Topic: AOS or DOS?

[suomynona]

I wan't to hear people's opinion on this debate of Aria of Sorrow VS Dawn of Sorrow

Personally, I prefer Aria cuz it has better music, much brighter graphics and KOJIMA ART!

Dawn was still a good game, but a missed opportunity with that damn seal, too dark graphic and god terrible artwork.
Only thing that DoS ever suppressed was Julius mode and Dance of Illusion composement (personal best ver)

[X]

AoS was the better game. But I'd want the graphical capabilities of DoS' characters, animations, backgrounds, effects, sounds, musical quality, etc. to be melded with AoS to bring about the best AoS game ever conceived. DoS was terrible for the repeating of AoS' many aspects.

The story really did nothing for me as it was all wrapped up in AoS.

I didn't like using souls to make weapons as it only prolonged the game in a rather bland and painful way. And since you can only collect one boss soul you would have to play through the game twice in order to craft every weapon possible. No thanks. Just let me find said weapons on enemies or in the castle.

I also didn't like the magic seal system using the stylus. A horribly executed gimmic that the game was better without.

I will give it to DoS for making a better designed Soma. His AoS outfit just didn't do anything for me. And it is something Dracula himself would not wear. He's not that kind of vampire.

[suomynona]

Yeah. Only good aspect of DoS's character design was the clothing choice. HoD proved that with Kojima art of DoS's Soma. I wouldn't complain about anime art style. It could have been good. But it was just bad. JUST BAD. If someone better, like artist for Final Fantasy 7 or Pokemon series was in charge I wouldn't complain.

Only if DoS had some kickass scenes like Julius fight in AoS... Menace was just plain weird. Villains were just boring. Bosses at least was quite cool like that Dio guy at clock tower

[Claimh Solais]

AoS is a significantly better game. I'd pick the first one any day of the week over the second.

That's not to say that the second one is bad at all, though. Sure, it's got some crap, like:
-The story was a needless continuation to the otherwise perfect ending AoS had for the series
-The story itself was terrible, with all the new characters sucking really bad (well, aside from Dario. I actually liked him)
-The artwork being downgraded to what is famously referred to as "generic Saturday morning anime"
-The characters themselves being downgraded to what is "generic Saturday morning anime"*
-Terrible and needless implementation of touch-screen gimmickry (magic seals, ice breaking, etc)

* = Characters weren't deep or fleshed out in AoS, but at least they didn't have pointless quirks, like Hammer's weird and random schoolboy crush on Yoko. He mentioned being attracted to Yoko in AoS, but he was more smooth and mature about it, and the game didn't make a big deal out of it. DoS turned him into a real kid about it, and the game constantly brought it up to the point where it was annoying.

But it did have some cool stuff:
-Gameplay, aside from touch-screen gimmickry, was great
-Collecting multiples of the same soul powers up said soul
-Julius Mode having a story to it. Sure, it's barely there, but it sufficed and was pretty nice
-Julius Mode having two other playable characters to use
-Julius Mode having a leveling system, rather than just being the same throughout the game
-Larger and more varied environments
-Another excellent soundtrack

Overall, though, it felt like they were just doing a DS remake of AoS at first before changing it last minute to be a sequel rather than a remake. You're repeating a lot of the same stuff as you did in the original, albeit slightly changed, but the game's plot still revolves around mostly the same thing, along with the fact that you're doing a lot of the same stuff you did in AoS.

tl;dr - AoS is much better, but DoS wasn't too shabby.

[suomynona]

Agreed. This is my opinion of how DoS could improve

- KOJIMA ARTWORK (gotta put that in capitals man)
- Final boss at least something better then Menace (It's just shit u no)
- Better story, especially the storyline after Dario/Aguni fight (I really don't get why on earth Alucard said that "Mina is fake" thing. If u r Soma, would you believe that bullshit? Soma doesn't like Alucard in person anyway)
- Much kickass characteristics (Hammer and Julius. They were so much downgraded)
- Get the damn seal out

I aint have any complain on the gameplay, but 99% of complain is in non-gameplay, mostly around design and story.

[zangetsu468]

Are you guys serious that Soma's character and clothing design were better in DOS???
Superman boots and a Johnny Depp bob haircut> AOS' statuesque Soma who actually looked like Mathias with inverted colours and style? Yyyyyyea-FUCK NO..

AOS' artwork and character design (aside from Yoko's portrait where he neck and bust are way out of proportion) slays DOS 1,000 times. (awakened Soma did look a bit like Michael Jackson; see next point)
AOS has the superior narrative and a suspense/ thriller (Thriller...) aspect to the story which no Castlevania had previously done.
AOS is like Zelda OOT, it started the whole Souls system which was mimicked in DOS and later refined in OOE.
AOS' Castle has a better design (probably the best) imo.
AOS has the superior OST imo.

DOS has better graphics hands down.
DOS has some interesting and more challenging boss fights.
DOS has innovative exploration with Paranoia.
DOS' Julius/ Yoko/ Alucard mode feels like a whole new game, even with levelling up and boasting some new tracks.
DOS overall is the more challenging game and its weapon creation from souls means you can't run straight to one location and grab weapons like the Claimh Solais.

Both are damn good games, it would be very close. I would probably edge AOS slightly higher though as the artwork and musical score are a big part of the CV franchise.

[Shiroi Koumori]

Awww... it's hard to choose between the two. I like both soundtracks.
Gameplay wise, AoS is better and can be finished faster. Plus I still know the castle map even with years spent not playing the game.
As for the sprite work, I prefer DoS more. But for the portrait art, I'd go with AoS, duh.

