The Easiest Castlevania Games, Ranked

Castlevania has brought gothic horror and 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 like Super Castlevania 4, Symphony of the Night, and Aria of Sorrow have been regarded as some of the best on their respective platforms.

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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 climbing amid harsh enemy placement have cemented a legacy of hard games. Yet this would be selling the franchise as a whole somewhat short. Numerous Castlevania games are accessible to players and make for great entry points to the series for first-time and new players. Below are some of the easiest Castlevania games 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.

10 Castlevania: Lament of Innocence

A Character-Action Type Castlevania Game

Starting things off with a Castlevania game that's 'technically' the one set in the earliest time period canonically, Lament of Innocence. This is a 3D Castlevania game that was released on the PlayStation 2 and had players controlling Leon Belmont as he explored a vampire's castle to find his fiance, Sara. Overall, Lament of Innocence is both praised and criticized by the fanbase for feeling almost too inspired by Devil May Cry, which had just been released about 2 years prior.

The game has 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.

9 Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

An Entirely Different Type of Castlevania Metroidvania

Order of Ecclesia is such a unique Castlevania game 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 the heroine of the game is also well-liked by 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. Overall Order of Ecclesia is a Castlevania game that is heavily slept on, and one that's surprisingly perfect for those new to the IP to jump in on.

8 Castlevania Bloodlines

Very Unique, Very Creative, & Very Easy

Castlevania Bloodlines, just like a lot of the Castlevania games 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 'Castlevania foundation' 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 the Castlevania games overall.

7 Castlevania Legends

Probably Challenging at the Time, Incredibly Easy Now

An odd entry for the franchise, Castlevania Legends would 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.

6 Super Castlevania 4

One of the Most Iconic Castlevania Games of All Time

Regarded by many as one of the best videogames of all time, Super Castlevania 4 has faced numerous re-releases since its SNES debut in 1991. Taking the role of Simon Belmont in 1691, the player must traverse Dracula’s castle and 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 4 is 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 for Castlevania, it would also debut new control features including an 8-dimension whip and the ability to swing across gaps with it.

5 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

A Game for the Ages & Very Accessible to Newcomers

What should have been known as the sequel to Rondo of Blood ended up as a full-blown rebirth for the franchise. Symphony of the Night was 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 the Castlevani a formula with titles afterward only following suit. A classic not to be missed, this is also one of the series' most accessible titles.

4 Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance

Symphony of the Night's 'Sequel' & By Far an Easier Game

The first Game Boy Advance Castlevania entry would give players a considerably challenging experience, more akin to its NES ancestors. However, Harmony of Dissonance brought the portable series closer to the Metroidvania formula and a markedly smoother gameplay experience. The player is placed in the role of Juste 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.

3 Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow

The Same Quality (& Difficulty) as Aria of Sorrow

The first entry to follow the universally acclaimed Aria of Sorrow arrived on the Nintendo DS. Its direct sequel Dawn 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 to Castlevania overall. This sequel places the player in the role of Soma Cruz as a cult manifests to resurrect Dracula by 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.

2 Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

Just an Incredibly Solid Metroidvania

Winning several awards and high praise on its 2006 release, Portrait of Ruin would be the second DS entry for the Castlevania series. Choosing the rich setting of Europe in 1944, the game’s plot would continue the story from the Sega Genesis entry Castlevania: Bloodlines. The player is given two protagonists to play as which they can change anytime, Charlotte Aulin and Johnathan Morris, son of Bloodlines protagonist John. Where Portrait of Ruin stands out is its exploration of portraits with Dracula’s Castle, giving players an exploration of locals not seen since Bloodline s.

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Featuring an excellent soundtrack and imaginative world design, Portrait of Ruin is a series high point not to be missed, moreover, it’s far from overbearing in difficulty.

1 Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

Incredibly Fun, But Gives You Too Many Powerful Tools

Widely regarded as the worthy successor to Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow would 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 Sorrow manages to bring everything outstanding from Symphony of the Night and successfully translates it to the portable format. This third entry is the high point for the Gameboy Advance games and can be enjoyed through modern platforms on the Advance Collection released in 2021.

Aria of Sorrow would 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.

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