Does exactly what it sets out to do: redesign the map, rebalance some items and make progression flow better.

Progression in both exploration and power feels much more satisfying, hunting for more rooms and items never stopped being fun and I tried to do as much as possible before actually finishing the game.

A new challenge area is added and it's known as the Death Arena. It's a series of rooms full of enemies that are much stronger and you can't use souls, but once you get good equipment it becomes more doable, it is a good challenge if you found the game needed a tougher area. Has a reward too of course, I also managed to get a fair amount of souls while at it.

Only complaint I would have is that while a lot of souls are indeed easier to get, drop rates for many can still be abysmal even with the soul eater ring, however it's still much better than the original game in this regard at the very least.

I definitely recommend this if you want a new way to play Aria of Sorrow without changing too much of the gameplay itself, it's very fun to explore the new map and try out the smaller changes.