Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

 PlayStation
  • Publisher: Konami
  • Release Date: Oct 2, 1997
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 877 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 804 out of 877
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 877
  3. Negative: 46 out of 877
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  1. Cless
    Aug 2, 2020
    10
    One of the absolute greatest games ever made. I won't even go into it, really. It's fun and addictive and just really well made.
  2. hauwhian
    Jul 14, 2020
    10
    Very good game, but easier than Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night. Both IGAVANIA games are made by Koji Igarashi. Alucard vs Miriam: Alucard has stronger punch, and more durable body which can withstand all Bosses attack (Alucard is almost invincible!), and the best weapon : Crissaegrim is easier to obtain than any rare items in Bloodstained ROTN.

    Overall Castlevania SOTN is an    Very good game, but easier than Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night. Both IGAVANIA games are made by Koji Igarashi. Alucard vs Miriam: Alucard has stronger punch, and more durable body which can withstand all Bosses attack (Alucard is almost invincible!), and the best weapon : Crissaegrim is easier to obtain than any rare items in Bloodstained ROTN.

    Overall Castlevania SOTN is an easier game, but has more beautiful BGM MUSIC than Bloodstained ROTN. I recommend you to play Bloodstained Ritual Of The Night for better challenge and game experience but similar playstyle.    … Expand
  3. Rhythm_guy
    Jul 9, 2020
    10
    Must play the first metroidvenia
  4. Ya_boi_Andr
    Oct 18, 2020
    10
    One of the first games I've ever played. I gladly play it whenever I have the time and it still holds up pretty well.
  5. hector_bcn98
    Oct 31, 2022
    10
    La perfección del género, simplemente. El metroidvania perfecto para iniciarse.
  6. TOLD
    Jan 15, 2021
    10
    Легенда легенд, Castlevania symphony of the night одна из самых лучших игр за всю историю. Саундтрек этой игры заставляет держать свое пиво почти всем другим саундом из игр! митиру яманэ постаралась на славу. В игре очень много контента , врагов невероятно количество , оружия, предметов , секретов. Изучение локаций здесь НУ ОЧЕНЬ ИНТЕРЕСНОЕ! В совокупности всего этого мы получаем одну изЛегенда легенд, Castlevania symphony of the night одна из самых лучших игр за всю историю. Саундтрек этой игры заставляет держать свое пиво почти всем другим саундом из игр! митиру яманэ постаралась на славу. В игре очень много контента , врагов невероятно количество , оружия, предметов , секретов. Изучение локаций здесь НУ ОЧЕНЬ ИНТЕРЕСНОЕ! В совокупности всего этого мы получаем одну из лучших игр в истории человечества!… Expand
  7. Richard_dias
    Aug 15, 2023
    10
    As far as I'm concerned, that's the best metroidvania ever made. I just got to play it in the last 10 years and got impressed either way.
  8. Maruyama79
    Feb 27, 2021
    10
    My favourite game of all time. The music is absolutely incredible!. The best Metroidvania game ever made.
  9. VanCan72
    Apr 4, 2021
    10
    A masterpiece from start to finish.
    The soundtrack is still as good now as it was back then.
    The combat is still tight and responsive.
    Exploration of Dracula's castle is still wonderful.
    And that pixel art is still aces to this very day.
  10. ariangoodarzi
    May 5, 2021
    10
    one of the best games ever made. not even kidding. the only problem i have with the game is ritchers voice acting. other than that 10/10. the music in this game is godly. the map design and the actuall story are pretty good. the gameplay however is in another level. it has a lot of rpg elements as well which is really nice.
  11. danilogan7
    Jun 23, 2022
    10
    Provavelmente o melhor jogo já lançado no playstation 1.
    Trilha sonora absurdamente boa, traz algumas músicas de rock e outras com uma pegada clássica gótica.
    Representação muito bonita do castelo do Drácula, pra época, tanto seu level design que funciona muito bem no castelo normal e traz desafios no invertido. As mecânicas são bem simples, funcionam muito bem e a progressão das    Provavelmente o melhor jogo já lançado no playstation 1.
    Trilha sonora absurdamente boa, traz algumas músicas de rock e outras com uma pegada clássica gótica.
    Representação muito bonita do castelo do Drácula, pra época, tanto seu level design que funciona muito bem no castelo normal e traz desafios no invertido.
    As mecânicas são bem simples, funcionam muito bem e a progressão das habilidades é dada na medida certa. Apesar da maioria das armas serem espadas, havia algumas outras opções para variar a gameplay, além das magias que Alucard podia executar.
    Os diálogos originais são bem melhores em comparação ao refeitos, mas ainda sim não é o ponto forte do game.
    Outra questão é a narrativa que é bem simples e não saiu da zona de conforto em comparação aos jogos anteriores, porém a ramificação trazida pelos finais alternativos é bem legal.    … Expand
  12. Traumvita
    Sep 3, 2023
    10
    Nothing to say other than PEAK metroidvania. Best castlevania game and best metroidvania. Nice story great visuals top tier gameplay, map, and music.
  13. nightchild
    May 12, 2021
    10
    Not only does Symphony of the Night hold up by today's standards, but at the time it revolutionized gaming, creating a new genre named after itself and continues to be the gold standard of games that it inspired. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, but its just so damn fun to run around Dracula's castle as Alucard, and its a game that any video game fan should absolutely haveNot only does Symphony of the Night hold up by today's standards, but at the time it revolutionized gaming, creating a new genre named after itself and continues to be the gold standard of games that it inspired. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, but its just so damn fun to run around Dracula's castle as Alucard, and its a game that any video game fan should absolutely have played at least once. It combines a interesting story, RPG elements, various loot to pick up, plenty of secrets to uncover, a terrific soundtrack, and meticulously detailed world design. An absolute classic and an undoubtable masterpiece!… Expand
  14. KhezuMaster
    Feb 12, 2022
    10
    A great game would highley reccomend anyone who has a good attention span will not wan to miss!
  15. MiojoCritico
    Jul 13, 2021
    10
    Simply epic. In my opinion the best PS1 game in history and one of the best ever.
  16. thebaaloff
    Jul 26, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My favorite game of all time. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is just a masterpiece. Wow.
    Alucard is such an awesome character, who starts of really powerful, and then Death takes away his weapons, and you have to upgrade yourself with level-ups and new items, and you use them with an RPG system where you have to learn how to balance out Attack and Defense. This game singlehandedly perfected the term "Metroidvania". It's crazy to see how many games were inspired by this masterpiece. Hollow Knight (2017), Dead Cells (2018), Ori and the Will of Wisps (2020) to name a few. The story is Richter after defeating Dracula in Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (1993) he gets possessed by the dark priest Shaft and you need to turn him back to normal. If you manage to avoid the bad ending, where you kill Richter, and turn him back to normal, you will unlock the inverted castle, so pick up that controller you just threw to the ground, because you've got another 6 hours worth of gameplay ahead of you! So you get through the inverted castle and collect Dracula's body parts, like in Castlevania II: Simons Quest (1987) and defeat Shaft and then Dracula.
    Just play this game, it's video game perfection.    … Expand
  17. seiratan
    Aug 20, 2021
    10
    One of the greatest games of all time. If you havent played this, you shouldnt even talk about Metroidvanias.
  18. Darkspawn677
    Aug 8, 2022
    10
    Alucard and the tepes are like dante alucard hellsing bayonetta and dracula and trevor is like vergil Alexander Anderson jeanne and van helsing the tepes have vampiric powers and the belmont have beast blood maxime is somehow related to dracula soma is alucard son try to use the same characters more often maria renard is the equivalent of sonia belmont in that timeline
  19. fedec
    Jan 13, 2022
    10
    Un juegazo con todas las letras, llevó el diseño de mapas al estilo Metroid a otro nivel, añadiendo toques roleros y con progresión del personaje. Los controles son totalmente precisos y con buena respuesta. Es un juego de 1997, yo lo jugué por primera vez en 2021 y no le noté el paso del tiempo en nada.
    Un mapeado excelente, y un arte bellísimo, combinado con una banda sonora    Un juegazo con todas las letras, llevó el diseño de mapas al estilo Metroid a otro nivel, añadiendo toques roleros y con progresión del personaje. Los controles son totalmente precisos y con buena respuesta. Es un juego de 1997, yo lo jugué por primera vez en 2021 y no le noté el paso del tiempo en nada.
    Un mapeado excelente, y un arte bellísimo, combinado con una banda sonora espectacular. Recomendado al 100%    … Expand
  20. Twinsty
    Oct 3, 2021
    10
    A dificuldade pode ser extremamente elevada ou ridiculamente fácil sem contar os milhares de jeitos que se pode "apelar'' com o shield rod, crissaegrim, runesword e heaven sword então chegamos em um tópico meio a meio o castelo invertido por mais que ele tenha expandido o jogo de forma imensa e até bem divertido ele dificulta muito certos trabalhos de plataforma principalmente oA dificuldade pode ser extremamente elevada ou ridiculamente fácil sem contar os milhares de jeitos que se pode "apelar'' com o shield rod, crissaegrim, runesword e heaven sword então chegamos em um tópico meio a meio o castelo invertido por mais que ele tenha expandido o jogo de forma imensa e até bem divertido ele dificulta muito certos trabalhos de plataforma principalmente o subterrâneo eu acho que ele também confundi muito as áreas do mapa mas até para a dificuldade tem solução usando algumas armas você pode balancear o jogo e a música meu deus a música ela é perfeita, atmosférica, e épica só de ouvir já dá vontade de caçar um monstro dentro de casa mas e sem contar que quase todas as armas tem algum diferencial desde as maiores espadas de duas até as míseras soqueiras mas em contrapartida só acho meio zoado que os feitiços em grande maioria são escondidos mas fora isso 10/10 DO CARALHO.… Expand
  21. Minus_Infinity
    Mar 16, 2022
    10
    Best Castlevania game in my eyes, everything it top notch. The level design, the music, Alucard himself, it's all brilliant! I picked up this game in late August (on my birthday in fact) and have yet to put it down, as of now. The gameplay is extremely gripping, and makes me want to keep replaying it. I have also played the Sega Saturn version of the game, while it runs horribly (since IBest Castlevania game in my eyes, everything it top notch. The level design, the music, Alucard himself, it's all brilliant! I picked up this game in late August (on my birthday in fact) and have yet to put it down, as of now. The gameplay is extremely gripping, and makes me want to keep replaying it. I have also played the Sega Saturn version of the game, while it runs horribly (since I emulated it) I have yet to put that one down too! The game itself is magical, I'd give anything to experience this for the first time again. Overall, I think this game is absolutely fantastic, and definitely worth your time!

