Summary
Castlevaniahasbrought gothic horrorand action-adventure from the NES in the 1980s to Netflix in the 2020s. Many entries in the franchise have been marked as some of the best of all time and entries likeSuper Castlevania 4, Symphony of the Night,andAria of Sorrowhave been regarded as some of the best on their respective platforms.
For all the praise, however, the games have also gained a reputation as being fiendishly difficult. Rigid jumping, limited attack directions, and some cursed staircase climbingamid harsh enemy placementhave cemented a legacy of hard games. Yet this would be selling the franchise as a whole somewhat short. NumerousCastlevaniagames are accessible to players and make for great entry points to the series for first-time and new players. Below are some of the easiestCastlevaniagames in the long-running franchise.
Updated June 3rd, 2024 by Jacob Buchalter:Castlevania is honestly probably at another peak of its popularity, given how beloved the Netflix show is and how iconic the franchise is overall. There are so many games in this franchise as a whole, and tons of them are completely different from each other in story, gameplay, and general design. The Castlevania IP, however, is known for being difficult, as defeating Dracula should be difficult, and for the most part, this is a true statement. However, there are some games in the annals of Castlevania history that are easier than most of the others, and those are the ones we’ll be talking about here. These games are not only some of the easier titles in the IP, but they’re also commonly some of the best ones for new fans of the Castlevania franchise to hop in on.
Starting things off with aCastlevaniagame that’s ‘technically’ the one set in the earliest time period canonically,Lament of Innocence. This is a 3DCastlevaniagame thatwas released on the PlayStation 2and had players controlling Leon Belmont as heexplored a vampire’s castleto find his fiance, Sara. Overall,Lament of Innocenceis both praised and criticized by the fanbase for feeling almost too inspired byDevil May Cry, which had just been released about 2 years prior.
The gamehas a unique story, creative gameplay, great music, and fantastic graphical fidelity for the time. However, it also forces the player to backtrack quite a bit, the combat isn’t as deep as it would make it seem, and the level design gets pretty repetitive. All of this adds together to make a game that seems difficult at first but ends up being pretty easy.
Castlevania: Order Of Ecclesia
The members of the Order of Ecclesia are sworn to defeat Dracula and his minions - and now it’s time to take on the Prince of Darkness again in the third Castlevania title for the Nintendo DS. The challenge has risen to a whole new level and only the brave will be able to side-scroll their way to victory!
Shanoa is the chosen hero from the Order of Ecclesia and, in a break with Castlevania tradition, she’s a vampire-crushing female! A new Glyph attack system means there are over 100 different attacks to be learned and honed – and you’re going to need them as you face a gigantic roster of enemies, all intent on wiping you off the face of the planet. you may collect different Glyphs in a variety of ways, such as defeating enemies or completing missions. Use your magical prowess to battle your way through 20 different stages to reach Dracula himself for the final encounter.
As you explore the game’s many locations, you’ll come across a variety of side quests that will provide you with new ways to power up your character and alter the way the story progresses. Handily enough, you can buy and sell items with your fellow Castlevania cronies via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection or go head-to-head with them in Versus Mode. You can also connect up to the Wii game Castlevania Judgment to get your hands on some very special items to aid in your quest.
Join Shanoa on the road to heroism in Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia – a game you can sink your teeth into!
Order of Ecclesiais such a uniqueCastlevaniagame in so many ways. Whether it’s the more ‘explorable’ map, the side quests players could take on, the new systems it introduced, or the RPG elements it brought into the franchise as well. Shanoa, who is theheroine of the game is also well-likedby the fanbase, and for good reason, she’s an absolute badass. And funnily enough, the game is pretty difficult all around, but then why is it on this list?
Well, it’s at the bottom of the rankings, which means it’s one of the hardest games on here, and the RPG elements brought into the game such as the Glyph System give players a ton of freedom in how they play, but also make the game easier as a whole. OverallOrder of Ecclesiais aCastlevaniagame that is heavily slept on, and one that’s surprisingly perfect for those new to the IP to jump in on.
Castlevania Bloodlines, just like a lot of theCastlevaniagames included here, is a pretty unique entry into the franchise overall. First of all, the playable characters are barely, if at all, related to the Belmont or Tepes bloodlines, which is ironic given the game’s name.
Second, the game was designed from the ground up to be tailor-made for the Sega Genesis, which meant increasing the overall speed of the gameplay while still trying to keep as much of that ‘Castlevaniafoundation’ as possible. The end result is a pretty fantastic game, but the focus on more action-oriented combat ends up making the title a bit easier than most of theCastlevaniagames overall.
