***CASTLEVANIA: ARIA OF SORROW***
PSEUDO-COMPREHENSIVE MANUAL EVALUATING EACH
AND EVERY SOUL
IN THIS TITLE
a.k.a. "Soul Evaluation Guide"
Author: Drew Smith
Version: 1.00
Date: October 22, 2006
email:
[email protected]
1) Table of Contents:
1) Table of Contents (hi)
2) Revision History
3) Introduction
--Soul Evaluations--
4) Bullet Souls
5) Guardian Souls
6) Enchanted Souls
7) Soul Setups (not complete...or started)
8) Copyright Information
9) Special Thanks
2) Revision History
1.00 (OCTOBER 22, 2006): Beginning of the guide.
1.01 (MARCH 31, 2007): Quite a long pause, huh? Surprisingly, I
do have a life. Regardless, several reader comments and view
points were put into the guide. Some ratings have been changed
accordingly. Also revised a couple of souls.
3) Introduction
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is a highly successful RPG/platformer
and another superb entry in the Castlevania lineage. Brought to us
by Konami, the game is considered one of the finest in the series
for its immersive atmosphere and gameplay in the vein of the
widely-loved Symphony of the Night.
The game follows the trials of one Soma Cruz, a young man living
in the year 2035. When the first solar eclipse of the twenty-first
century comes around, Soma visits the nearby shrine with his
friend Mina to lay witness. However, Soma's senses suddenly fade
out, and he finds himself and the unconscious Mina in none other
than...Dracula's Castle. With Mina's life teetering in the balance,
Soma explores the castle in hopes to escape - and later to put a stop
to an evil that has cursed the world for far too long...
But forget all that. What really sets Aria of Sorrow out from its
compatriots in the Castlevania license is the Soul System. See,
there are 110 foes within the game, and each one has a slim chance
of dropping its Soul. Once Soma acquires this Soul, he is free to
use that Soul's power whenever he wants. There are three types of
Souls:
- Bullet Souls, used by pressing Up + B. These Souls generally act
as sub-weapons for Soma, and have an expansive amount of
utilities, from throwing mud to summoning cats;
- Guardian Souls, used by holding the R button. While you hold
the R button, Guardian Souls assist Soma in many different ways;
- Enchanted Souls. These Souls are passive, and help Soma in
more subtle ways, such as increasing stats.
You may have one of each type of Soul equipped to Soma at a
time. Now, the issue is here that some of the Souls are simply
better than others, and getting a Soul from an enemy can take a
very long time. Why not see whether or not a Soul is simply worth
the effort you'll exert? Unless you're an obsessive completist, you
shouldn't even have a need for maybe half the Souls you come
across.
Please also note the following about this guide:
- Opinions are rendered aesthetically. I test the Soul out in a few
situations and then pass judgment. If you have a difference of
opinion, please e-mail me (courteously) and I'd be happy to listen
to what you have to say.
- The Souls are (mostly) organized in the order in which you'd find
them in the Bestiary. I got lazy on the Guardian Souls though, so
they're not sorted yet. Big deal.
- If you are looking for a specific Soul, please use the Ctrl+F
function.
So without further ado...
4) Bullet Souls
BAT
Description: Attacks using supersonic waves.
MP Cost: 5 MP
Evaluation: Err...the only redeeming values I can think of for Bat
are that it comes out pretty quickly and it's really generous with
MP. The range makes it absolutely impossible to hit almost any
enemy, and the damage just stinks. I guess you can pop one or two
off before your foe wises up and beats the hell out of you, but
otherwise, I wouldn't use this past the first 5% of the game. (Get
Merman! Get Merman!)
Verdict: 2
SKELETON
Description: Throws bones.
MP Cost: 8 MP
Evaluation: This Soul is good...for laughing at. I just love watching
femurs arc uselessly through the air only to fall several feet short
of their target. To use this right you simply have to jump around
like a madman, dancing around your opponent and lobbing a bone
and then getting away as quickly as possible. I don't know whether
I'd rather use this or Bat. This one's fairly stronger, a little more
expensive and about the same speed. Or you can just get Merman.
Verdict: 2
MERMAN
Description: Fires a water pistol.
MP Cost: 14 MP
Evaluation: This is probably your best Soul for the first stretch of
the game. It's a little pricey, and the damage isn't as good as the
Skeleton's (lol), but it makes up for these with such novel factors
as 'ease of use' and 'range'. You can hit several enemies on a line
with this (though the range is not as long as it may appear), and
unlike the Bat or Skeleton it isn't a hazard to your health to make it
effective. It's also a little slow, but intersperse it with weapon
attacks. You'll probably get a bit of use out of this one.
Verdict: 6
AXE ARMOR
Description: Throws axes at enemies.
MP Cost: 22 MP
Evaluation: Don't bother with anything that's more mobile than a
Zombie or Skeleton. Unless you're right next to your opponent,
you won't be landing any hits. Axe Armor works on the principle
that a dumb boomerang might, flying out on a straight line and
then retreading that line until it goes off-screen. Unfortunately, this
is a rather slow process and really only does appreciable damage
on enemies that are just standing around. It's even more
disappointing when you consider the hefty MP cost. It might be a
good asset against Creaking Skull, but after that I'd just retire it.
Verdict: 3
SKULL ARCHER
Description: Fires enchanted arrows.
MP Cost: 8
Evaluation: You'll need to use this creatively to have it be anything
more than crap. The damage Skull Archer does is solid, but other
than that it is a Soul ridden with problems. Like Axe Armor, it is
very difficult to hit any enemy that has mobility more than "none",
especially since the arrows you're shooting are dinky. There's also
a three second launch time per bow, half of which Soma will spend
just standing there waiting to be hit. It's oddly difficult to find a
spot to run to after playing one. You can, however, get about three
on the field with some rapid taps of the B button, and in different
places if you like. With its low MP cost and good damage, this is a
considerable substitute for Axe Armor, but no more than that.
Verdict: 4.5
KILLER FISH
Description: Attacks enemies underwater. Perishes when out of
water.
MP Cost: 16 MP
Evaluation: Eh, I could see it getting some use during the water-
bound levels, but obviously it's complete crap anywhere else. Hot
damage, but you just don't get enough chances to use it. Across-
the-screen range and the ability to pass through enemies, in
addition to that aforementioned hot damage, make this a great
Soul...but you won't see it in action very much. I guess try
switching if you think you'll be underwater for a while.
Verdict: 4
BLUE CROW
Description: Attacks by flying crows at enemies.
MP Cost: 10 MP
Evaluation: Funkiest Bullet Soul ever. This is a little like Axe
Armor, but with less range and more "wtf". After you launch one,
it just kind of flies in this halfhearted circle back to your hand.
Once again, it's more MP-economical than its Axe counterpart, and
does vaguely more damage, but it's hard to land an attack with this
thing. Not many enemies ever appear in that radius of attack
anyway. Pass on this one.
Verdict: 3
ZOMBIE SOLDIER
Description: Throws hand grenades.
MP Cost: 14 MP
Evaluation: These are awesome, but only against slow, landlocked
enemies. Nonthreatening MP cost, great damage, three on the field
at a time and a decent range of attack...but they take too long to
detonate. The grenades bounce along the ground for a bit and then
detonate. Yet another Bullet Soul scuttled by a lack of speed, and
this time it's made even worse because you can only get enemies
that have both feet on the ground. In Castlevania, that's kind of a
liability. Try them for a little while, but don't expect something so
good that you can substitute your weapon.
Verdict: 5
GHOST
Description: Summons a spirit that will fight evil.
MP Cost: 16
Evaluation: This is a surprisingly good early-game soul. The MP
cost is average, and the damage may seem unimpressive, but since
you're getting two homing light-balls at a time your opponent
won't be around too long. Considering the lack of mobility of
many of the Bullet Souls you get early game, the Ghost's awesome
range and tracking are godsends. Consider also that it can get two
completely separate and distanced targets at once, as well.
