Aria of Sorrow took the "Metroidvania" formula to its natural conclusion. Taking place towards the end of the series timeline, this game's selling point was the ability to acquire new abilities, such as subweapons, transformations, and passive bonuses, from all but a couple of enemies. It includes some of the better bosses and more interesting gameplay options in series history, and was probably the best presented iteration in the series.

What ultimately makes Aria of Sorrow surpass its predecessors though is the late-game. Though a bit cryptic to unlock, the final segment of this game contains some of the most rewarding parts of the series. It also creates a sense of completion like few other games in the series have.