Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow - Reception

Reception

Dawn of Sorrow has received critical acclaim from many video game publications, with several hailing it as the best Nintendo DS game of 2005. In Japan, the game sold over 15,000 units in its first week, acquiring the number ten slot in software sales. The game sold over 164,000 copies three months after its release in the United States. The game was later re-released in both Japan and North America as part of Konami's "Konami the Best" line.

Many reviewers noted that despite being highly similar to Aria of Sorrow, it managed to define itself as a standalone title. GameSpot commented that Dawn of Sorrow succeeded in continuing 2D games as a definite genre, and that it "keeps that flame burning as bright as ever". In addition, GameSpot considered it for the accolade of best Nintendo DS game of 2005, with the prize ultimately going to Mario Kart DS. Editors at IGN awarded Dawn of Sorrow the prize of best adventure game on the DS for 2005.

The gameplay, the Tactical Soul system in particular, received praise from reviewers. The sheer depth of abilities from the numerous souls found in the game was lauded, and IGN believed that the ability to have two customizable "profiles" of different abilities was "an extremely handy idea". The relative difficulty of the game and its length was also brought into question, with GameSpot noting that the game could be finished in five hours and "is fairly easy as far as Castlevania games go".

GameSpot extolled the game's animation and graphics, describing the backgrounds as "intricate and gorgeous" and the individual animation, especially of enemies, as one of the game's "highlights". IGN echoed this assessment, calling the animation "stunning and fluid," and noted the differences in graphics between Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow, stating that the latter was on a "broader and more impressive scale". The utilization of an anime style of drawing the characters, as versus the traditional gothic presentation of illustrator Ayami Kojima in previous Castlevania games, was lambasted by reviewers. GameSpy deplored the "shallow, lifeless anime images" used for the characters and Kojima's absence from the production. IGN believed the new images were "down to the level of 'generic Saturday morning Anime' quality". The audio by Michiru Yamane and Masahiko Kimura was highly regarded, with GameSpot stating that it was "heads and shoulders above ". IGN noted that the DS dual speaker system presented the audio "extraordinarily well". In the review from 1UP.com, the game's score was compared to the soundtrack of Symphony of the Night, and the sound quality and compositions considered "excellent" and "exceptional" respectively.

The functionality associated with the Nintendo DS, namely the use of the touch screen and the Magic Seal system, was subject to criticism from reviewers. GameSpot noted that it was difficult to use the stylus immediately after the game prompted the player to draw the Magic Seal, thus forcing the player to use their fingernail on the touch screen. Other functions using the touch screen, including clearing ice blocks, were viewed as trivial, with GameSpy labeling it as a "gimmick". However, IGN dismissed the lack of DS functionality as a major issue, claiming that it "doesn't hurt the product in the slightest".

In 2010, the game was included as one of the titles in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die.