    TL;DR The game is good, go play it once you have a chance    … Expand
  22. Gearbram
    Nov 24, 2021
    10
    One of my favorite games!
    - Amazing soundtrack
    - Great artstyle
    - Fantastic atmosphere
  23. B00tador
    Dec 6, 2021
    10
    Played this for the first time in 2021. No nostalgia or rose-tinted glasses, this is one of the best games you can play today. Fantastic map, great RPG lite elements, great boss and enemy variety. It's as good as everyone has always told you it is, and it's still that good today. Play it.
  24. AndreyCosta
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
  25. nelvin
    Nov 19, 2022
    10
    This game truly started metroidvanias and is one of the most influential games in history
  26. sawjones
    Dec 23, 2021
    10
    One of my favorite games of all the time. Recommended if you want to have a feeling about how real games were done before.
  27. kurt_xt
    Jan 6, 2022
    10
    if I'm still alive, it's because of the good feeling this game gives me. In the midst of so many bad things happening, sometimes remembering the songs in the game helps you to move forward.
  28. Culex
    Apr 14, 2022
    10
    Masterpiece. The music, the art, the atmosphere of that castle, the bosses, the secret...

    I'd only like that the new versions had smooth graphics. How's it possible that emulators get better graphics since more than a decade but not the official new releases? Beats me.
  29. Jackie_Jackson
    May 25, 2022
    10
    Эта Каслвания просто лучшая Каслвания просто берёшь просто включаешь и просто отвал жопы всё больше ничего от этой жизни не нужно
  30. Tomplexthis
    Jul 7, 2022
    10
    One of the best games ever made.
    They tried to "repeat" its glory with Bloodstained, but it just isn't the same.
    there are alot of flaws sprinkled in, but whatever, the only good version of this game is the original, with its Original dialogue, the requiem abomination is disgusting, in trying to ruin its heritage. the sour bits of every cake, are what bring out a better taste.
  31. Fontouraa
    Jul 21, 2022
    10
    de longe um dos melhores jogos de plataforma que já joguei, tanto que ja fiz mais de 100% varias vezes, seria muito bom se fizessem um remake
  32. Darkshade
    Aug 22, 2022
    10
    Dracula have to be the main character of castlevania and leon has to be his rival castlevania has to be like several games like hellsing devil may cry bayonetta god of war van helsing dark souls star wars lord of th rings elder scolls dawnguard and superman especially van helsing and elder scrolls dawnguard in castlevania they also have to use poses like in power rangers the great saiyamanDracula have to be the main character of castlevania and leon has to be his rival castlevania has to be like several games like hellsing devil may cry bayonetta god of war van helsing dark souls star wars lord of th rings elder scolls dawnguard and superman especially van helsing and elder scrolls dawnguard in castlevania they also have to use poses like in power rangers the great saiyaman and the ginyu force… Expand
  33. DonFrex
    Feb 15, 2023
    10
    It gave me a new experience, even though I played the game in 2023. This explains to me the disappearance of ideas in saliva. A game that was released 26 years ago presented better ideas than saliva now.
  34. Luis85gamerman
    Nov 21, 2022
    10
    What can I say about this game...is one of the best digital creations ever made until these days, absolutely a gem in the hall of videogames history, perfection in every pixel of this beautiful game 10 of 10.
  35. SourCreem
    Dec 24, 2022
    10
    Never in my many years playing games has my curiosity been rewarded so greatly than during my play-through of Symphony of the Night. Dracula’s Castle is just a delight to explore not because of the incredible variety in environment paired with beautiful music, but also due to the memorable combat. SOTN does an incredible job utilizing space to craft interesting mob/boss encounters, whichNever in my many years playing games has my curiosity been rewarded so greatly than during my play-through of Symphony of the Night. Dracula’s Castle is just a delight to explore not because of the incredible variety in environment paired with beautiful music, but also due to the memorable combat. SOTN does an incredible job utilizing space to craft interesting mob/boss encounters, which does all the heavy lifting to compensate for the lack of variety in the player’s arsenal. Enemies all have distinct attack patterns and specific hurtboxes to challenge the player even when highly leveled up, which reduces mindless whipping through enemies on your way to the next part of the castle. Go play this game.… Expand
  36. Ultimatesium
    Feb 28, 2023
    10
    this game literally stick me to the screen, loved it, its perfect, i played it for curiosity and its the best thing i ever did
  37. Galamoth
    May 3, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A su salida en el año 1996 este juego fue odiado por la crítica y por los fans más puristas de la saga ya que no creían que fuera relevante otro título con gráficos pixel art Pero este juego superó las espectativas ya que con el paso del tiempo muchos empezaron a jugarlo y se dieron cuenta que era una joya aparte de crear un nuevo género en la industria a partir de que poseía elementos del mítico juego Metroid Creando así el género "Metroidvania" Castlevania symphony of the night es una obra de arte debido a su estilo casi barroco y por poseer un soundtracks con un estilo muy parecido al de una orquesta muy agradable acordé a cada nivel del juego aparte de que contenía elementos en 3D los enemigos y habilidades y equipamiento del personaje quien en este caso sería nada más y nada menos que el hijo del conde Drácula ALUCARD quien fue aliado de Trevor Belmont en el pasado Este juego se ha convertido en un juego de culto alabado por la crítica y los fans junto con su antecesor Castlevania rondo of blood este último fue un título exclusivo pasa la consola pc engine TurboGrafx16 y nunca salió de Japón pero es uno de los mejores Castlevania junto con symphony of the night Aquí les dejo un breve resumen de CASTLEVANIA SYMPHONY OF THE NIGHT CASTLEVANIA… Expand
  38. shydxath
    May 19, 2023
    10
    this game was the beginning of todays gaming fomula, its addictive as hell and still feels good to this day, a must play
  39. Kirby715
    May 26, 2023
    10
    My childhood game! Great game and the first game I ever played! Really recommend it! And also it's on mobile so that's great to!
  40. GameMan2005
    Aug 22, 2023
    10
    Alongside Super Metroid, this game helped to create the Metroidvania genre, and on top of that, this game has aged beautifully and is still fun to play today.
  41. AdamRW
    Jun 20, 2007
    9
    The gameplay is a benchmark for all (hopefully, possibly, someday, maybe not) future 2D sidescrolling adventure games. Much like Super Metroid, but quite innnovative none the less. 2D pixel gaming heaven.
  42. spi280
    Dec 9, 2013
    9
    one of my favourite games. I love the cheesy voice acting, exploring the castle to find the fun to use upgrades and transformations, the inverted castle and how hard it is, being able to play as richter, the great sprite art and the atmospheric music
  43. duckypwns
    Dec 9, 2011
    9
    Great game, one of my all time favorites. In 2011 there's really not much to say about this game that hasn't already been said. If you like 2D exploration, you will love this game.
