Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin - What Do You Think?

[Beth Cyra]

I didn't hate it but sadly it came in between the amazing Aria/Dawn/Order which even SOTN would have had a hard time comparing, add in that it just doesn't stack like a SOTN would means it feels lesser than it is.

However I still enjoyed it and the Richter mode wasn't bad as it was nice to play as my favorite Belmont again.

 

[Ridley327]

It's probably the weakest of the three DS games, especially as it went so hard on the asset reuse throughout that it had a major impact on the whole game feeling fresh without really doing that much with the setting to make it stand apart from other castles, but there were three things that I think it did exceptionally well:

1. Insane build variety with all the subweapons and spells meant that you could experiment forever and still find unique setups to blow the game apart.

2. Charlotte and Jonathan are a really fun pair of protagonists with enjoyable banter that makes for a big departure from the normal cast dynamic that helps make the game stand out on that element alone, if nothing else.

3. The final boss fight, even as obvious as it was going to be based on how the game plays, is legitimately my favorite final boss fight in the entire series. Really fun patterns to learn and the whole concept is executed so well throughout.

I feel like if it had a bit more time in the oven and a better character artist for the portraits (tee hee), I think it would have easily stood side-by-side with Dawn and Order. The bonus modes are all mint, though!

 

[Redcrayon]

It's probably the weakest of the three DS games, especially as it went so hard on the asset reuse throughout that it had a major impact on the whole game feeling fresh without really doing that much with the setting to make it stand apart from other castles, but there were three things that I think it did exceptionally well:

1. Insane build variety with all the subweapons and spells meant that you could experiment forever and still find unique setups to blow the game apart.

2. Charlotte and Jonathan are a really fun pair of protagonists with enjoyable banter that makes for a big departure from the normal cast dynamic that helps make the game stand out on that element alone, if nothing else.

3. The final boss fight, even as obvious as it was going to be based on how the game plays, is legitimately my favorite final boss fight in the entire series. Really fun patterns to learn and the whole concept is executed so well throughout.

I feel like if it had a bit more time in the oven and a better character artist for the portraits (tee hee), I think it would have easily stood side-by-side with Dawn and Order.

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Agree with all of that, well put.

 

[Oreiller]

It's not the best of the series or anything but it's really solid and I had a jolly good time with it.

 

[TwinBahamut]

It was a really fun game. I really liked the two character system. Swapping between the two protagonists and figuring out the best ways to use them at the same time was fun. It was a good twist on the formula.

The story was pretty shallow even by Castlevania standards and it needed more unique levels, but the gameplay was always fun.

It certainly had a great "I have to fight THAT?!" moment with the final boss though. That was a hectic fight.

 

[Mars People]

They should do a collection of Dawn, Portrait and Ecclesia.
I feel like all three of these games have kind of been forgotten.

 

[Gunny T Highway]

Something about the Castle Entrance theme from Portrait of Ruin I really dig. It is a good game IMO.

 

[Zor]

Sell the sealed copies and buy opened/complete copies for less to play?

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Why you gotta go giving me ideas.

 

[EnglandPrevails]

It has the best Death and Dracula fight in a Castlevania game.

 

[Nocturnowl]

I find it thoroughly middle of the road, compared to the other DS entries and Aria, it never quite pulls all the pieces together.
Gaining skills is grindier than most entries and I swear you just end up with less options, the dual characters concept feel half baked, and the maps are a bit ho-hum as well.

Spoiler: area themes

To follow up on that last point, the central castle is decent but obviously not on the level of a full game castle. The isolated portrait areas are a real mixed batch, the pyramids are quite novel with a suitable grid layout and lots of traps but then there's what I can only describe as "Blitzed circus in a world of nonsensical gravity" which involve symmetrical maps and a lot of jumpin' slimes that just doesn't hit the mark at all.
That all the portrait themes get duplicated also takes the shine off them.

On the whole, it's still Igavania so it's worth a play, soundtrack is tops as usual of course.

 

[Fuzzy]

Why you gotta go giving me ideas.

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It's a good idea though. Let a sealed collector subsidize you playing the games.

 

[ProtomanNeo]

It was enjoyable enough but marked IGA's downturn. In terms of my overall enjoyment with his Castlevania games.

 

[Log!]

It's my favorite IGAvania. The portraits were more interesting than many of Ecclesia's areas, many of which took place in linear, generic caverns and forests, only recolored, while it also did away with much of the grinding that plagued Dawn.

 

[MarcelRguez]

The worst out of the GBA-DS games. Level design is nothing to write home about, having two characters kind of kills the progression of these games, and it's a very uneven and incohesive game in terms of artstyle and graphical detail.

 

[Redcrayon]

They should do a collection of Dawn, Portrait and Ecclesia.
I feel like all three of these games have kind of been forgotten.

