Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Last updated . Sources are linked in the text.
Soma Cruz acquires monster abilities through Tactical Souls. Dawn of Sorrow is the sequel, sold in a different collection.
Release and story placement
Release reference: 2003. Original platform: Game Boy Advance. Story: 2035.
The first Soma story
Soma Cruz acquires monster abilities through Tactical Souls. Dawn of Sorrow is the sequel, sold in a different collection.
Tactical Souls let Soma acquire abilities from defeated monsters. Its 2035 setting is a fictional story date, not a release date. Dawn continues his story one year later, but belongs to Dominus rather than Advance. Soma's connection to Dracula is a major story revelation, not a prerequisite for choosing the game.
Where to play
Advance Collection includes this game. Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch and Windows (Steam). Official collection details; Steam collection purchase.
For release versus story order, separate this game from later ports and collections.
Sources and versions
Publisher game description and mechanics; Konami regional release history; Wikipedia media list (secondary). Older story dates and side-continuity labels use the community chronology (secondary). Historical dates and old product descriptions do not establish a current download or price.
Questions
Should Aria come before Dawn?
For Soma's story, yes: Aria is set in 2035 and Dawn in 2036. Buy Advance for Aria and Dominus for Dawn; neither collection contains both.
Which collection includes it?
Advance Collection. Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch and Windows (Steam).