmony of Despair” feels both familiar and completely unusual. That’s a trick that’s harder to pull of than you might think and the original approach to unoriginal material could become an interesting trend as so many developers have characters, graphics, levels, and concepts just sitting around gathering electronic dust.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com