Downsides? Hm...it could come out a little faster, and there's a
slight delay before it zooms towards its target. Other than that,
make good use of Ghost.
Verdict: 8
SIREN
Description: Song casts a spell upon enemies.
MP Cost: 10
Evaluation: It's kind of fun to spam the screen with musical notes,
and I kind of like the "schwom" sound they make when you let
them out. Other than that, this Soul is really nothing special. The
damage is lackluster and there are better Souls for your MP cost.
The notes are too slow and easily dodged or neutralized. Use
something else.
Verdict: 2.5
TINY DEVIL
Description: Creates a blade vortex around its foes.
MP Cost: 18
Evaluation: This is a little like Ghost, but not really. There's
tracking, but it's not as effective, and the damage from each of the
three blades doesn't usually stack. It does more damage than Ghost
and is probably more effective for multiple targets, but unlike
Ghost, it never stacks since the blades are on the exact same
wavelength. Ghost is better for single targets, but this move ain't
shabby either.
Verdict: 7.5
DURGA
Description: Throws katanas.
MP Cost: 20
Evaluation: Well now, this is a pretty straightforward Soul. One
Katana makes a beeline for the enemy. You can throw them out
pretty fast and they also travel through their targets, so you can nail
several baddies on a straight line. The damage is good and the MP
cost, while noticeable, is fairly generous. Durga isn't amazing, but
it could hold its own on the battlefield until you find a suitable
replacement.
Verdict: 7
ROCK ARMOR
Description: Tosses boulders at enemies.
MP Cost: 22
Evaluation: I didn't like this when it was called Skeleton, and I'm
not a huge fan of it now. The damage is far better, and the range
and trajectory have improved a little bit, but it suffers a fairly
grievous disadvantage in that it can't travel through walls/ceilings.
You can also only get out two at a time. I can't see anyone making
effective use of Rock Armor; stow it.
Verdict: 3.5
WINGED SKELETON
Description: Throws spears.
MP Cost: 12
Evaluation: The damage is total crap and the MP cost is a little
high considering it's the first soul you get in the game. You can get
them out very quickly and they travel through enemies, but since
the trajectory is a downward arc they'll probably hit the ground
before they can get more than one. Despite being a very weak Soul
with mediocre range, I'd still use this above Bat or Skeleton.
Verdict: 3.5
STUDENT WITCH
Description: Releases a lethal cat that runs full-speed at enemies.
MP Cost: 20
Evaluation: These guys are kind of like a miniature Lightning Doll,
only not nearly as good. The cats run all the way across the screen
through any targets. They do fantastic damage to larger, slower
enemies, and the sheer volume of evil kitties you can send out
will quickly slay any foe. You can run along in the direction of the
cats to prolong their usefulness, most likely clearing the screen of
any enemies that are on the ground. This all comes at a price -
getting too cat-happy will devour your MP. 20 a pop isn't cheap,
and you really need to get a lot out to cause the big hurt. Still, there
are a lot of creative uses for this Soul; don't discount it right away.
Try combining it with Black Panther, for instance.
Verdict: 5.5
ARACHNE
Description: Ensnares enemies using a sticky web.
MP Cost: 15
Evaluation: Pretty solid damage, a decent range, quick delivery
speed and lenient MP cost make this all a very usable early-
midgame Soul. It's a lot like Winged Skeleton in its speed and
range, only the MP curve is kinder and the damage isn't completely
atrocious. Not much more to say. It's an effective Soul, but not too
much fun to use (unless you really enjoy hitting enemies with
spider webs). You could make use of it.
Verdict: 6.5
FLEAMAN
Description: Hops around madly.
MP Cost: 15
Evaluation: Even with three of these guys out at a time, it'll take
you FOREVER to kill anything that won't already go down in one
hit. They're just too arbitrary and random to do any sort of
substantial damage. Suddenly jumping for no reason and changing
directions upon hitting a wall make it very difficult to hit any
enemy, immobile or otherwise. The damage is a little unimpressive
for the MP cost, they disappear too quickly upon use, and since
you have to get three out for any chance of hitting the MP will
vanish too quickly. This is just an inefficient diversion. (I will
admit, though - they're pretty fun. :D)
Verdict: 2
EVIL BUTCHER
Description: Throws sharpened butcher knives.
MP Cost: 5
Evaluation: This is exactly like the Durga Soul except for three
fundamental differences.
1) Significantly less damage.
2) Significantly lower MP cost.
3) It can't travel through terrain, other projectiles, or more than one
enemy.
Use Durga instead, if it's available. It's fast, of course, but you're
not going to be putting much hurt on your opponents. The MP
aren't that hard to come by and the difference in damage is too
glaring to warrant using this Soul.
Verdict: 4
WAITER SKELETON
Description: Slings hot curry at its foes.
MP Cost: 30
Evaluation: Like others of its ilk, the Waiter Skeleton will prove to
be very useful against slow-moving enemies. Though the damage
is low, this will hit a slow or immobile foe about five times before
vanishing away, dealing some surprising damage for a 30 MP
move. Unfortunately, it's next to useless in most other
circumstances. Personally, I think there are better moves for your
MP usage. This is just a little too steep to justify making constant
use of.
REVISION 1.01: Thanks go out to Ulti, Beau Goodwin and Ryan Simons
for this one. They've all informed me that the curry launched
by Waiter Skeleton's Soul will actually lure enemies towards it.
I can't believe I missed this before. Anyway, this really makes
the Soul far more useful than I'd assumed at first glance, and
certainly helps it to trounce Killer Doll. I still think it's a
bit pricey on the MP, though.
Verdict: 6
KILLER DOLL
Description: Mesmerizes the enemy.
MP Cost: 20
Evaluation: No, just don't. This is a massive waste of 20 MP. For
one thing, most of the enemies that actually fall for this can be
dispatched quickly enough so that they're not that much of an
offensive threat, so why bother distracting them? Also, this doesn't
always work. Whatever monsters are on screen will probably
attack it once and then go right back to slaughtering your dumb
ass. Furthermore, it only lasts for about five seconds, and doesn't
even work on bosses. Stick to something with an actual use, please.
Verdict: 0
NEMESIS
Description: Cloaking shield makes you invisible before enemies'
eyes.
MP Cost: 60
Evaluation: Ehh. This can be clever here and there, but like with
the Killer Doll, regular enemies are not enough of a danger to
justify constant usage. Not only that, but the MP cost is three times
as high for a move that lasts about the same amount of time (six or
seven seconds). Keep in mind that it doesn't protect you from
damage, and most enemies will still carry out their attack patterns
(i.e. Disc Armor swinging around his little blade). Eh, I dunno, if
you really feel that threatened by simple enemies use Kyoma
Demon instead.
Verdict: 3.5
KYOMA DEMON
Description: Temporary invincibility.
MP Cost: 80
Evaluation: Whoo, that's a pretty steep MP cost considering you
get this Soul fairly early in the game. Honestly, I wouldn't spend
much time on either this Soul or Nemesis, considering the foes that
they work against aren't often that big of a threat. They might come
in handy during certain concentrated stretches, but in any situation
Kyoma Demon is usually better. That 20 extra MP may start to add
up if you use the soul too often, and this doesn't last as long as
Nemesis (a little less than five seconds). Regardless, if you're
having trouble with a certain part, this may be the way to go.
Verdict: 5.5
CHRONOMAGE
Description: Ability to stop time.