  44. Phantom-Tommy
    May 12, 2011
    9
    Even better than Super Metroid, yeah, it's that good, no hand holding, no checkpoints every two minutes, just good old fashioned action goodness! One of the best games ever.
  45. Matseb2611
    May 24, 2011
    9
    A Castlevania game that revolutionised the series. This is the first Castlevania to be made in a metroid style, i.e. one huge castle to explore with certain areas only becoming available once a certain skill or item are achieved. Symphony of the Night is a really solid addition to the series, though there are a few issues, which is why I am not giving it a perfect score. I would give itA Castlevania game that revolutionised the series. This is the first Castlevania to be made in a metroid style, i.e. one huge castle to explore with certain areas only becoming available once a certain skill or item are achieved. Symphony of the Night is a really solid addition to the series, though there are a few issues, which is why I am not giving it a perfect score. I would give it 9.5 if that was possible though. First the good bits. Alucard as playable character, and if I am not mistaken, the first time the player gets to use more than 1 weapon throughout the entire Castlevania game. There are tonnes of various weapons and armor to find in the game, which makes it fun to explore. The dialogue is although cheesy is very memorable. Seriously, the first lines of the game are almost definitely engraved in every veteran Castlevania fan's mind, and not just the first lines. The areas are very beautiful, well designed and polished. The background music is pretty great too, with tunes having a somewhat classic and gothic feel. Enemies and bosses are unique and interesting. In addition all the little bits, like Alucard's capes actually changing colour depending on one you equip, is just awesome and shows that a lot of effort was put into the game. Now the few minor drawbacks in my opinion are mostly to do with control of the character. It seems as though Alucard moves and especially jumps in slow motion. At times when you need to backtrack or get somewhere through an entire stage it can get really annoying. In addition to that, every time you get hit (even if it's a weak enemy that does 1 pt of dmg) Alucard sort of freezes in places for a second. In rooms where you're surrounded by enemies that is a nightmare. Nevertheless Symphony of the Night is epic and atmospheric, and I think scales rather well with difficulty (apart from some bits, like boss battle against Death being too easy by the time you reach him). I still prefer Aria of Sorrow more in terms of gameplay, character control and soundtrack, but Symphony has better graphics.… Expand
  46. Teru_XD
    Sep 10, 2012
    9
    An amazing game. Sure, it doesn't hold up against more recent releases (Aria of Sorrow comes to mind), but the fun factor is indeed present. The Metroidvania formula is indeed the recipe for success. The music is so good, any person with a sense of hearing will appreciate it (proven fact). The graphics were good for its time, but on this day and age, don't look as good as they should.An amazing game. Sure, it doesn't hold up against more recent releases (Aria of Sorrow comes to mind), but the fun factor is indeed present. The Metroidvania formula is indeed the recipe for success. The music is so good, any person with a sense of hearing will appreciate it (proven fact). The graphics were good for its time, but on this day and age, don't look as good as they should. Overall, great game with a high replay value, high difficulty and memorable music. If you love games from the past and can overlook outdated graphics, you owe it to yourself to play this game.… Expand
  47. alex007
    Oct 18, 2012
    9
    "Symphony of the Night" is one of the very best action games on the PS1. It's a 2D side-scroller that plays just like "Metroid" but within the "Castlevania" universe. The game begins with the final segment of "Castlevania: Bloodlines" (Sega Genesis) as a setup for its own story. Unlike previous entries, the protagonist isn't a member of the Belmont clan, but a son of Dracula named Alucard."Symphony of the Night" is one of the very best action games on the PS1. It's a 2D side-scroller that plays just like "Metroid" but within the "Castlevania" universe. The game begins with the final segment of "Castlevania: Bloodlines" (Sega Genesis) as a setup for its own story. Unlike previous entries, the protagonist isn't a member of the Belmont clan, but a son of Dracula named Alucard. Players can equip weapons, armor and special-powered amulets to defeat the unholy creatures of Dracula's castle. Like "Metroid", "Night" is an RPG/adventure game that is filled with hidden rooms and areas that can only be explored by using special equipment. Like any RPG, you level up as you defeat enemies, pick up loot and can buy or sell items and weapons. The musical soundtrack is ever bit as phenomenal as critics say it is. And the graphics are truly impressive for a PS1 title. This is a game that fans of "Castlevania" and RPGs will find plenty of enjoyment in. It has plenty of depth due to its expansive adventure and numerous endings. It's also the series' best entry.… Expand
  48. abraham_b
    May 4, 2015
    9
    Absolutely brilliant game and definitely lives up to the original games. In fact it does them proud and I'm pretty happy to acknowledge that, being a fan of the series since NES times. Only probably is it costs a fortune, at least here in the UK for the PAL version. So lucky I'd held onto it since my PS1 years.
  49. Ramiro1992
    Jun 4, 2014
    9
    Probably the best Castlevania game ever made, but for me, it's the second, awesome graphics, the music is beautiful, this game is almost perfect, It deserves every one of the points, today is hard to find this incredibly awesome games, the gameplay is very confortable, one thing i don't like is his lack of clues, sometimes i don't know where to go next, the map does not help too much.
  50. moricetimeofwar
    Oct 25, 2014
    9
    A good game with a good ambiance but not a castlevania. In fact, I don't consider metroidvania as TRUE castlevania mainly because they are too similar to Metroid and especially super metroid. Symphony of the night is in my opinion a sub-super metroid, but it is still very good insofar as it is a very good exploration game with excellent music. However, it is not a masterpiece just a veryA good game with a good ambiance but not a castlevania. In fact, I don't consider metroidvania as TRUE castlevania mainly because they are too similar to Metroid and especially super metroid. Symphony of the night is in my opinion a sub-super metroid, but it is still very good insofar as it is a very good exploration game with excellent music. However, it is not a masterpiece just a very good game. A few irritating flaws are also noted, such as the fact that we have no frame of invincibility, enemies that pushes you outside the screen is annoying at times, but the worst is the selection of items in the inventory that is really the WORST in all the games I played. Finally, good game but should not be considered as a castlevania, moreover the more manga style of the game is the proof, we are far from a Gothic style to Castlevania 4.… Expand
  51. Schrottplatz00
    Jul 23, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. MY SCORE: 9.3/10 (I round it in Metacritic)

