When you think of James Bond movies, gadgets and martinis come to mind. When you go to a "Matrix" movie, you expect a mixture of multiple realities and dark glasses. When video game players hear the name "Castlevania," they expect a castle, armies of ghouls and a hero with a whip.
Perhaps 007 is on the wagon and the Matrix has crashed: After 17 years and a dozen installments, the latest incarnation of "Castlevania" has spared the whip. Soma Cruz, the fur stole-clad, totally androgynous hero of "Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow," carries swords instead.
If "Aria" has a weak spot, it is Cruz himself. From the sketch of his face to his dialogue, Cruz is both effete and stiff. His lines are of the "What?" "Who?" and "Who are you?" variety. "Aria" conversations lack a single shred of credibility.