Game:

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005)

Duration: 0:00

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0

Originally recorded: October 13, 2024
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Well, I guess everything went as planned this time around. I managed to beat the game and show off all three of the game's endings in the process. That being said, I guess I sort of underestimated how long it would take to get all of that done. Finding out where you have to go to reach what would eventually be revealed to be the final area within the castle itself took way longer than I was hoping. I also didn't think that the actual final area would be quite as long as it ended up being. I guess I should just be grateful that there was a warp point right by the true final boss door, so I could get one last weapon upgrade before the proper final boss fight.

I was a little surprised by just how hardcore that second fight with Dario was. Dude does some massive damage. But what really scared me was seeing the game auto-save after getting the worst possible ending. Of course, that didn't end up preventing me from getting any of the other endings -- none of the Metroidvanias have ever tried pulling that trick -- but seeing "game has now saved" right after I intentionally got the worst possible ending was definitely cause for concern. It's definitely interesting how Dari managed to recognize why I was panicking... but KI could not comprehend it.

The other bad ending is a bit less involved by comparison. Based on what I've seen of Julius Mode, it does make sense why it would still count as an unlock though. And when I finally locked in for the game's true ending, I was a bit worried when it was looking like things were playing out exactly the same as they did for the previous ending. My thinking there was that I only managed to equip the necessary item to only one of Soma's loadouts... so I was a little worried that I might've accidentally switched to the other one when I was going for the true ending. Fortunately, that didn't end up being the case.

The Abyss was definitely an interesting final area. It felt longer than the map would imply, but that probably had something to do with the fact that it technically had a grand total of four boss fights -- that is, if you count both forms of Menace as separate fights, which given the sheer amount of HP both of them had, I would. Ironically, I think it was only the first area that gave me any real trouble outside of the bosses. Those flame pillars did a helluva lot of damage... and it took me a while to recognize their pattern. Honestly, I think the fact that it had a warp point, despite taking place on an alternate plane of reality was the most surprising part.

I should really try playing the alternate modes in these games at some point. Of course, that would require me to replay Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia. That being said, I think I'll partake in another part of Dominus in the near future -- but that would be on my own time. My second and final stream for this Spooky Season has already been determined and I'm already worried that I might've bitten off more than I can chew...