MP Cost: 96
Evaluation: This one gets style points, but personally I still think it
falls short of the Kyoma Demon. You can STILL take damage
while time is stopped (granted, you have to run into an enemy and
that's probably kind of difficult), and the lasting time is only about
five seconds. (There's a timer that indicates when you're about to
run out, which is a neat touch.) This is a good 'safety net' Soul, and
that 96 MP cost is less likely to be a problem since you get this
later in the game, but yeah check out Kyoma Demon instead.
Verdict: 5
VALKYRIE
Description: Slashes enemies with its sword.
MP Cost: 50 MP
Evaluation: A superb Bullet Soul. Valkyrie hits hard, comes out
fast, has a great area of effect and is attained fairly early on. The
one big issue here is that of MP. You'll need to scrounge up every
Heart you can find to use the Valkyrie for prolonged periods of
time, since Bullet Souls tend to sap Soma's MP at a pretty quick
rate (especially during boss battles). Valkyrie is a good investment,
however. That kind of massive Holy damage will do you nothing
but good throughout a major portion of the game.
Verdict: 9
ALTAIR
Description: Summons and hurls eagles.
MP Cost: 22
Evaluation: Using this Soul is kind of unwieldy, but that is its only
real disadvantage. The damage is solid, the MP cost isn't too severe
and you can telegraph three at a time. It's dangerous in that it
demands you to stand still to use it for a fairly noticeable amount
of time; still, Altair can rack up some big hits against unsuspecting
enemies. The speed could really be better, and you may have
trouble connecting with faster foes, but I'd give this Bullet Soul a
whirl if you're getting sick of Valkyrie.
Verdict: 7
COCKATRICE
Description: Fires a beam of petrification.
MP Cost: 24
Evaluation: More like a "beam of stupid". I'd like to thank the
programmer who thought having a laser that essentially points
directly downwards would be a good idea. I mean, the components
of a good Soul are there - very good damage, conservative MP
cost, manageable speed, petrification of enemies that are weak
against Stone...and then there's the fact that you'll probably never
hit anything with it. You basically have to jump directly over your
enemy to make use of this, which is just begging for you to take
some damage. You'll also have to recalibrate it constantly against
any quicker-moving enemies. Try it if you're having trouble with
Armors or other petrifiable enemies, but don't let it see the light of
day under any other circumstance.
Verdict: 4
WEREWOLF
Description: Creates a fountain of magical fire.
MP Cost: 28
Evaluation: The big problem with this Soul is that you can't use it
in midair (or other places, such as collapsible bridges, but midair is
the big one). Personally, I find myself using Bullet Souls quite a bit
while jumping, and Werewolf excludes me from doing just that.
Other than that...the soul still isn't all that great. Just like Waiter
Skeleton, it does five hits to slower enemies and inflates its
mediocre damage, but it has an extremely limited range and also
travels a little. The fire burst basically happens right in front of
Soma, moves forward an inch and then dissipates. You have to do
some serious hit-and-run to make sure you don't take big damage
right after launching this. As a matter of fact...don't launch it at all.
Pick something that can do damage AND keep you safe.
Verdict: 2
DISC ARMOR
Description: Shreds enemies to bits with a spinning disc.
MP Cost: 34
Evaluation: This travels at the exact same trajectory as the Blue
Crow Soul does, only it seems to get a wee bit more range. The
damage is also quite impressive, even though the MP cost might
take a toll after repeated use. You can also land double hits on
enemies far more easily than you can with the Blue Crow, which
means even more damage still. This Soul isn't 100% reliable (you
might find it only getting off one hit, or you may get fooled by that
range) but it's a definite candidate for use.
Verdict: 7
HARPY
Description: Shoots out razor-like feathers.
MP Cost: 25
Evaluation: Not bad, really, but you should have found something
a little more hefty than this to smack enemies around with. Harpy
shoots feathers in front of and behind Soma for decent damage.
The slim hit margin and the inability to pass through enemies,
combined with the fact that that 'decent' damage will quickly grow
obsolete, means this Soul probably won't see much time in Soma's
hands. Try it out for a little bit, but don't get attached.
Verdict: 4.5
BOMBER ARMOR
Description: Astounding amount of destructive power.
MP Cost: 80
Evaluation: The description certainly doesn't lie. Bomber Armor
does massive damage to any foe unfortunate enough to be standing
around when the blast goes off. These are a little like the Zombie
Soldier's grenades, except way more powerful and way more
pricey. 80 MP a pop is just a little too steep for my tastes. Try this
on bosses - don't get complacent using it during normal
exploration. As with Zombie Soldier, this is a little tricky to use
when you're trying to hit mobile enemies...but the results are
amazing!
Verdict: 6
LIGHTNING DOLL
Description: Discharges lightning from its fingertips.
MP Cost: 46
Evaluation: This is what you all have been waiting for. Lightning
Doll is in the running for one of the best Bullet Souls in the game.
Combined with its massive range and overall hit radius, superb
damage, and awesome priority/speed, this Soul will trump nearly
any enemy you encounter in Dracula's castle. You'll be
unstoppable. The catch? As you may have already seen, it's 46 MP
a go, which drains out surprisingly quickly considering how
effective (and fun) this is to use. If you're going to commit to
Lightning Doll, you've gotta make sure you pick up every stray
Heart - and if you can bear it, use this sparingly. This Soul is most
certainly worth the time it takes to pick up.
Verdict: 9.5
UNE
Description: Buries land mines throughout its turf.
MP Cost: 20
Evaluation: I was ready to write this off as irredeemable crap, but
it can be surprisingly effective. Sure, the range and speed are
nightmarish, but being able to spam five at a time is a power to be
reckoned with, especially considering that they can get up to three
hits a piece. (Probably not when they're all after the same target,
but even then.) Like others, you have to use this creatively in order
to get much functionality, and even then its utilities are very
limited at best.
Verdict 4
NEEDLES
Description: Tosses mines into the air that explode at fixed
intervals.
MP Cost: 15
Evaluation: This is a Soul with some potential. The damage isn't
too bad, and the explosion radius can strike several enemies at a
time. (Don't let the tiny-looking animation fool you - it has a
deceptively wide circumference.) You may even get double or
triple hits against beefier enemies. Once again, however, a lack of
range makes an otherwise-decent Soul difficult to use. The Needles
spurt directly in front of Soma, like a mid-air land mine, and wait
around for a few seconds for something to run into them. Though it
may seem like a good Soul to use against enemies who advance on
you, the Needles won't stop or stun them and you'll probably end
up taking damage unless you run around a whole lot. You can have
five Needles on screen at a time, but you have to be quick to lay
that many because they're only around for about three seconds
before they explode on their own.
Verdict: 5
MAN-EATER
Description: Shoots a Ripple Laser.
MP Cost: 22
Evaluation: As fun as shooting a bevy of multicolored rings can be,
this isn't really the most practical of Bullet Souls. It does good
damage for a cheap cost and can also get double hits, but it's WAY
too slow and can be intercepted by terrain, candelabras or other
projectiles. You will rarely find your mark with the Man-Eater
Soul unless your opponent is just kind of standing there, or if it has
a slower attack pattern (such as a Bomber Armor). But there just
aren't enough uses for this Soul to keep it around.
Verdict: 3
FISH HEAD
Description: Shoots fireballs.
MP Cost: 18
Evaluation: This ain't too shabby! It's a little like the Man-Eater in
that it's a projectile that travels in a straight line and diffuses upon
contact with something, but has a big advantage: speed. The
fireballs come out fast and move faster, so that the issue of
connection isn't nearly such a big deal. The MP cost is very
generous and the damage is solid; Fish Head isn't the most exciting
of Souls, but it is a rather effective one.
Verdict: 7.5
NIGHTMARE
Description: Summons nightmares to use as weapons.
