The game takes place in the early days of Dracula's rise to power, when the people of Transylvania were living in fear. A young girl named Sonia Belmont decides to take matters into her own hands and challenge the evil forces head-on.
Castlevania Legends combines elements from previous Castlevania titles with some unique features. The player can choose to explore different paths, which can lead to finding valuable items or skipping certain areas. Sonia also has a special power called Burning mode, which allows her to increase her speed and attack power, making her temporarily invincible.
As the player progresses through the game, they will encounter various bosses that leave behind Soul weapons. These weapons can be collected by defeating the bosses and must be used wisely, as each one requires a certain number of hearts to activate. Sonia's whip can also be upgraded three times, with the third upgrade adding a new projectile.