Summary
One half of the Metroidvania genre,Castlevaniastands out as the pinnacle of gothic action adventure. Based on supernatural folklore, vampires in particular, these action-adventure games have a lot to unpack. TheCastlevaniafranchise is home to some of the coolest villains, intimidating weapons, and of course, the infamous Belmont family. MostCastlevaniagames follow the same formula, but they execute it well and always leave a fun surprise for the end.
Most games in the franchise have multiple endings, commonly dubbed as “good” or “bad.” While the quality of writing and overall plot in theCastlevaniaseries varies from title to title, most of the games have solid endings.
Aria of Sorrowstands out as one of the few games in the entire franchise in which the main character isn’t from the Belmont clan. Rather, this game is set in the future of 2035 and features Soma Cruz.Aria of Sorrowis one of the best games of its genre on the Game Boy Advance and aside from the incredible gameplay, it also features some unique end-game plot.
Near the end ofAria of Sorrow, depending on what type of souls players have in their inventory, they get a different ending. If Soma Cruz has the souls of Flame Demon, Giant Bat, and Succubus they get access to the true and proper ending. Here Soma finds out that his soul is intertwined with Dracula. Assuming the player loses to the forces of chaos, they get access to one of thebest endings in the series. Soma succumbs to the forces of darkness andtakes up the mantle of Dracula. Julius Belmont then vows to fulfill his promise. The game ends with the implication that the two allies will duel to the death.
Dawn of Sorrowwas the Nintendo DS sequel to Soma Cruz and his allies' story inAria of Sorrow. While the ending wasn’t as shocking or eye-opening as its predecessor, by all accounts the “main” endings forDawn of Sorroware great.Dawn of Sorrowtakes the best things from the previous game and refines and polishes them. The gameplay transitioned smoothly to the Nintendo DS and there’s very little to complain about.
At the end ofDawn of Sorrow,if Soma has Mina’s talisman equipped, players get access to the best ending. After defeating Dimitrii and Celia, Soma is caught in a struggle between succumbing to his destiny and fighting the chaos. Eventually, Arikado convinces him against turning into Dracula. Following this, there’s a fun interaction between Soma, Mina, and their allies. While this isn’t a shocking or “dark” ending, it’s a neat conclusion to the Soma era ofCastlevania.
Rondo of Bloodis one of the most underrated games in the series. It starsfan-favorite Richter Belmont. At the end ofRichter’s arduous quest, if he is able to save all the maidens, players are treated to an ending where Richter rides off away from Dracula’s castle in a wagon. Players get to see a cutscene where all the maidens Richter rescues flash across the scene.
The best part of this ending is Richter’s final dialogue scene with Dracula. The two engage in a conversation regarding human greed and fallibility. This conversation is juxtaposed with Richter’s hopeful and righteous attitude, which makes for an interesting dynamic.
Symphony of the Nightfeatures some really good endings, but the “true” ending stands out. When players kill Dracula with over 200% game completion, not only do they save Richter from a dreary end, but they also get to see Maria go after Alucard.
The ending also features some amazing dialogue between Dracula and his son. Here theyboth reminisce about Lisaand what it truly means to be human. It is not surprising that the best game in the series has an amazing ending as well.
Order of Ecclesiais one of the best “modern” titles in the series. It features Shanoa as she grips with the death and destruction around her. This game is somber and everything from the music to the atmosphere, and the characters and endings, depict that.
Shanoa in the good ending defeats Dracula with the last of her strength. After this, she sees a vision of her fallen love through the Dominus. It features a wholesome yet extremely bittersweet goodbye. It is a simple ending and yet it is executed perfectly.