MP Cost: 30
Evaluation: Despite the ramifications of using a horse as a weapon
(hi PETA), Nightmare is a fantastic soul. The damage is
tremendous, the speed is great, the MP cost is decent (not cheap,
but at least manageable) and it also travels through enemies and
across the screen. It loses out to Lightning Doll just narrowly on
range and speed, but this is a fantastic Soul nonetheless. Pick it up!
Verdict: 9
SLIME
Description: Hurls slimeballs at enemies.
MP Cost: 20
Evaluation: This is one of the most fun Souls to use in the game -
and yet another very effective one, at that. The Slime balls arch out
at a downwards angle from Soma, bounce off the ground, and
continue to bounce around the room for another five seconds,
doing damage to anything in their path. They can also pass through
enemies, which means MASS CHAOS. Seriously, since you can
sling two of these at a time and their damage is quite good given
the MP cost, you can clear out a smaller room of enemies in no
time flat. What makes it more useful than the somewhat similar
Fleaman is that its pattern is predictable if you understand basic
physics...the Slime bounces off X wall and ends up going in Y
direction. Simple. You should be able to hit your opponents fairly
reliably. You'll have to be smart about Slime's usage - single foes
may be difficult to hit since the Soul is always moving, and the
initial angle can make it a little tricky to calibrate the Soul right.
Still, this Soul certainly has merit.
Verdict: 7.5
DRYAD
Description: Grows stronger by stealing HP from its enemies.
MP Cost: 33
Evaluation: Yet another awesome Soul! The Dryad may not seem
all that strong at first, but you need to fulfill one condition. Hit
your enemy with the bulb on the top of the head, and like magic a
Dryad will sprout from the top! Once it's there, it will proceed to
suck all of the HP out of the enemy, with 1/4 of the damage from
each hit returning to you as HP. There's no real way to go wrong
with this; it's a fat waste of MP if you don't hit your opponent in
the right spot, which is fairly common considering the tricky angle.
It also doesn't work on bosses. Those are fairly minor problems,
however; this Soul is gold.
Verdict: 9
RIPPER
Description: Stabs enemies with a blood-soaked knife.
MP Cost: 35
Evaluation: Same principle as Evil Butcher, and the damage may
seem like crap, but Ripper's neat because the knives you throw
actually stick into the enemies. With one hit, you automatically
score a 6 hit combo, and while that damage is accumulating you
can also hit the enemy with weapon attacks to add even more
hurtin'. This is most effective against high-HP enemies with low
defenses, obviously, but Ripper can make quick work of tankier
enemies. It's a big waste of MP against smaller foes, though,
especially since they're harder to hit. High defense enemies will
shrug off most of the damage from the knives.
Verdict: 7
WEREJAGUAR
Description: Packs an extremely powerful straight punch.
MP Cost: 40
Evaluation: I guess the good Souls couldn't last forever.
Werejaguar DOES do very good damage, more than most Souls,
but suffers from a few inherent disadvantages. First off, the range
sucks. It's just a tiny little burst right in front of Soma. Secondly,
after using this, Soma will take a small step forward. If your enemy
survives one of these punches, it leaves Soma wide open to take a
nice big counterattack. Finally, the animation can be canceled if
you use it in midair and land before it comes out, which means
you'll be wasting your MP. Damage isn't everything - there are
better Souls to use than this that also do very high damage.
Verdict: 4.5
UKOBACK
Description: Sets fires in mid-air.
MP Cost: 12
Evaluation: Fun Soul for those pyros out there, but pretty lousy
under any other circumstance. This works under the same principle
as Needles - Soma sets it in mid-air and waits for an enemy to walk
into it. Ukoback doesn't have any of the advantages that helped
Needles to overcome its pitfalls, though, so it's essentially a
worthless Soul. It only gets one hit against enemies, has no
explosion radius, and doesn't explode after a certain period of time.
Its only advantage over Needles is a piddling 3 MP threshold.
Don't bother.
Verdict: 1.5
BIPHRON
Description: Shoots out a series of exploding fireballs.
MP Cost: 35
Evaluation: Seriously, who translated these descriptions? They're
accurate maybe half of the time. Biphron actually works quite
similarly to the Werewolf Soul, only FAR better. Unlike
Werewolf, Biphron has range and speed. It still has the fairly grave
inability to be used in midair, but other than that, Biphron is
invariably powerful. Those fire jets don't do huge damage on their
own, but they can stack up to six times against big opponents for
some major hurtin'. The targets do need to be on the ground, or at
least very close to it, for the attack to have any effect. Biphron
even bounces off of walls instead of sputtering out. A very solid
Soul under most circumstances, except for areas where you'll be
jumping around a lot.
Verdict: 8
MANDRAGORA
Description: Kills enemies with scream.
MP Cost: 110
Evaluation: The MP cost is probably the first thing you'll notice
about Mandragora. It is obviously one of the priciest Bullet Souls
in the game (as well as one of the most difficult to get, by God).
However, the results are arguably worth the very steep cost.
Mandragora does tremendous damage within a decent radius to
any enemies unlucky enough to be nearby. One shot of
Mandragora will take out all but the hardiest of Dracula's minions.
This is a superb Soul if you find yourself in a bind, but the massive
MP cost means that you won't get the opportunity to sling it around
that often. Use sparingly for best results.
Verdict: 6.5
WERETIGER
Description: Packs an extremely powerful uppercut.
MP Cost: 40
Evaluation: This is almost exactly the same as the Werejaguar's
Soul, but a little more powerful and a little less ranged. At any rate,
it's no good. Don't waste your time or MP.
Verdict: 4.5
KILLER MANTLE
Description: Ability to swap HP and MP of enemies.
MP Cost: 19
Evaluation: Since there's no way to tell how many MP a creature
has, this Soul requires a lot of trial and error. You can do away
with some of your foes extremely quickly with its help (most
notably the Iron Golem and Red Minotaur), but you have to be
careful because it can also end up giving some foes lots of extra hit
points. In technical terms, Killer Mantle is poorly ranged but
decently quick and quite powerful in its own single attacks. Give it
a whirl here and there, and keep in mind if you get any especially
desirable (or undesirable) effects.
Verdict: 6
MUDMAN
Description: Slings mud at enemies.
MP Cost: 20
Evaluation: Um...I kind of like the sound it makes when it hits an
enemy. The range is good too, and you can get them out pretty fast.
Other than that, there's not much more to this Soul that really
makes it worth using. It flies in a fairly generous open arc towards
your target and hits them for decent damage. Honestly, this is a
pretty dry Soul. No risk, minimal reward. This is useful for
widespread castle exploration, but don't bother against harder
enemies.
Verdict: 5.5
RED MINOTAUR
Description: Swings an oversized axe.
MP Cost: 150
Evaluation: Here it is, folks. Highest MP cost in the game, which
naturally leads up to the highest damage. Now there's obviously
going to be uses for an attack with such massive base power, even
though the MP cost is steep. The range and radius of the move is
great - you can hit nearly everything on screen as long as it's not
too close to you. This has massive potential in certain
circumstances, but don't waste your time using it around the castle.
The damage is overkill at that point anyway.
Verdict: 7.5
BEAM SKELETON
Description: Fires a deadly beam.
MP Cost: 28
Evaluation: High damage at a decent range with a very manageable
MP cost. Beam Skeleton comes out very slow, and can be difficult
to use against mid-air enemies. There's about a one and a half
second downtime before Soma releases the laser, which makes it
difficult for enemies who are always moving. It also makes Soma a
rather easy target. The attack does superb damage, however,
especially considering that it can land two hits. This is definitely a
usable Soul, but be cautious; you'll probably be taking some
knocks along with it.
Verdict: 7
SKULL MILLIONE
Description: Weakens its enemies with its poisoned claws.
