14 DAY TRIAL // Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, the first Xbox 360 exclusive of the famous vampire hunting action series, has finally received a release date from Konami. The title will launch on the 4th of August on the Xbox Live Arcade and will be priced at 1,200 Microsoft Points. It is part of the XBLA Summer of Arcade program, which means that if an Xbox 360 owner buys this title along with at least two others, the software giant will hand them 400 Microsoft Points as a refund.
It is a two-dimensional action adventure game that brings back many characters from the Castlevania universe, like Alucard, Soma Cruz, Jonathan Morris or Charlotte Aulin. The title allows players to explore either alone or with up to five other friends via the Xbox Live level inspired by other installments in the franchise, like Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin or Order of Ecclesia.
A new feature is the revamping of the map, which will permit players to actively zoom in and out of their location, without stopping the game. The traditional exploration element is still there, but the experience point system that was part of some of the previous iterations has been removed. Weapons and equipment are the only ways Castlevania: Harmony of Despair enables gamers to customize their characters.
Competitive multiplayer will also be available through the game's Survival Mode. A Boss Rush Mode is the main cooperative component, letting up to six vampire hunters travel through several rooms collecting various items, until finally facing a difficult boss monster. This is not the only Castlevania game Konami is publishing, as later this year, the big reboot of the series will be launched. Castlevania: Lords of Shadows is a third person action game developed by MercurySteam in collaboration with Kojima Productions. The title will be available for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.