Dawn of Sorrow picks up right after Aria of Sorrow, and man, it feels good to be back as Soma Cruz. You start off in this eerie gothic castle—same classic Castlevania vibes, but now with the DS touchscreen doing some weird (but kinda cool) stuff for sealing boss souls. The sprites are crisp, the music slaps, and those weapon animations? Chef’s kiss.

At first, I wasn’t sure about the magic seal gimmick—you have to draw symbols to finish off bosses—but it actually keeps fights tense instead of just button-mashing. And the soul system? Still addictive. You’ll be grinding enemies just to see what crazy ability drops next (pro tip: early-game Buer souls make platforming way less annoying).

It’s got that perfect mix of whipping enemies, backtracking with new powers, and getting wrecked by bosses until you memorize their patterns. If you liked Symphony of the Night or Aria, this one’s a no-brainer.