Play Castlevania - Dawn of Sorrow (EU) Online

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow came out for the Nintendo DS in 2005, developed and published by Konami. It was part of that early wave of DS games that really tried to make use of the hardware's features, especially the touch screen, while still delivering the kind of deep, exploration-heavy action the series was known for. It felt like a natural step forward from the GBA titles, just with a bit more going on.

You play as Soma Cruz, moving through a large, interconnected castle. Your main goal is to stop a cult from resurrecting Dracula, which involves exploring room by room, defeating enemies, and gathering new abilities to access previously blocked areas. The standout mechanics are the soul system, where you absorb enemy abilities to customize your attacks, and the magic seal system, which requires you to draw specific patterns on the touch screen to finish off bosses. The pacing is methodical, with a steady difficulty curve that encourages backtracking and experimentation. It feels satisfying to gradually master the castle's layout and build a versatile set of powers from defeated foes.