    A magical experience in the field of the 2D platforming games.
    The game has a good overall story, although the voice acting is kinda **** (and fun, which I judge good) but its shine is on the gameplay. And what a brightly shine.
    The game give you so much freedom and options that it's kinda impossible to get bored of it, and also, it's not easy, expect at least a good challenge. Tons of equipments and weapons and ways to "build" your character, awesome boss design and fights and having in mind that this game was made back in 1997 makes you think where the hell are other games like this. With its 2D art and no-less-than-outstanding soundtrack the is a piece of art itself, the developers really knew what they were doing back in those times. The soundtrack completely takes you into the mood of the place you are, like daunting songs that makes you wanna rush the place in fear or exciting songs that makes you wanna grab your sword and take the whole challenge.
    When I first played it, the game hit me two times with a hammer of amazingness. When you think that you're coming to an end (which in this game is very sad, it could last forever) the game gives you an outstanding new castle all for exploration, with new monsters and bosses, items, nice stuff and so on.
    But again, when you think the new castle is over and you cry as the credits roll on, you discover that creating a save game with another ~specific~ name for playing it again *cough*cough* changes EVERYTHING. How amazing can that be?

    A piece of art. PLAY IT!    … Expand
  52. Sephiroth_X
    Oct 25, 2014
    9
    Wow, if the ps1 was a 3D gaming platform im glad they released some 2D games because those are the only ones i still can play on that console, the 3d ones look ugly as hell.
    Making the next castlevania in 2D was the best choice for konami, and thanks to that (and ultra amazing gameplay) I can recommend this game for generations to come.
    The gameplay changed a lot since super castlevania    Wow, if the ps1 was a 3D gaming platform im glad they released some 2D games because those are the only ones i still can play on that console, the 3d ones look ugly as hell.
    Making the next castlevania in 2D was the best choice for konami, and thanks to that (and ultra amazing gameplay) I can recommend this game for generations to come.
    The gameplay changed a lot since super castlevania IV on the snes, they took out the "short" stages and made it a single BIG stage and added lots of rpg elements, also took heavy inspiration from super metroid, both games are very similar but great in their own way.

    Now you use Alucard the son of Dracula and thats also a improvement, he's the best character in a castlevania game, has something about him and the developers know thats why he keeps reappearing in their games. The soundtrack is one of the best as well. The game is lengthy with a secret that lets you go into a big world that can be missed if you dont do the right things.

    100% recommended.    … Expand
  53. LuigiCuau
    Oct 25, 2018
    9
    Es un gran juego con gran banda sonora y buenos jefes, lo malo es que a batalla final contra Dracula es muy fácil y es padre lo del castillo que se pone de cabeza pero al final aquí es donde falla un poco por que cuando esta normal el castillo cada lugar tiene ese toque especial, esos cuartos únicos pero con el castillo al revés todo es igual
  54. nervioso2009
    Jul 8, 2019
    9
    Una obra maestra impepinable. Gran música, gameplay, ambientación y gráficos. El doblaje inglés es lamentable pero gracias a él tenemos el meme de "What is a man!".

    9.5/10
  55. Termin8ter
    Feb 3, 2016
    9
    Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night is hands down the greatest Castlevania game of all time, and its among the very best GAMES of all time. The gameplay is fast, and action-packed. The story is spectacular and leaves you wanting more. The story follows Simon Belmont, who is trying to kill his grandfather, Dracula, who lives in a castle.(hence the name Castlevania) so you fight your wayCastlevania: Symphony Of The Night is hands down the greatest Castlevania game of all time, and its among the very best GAMES of all time. The gameplay is fast, and action-packed. The story is spectacular and leaves you wanting more. The story follows Simon Belmont, who is trying to kill his grandfather, Dracula, who lives in a castle.(hence the name Castlevania) so you fight your way through the castle, slicing and dicing your way through any werewolf stupid enough to get in your way. My only problem with this game is that the graphics haven't aged that well compared to 2016. Apart from that, Castlevania Symphony Of the Night is one of the best games on PS1, along with MGS1. You can buy an HD Remaster on the PlayStation store.… Expand
  56. Lord_V
    May 17, 2016
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Castlevania: Symphony of Night is one of the best PS games and best Castlevania game. It is one of my all time favorite PlayStation games and contains of the best main characters and one the best villains in video games.

    Alucard is very well made and even fairly well voiced character. He looks great and is very skilled to handle several different weapons. He is also capable to transform and perform many different effective spells and abilities, playing with him is very fun and there is so many variables.
    What comes to story, it is good enough and Maria Renard is pretty good supporting character to Alucards strong silent type.

    Fantasy style is well made and gives castle a great atmosphere. There is many monsters and many different sections. Different parts of the castle are really different and give a game very much variety. It is fun to travel in Dracula's castle and try to find every single little inch in it.

    Variety in enemies is huge, there is many classic monster and if common enemies are cool and good looking, bosses are twice (at least) as good. There is so many boss fights that give you challenge, but are never too unfair. Classic characters from Dracula to Wolfman are there, but I would have liked if battle against Wolfman would have been 1 to 1. This dual team is challenging, but not same thing that one on one.
    Big part of the game comes from the way how player discovers areas from castle. Some areas are much harder than others and some areas can be reached only with certain abilities. This gives a lot to do and when you combine this with the fact that Alucard gains exp in fights, you have very large game in your hands. There is also so much stuff to be find. You never know where is secret entrance to new area and that gives you a lot to do in huge castle, which much be completed twice, in real game.

    What comes to villains, Dracula is very well made. This might just be best version of him in whole series. I do liked Wolfman (even though he was used too little), Cerberus, Bat and Grim Reaper too, very much. Bosses are real well made since they look amazing and they all give different challenges.

    There is not much bad thing to be said in Symphony of the Night, but there is some. Some things feel pretty cryptic but biggest and real flaw, is the continue system. It takes so long to start game after you die. Then there is ridiculous amount of exp you need in higher levels and enemies give so little exp at the end.

    Castlevania: Symphony of Night is masterpiece, nothing less. It best Castleroid/Metroidvania style game ever and best Castlevania game ever. It is fun to play, it gives so much and final battle is real finale. Ending is well made and whole game is huge and well made experience.