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I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Some of my favourite portable games.

So many games built for portable hardware feel like they are going to be left behind.

 

[Kinsei]

It's the weakest of the DS Castlevania games but still a damn good game in it's own right.

I enjoyed it enough to do a level 1 hard mode playthrough so that should say a lot.

 

[Merton]

I like Portrait of Ruin more than Ecclesia, but both games are alright. Not the best Igavanias, not the worst.

Ecclesia's starting difficulty is annoyingly high, which is the worst part. It takes a really long time before you can do good damage to enemies and not die SUPER fast.

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That fuckin Crab Boss made me want to rage, I think I put it down and picked it up about 15 or so times before moving on to the rest of the game,

 

[Thrill_house]

I liked it better than OOE. Great game honestly

 

[jb1234]

I consider it the weak link of the DS games but it's still entertaining.

 

[KDR_11k]

It's okay, I don't like how the portrait mechanic fragments the game world into multiple levels with singe entrances and exits, reducing exploration and interconnectivity.

 

[Conrad Link]

It's fine, just wasn't as good as the previous one (few are to be fair) so gets a bit of a bad rap.

My name is Jonathan and hearing it said constantly in a game was pretty cool. :P

 

[Deleted member 7092]

I think it sucks that I've been on a massive Castlevania kick since season 4 ended (played 12 in the series to completion so far since then, and currently juggling my 13th-15th games simultaneously), and I have no chance to play Portrait or Ecclesia because they're stupid expensive on the second-hand market and I'm not convinced buying repo carts is a good idea. But at least I bought Dawn of Sorrow back in the day.

Anyway, it would be helpful if you all tried to convince me PoR and OoE are awful blemishes on Castlevania's legacy so I won't have to feel as bad.

 

[Zor]

Anyway, it would be helpful if you all tried to convince me PoR and OoE are awful blemishes on Castlevania's legacy so I won't have to feel as bad.

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I've heard that when you play them it smells of farts.

 

[Deleted member 2533]

OoE is the best DS Castlevania. PoR is absolutely serviceable, but it's hub-world design takes a little bit away from the feel of exploring an interconnected world.

 

[Dogui]

It's okay. Definitely the weakest of the DS ones.

 

[Deleted member 24907]

Pretty decent game but the art style was awful

 

[Cabal]

I remember liking it, but it's been quite sometime since I've played it. They really need a collection of the DS games.

 

[crienne]

I love it. Then again I love every handheld Igavania from Aria through to Ecclesia.

 

[Jiggy]

I replayed it pretty recently. I still really like it. The soundtrack is one of the best in the franchise, the paintings give the levels a ton of visual variety, and I liked the dynamic between Jonathon and Charlotte. Also, the bonus Richiter/Maria mode is pretty great.

 

[Exellus]

I think this game is a lot of fun and gets shit on more than it deserves.

Great soundtrack for sure, and a lot of cool extra modes and stuff to do.

 

[Rayasab]

Was my least favorite of DS's trilogy, but I'll take any day over metroidvanias wannabe trash we're having nowadays.

 

[Zippedpinhead]

Ecclesia is really good, but honestly, I find it hard to come back to and replay. I would rather replay Aria or Dawn of Sorrow (especially Dawn's bonus modes).

Portrait I haven't played since it came out, so I should try that again.

Both are absolutely amazing to play for the first time. Great IgaVania games.

 

[Dezzy]

I put it off for a long while because the character switching and such made me think it wouldn't be too great.
I was wrong though, because I played through it maybe a year ago, and had a blast with it. It's very fun and the progression and pacing make it really addicting as well. It's an excellent game.

I need to give Eccelsia another try. With that one, it's weapon system that turns me off. Combat felt more tedious having to use 2 weapons and once and just quickly pressing both Y and B to fight.

 

[lord_of_flood]

I liked it a lot, even if I didn't think it was quite as remarkable as Aria of Sorrow or Order of Ecclesia. Out of the DS trilogy, I'd say it was my second favorite.

 

[anariel]

CHARLOTTE!
JONATHAN!
CHARLOTTE!
JONATHAN!

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Yep, that's forever ingrained in my head.

I think I had an alright time with it, for the most part. Not the best in the series but not the worst. I do still miss these games like crazy though. Even with the renaissance the genre's been seeing, I still find myself wishing there were more Igavanias. Bloodstained was pretty decent but still didn't hit the same.

 

[Mega Man Zero]

PoR isn't bad. It's actually really good. It's just that the 2nd half of the game is mostly made of reused and recolored background sprites from the 1st half of the game, and that's very disappointing. It has a great story tying into Bloodlines and you get to use a whip, which was refreshing at the time. Richter is in it too!