MP Cost: 25
Evaluation: Skull Millione's speed is its greatest asset. You can
throw these around at about the same speed as a normal short
sword attack. That's also about the range of Skull Millione, but
because of the Soul's speed, this isn't normally a problem like it is
with slow, short-ranged Souls. The damage is good too. The
problem with this Soul is that it doesn't really offer any advantages
over a normal weapon that does more damage than it (range, multi-
targeting, etc.) If your normal sword isn't cutting it (no pun
intended) give this a go. Otherwise, stick to your weapon or
another more versatile Bullet Soul.
Verdict: 6.5
GIANT SKELETON
Description: Throws giant skulls.
MP Cost: 19
Evaluation: How many times is Konami going to try and dress up
the Skeleton Soul and make it seem useful? The damage to MP
rate is quite nice, but other than that, this just suffers from all the
same quandaries as its equally crappy predecessor. It gets a little
more range since the projectile is bigger, but you can only have
one of these on screen at a time and they're abusively slow. NO
THANKS.
Verdict: 3
GLADIATOR
Description: Throws wheels at enemies.
MP Cost: 30
Evaluation: I think Konami was starting to run out of ideas at this
point. Throwing wheels? Seriously? That said, it's not really a bad
Soul. Soma shoots out a wheel that rolls for a fairly long time,
slows down and then fades away. It can do high damage to big
enemies as it slows down, but don't expect any more than one or
two hits at normal speed. Roll one of these through a big long
hallway and watch how fun it can be!
Verdict: 6.5
DEMON LORD
Description: Unleashes a furious barrage of magic upon enemies.
MP Cost: 38
Evaluation: Most of the end-game souls are good no matter how
you look at it; Demon Lord is no exception. Basically every
advantage afforded to a Soul can be found in this guy. It's a little
slow, but that doesn't really matter considering it goes through
anything (including enemies). If you get it, use it. Simple as that.
Verdict: 9.5
FLAME DEMON
Description: Burns enemies to a crisp with its ultra-hot flames.
MP Cost: 44
Evaluation: It's not quite as reliable as the Demon Lord Soul, but
still very powerful nonetheless. It shoots anywhere from 2 to 5
fireballs in a spray pattern. The range is wider than that of Demon
Lord, though the damage is a little less (even though up to three of
those fireballs can stack on larger opponents). This is a very
powerful Soul, not to mention one that's required to attain a certain
ending.
Verdict: 9
LEGION
Description: Fires an array of lasers.
MP Cost: 66
Evaluation: Great damage, good range, stacks twice, high MP cost.
The Legion Soul is missable if you don't know the trick to getting
it, but otherwise you have no reason not to pick this Soul up. One
of the strongest Bullet Souls in the game, with no real liabilities
other than the long startup time and the steep MP cost.
REVISION 1.01: To actually get this Soul, you need to destroy all
of Legion's outer parts before finally defeating the core. Thanks
to Ben Sillence for reminding me to put this in.
Verdict: 9
BALORE
Description: Packs a deadly punch.
MP Cost: 120
Evaluation: This is basically a souped-up version of the crappy
Weretiger and
Werejaguar Souls. The range is massively improved, but there are
still issues. First off, there's that really annoying cancellation that
happens if you use it in midair and get interrupted somehow. At
120 MP a pop, you definitely don't want that to be happening.
Also, if you don't manage to kill the enemy for some bizarre
reason, they get a free hit.
Other than that, the damage is splendid and the possibilities are
much wider than the Souls that precede this one.
Verdict: 8
5) Guardian Souls
FLYING ARMOR
Description: Falling speed slows down and jump distance
increases.
MP Cost: 5 MP/sec
Evaluation: Yeah, no point to using this except for utility's sake.
This has no noticeable effect on your battle performance, unless
you like striking enemies down from the air while floating gently.
Or something.
Verdict: -
GIANT BAT
Description: Transforming into a bat gives you the ability to fly.
MP Cost: 30 MP/sec
Evaluation: Again, this is a utility soul. I don't see why you'd use
something that took 30 MP a second willingly that can't even
attack, anyway.
Verdict: -
BLACK PANTHER
Description: Generates shock waves while you dash.
MP Cost: 2 MP/sec
Evaluation: This is kind of fun to throw around, but its uses are
rather conditional. By pressing Forward and the L button, you dash
forward with a electric forcefield around you, doing damage to
anything you pass through. Naturally, this is only good on long
screens where you can jump around and be free, since you're
moving in a beeline the entire time. You CAN jump, but it's still a
little tricky to hit a target. The problem is that you are not
completely invulnerable while doing this and taking damage will
pull you out of your little jaunt. You can pass through most
enemies, but if Soma's sprite crosses theirs for too long then he'll
get hit. The damage Black Panther does is negligible at best, and
you're going to have to practice so you don't take a beating while
using it, but the real value of the soul is an accelerated movement
rate, dodging and being able to easily take out enemies with low
HP.
Verdict: 8
BUER
Description: Creates a revolving wall of flame.
MP Cost: 5 MP/sec
Evaluation: Two balls of fire will revolve around you Gradius-
style in a rather feeble attempt to protect you from harm and
whatever baddies may accost you. These move so slowly that they
will probably fail at their job, not to mention the rather
unimpressive damage. And finally, the MP cost is decidedly steep
for what is basically an early-game soul, so I can't see much
redeeming value in this. It can do some damage to slower, bigger
opponents, but doesn't really have the clout to be very usable.
Verdict: 3
WITCH
Description: Repels bullets with shield.
MP Cost: 3 MP/sec
Evaluation: The shield that Soma puts up is kind of small, but
other than that this isn't a bad ability. All projectiles are reflected
back at their launcher at a rather unusual angle -- if it hits them or
another enemy, they will take damage. (I'm not sure how the
damage is tabulated; most likely through the original attacker's
attack power and the enemy's defense.) If you practice whipping it
out at just the right time so as to be economical with your MP, and
how to angle it just so it'll hit it's original shooter, then you could
have a pretty good power on your hands.
Verdict: 7
GIANT GHOST
Description: Provides a protective barrier.
MP Cost: 5 MP/sec
Evaluation: This is only different from the Witch's power on two
levels: it costs a little more MP to use, and it protects your back as
well. Unless you have a mortal fear of getting hit in the back with
projectiles, I would just stick with the Witch's power. This is
available a little earlier, which is both a blessing and a curse,
considering your MP will be lower when you're fighting Giant
Ghosts vs. Witches.
Verdict: 6
FINAL GUARD
Description: Guards against enemy attacks.
MP Cost: 60 MP/sec
Evaluation: While Soma's shield is up with this attack, you can
take absolutely no damage, be it from a projectile or another
source. Doesn't sound like a bad deal, right? The big problem is
that, at 60 MP a second, you're not gonna have it up for very long.
Furthermore, you must remain completely immobile while you
maintain this, which means you can't use it in the air or while
attacking. I guess if you need temporary invulnerability against an
attack you can't avoid (like something a boss might throw out), this
is a good route to take. Otherwise, I can't condone such a steep MP
cost for an inflexible move.
Verdict: 5
GREAT ARMOR
Description: STR is increased by 120%.
MP Cost: 60 MP/sec
Evaluation: I have a nitpicky typographical error first -- the move
doesn't increase your Strength BY 120%, but TO 120%. Thus,
you'll get a 20% increase in power. If it was an 120% increase, you
might be able to justify the exorbitant MP cost. You might be able
to rack up a respectable amount of extra damage if you're using a
fast weapon, but otherwise I wouldn't recommend using this soul at
all. There are better Guardian Souls, Bullet Souls that can use your
MP much better, and using this means your magic will be down
the toilet before you know it.
Verdict: 4
CATOBLEPAS
Description: Breathes a petrifying cloud into the air.