    + Alucard
    + Dracula and villains
    + Castle
    + Fantasy style
    + So much to do and so much to find

    - Restarting after death
    - Some minor flaws

    95/100

    Masterpiece    … Expand
  57. ZankEraux
    Apr 19, 2016
    9
    El mejor Castlevania con diferencia. Tiene unos gráficos muy originales, aunque es el peor punto del juego, pues no es que estos sean muy sobresalientes...
    Pero en un juego lo importante no son los gráficos es la diversión y la jugabilidad la cual es la mejor vista en la saga. No hay que olvidar su excelente banda sonora y su maravillosa, la cual te incita a seguir hasta el final, lleves    El mejor Castlevania con diferencia. Tiene unos gráficos muy originales, aunque es el peor punto del juego, pues no es que estos sean muy sobresalientes...
    Pero en un juego lo importante no son los gráficos es la diversión y la jugabilidad la cual es la mejor vista en la saga. No hay que olvidar su excelente banda sonora y su maravillosa, la cual te incita a seguir hasta el final, lleves el tiempo que lleves. Una revolución en la saga, y otro juego memorable en la PS1.    … Expand
  58. likevin96
    May 14, 2018
    9
    Completion: Finished game with ~190% completion

    Pros: - Near zenith of 2D graphics. Beautiful sprites and environments that impress the whole way through - Fun, fluid combat and movement with an incredible number of different options and play styles at your disposal - Although the voice acting isn't of the highest quality, it fits the game well and actually adds charm to the    Completion: Finished game with ~190% completion

    Pros:
    - Near zenith of 2D graphics. Beautiful sprites and environments that impress the whole way through
    - Fun, fluid combat and movement with an incredible number of different options and play styles at your disposal
    - Although the voice acting isn't of the highest quality, it fits the game well and actually adds charm to the otherwise barebones narrative
    - The first half of the game is likely my best experience with a 2D side scroller ever. The castle is an absolute joy to explore due to the secrets hidden in every nook and cranny
    - Incredibly innovative for its time and the birth of an entire genre (Igavania). There is a reason why this type of game had so much staying power
    - Just to hammer the point in again - movement in this game feels SO good. The fluidity and number of options you have are incredible.

    Cons:
    - Much of the game is far too easy - especially the bosses
    - The level design in the second half is significantly less fun than in the first half. For similar reasons, the exploration itself is also less interesting in the second half.
    - Too many game breaking combinations of weapons (Shield Rod + Alucard Shield is disgusting)
    - The music, while solid, is a bit too repetitive
    - Some of the level design can be boring and repetitive due to the simple layout of many rooms in the castle

    Final Word:
    One of the best 2D side scrollers of all time due to the incredible art and mechanics. Although the second half of the game is of slightly lower quality and the difficulty is generally unsatisfying, that doesn't change the fact that Symphony of the Night is a masterpiece.

    True Score:
    8.6    … Expand
  59. Alex_Pilgrim008
    Jul 19, 2020
    9
    "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night" is the franchise's best installment. This PS1 classic is a masterpiece in the tradition of "Metroid". It is an evolved version of the original Nintendo game. Featuring fantastic level design, stellar graphics, a terrific music score and multiple endings, it's a must play for fans. Konami has made several Castlevania titles since its release. But none of"Castlevania: Symphony of the Night" is the franchise's best installment. This PS1 classic is a masterpiece in the tradition of "Metroid". It is an evolved version of the original Nintendo game. Featuring fantastic level design, stellar graphics, a terrific music score and multiple endings, it's a must play for fans. Konami has made several Castlevania titles since its release. But none of them have lived up to the greatness of "Symphony". I would rate it with a 9.3 out of 10.… Expand
  60. BlueFalcon90
    Dec 1, 2018
    9
    The best part of this game is the music for sure. Each and every single piece of it depending what room you're in is great and fleshed out. The gameplay is top notch and the controls are spot on. If you die you know it was because you didn't do some thing right. The best thing to do is to explore every place of this castle to make sure you have the most powerful items to face any of theThe best part of this game is the music for sure. Each and every single piece of it depending what room you're in is great and fleshed out. The gameplay is top notch and the controls are spot on. If you die you know it was because you didn't do some thing right. The best thing to do is to explore every place of this castle to make sure you have the most powerful items to face any of the enemies that are presented. That's the key to really beating this game and getting to the true ending. There are some RPG elements in here but its your basic stats and it is best to level up. I didn't find myself having to grind like in most games that offered leveling. The voice acting is a bit cheesy and gives it some charm. Replay ability is here if you beat it and start a new save file with the name Richter. You'll actually be able to play the whole game again as him instead of Alucard. This is the game that help bring Metroidvania to light. So if those are your type of games then for sure check this one out.… Expand
  61. ReiAyanami
    Nov 27, 2018
    9
    It is a game of exploration and the experience that comes along with it. It strives to invert everything that made Castlevania what is was, and make it even better. For the most part, it succeeded. There’s an actual story, and its themes reach far deeper and further than they appear. Rather than focusing on linear levels and platforming, the game rewards experimentation and confrontation.It is a game of exploration and the experience that comes along with it. It strives to invert everything that made Castlevania what is was, and make it even better. For the most part, it succeeded. There’s an actual story, and its themes reach far deeper and further than they appear. Rather than focusing on linear levels and platforming, the game rewards experimentation and confrontation. The castle is huge, and it’s crammed with all kinds of enemies, bosses, and secrets. The superb graphical detail and soundtrack put many games - past and present - to utter shame. The sheer amount of extra moves and abilities is mind-boggling; even with all of the different weapons, equipment, spells, and summons, there’s a good chance that you won’t find everything on your first run through. Or your tenth, for that matter. Unfortunately, the lack of difficulty kind of brings things down; there isn’t nearly as much strategy or thought required as there was before. It’s just a matter of tweaking Alucard in different ways and seeing what you can discover. More often than not, it’ll be something great.… Expand
  62. azuuu
    Jul 11, 2023
    9
    minha introdução aos metroidvania.
    acho que não podia ter sido melhor.
    é meio chato de rejogar hj em dia, mas contunua um jogo maravilhoso.
  63. VampireKiss
    Feb 26, 2019
    9
    I've had this game sitting on my shelf for quite some time. I first played it a few years back and I absolutely hated it and got frustrated with it and put it down. The reason I got so frustrated was because I didn't fully understand the metroidvania genre and I wasn't playing the game correctly. I was inspired to pick the game back up again after watching a blindfolded speed-run which wasI've had this game sitting on my shelf for quite some time. I first played it a few years back and I absolutely hated it and got frustrated with it and put it down. The reason I got so frustrated was because I didn't fully understand the metroidvania genre and I wasn't playing the game correctly. I was inspired to pick the game back up again after watching a blindfolded speed-run which was very entertaining to watch. I actually figured out where I needed to go next after watching this speed-run. I needed to head into the Coliseum and I needed to obtain the Bat and Mist forms for Alucard. I must admit after obtaining these forms it was fairly easy to navigate through the castle. I think this game has the best soundtrack out of all the other Castlevania games and it's one of my personal favorites. This game also looks fantastic and it's most definitely one of the best looking Playstation 1 game. I just can't get over how good the presentation actually is, each area of the castle is fleshed out and is very vibrant and full of personality. It also has a much better story compared to the other Castlevania games and it's also the first Castlevania game that introduces voice acting. The voice acting isn't great by any means, but I kinda dig it and it fits the the game perfectly well. It's game play is where SOTN really shines. Alucard feels so precise and responsive compared to the Belmonts but in turn I feel like that makes the game much easier because with previous entries you needed to be on point with your jumps and what not because previous entries were much more unforgiving and difficult. I do have a few nitpicks I'd like to share though. I feel like the game became way too easy due to the rpg elements and Castlevania is known for it's difficulty and I find that this lacking here. I also would've enjoyed it if there was an option to sell/discard most of my weapons I got early on in the game because just keeping them just clutters my inventory. I really liked Alucard and Richter's encounter in the Coliseum and I honestly wished there was more of that throughout the first half of Dracula's Castle.

