Set during World War II, "Portrait of Ruin" follows Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin exploring a castle full of paintings that function as portals to separate worlds, each with its own aesthetic and enemies. The team led by Koji Igarashi, seasoned in the saga since Symphony of the Night, took advantage of the ability to switch between two characters with different abilities to deepen the series' characteristic level design.
It's one of the three entries that established DS as the natural home of post-Symphony of the Night Castlevania, and it remains a mandatory reference for the Metroidvania genre. For those just approaching the style, it's one of the strongest entry points in the entire catalog.
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