MP Cost: 15 MP/sec
Evaluation: Catoblepas does rather unastonishing damage, but its
real value is in the ability to petrify some enemies that are
normally rather hard to kill. All of the Armor-type enemies are
vulnerable, as are Golems. When an enemy is petrified, they
cannot attack you, and they take double the damage from any
attacks. I wouldn't deign myself to using it throughout a majority
of the castle, unfortunately, because it's short-ranged and the move
is not damage-economical for its MP cost (which is not too severe,
thankfully).
Verdict: 5.5
BONE PILLAR
Description: Radiates flame.
MP Cost: 30 MP/sec
Evaluation: Your MP will be siphoning out surprisingly quickly
for damage that is good, but not overwhelming. It has the same
short range as Catoblepas, but does about twice the damage
(without the petrification aspect naturally). You COULD make
something out of this, if you're good at magic management.
Otherwise, I'd use it from time to time just for a little variety. It's
not a bad move, just a little demanding.
Verdict: 6
CAGNAZZO
Description: Punches enemies. (Konami sure knows how to write a
colorful description)
MP Cost: 5 MP/sec
Evaluation: The cost is right and the damage is good since
Cagnazzo punches at a fairly rapid rate, AND you can stack it on
to your weapon attacks for added carnage. The problem is with this
soul's range. Seriously, Cagnazzo sprouts out of your head and
starts punching at a downward 45 degree angle with his wimpy
little girl arms. You aren't going to be hitting anything with him
unless you are seriously in your enemy's face or using a combat
knife. In my opinion, this is a fundamental issue that makes the
soul almost worthless, if it wasn't for all its other advantages. It's
lenient on your MP and the attacks come out fast, so you could use
it for a while. And there's a certain inherent comedy value when a
big red thing comes out of your skull, yells "ORA ORA ORA!!"
and starts punching things.
Verdict: 5
BIG GOLEM
Description: Punches enemies. (Imagine that!)
MP Cost: 5 MP/sec
Evaluation: Unlike his partner in enemy-punching crime, the Big
Golem has even more distinct disadvantages that make it generally
unusable. The same low MP cost is still there, and the damage is
greater than ever, but the thing is that the move is impossible to
make practical. For one, Big Golem actually comes out of your
back, and instead of automatically punching will only attack in
response to one of Soma's attacks. So basically Big Golem can
only hit things that Soma is facing away from. That's a problem.
Furthermore, his attacks come out far more slowly than
Cagnazzo's, and even though they do considerably more damage
and don't have the range of a piss stream, you're probably not
going to be hitting much with them.
Verdict: 4
SHADOW KNIGHT
Description: His shadow fights beside him.
MP Cost: 5 MP/sec
Evaluation: This is basically a combination of the Cagnazzo and
the Big Golem souls, only with most of the negative aspects
removed. Like Big Golem, Shadow Knight will only trigger when
Soma himself attacks. However, its attacks come out notably faster
than the former soul's, and though it doesn't do as much damage it
still chalks up anyway. Its range is longer than Cagnazzo's and
shorter than Big Golem's, and it actually manages to face forward.
And look! We still have that same generous MP cost. Of the four
'punching enemy' souls, Shadow Knight is my pick. I think there
are still better Guardian souls though.
Verdict: 7.5
CREAKING SKULL
Description: Supports a battle from behind.
MP Cost: 5 MP/sec
Evaluation: What's kind of cool about this soul is that it always
faces the same direction (whichever way Soma had his back turned
when you called it out) no matter which direction you're facing. It
makes hitting your target a lot more flexible...at least, it would, if
Creaking Skull wasn't the slowest of the four 'punching enemy'
souls. The damage is the highest of the four, but the move comes
out so slow that Soma can probably kill the enemy before it
actually gets the attack in anyway. Also, it's prone to miss your
target if you're moving around a lot (and that's a problem in any
Castlevania game since you're trying not to get hit). Regardless,
the added support can help against harder foes, and since you can
manipulate it to go both forward AND backward it's still better
than Big Golem.
Verdict: 5.5
MEDUSA HEAD
Description: Ability to stop in mid-air.
MP Cost: 10 MP/sec
Evaluation: You will probably have no use for this soul except for
fighting certain bosses such as Balore or the Big Golem. There
aren't many tactical advantages to being able to float immobile in
the air, especially considering it will generally just make you an
easier target. This does have great potential during boss fights
where the time calls, but you're never going to use this otherwise.
Verdict: 2
PERSEPHONE
Description: Absorb enemies' HP with a magical item.
MP Cost: 15 MP/sec
Evaluation: I'm trying not to be biased towards this move, because
I'm secretly obsessed with it. Seriously, there's something so dorky
and fun about being able to suck out your foe's life with an evil
vacuum cleaner. I use this move far more than I should. Geeky
fetishism aside, this really isn't that bad of a soul. The lack of range
is what hurts it the most; the attack's radius is a small oval about
two inches high and one inch long. Furthermore, the damage is
rather middling, but those extra HP it brings you add up pretty
quickly and the attacks rack up. This soul takes practice to use
well, well enough to the point where you don't end up hurting
yourself more than the life you gain back. Vacuum cleaner of
death!
Verdict: 6
ALURA UNE
Description: Restores health.
MP Cost: 60 MP/sec
Evaluation: The MP cost is steep, but generally this is a
surprisingly good soul. You'll be getting back about 40 HP a
second -- if you think 40 HP for 60 MP is a good exchange rate, go
for it. Hearts are a lot easier to come by than health in this game
anyway, not without using your items at least. Generally, I just try
to hold out for save statues, but that's just me. If you're really
hurting at one point or another, you could just switch this soul in
really quickly and give yourself an emergency intervention, but
Alura Une is also good enough to warrant an endgame spot in your
soul roster. Give it a try.
Verdict: 8
CURLY
Description: Transforms into a demon that rushes at enemies.
MP Cost: 30 MP/sec
Evaluation: I honestly don't like any of the transformation souls.
You can only use them in big passages with long floors, and
though they do good damage they also take a huge chunk out of
your MP. You can also get damaged out of the transformation
phase, rendering the attack useless and still wasting anywhere from
30 to 60 MP. Furthermore, they basically make an uncontrollable
beeline, and I hate not having any control of my attacks. Curly is
only different from Devil and Manticore because her attacks are
the fastest and weakest of them, so she will get in the most hits. I
wouldn't use her or any of the other Souls, though.
Verdict: 3
DEVIL
Description: Transforms into a demon that rushes at enemies.
MP Cost: 30 MP/sec
Evaluation: See Curly. Devil is the middle-of-the-road soul as far
as attack strength and speed go. If you really had to pick one, go
with this one, I guess.
Verdict: 4
MANTICORE
Description: Transforms into a magical beast that rushes at
enemies.
MP Cost: 30 MP/sec
Evaluation: See Curly. Manticore does the most damage to
enemies in its path, but it also has less of a chance of getting
multiple hits. Whatever, it still sucks.
Verdict: 3
SKY FISH
Description: While praying, both STR and LCK increase for a
moment.
MP Cost: 60 MP/sec
Evaluation: At first, I prayed only for the minimum amount of time
and was ready to pass Sky Fish off as a completely useless soul.
Worse yet, you need to pray in a relatively safe place because you
can get knocked out of it. However, I made an important discovery
that the game neglects to tell you: the longer you maintain the
prayer, the more Strength and Luck you will gain. The game
doesn't show you the numbers, so there's no way to really tell how
much your stats go up, but I poured about 300 MP into the move
and got my Strength up to about 250%. Naturally, enemies
dropped their items far more often as well. That was, granted,
almost my entire magic bar, but the increase in strength can really
help out for the five seconds that you get it. Another neat
advantage is that if you DO get knocked out of the prayer, you still
get the benefits that leave off at however much you prayed. And
since it's variable, you can strike whatever balance between
Strength and MP that you need. This is not a bad investment at all.
Verdict: 7
IMP
Description: Summons "Imp", the familiar.