[X]

Are you guys serious that Soma's character and clothing design were better in DOS???

Character-wise? Not that I know of.

Taste in clothing? F**k yes. Boots aside, Some is better in his trench coat look then that feathery robe-like apparatus he sported in AoS. And I'll attest to that with a wooden stake through my own heart.

[suomynona]

DoS did better in recurring material. Its original source certainly lacked. Like it was successful because Aria was so good. If it was completely new, it would not been such a good game (not in context of gameplay). The original complement was mostly unnoticeable and the original characters were bit plain. But the remix of previous music and recurring AoS characters were still good (If there wasn't that damn artwork). It was good, but doesn't stands out like AoS.

[GuyStarwind]

I do enjoy AoS more but as others have said DoS has its moments. I actually played Dawn first. I do have to admit I didn't care for them nerfing Julius so much on DoS but I fully understand why they did. But still old age must've caught up with him on his 56th birthday and that's why he's so slow and forgot how to do Omnia Vanitas and other cool moves. But I do love the Julius mode ending and wish they would just go with that. I know it won't happen but another Sorrow game where Soma gives into being Dracula and Julius and his buds have to stop him would be kickass.

[suomynona]

I do have to admit I didn't care for them nerfing Julius so much on DoS but I fully understand why they did. But still old age must've caught up with him on his 56th birthday and that's why he's so slow and forgot how to do Omnia Vanitas and other cool moves. But I do love the Julius mode ending and wish they would just go with that. I know it won't happen but another Sorrow game where Soma gives into being Dracula and Julius and his buds have to stop him would be kickass.

Quick reminder that Julius was born in 1980 and will be 55 years old in AoS. And he still kicked-ass in AoS and become so much of weakling in DoS is just unacceptable. Being one year older wouldn't make so much difference in age of mid-50s.

[zangetsu468]

Taste in clothing? F**k yes. Boots aside, Some is better in his trench coat look then that feathery robe-like apparatus he sported in AoS. And I'll attest to that with a wooden stake through my own heart.

https://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvignette2.wikia.nocookie.net%2Fcastlevania%2Fimages%2F2%2F29%2FSomaDawn.jpg%2Frevision%2Flatest%3Fcb%3D20080227203754&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcastlevania.wikia.com%2Fwiki%2FSoma_Cruz&docid=QhaBt0ErMNazXM&tbnid=RoOzL1FQzlprpM%3A&vet=1&w=800&h=1200&bih=741&biw=1517&ved=0ahUKEwjUtLTx78jQAhWLiLwKHXvyDG0QMwgdKAEwAQ&iact=mrc&uact=8

https://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2F8%2F88%2FSoma_Cruz_(Castlevania_character).gif&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSoma_Cruz&docid=zynoGIssOP2V4M&tbnid=tY_FjX4bKbkmoM%3A&vet=1&w=370&h=768&bih=741&biw=1517&ved=0ahUKEwjUtLTx78jQAhWLiLwKHXvyDG0QMwgeKAIwAg&iact=mrc&uact=8

We must be from different planets X. 

Although AOSoma looks a bit overly flamboyant he still has some life and charm to his overall appearance.

http://static.zerochan.net/Soma.Cruz.full.293071.jpg

DOSoma looks confused and from the 80's with shoulder pads like Diana Ross.

[suomynona]

https://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvignette2.wikia.nocookie.net%2Fcastlevania%2Fimages%2F2%2F29%2FSomaDawn.jpg%2Frevision%2Flatest%3Fcb%3D20080227203754&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcastlevania.wikia.com%2Fwiki%2FSoma_Cruz&docid=QhaBt0ErMNazXM&tbnid=RoOzL1FQzlprpM%3A&vet=1&w=800&h=1200&bih=741&biw=1517&ved=0ahUKEwjUtLTx78jQAhWLiLwKHXvyDG0QMwgdKAEwAQ&iact=mrc&uact=8

https://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2F8%2F88%2FSoma_Cruz_(Castlevania_character).gif&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSoma_Cruz&docid=zynoGIssOP2V4M&tbnid=tY_FjX4bKbkmoM%3A&vet=1&w=370&h=768&bih=741&biw=1517&ved=0ahUKEwjUtLTx78jQAhWLiLwKHXvyDG0QMwgeKAIwAg&iact=mrc&uact=8

We must be from different planets X. 

Although AOSoma looks a bit overly flamboyant he still has some life and charm to his overall appearance.

http://static.zerochan.net/Soma.Cruz.full.293071.jpg

DOSoma looks confused and from the 80's with shoulder pads like Diana Ross.

I think its because DoS artwork is so SO BAD. Take a look of HoDespair Soma and compare it with AoS Soma.

[Claimh Solais]

I think its because DoS artwork is so SO BAD. Take a look of HoDespair Soma and compare it with AoS Soma.

I agree with this. Taking his DoS outfit and putting it into a different artstyle really affects how it looks. The artstyle goes a LONG way in character design.



His appearance in DoS applied to the Ayami Kojima art actually fits the overall feel of CV at the time better than his AoS outfit did. That's not to say I don't like his AoS appearance, though.

[suomynona]

I agree with this. Taking his DoS outfit and putting it into a different artstyle really affects how it looks. The artstyle goes a LONG way in character design.



His appearance in DoS applied to the Ayami Kojima art actually fits the overall feel of CV at the time better than his AoS outfit did. That's not to say I don't like his AoS appearance, though.

I believe that this goes same with Yoko as well.