    Although I had somewhat of rocky history with Castlevania: SOTN I must say that this is truly a magical experience and I would like to see everyone experience this revolutionary title. It's truly unknown what the industry would be like if this game didn't exist. This game has introduced me to some of best musical pieces, locations and characters. It was truly an honor getting to experience a game like this.    … Expand
  64. Edswitch
    Sep 20, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. O jogo usou bem as referências de gameplay de Super Metroid, e adicionou elementos de RPG q funcionaram muito bem, melhor jogo do PSX na minha opinião… Expand
  65. MatthewDavisMed
    Aug 8, 2020
    9
    An absolute classic. While the voice acting to this day is still some of the cheesiest voice actor ever. It's excellent level design and addictive gameplay are truly what stand out the most. Adding so much replayability make this game an absolute must play.
  66. elaguyin
    Jul 14, 2020
    9
    Obra maestra, personalmente el género metroidvania no era de mi total agrado hasta que acabé symphony of the night. Diseño de niveles genial, la variedad de armas y el set de movimientos de alguna de ellas es impresionante, el diseño de bosses es increíble, y su banda sonora espectacular.
  67. ChiccoDivers
    Jan 4, 2020
    9
    A must play for anyone. While it isn't the good ol' campy arcade fun of the originals, it is still great fun, and it still has the staple Castlevania ****
  68. track16
    Jan 25, 2020
    9
    Terrific 2D platformer addition to the Castlevania series. So much to explore. Great soundtrack. Highly recommended!
  69. DantasVGabriel
    Apr 25, 2021
    9
    Trilha sonora incrível, exploração gostosa e sistema de RPG bem funcional além de ser um jogo muito bonito pra sua época.
  70. JamesDrawsThngs
    Jul 21, 2020
    9
    Symphony of the Night is one of those rare timeless classics in gaming that most people consistently love and enjoy, and for good reason. You could still release a game like this today, exactly as it is, and it would still work. It's a game that I can go back to over and over again and never get sick of it. It's one of the most influential and important games in not just the CastelvaniaSymphony of the Night is one of those rare timeless classics in gaming that most people consistently love and enjoy, and for good reason. You could still release a game like this today, exactly as it is, and it would still work. It's a game that I can go back to over and over again and never get sick of it. It's one of the most influential and important games in not just the Castelvania series, but in all of gaming.

    Its presentation is pitch perfect. The sprite quality and animations are some of the very best of its generation. Each area of the castle has its own unique flare and memorable design quirks, from the bold colors to the general designs of the areas themselves. After a while, you start to instinctively remember the layout of the castle in its entirety, making you much less inclined to pull up the map every three seconds to know where you are going. Even after coming back to this game after a lengthy period, I was still able to remember most of the layout of the main castle, including its more hidden areas. That is simply the mark of good game design. Adding to the stellar presentation is the incredible soundtrack and endearing, cornball voice acting.

    Of course, what truly helps make this game legendary is its general game feel and progression. Seeing as this game most closely resembles that of Super Metroid, SotN carries over that game's immensely satisfying progression system of gradually gaining new abilities to gain access to brand new areas of the castle and reaching areas in previously explored locations for extra goodies, all backed by this game's buttery smooth controls. The game also incorporates RPG elements. Defeating enemies and equipping various weapons, armor and accessories will turn Alucard into a near unstoppable force. What's really great is that it is absolutely unnecessary to grind in this game (save for a couple of select bosses), because depending on what weapon and item combinations you pick up, it is absurdly easy to break this game in half. As soon as you gain access to the Alucard shield and shield rod, or grind out schmoos for the crissaegrim, you basically already won the game. All of that, coupled with the tight movement options, makes Symphony of the Night one of the most satisfying games to get good at. The game doesn't simply end after that, though. The game also includes both Richter Belmont and Maria Renard as playable characters, each with their own unique play styles that make it worth going back and playing through it all again.

    If there is any criticism I can levy against the game, it's going to be the second half of the game with the inverted castle. You can easily tell that this layout was not meant to be played upside down. Areas that were simple to go through in the first half are now far more cumbersome to deal with, and areas that were already a mess (The Clock Tower) are made even worse. What's also disappointing is that the music selection in the inverted castle is severely limited. While still good pieces, you end up hearing them just a little too often.

    That aside, there really isn't a whole lot for me to dislike about SotN. It's a true classic and monumental trendsetter, leading the way for more great Metroid-Vanias. If for whatever reason you have never experienced this game already, please fix that. It's still an absolute masterpiece.    … Expand
  71. ylnylmn
    Aug 5, 2021
    9
    I played my first Castlevania game. It took about 9 hours and I finished almost 90% of it, 3 relics left.
    The game fascinated me at first. Really good quality for the year it came out. Graphics, animations, enemy designs. Wonderful. I fell in love with the music in the game. Especially (dracula's castle soundtrack) I've listened to it many times.
    The game that brings the Metroidvania    I played my first Castlevania game. It took about 9 hours and I finished almost 90% of it, 3 relics left.
    The game fascinated me at first. Really good quality for the year it came out. Graphics, animations, enemy designs. Wonderful. I fell in love with the music in the game. Especially (dracula's castle soundtrack) I've listened to it many times.
    The game that brings the Metroidvania style to the game world. I really enjoyed playing it overall. But there are things I don't like. After passing Balmond, I thought we would fight Dracula shortly. But the game teleported us to the reverse of the same castle. Going around the whole castle tired me a bit and made me bored.
    Boss designs are awesome, but they're too easy. This is due to the poor balance of difficulty in the game. You have difficulty in the first hour of the game. But after that everything gets much easier. Even though I didn't grind, most enemies were dealing 1 damage to me.
    There was a lot of enemy spam in Revers Castle. This forced me to use Mist Form. Because I didn't want to deal with it. It is difficult to deal with a large number of enemies. Because you are Knockback.
    The money I collect in the game is 50 thousand dollars. It can't be said that it helped me a lot, I just bought a map and a sword.
    Regardless, it was a really good game. It's worth playing for the music alone.    … Expand
  72. Firemam
    Jun 27, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Excellent well, fantastic plot, amazing gameplay, awesome soundtrack (especially the monster sometime can even outsmart the player) but the way they make the game more longer by invert the castle is just somekind of lazy but lucky for them by changing colour scheme, sound and monster makes it acceptable
    For someone who just wants to complete this game fast may only play 50% of the game like me until i watching it on yt and gg
    With me, this one is the best part of all castlevania series (the reason i rate it 9 because at the beginning of the game is really hard that makes me want to give up but the more you play, its get simply easier so i think you should have enough patient to past the beginning...)    … Expand
  73. Jojogonpa
    Apr 19, 2021
    9
    LE metroidvania qu'il faut avoir tester pour tout fan du genre, plus de 20 ans apres le jeu reste toujours fantastiques. son ajout rpg a la formule aura fait évoluer tout un genre!
  74. Mene0
    Nov 3, 2022
    9
    Absolute classic. This game stands the test of time as genre-defining. Still discovering things 20+ years after I originally played.

    And of course, the name gives away the fact that the OST in this game is probably one of the greatest OSTs ever. Give it a listen, at least.
  75. Joaozow
    Oct 22, 2022
    9
    Muito bom, é incrível como um jogo tão antigo continua sendo sendo um dos top dez melhores jogos do gênero até hoje, sem falar do seus gráficos que envelheceram melhor que muitos jogos de ps3/xbox 360, um mapa incrível e uma gameplay viciante, claro não é perfeito, mas deve ser levado em conta a época em que foi feito
  76. CannonBlaster
    Nov 23, 2013
    8
    The first Metroidvania castlevania holds up surprising well. If you can swallow flutuating difficulty, and a really annoying death sequence, then you'll love the fast pace action that is Symphony of the Night.
  77. powermad80
    Mar 9, 2015
    8
    It's quite a good and absorbing game, it pioneered the Metroidvania style for Castlevania and therefore paved the way for the masterpieces to come after it. I don't think this is a perfect game or a 10/10, but it's certainly an easy recommendation. Later games in the series like Portrait of Ruin and Aria of Sorrow were better than SOTN, but that doesn't make this any less of a must-play.
  78. ashketchum
    Mar 31, 2018
    8
    The spritework still looks gorgeous today. SotN is great at setting atmosphere with it's diverse soundtrack, unique to every section of the castle. Controls work great, the game is relatively well-balanced, with a good balance of voluntary and compulsory sections, that allow for different successive playthroughs of the game. However, many sections of Symphony need to be traversed severalThe spritework still looks gorgeous today. SotN is great at setting atmosphere with it's diverse soundtrack, unique to every section of the castle. Controls work great, the game is relatively well-balanced, with a good balance of voluntary and compulsory sections, that allow for different successive playthroughs of the game. However, many sections of Symphony need to be traversed several times, and many of these sections are long and relatively empty or easy. These sections of the game feel a bit arduous, sometimes even coming off as an attempt to prolong game time. Despite this, SotN still holds up, and is a classic in the PS1's library.… Expand
  79. shootingstars99
    Aug 13, 2019
    8
    A great Castlevania game, and one of the best "metroidvania" style games ever. The music, art, atmosphere and gameplay are all extremely strong. You explore the castle and find multiple secrets along the way to your ultimate destination in just about every Castlevania. If you like the series, you will love this 100 times over!
  80. AndreAlexandr
    Nov 14, 2019
    8
    What is a man if not a miserable pile of secrets! But isn't secret to anyone that, undoubtedly, this is one of the best Castlevania 2D games.