An odd entry for the franchise,Castlevania Legendswould release late in the Game Boy’s life cycle in 1997/8. A supposed origin story for the franchise before being declared non-cannon, the player controls Sonia Belmont as she hunts down the very first manifestation of Dracula. Featuring a signature Belmont tank-like stroll and one direction for whipping, the game promises much of what the previous Game Boy entries did but to a lesser extent. This is a short game that opened to middling reviews, it’s a curiosity piece but an easy one.
The gameplay can be let down by some wonky collision detection, however, Sonia’s ‘burning mode’ can speed up the gameplay and leave her invincible for 10 seconds once per stage, making some memorable moments.
Regarded by many as one of the best videogames of all time,Super Castlevania 4has faced numerous re-releases since its SNES debut in 1991. Taking the role of Simon Belmont in 1691,the player must traverse Dracula’s castleand defeat the Dark Lord himself. Bringing the series to 16-bit home consoles for the first time under a memorable soundtrack along with Mode 7 depth effects,Super Castlevania 4is a beloved and celebrated entry for good reason. Despite the series' notoriety for difficult games, this SNES entry is certainly one of the more accessible ones.
As well as being the SNES debut forCastlevania, it would also debut new control features including an 8-dimension whip and the ability to swing across gaps with it.
What should have been known as the sequel toRondo of Bloodended up as a full-blown rebirth for the franchise.Symphony of the Nightwas released in 1997 to critical acclaim and became the sleeper hit of its console generation, a 2D side scroller in an age of 3D. Utilizing the PlayStation and Sega Saturn’s processing powers, Dracula’s castle was brought to a brand new labyrinthine scale granting the player exploration as a leading gameplay element. The winning formula found in the game would prove a pioneer moment leading to an entire genre of inspired Metroidvania titles.
Introducing hit points and leveling decidedly enhanced theCastlevania formula with titles afterward only following suit.A classic not to be missed, this is also one of the series' most accessible titles.
The first Game Boy AdvanceCastlevaniaentry would give players a considerably challenging experience, more akin to its NES ancestors. However,Harmony of Dissonancebrought the portable series closer to the Metroidvania formula and a markedly smoother gameplay experience. The player is placed in the role ofJuste Belmont, Simon’s grandson, as he searches for a captive friend in Dracula’s castle. Graphically the game would take a significant leap from its predecessor and distinctive of this entry, Juste can take furniture and collectibles from Dracula’s castle.
Famously, this game would have an incredibly bright and colorful presentation to compensate for the GBA’s lack of a backlit screen at the time. It’s not the perfect handheld entry, but it is a good one and not intimidating in difficulty.
The first entry to follow the universally acclaimedAria of Sorrowarrived on the Nintendo DS. Its direct sequelDawn of Sorrow, would receive similar acclaim and commercial success, revitalizing the RPG elements and fantastic atmosphere of its predecessor. Bringing the franchise to the DS would enable the stats of the game and leveling elements to be displayed on the above screen, bringing a new level of customization toCastlevaniaoverall. This sequel places the player in the role of Soma Cruz asa cult manifests to resurrect Draculaby taking Soma’s life.
Certainly one of the most accessible games in the franchise and one of the best in the series, many publications would credit it as one of the best DS games of 2005 of the console’s entire library.
Winning several awards and high praise on its 2006 release,Portrait of Ruinwould be the second DS entry for theCastlevaniaseries. Choosing the rich setting of Europe in 1944, the game’s plot would continue the story from theSega Genesis entryCastlevania: Bloodlines. The player is given two protagonists to play as which they can change anytime, Charlotte Aulin and Johnathan Morris, son ofBloodlinesprotagonist John. WherePortrait of Ruinstands out is its exploration of portraits with Dracula’s Castle, giving players an exploration of locals not seen sinceBloodlines.
Featuring an excellent soundtrack and imaginative world design,Portrait of Ruinis a series high point not to be missed, moreover, it’s far from overbearing in difficulty.
Widely regarded as the worthy successor toSymphony of the Night,Aria of Sorrowwould be released to critical ovation on the Game Boy Advance in 2003. The player takes the role of Soma Cruz in 2035, a student with powers of the occult and a potential vessel for the reincarnation of Dracula. Remarkably,Aria of Sorrowmanages to bring everything outstanding fromSymphony of the Nightand successfully translates it to the portable format. This third entry is the high point for the Gameboy Advance games andcan be enjoyed through modern platforms on the Advance Collectionreleased in 2021.
Aria of Sorrowwould introduce the tactical soul system to the franchise, the ability to absorb fallen enemies' souls and grant the player new abilities. A game for the ages, this is also one of the franchise’s easiest entries.