 

[Spidervan]

I like Portrait of Ruin more than Ecclesia, but both games are alright. Not the best Igavanias, not the worst.

Ecclesia's starting difficulty is annoyingly high, which is the worst part. It takes a really long time before you can do good damage to enemies and not die SUPER fast.

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Ecclesia being difficult at the start was what I liked. For POR, its so so, I enjoyed it for what it was and I did like what they tried to do.

 

[Dodongo]

It's my favorite DS Castlevania. Don't really like Ecclesia because it's not much of a Metroidvania

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Maybe I should check it out.

I had a good time with Ecclesia and DoS.

 

[Oyashiro-Sama]

All handheld castlevanias for the GBA and DS are worth playing.

Bonus.

 

[HustleBun]

It's probably the weakest of the three DS games, especially as it went so hard on the asset reuse throughout that it had a major impact on the whole game feeling fresh without really doing that much with the setting to make it stand apart from other castles, but there were three things that I think it did exceptionally well:

1. Insane build variety with all the subweapons and spells meant that you could experiment forever and still find unique setups to blow the game apart.

2. Charlotte and Jonathan are a really fun pair of protagonists with enjoyable banter that makes for a big departure from the normal cast dynamic that helps make the game stand out on that element alone, if nothing else.

3. The final boss fight, even as obvious as it was going to be based on how the game plays, is legitimately my favorite final boss fight in the entire series. Really fun patterns to learn and the whole concept is executed so well throughout.

I feel like if it had a bit more time in the oven and a better character artist for the portraits (tee hee), I think it would have easily stood side-by-side with Dawn and Order. The bonus modes are all mint, though!

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Great post, really good break down.

Impossible to disagree. It's easily the weakest of the DS titles but that doesn't make it a bad game on any level and I appreciated it's unique qualities quite a bit.

All handheld castlevanias for the GBA and DS are worth playing.

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Yup, exactly. Everyone wants to drop a hot take and call one of them "bad"- Circle, Harmony and Portrait tend to catch the most flack but having replayed all six semi- recently?

All of them are great. All of them are worth playing.

KONAMI WE WANT A COLLECTION!!

 

[Dullahan]

All handheld castlevanias for the GBA and DS are worth playing.

Bonus.

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Harmony of Despair was so fucking good.

 

[King Dodongo]

One of my faves along with Circle of the Moon.

 

[GrahamGoring]

Personally, I preferred the Igavanias when they were set in a single location rather than broken up. POR isn't too bad as they're pretty big chunks but I lost interest in OOE quite quickly.

 

[Wood Man]

Only played through it once when it first came out

I remember absolutely loving it.

I did use a lot of Charlotte in Harmony of Despair. Leveled her up pretty good.

 

[Vampirolol]

Great OST (Dear Konami why is Crazed Moon the only track lacking on Spotify?), great atmosphere, nice level design. I played it a lot back then and though I feel it's worse than Aria of Sorrow it's still a must for Castlevania fans.
Anyway, you just reminded me I've never played Order of Eclessia!

 

[Tavernade]

As much as I love Dawn of Sorrow I think it's my favorite of the DS games. I thought the different portrait environments were really fun and novel, the characters great, and I never particular minded the asset reuse.

 

[Zarzolaon]

I tried playing most of the game as Charlotte exclusively, and loved it. Although, not sure if I'd recommend that style (there's two characters for a reason), I simply wanted to take full advantage of there being a magic-focused protagonist for once.

That then led me to play Order of Ecclesia while mostly using her magic skills (which I also loved, and magic was faster).

 

[Leo]

It's nice. It's biggest problem is that it's usually compared to DoS and OoE which are incredible.

 

[kurt]

It's decent. Worth playing thru, even if it's not as good as Ecclesia. The music is def not as good in general, IMO, despite some ballin remixes and the gears go awry. Good final boss.

Tl;dr it's no sotn, aria or ecclesia, but it's good fun if you're an igavania fan

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Lol, the Music is better than Ecclesia. On the other hand Ecclesia has only one fine song, the only game in the genre where the music is diff than most castlevania games. Music is all about how a good melody create emotions. However a melody can give you some kind of feeling, but that doesnt mean that the melody is good. I like all music of 2d castlevania games expect Ecclesia and that mercurysteam version on 3ds. I hope that someone from nintendo is doing the music for metroid dread

Verdict: the music of ecclesia is not memorable or good. But the game itself is better. Dawn of sorrow has the best music of all 3. (Not including the gba's ones for now) I'll give it another run to see if my oppionin changes on this.

 

[zashga]

I liked POR a lot. The time/locale hopping was cool, and Yuzo Kushiro wrote a few of the music tracks. I probably rate it above Ecclesia but below Dawn of Sorrow in the DS Igavania rankings.