    SoTN mark an era and help to define its genre. Almost all Castlevania releases after it drink in the same glass that Dracula shatters in the very start of this game and, even now, we have other games being inspired by it. It's not an easy game;    What is a man if not a miserable pile of secrets! But isn't secret to anyone that, undoubtedly, this is one of the best Castlevania 2D games.

    SoTN mark an era and help to define its genre. Almost all Castlevania releases after it drink in the same glass that Dracula shatters in the very start of this game and, even now, we have other games being inspired by it.

    It's not an easy game; it could be a lot frustrating and reach its 100% only mean you are in the middle of your Dracula's castle tour, but this should be part of the fun, even the other half of this crusade against evil being hard to find without a little external help.

    Unfortunately the PS version is the most common one to be find in its many releases for newer systems and it's incomplete. We have some minor details and sections that can't be played on it (like the whole game with Maria...) but it still is a great game even for today standards and is easy to notice why SoTN is so well saw among players over the world for so many years.    … Expand
  81. Sanghelic
    Apr 11, 2020
    8
    uno de los mejores juegos del primer playstation y con razon, castlevania symphony of the night es un juego perfecto para los fans de los juegos de aventura y los juegos de plataforma, muy inteligente a la hora de combinar la exploracion con elementos de rpg, una ambientacion muy buena, graficas excelentes y que han envejecido muy bien a diferencia del resto de juegos de PS1, el soundtrackuno de los mejores juegos del primer playstation y con razon, castlevania symphony of the night es un juego perfecto para los fans de los juegos de aventura y los juegos de plataforma, muy inteligente a la hora de combinar la exploracion con elementos de rpg, una ambientacion muy buena, graficas excelentes y que han envejecido muy bien a diferencia del resto de juegos de PS1, el soundtrack es de lo mejor que he escuchado en mucho tiempo, sencillamente un juego muy divertido, fue divertido hace 20 años y lo sigue siendo incluso el dia de hoy.… Expand
  82. Luigichief
    Jul 3, 2020
    8
    This game is a classic video game and on merit. He created a style of play that is widely used today, Metroidvania. I'm not a big fan of Metroidvania, but it is a fact that this game is great and is one of the best Metroidvanias even today. Even though I don't enjoy exploration, in this game I liked it, I felt that my exploration was very well rewarded (especially in the first half of theThis game is a classic video game and on merit. He created a style of play that is widely used today, Metroidvania. I'm not a big fan of Metroidvania, but it is a fact that this game is great and is one of the best Metroidvanias even today. Even though I don't enjoy exploration, in this game I liked it, I felt that my exploration was very well rewarded (especially in the first half of the game).

    The combat is very fluid, fast, fun and has enough diversity (the game is not very long).

    The story begins right after the end of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. This is probably the best story of all Castlevania, even though it is relatively basic and has very little focus. This is one of the few games that I don't consider history to be of great importance, even though I think there should be more cutscenes.

    The soundtrack is decent and has 2 OSTs above average.

    My only problems with this game are the little focus on the story and characters. But the game ends up almost doubling in size with a technique that reuses about 90% of the original map, in this reuse the exploration is not so well rewarded, but if you like to explore it is not a problem. But I thought the game is very general because of the level system and the fact that Alucard is op in general (if you use a final boss potion the game is easy and yes I killed Galamoth). But the cons don't even compare to the pros and I recommend this game to everyone (unless you're a beginner in games).    … Expand
  83. romeoMAKOTO
    May 2, 2021
    8
    تنوع الاسلحة و انواعهم جميل و بعض الاسلحة فيهم elements معينة تثار على بعض الاعداء و البعض التاني مش نفس التاثير، الكويس ان النوع دا من الاسلحة مش كتير عشان لو كانت اللعبة تجبرك تستعمل سلاح معين ضد كل وحش كانت حيقتل الحرية و التنوع في اللعب *مش زي لعبة بضان تانية مش عايز اقول اسمها*

    اللعبة فيها spells متنوعيين زي ال summon spirit اللي تطلعلك spirit يساعدوك تقتل الوحوش و ال tetra spirit    تنوع الاسلحة و انواعهم جميل و بعض الاسلحة فيهم elements معينة تثار على بعض الاعداء و البعض التاني مش نفس التاثير، الكويس ان النوع دا من الاسلحة مش كتير عشان لو كانت اللعبة تجبرك تستعمل سلاح معين ضد كل وحش كانت حيقتل الحرية و التنوع في اللعب *مش زي لعبة بضان تانية مش عايز اقول اسمها*

    اللعبة فيها spells متنوعيين زي ال summon spirit اللي تطلعلك spirit يساعدوك تقتل الوحوش و ال tetra spirit اللي ترسبن 4 في نفس الوقت و ال winged slash اللي بخليك تعمل داش مع تحول الخفاش و في كتير سبيلز تانيين منهم للهيل او الداميدج المشكلة هنا ان طريقة تفعيلهم انك تعمل كومبو كانها لعبة فايتينج و دا شئ غبي دا غير انهم كانوا يقدروا يخلوها اسهل لو كانوا خلوك تختار ال spell اللي عايز تحضرها من ال menu و تضغط L1 مبانه زر بدون فائدة و كانت المشكلة اتحلت بسهولة ال AI بتاع الاعداء و تصميمهم حلو و شايف انه احسن تصميم في السلسلة لكن اللي يخرب المتعة ان الاسلحة الضرر بتاعهم عالي معظمهم و الدروع الديفنس بتاع معظمهم عالي و دا يخلي اللعبة تبدوا كانها نكتة في شوية حالات، هو انا عارف ان العاب كاسلفينيا عامة مصممة انها تتلعب بسرعة بس مش لدرجة ان البوس يعمل داميدج اقل من 5...

