Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is an action-adventure game released for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. Set in Japan in 2035, high school student Soma Cruz is pulled into Dracula's castle during a solar eclipse and gradually uncovers evidence that he may be the reincarnation of Dracula himself. The game's defining mechanic is the Tactical Soul System, which lets players absorb the souls of defeated enemies to gain their attack skills, passive bonuses, or transformation abilities. With hundreds of soul combinations available, combat can be tailored to a highly personalized playstyle. Its expansive Metroidvania map and deep soul-collection loop make Aria of Sorrow the crowning achievement of the GBA Castlevania trilogy.