MP Cost: 3 MP/sec
Evaluation: Yeah, at 3 MP per second I didn't think that this would
do much. I was right. Imp's damage is shaky and it almost never
attacks its foe. Most of the time, it'll just fly around uselessly,
sucking up your MP and neglecting to do anything of value. There
is really no reason to use this at all, unless you are a huge stinge
with your MP.
Verdict: 1.5
ALASTOR
Description: Summons "Alastor", the familiar.
MP Cost: 3 MP/sec
Evaluation: Far, far more useful than Imp, and at the same MP cost
as well! Alastor attacks more frequently, has a wider range, and
does at least four times as much damage. The Familiar souls are
still a little unreliable for my tastes, but you could do worse than
this.
Verdict: 6.5
DEATH
Description: Attacks enemies using sickles.
MP Cost: 10 MP/sec
Evaluation: It does pretty middle-of-the-road damage for a
Guardian Soul, but it is MP-economical and the scythes come out
pretty quickly. They also track! This Soul certainly offers up a lot
of bang for your buck. One of the more useful offensive Guardian
Souls.
Verdict: 8
6) Enchanted Souls
ZOMBIE
Description: Becomes stronger when poisoned.
Evaluation: Eh, not really a fan. The power increase is decent, but
you're not gonna get to hang onto it for very long. It isn't really
worth it to cling onto your Zombie soul waiting for the right
opportunity to get poisoned, or to shuffle into your menu to equip
the soul just to unequip it again a few seconds later. I mean, if
you've got NOTHING better to use...which I doubt...then go for it.
Verdict: 3
PEEPING EYE
Description: Identifies breakable walls.
Evaluation: Aria of Sorrow is not really breakable-wall-happy like
some other games in the Castlevania series, so for all the effort it
takes to get this soul it doesn't pay off.
(Yes, it takes forever for those damn Peeping Eyes to give it to
you. Argh.) The rewards behind a breakable wall are always nice,
but ultimately not mandatory. And besides, most of the breakable
walls are pretty obviously placed anyway. If you're really that
stuck then use a guide.
Verdict: 3
WHITE DRAGON/QUEZALCOATL/GORGON/DEAD
CRUSADER
Description: CON is increased by 4/8/12/16.
Evaluation: The thing about Constitution and Defense is that you
can increase them a lot more flexibly than you can Strength. With
your attack power, there may be one certain sort of weapon that
you'd rather use and it isn't as strong as another type of weapon; no
problem, put a Golem on! With Armor, and thus Defense and
Constitution, this problem doesn't really exist. Your best choice of
armor is almost always evident throughout the game. Defense isn't
usually as big of a worry factor as offense in Aria of Sorrow, and
though it obviously helps I still value the Strength souls more than
these. These souls suffer from the Headhunter quandary as well.
Verdict: 6.5
SKELETON KNIGHT/MINOTAUR/GOLEM/TRITON
Description: STR is increased by 4/8/12/16.
Evaluation: In my opinion, the Strength increasing souls are
probably the most useful out of the static stat increasers. The
increase in the overall numbers, especially towards the higher end,
is always the most apparent. If you're dead-set on using a faster,
weaker weapon, then strapping on one of these puppies can help to
offset the lowered damage quite a bit. These obviously become
very outdated once you get your Headhunter up to speed (or if you
have a Lubicant and not so many HP), but they're useful substitutes
in the meantime. Extra damage doesn't hurt, right?
Verdict: 7.5
ECTOPLASM
Description: Immunity to curses.
Evaluation: This is only a little less dumb than Poison Worm
because there's no Zombie-like substitute to fill in for it. However,
it's still dumb. Buy a lot of Uncurse Potions and this shouldn't even
be a problem.
Verdict: 2
GHOST DANCER/GREMLIN
Description: LCK is increased by 4/8.
Evaluation: What bugs me about these souls is I have no way of
telling if they're actually that effective. I mean, I don't know if the
enemies are more likely to drop items or not.
Then again, even after I used these souls my foes weren't exactly
like "BLAAAH I'M DYING HERE TAKE MY CRAP". Luck is
kind of a shady stat in that regard, and the lack of tangibility makes
Luck-increasing souls rather useless in my opinion. I'd rather
augment something that I can see in numbers, personally. If you
really think you need the help getting more souls or items, be my
guest - but don't expect a revolutionary increase.
Verdict: 4
UNDINE
Description: Walk on water surfaces.
Evaluation: Well, the move is just a utility that you need to
advance farther in the game. It doesn't really serve any combat
purposes, so it isn't really possible to evaluate. There's no real
tactical advantages to being able to stand on the water, anyway.
Verdict: -
SKULA
Description: Allows you to walk while underwater.
Evaluation: Like Undine, this is basically a necessity for
completing the game. Also like Undine, this won't really turn the
tides (ho ho I made a pun) of any battle.
Verdict: -
ZOMBIE OFFICER
Description: Jumping while taking damage restores health.
Evaluation:
REVISION 1.01: Big freaking thanks to Erik Randolph for figuring
this one out for me! He writes:
"What Zombie Officer really does, it allows you to recover from
getting hit in the air by hitting the jump button.
Instead of flying back, you'll fall straight down, and if you
haven't double-jumped already, you can jump in the air. Its best
use as far as I see it is those Medusa Head areas where they
tend to knock you all over the place, that'll let you have more
control over where you go. Especially nice if you're going to fly
into a set of spikes or something."
Still, as it goes, I don't think this is a particularly useful
Soul either way.
Verdict: 2.5
WOODEN GOLEM
Description: MP recovery rate is increased.
Evaluation: This will approximately double the rate at which your
MP regenerate, from a little slower than 1 MP/2 seconds to a little
slower than 1 MP/second. This isn't a bad deal at all, in my
opinion. It can help out in times of gripping battle when you find
your magic points draining out fairly quickly, or if you're having
trouble accumulating the hearts you need to keep your MP in
check. This is still not exactly a game-breaking ability, sadly.
Verdict: 7
TSUCHINOKO
Description: Allows you to buy goods at cheaper prices.
Evaluation: Tsuchinoko will contribute a 20% discount at
Hammer's shop. This is nice if you need to do a big shopping spree
before facing a boss or something, but I rarely suffered any money
woes throughout the game. If you're going after the Soul Eater
ring, this can also help out quite a bit by knocking a cool 60000 off
its 300000 Gold price tag. This soul takes an awful long time to get
because the enemy is so elusive, so I'd only recommend sitting it
out if you REALLY think you'll need it. If you do manage to pick
it up, it can't do you anything but good -- equip it, do your
shopping and then take it off.
Verdict: 6
RED CROW/LILITH/BAEL/STOLAS
Description: INT is increased by 4/8/12/16.
Evaluation: As with the previous two sets of souls, these are just
kind of thrown out the window once/if Headhunter's statistical
increases exceed 16, especially since Headhunter covers all the
stats. (Then again, that would take collecting 256 souls throughout
the game. Good luck!) Intelligence is probably the least useful of
the stats to upgrade, since all it affects are the Guardian Souls. To
me, it seems a little silly to use one soul merely to complement the
other, especially since Guardian Souls aren't really a reliable
source of damage compared to Bullet Souls or your normal attack.
You could still do worse than throwing on a Stolas, but I'm not
really sold on these.
Verdict: 5
DEAD WARRIOR
Description: Deflect normal attacks by pressing Up + B.
Evaluation: This is a bad translation. What the move really allows
you to do is interrupt a regular attack with your equipped Bullet
Soul. That said, it really isn't that useful unless you're using
Hammers, which are awful in the first place. I guess it could get
you out of a few pinches, but I have yet to see a really useful
strategic purpose for it.
Verdict: 2
GIANT WORM
Description: When motionless, HP are gradually restored.
