Castlevania: Harmony of Despair Critic Reviews

A fascinating multiplayer experiment, but also a really solid, streamlined single player 'vania.

From the enhanced 2D glory that we have grown up with, the amazing customizable enhanced classic soundtrack, six player Co-Op, to the time tested proven gameplay, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is an amazing addition into a series already known for quality titles.

Harmony of Despair is Castlevania's first attempt at a multiplayer Castlevania with the usual gameplay and it really delivers quite an experience for a hardcore Castlevania fan!

Early levels are frustrating when going solo, but bringing a few friends along makes it a significantly more manageable and fun experience.

The co-op and competitive modes make this game ripe for several playthroughs, and finding all of the game's items creates an additional challenge.

A game centered on replay. With five characters and six chapters, the game counts on players to visit and revisit the castle to improve their scores and find new treasures. Dismaying as the rate of reward may be, I'm excited to tear this incarnation of Dracula's Castle wide open. Repeatedly.

It's certainly going out with a bang.

It's not a bad game, it's just not the Castlevania we wanted.

Compared to other Castlevania games, Harmony of Despair's world feels like a bit of a patchwork. The thrill of discovery is gone, and in its place is the compulsive drive to acquire loot. Oddly enough, it works, and it can actually be a lot of fun with friends.

While Castlevania: Harmony of Despair contains a good but not quite stellar multiplayer experience, and is fairly far from an enjoyable single player game, I must say can't wait to see what Konami pulls off with an improved follow-up.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is a valuable game, especially for its multiplayer co-op and survival modes. But if you're looking for a deep and fascinating single player experience, you'll be disappointed by the extremely high difficulty and complete lack of any plot.

Is Despair an enjoyable game? Yes, but it's not the definitive co-op Castlevania game that fans were hoping for.

Only a modest success and there is definitely room for improvement. The focus on multiplayer came at the cost of the single-player experience. With so little of the game explained, some players may find themselves confused or, worse, frustrated.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is a multiplayer game first and a single-player game second. This is a daring twist on a tried and true franchise, one that may split a lot of gamers. The good news is that this experiment mostly works, even if it comes at the expense of a proper single-player mode.

If you have been waiting for another 2D Castlevania game with an epic quest to complete, sadly Castlevania: Harmony of Despair isn't the game for you. If, on the other hand, you've wanted a multiplayer cooperative action adventure game to play with your friends, then this one has quite a bit to offer.

It doesn't give a good first impression, but Harmony of Despair delivers new and exciting gameplay opportunities for an old series.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair may not quench the thirst of all vampire hunters out there, though it does provide hope for what could lead to a solid, traditional 2D adventure.

The single player game is all but useless here unless you love repeating the same things over and over again, but when you get a solid group of players together for a six-man castle romp, things really open up.

In the end, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair winds up being greater than the sum of its parts. Despite having many flaws, it still winds up being an enjoyable experience online.

Even though the game is excruciating frustrating and difficult at times, when linked with other players, the game really shines, especially if you have a full assorted of gamers to play.