The Castlevania that should have been

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair isnot the game I wantedfrom the Xbox Live Arcade. And I’m thinking there’s a very strong chance it’s probably not what you wanted either. There are some fun multiplayer moments to be had, and beating up monsters certainly feels like a Castlevania title, but it’s just not the same.

I want every single monster I defeat to add to my total badassery quotient. I want a game where I can get lost in the bowels of an ever deepening castle, taking my time to furiously slash at each wall, floor and ceiling in hopes of finding a hidden doorway. I don’t want to play for only 30 minutes and then be forced to break up my party. Maybe I do get to play with five other vampire hunters, but you know what? I don’t want to give up all the things I love about Castlevania to do so.

Here are the six things we should have gotten from a Castlevania title on Xbox Live Arcade, but didn’t.