Evaluation: You get 5 of your HP back every two seconds, which
isn't really a bad deal. Still, if you're impatient or it's not really safe
to stand in one place for too long, I'd just stick with the Succubus
soul. Hell, I'd stick with the Succubus soul anyway. This is an okay
alternative, but if you're missing a lot of HP then you're gonna be
doing an awful lot of tedious standing around.
Verdict: 6
POISON WORM
Description: Immunity to poison.
Evaluation: Okay seriously, you may as well just use Zombie.
Getting more power out of poison is a lot better than just not
getting poisoned. And why the hell can't you just use an
Antivenom anyway? Dumb.
Verdict: 1
ARC DEMON
Description: Restores MP as damage is inflicted upon him.
Evaluation: This is actually really neat. Since you're getting back 2
MP for every one point of damage you take, you're going to be
expanding your magic pool very quickly. Let's face it: no one can
get away from taking damage in a Castlevania game. This could be
even more helpful during bosses where you run out of MP with no
hearts/items in sight to replenish it and you wanna get a liiiitle
more use out of that Lightning Doll. I don't encourage intentionally
taking damage just to get your MP back, because that could easily
go awry, but Arc Demon will add a lot more oomph to your
performance on the battlefield.
Verdict: 9
FLESH GOLEM
Description: Enjoys eating the oddest things.
Evaluation: Since the description is a little vague, the Flesh
Golem's soul actually enables you to...wait for it!...eat Rotten Meat
and Spoiled Milk without suffering any damage. OOH. Honestly,
your enemies will drop maybe two of each throughout the entire
game; the effort it takes to put the soul on just to eat the item and
then take it back off isn't worth the reward. Don't bother. (If you're
REALLY wondering about the denominations,
Rotten Meat restores 200 HP and Spoiled Milk restores all of them.
I guess if you're hurting for healing supplies, which is rarely a
problem in this game, you could use this and make do with the
crap that you normally can't.)
Verdict: 1
GARGOYLE
Description: Immunity to petrification.
Evaluation: See Ectoplasm, except that being petrified is so
insignificant that I can't imagine wasting an Enchanted Soul space
for the sake of keeping it away. If you can mash the buttons fast,
you'll never be petrified for longer than three seconds. Super
dumb.
Verdict: 1
SUCCUBUS
Description: Absorb enemies' HP when an ordinary attack is
delivered.
Evaluation: Well, considering all of the 'ordinary attacks' you'll be
'delivering' throughout this game, Succubus is definitely a useful
soul to occupy this slot. 5 HP per hit may not seem like a lot, but
when you consider that a lot of enemies take more than one hit to
down you'll be gaining your life back pretty fast. Furthermore, the
game also counts attacks against candelabras and other terrain
items as "hits", which sweetens the deal even more. If you're
having trouble keeping those HP up, then you definitely owe it to
yourself to try out this soul.
Verdict: 9
MIMIC
Description: Increases money as damage is incurred.
Evaluation: 5 Gold for every point of damage incurred is actually
not a bad deal. I could see this being abused fairly easily: hanging
out near a save statue, going out and taking a big chunk of damage
from a nearby enemy, then going back to heal. Rinse, lather,
repeat. You have all the money you could possibly ask for! The
quandary that Mimic shares with Tsuchinoko, however, is that
there is rarely a DIRE need for money throughout the game. You
are generally well-provided for as long as you take the time to pick
up all the money bags and knock out the candleholders here and
there. Unlike Tsuchinoko, however, you have to be a little more
active with Mimic to get use out of it; still, that extra change racks
up pretty quickly.
REVISION 1.01: A big thanks to Ben Sillence for this trick! When
you fall on spikes while the Mimic Soul is equipped, you get 1000
Gold. There's a spot in the Clock Tower where there's a Save Point
right next to a spike bed, so you can impale yourself to your heart's
content and then go refresh your life when you're getting low! Great
source of Gold.
Verdict: 7
ERINYS
Description: Increases experience points by 120%.
Evaluation: Extra levels definitely don't hurt. The description is
really kind of self-explanatory -- if you want more experience, then
just slap this on and watch the points pile up. Level-ups come
around rather slowly in Aria of Sorrow, so this is actually a pretty
good idea in the long run. The problem is that if you end up taking
this off after using it for most of the game, then the game's natural
experience curve will probably eat Soma alive and end up
averaging out his growth rate anyway. You could go through the
game without this, but it would certainly help if you employed it
from time to time. (Erinys does not change the value of the
Sherman Ring. Shame, eh?)
Verdict: 8
LUBICANT
Description: Gains strength as it loses HP.
Evaluation: I'm not entirely sure as to how the increments work for
this ability. Your Strength, Intelligence and Constitution are the
only affected stats, with the latter being far less affected than the
other. However, your numbers get alarmingly high if you let your
HP drop low enough -- I used the soul at 54/692 HP, and I was
getting 60 extra points of Strength and Intelligence. The thing that
sucks about the soul is that for it to really have a profound effect,
you're going to have to wander around at low life, which means
Soma could get nixed in a matter of unsuspecting seconds. The
soul also contributes no stats at full life, so a friendly trip to the
local save statue will basically render Lubicant useless. Use this
one with caution. Plus, the name sounds like Lubricant, which is
kind of creepy.
Verdict: 6.5
BASILISK
Description: Defensive strength increases and offensive strength
decreases.
Evaluation: You know, I'm not an avid supporter of losing 50% of
your Attack Power just for a 25% defensive bonus. Sure, you need
to be able to soak up the damage in Castlevania, but you have to
dish it out too -- and the exchange rate just isn't worth it here. I
can't really see much practical application for this soul, unless you
just intend to blast through the game with Guardian Souls as your
main source of offense only. And that would be a really dumb idea.
Verdict: 2
IRON GOLEM
Description: Withstand a lot of damage without flinching.
Evaluation: This is a neat, unique little soul. There are really better
Enchanted Souls out there for you to be using, but this one has
some covert advantages to it as well. Basically, it means that Soma
won't do his reflexive 'damaged' animation after taking a hit from
an enemy. It sounds useless, but it means that you can retaliate a
few moments sooner, which can be helpful. It's even better if you
take damage in the air; your jump will not be interrupted as it
usually is. This is also really nice to use in conjunction with Black
Panther for uninterrupted dashing fun!
Verdict: 6
HEADHUNTER
Description: Collects souls to increase strength.
Evaluation: Headhunter increases each of your stats, except Luck,
by 1 for every 16 souls you collect. These statistical increases
across the board will be helpful, but not monumentally so -- the
fact is, since it upgrades in power throughout the game at a rather
gradual rate, you aren't going to be seeing any gigantic upgrades. If
you take the time to intentionally hunt down the same enemy over
and over until you've collected like 200 Bat Souls, then
Headhunter will obviously serve you very well. The game caps this
Soul's statistical boosts at 33, so don't bother collecting any more
once you've hit that ceiling. Still, you don't have to have this
equipped to cash in on the bonuses that the souls will confer, so I'd
just recommend letting this sit around for about 80% of the game
and then equipping it towards the end when it peaks in power. That
lack of early-game utility is kind of what hurts Headhunter the
most, but it's still a strong soul, no argument.
Verdict: 8.5
7) Soul Setups
Sorry, it doesn't exist yet. ;[
8) Copyright Information
This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for
personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or
otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission.
Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public
display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. Freak.
Copyright 2006 Drew Smith.
9) Special Thanks
- Thanks to Schlave's awesome guide for the references to a Soul's
Power. Though I tested the power of each Soul on my own, it was
quite useful for cross-referencing the damage of certain Souls to
one another. It's a great guide, too.
- Konami, for making such an awesome game.
- Me, for thanking a developer in an entirely cliched way.
- My friends and family - the people who make this life worth
living!