    تصميم القلعة و كل مكان فيها يعتبر اكبر شئ يميز اللعبة و هو اكتر جزء بحبه فيها، كل منطقة في القلعة ليها جوها الخاص و اوستات اللعبة وحدها تكفي تشرح اللي انا بقوله ، روح اسمع بس كms العظمة https://youtu.be/8FA7JFbKCIE
    https://youtu.be/cyWTgLf-piE
    https://youtu.be/Oquad3rnZSI
    https://youtu.be/Xv5MAdxxX_8
    https://youtu.be/wHpMdgM0Sb4
    https://youtu.be/UlBcCSbOwek
    https://youtu.be/TLmK6qOLXps
    https://youtu.be/76GKchURdVo
    و بعيدا عن ميزة الاتموسفير و الاوستات و ازاي ان رسم ايامي كوجيما للشخصيات ملائم، تقريبا كل مكان في القلعة فيه غرف مخفية مش حتقدر تفتحهم في نفس الوقت و ان في symbols حول القلعة مثال على كدا في تاني منطقة في القلعة حتلاقي models كانها طاولات تحصل فيها تجارب كيميائية، في القصة المفروض دراكولا عالم بالسحر و العلوم دا غير انه اتجوز دكتورة برضو يعني التفاصيل متعوب عليها دا غير ان القلعة ليها نسخة تانية الجاذبية مقلوبة فيها و الصعوبة فيها مضاعفة بوحوش جديدة لكن زي ما قلت فوق ان الاسلحة و الدروع الOP غير عادلة لكن المشكلة تقدر تتحل ببساطة بانك تحدد الاسلحة اللي تستعملها تكون ضعيفة اللعبة فيها مود اضافي تقدر تلعب فيه بريكتار بيلمونت لكنه تراش لانه حرفيا كل حركاته لازم عشان تستعملهم لازم تعملهم بكومبوز برضو الخلاصة ان اللعبة كان ليها potential عشان تبقا احسن لكن مجرد حاجات بسيطة اثرت عليها بشكل كبير تقييم النهائي: 8.4/10    … Expand
  84. Iluvatar21
    May 3, 2014
    7
    HOW I RATE: 10-9 score: perfect or near-perfect don't exist; 8 score: one of the best games ever. Top score; 7-6 score: great but not one of the best; 5-below score: serious flaws.
    ===========
    An incredible adventure. Very engaging and fun.
  85. YorkMan
    Nov 24, 2015
    7
    SOTN is a great game, but it's far from perfect. I never understand review scores of 8+ for games which are great.... But clearly not worth such high ratings.
    Why is SOTN 'only' worth a 7? I'll explain.
    The game is a follow up to a Japanese only release on the PC-Engine CD format, a game that it borrows from extensively (right down to a great deal of enemy sprites which are just ported    SOTN is a great game, but it's far from perfect. I never understand review scores of 8+ for games which are great.... But clearly not worth such high ratings.
    Why is SOTN 'only' worth a 7? I'll explain.

    The game is a follow up to a Japanese only release on the PC-Engine CD format, a game that it borrows from extensively (right down to a great deal of enemy sprites which are just ported over intact), but changes from a defined 'level' system (a-b-c), to a more open world system. It's reminiscent of the Metroid games in that respect, which again, it borrows wholeheartedly from in gameplay terms.
    So essentially is a game with (slightly better than 16-bit) graphics, that rips off game structure, and whose designers couldn't be bothered to develop a new set of characters for.
    Now I know that some character designs do inhabit the 'world' of Castlevania (God damn Medusa Heads!!!) but to simply cut and paste from an older game is just lazy. It could have been so much more diverse and interesting.
    However, there are two MAJOR problems with the game that knock its rating down severely.
    The first is that the game is incredibly easy to 'break'. It's not as if the game is that difficult anyway, but certain combinations of the equipment you collect make the protagonist, Alucard, practically invincible. And I'm not talking about right at the end of the game, I'm talking about not that far in.
    The second is the utterly horrible American 'dub'. The graphical style of the game is clearly Japanese, from the in-game graphics as you play, to the static images/portraits in the menus, to the box art itself... But rather than release the game with a dual language/subtitles option, we had to endure some of the most cringe-worthy spoken dialogue ever put into a video game. It's almost if someone directing the 'rent a voice' actors was saying to them 'no, that's far to enigmatic and resonant, do it again and this time make yourself sound whiny and pathetic'. I never could understand that, but a Japanese language version has never been made 'officially' available in the West... For shame!    … Expand
  86. eded9999
    May 21, 2023
    7
    I wanted to replay this to see how it has aged. Still a decent game, tho:
    >Lots of details and secrets that are up to the player to discover. There's no holding hand here.
    >Awesome soundtrack >Huge bestiary >That big "true ending" gimmick it's amazing, i remember that blow my mind when i play it for the first time. But some aspect have aged poorly, mainly: >The bosses, kind of    I wanted to replay this to see how it has aged. Still a decent game, tho:
    >Lots of details and secrets that are up to the player to discover. There's no holding hand here.
    >Awesome soundtrack
    >Huge bestiary
    >That big "true ending" gimmick it's amazing, i remember that blow my mind when i play it for the first time.

    But some aspect have aged poorly, mainly:
    >The bosses, kind of basic and limited, compared to modern metroidvanias, you can just face tank 90% of bosses
    >And the dumb/cringe dialogues.    … Expand
  87. Cancery1987
    May 2, 2023
    7
    This game fun but very easy, some weapon so imba and I hate loading time
    I think Aria of sorrow better
    Music 9/10
    Graphic 9/10
    Gameplay 8/10
    Bosses 6/10 (Very easy)
    No newgame+ or hardmode, Luck mode made game very easy
  88. GVB
    Dec 21, 2022
    7
    Ok, if Castlevania III was a step ahead in the Castlevania games, this is a game-changer. Maps, backtracking, level progression (Castlevania II also has one, but it was terrible), and characters with dialogueS, in plural. One of them even talk with you in more than three occasions!!! Ejem. But, seriously, is good and fun and not so hard as his predecessors.
  89. camptownrangers
    May 30, 2015
    6
    It's a good game, just incredibly overrated. Aria/Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia are far better games and honestly make Symphony of the Night feel quite boring. At the end of the day there's nothing that SotN does that you won't find much better in the newer entries.

    That being said though, Richter mode in SotN is still loads of fun.
  90. Alucart
    Jan 21, 2006
    5
    Played, finished it with the 197% completion rate, but never found it being an exciting game. Maybe it's because of the reason that I finished Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow not so long ago and they make this one to feel somewhat lacky, messy and boring. That, or this game is just over-rated. One thing is for sure (okay, two things): The voice acting is indeed Played, finished it with the 197% completion rate, but never found it being an exciting game. Maybe it's because of the reason that I finished Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow not so long ago and they make this one to feel somewhat lacky, messy and boring. That, or this game is just over-rated. One thing is for sure (okay, two things): The voice acting is indeed _horrible_ (it's a common fact) and the game's plot was really uninteresting (or badly attached in the game).… Expand
  91. leofravoline
    May 10, 2022
    5
    Ele é até divertido, mas é um pouco limitado pelo seu tempo não por culpa dele, deveria ter um modo de acessibilidade que ao menos marcasse no mapa qual chave abre qual porta, ter que ficar zanzando pelos cenários procurando o caminho a seguir e dar de cara com vários becos sem saídas não é divertido.
  92. cancali
    Mar 28, 2020
    1
    Un juego sobrevalorado. Jugabilidad simplísima, en 2D, nada original. Además tiene una historia mala, llena de clichés. Posee elementos RPG pero no tiene mayor complejidad que poner el item de mayor valor de defensa o ataque que tengas disponible.

    Overrated game. Very simple gameplay, another copy of old 2D games. Bad story and scripts. The RPG elements aren't a real challenge.
  93. neomoonsevin
    Jan 22, 2023
    0
    This is on Xbox aswell why isn't it labelled under Xbox aswell is this metacritic or old archives that don't get updated anyway I played this on PlayStation didn't like it then I purchased this on Xbox 360 and it's still shert
  94. yumy
    Feb 24, 2023
    0
    this game has beautiful music amazing gameplay 10/10 must play alucard is so strong
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PS1 Game of 1997
2
#2 Most Discussed PS1 Game of 1997
1
#1 Most Shared PS1 Game of 1997

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. GMR Magazine
    90
    A certifiable classic. [Feb 2003, p.97]
  2. PSX Nation
    96
    Not to be missed.
    Read full review
  3. netjak
    95
    With at least four known endings, Symphony's already astounding replay value is entirely phenomenal.
See all critic reviews »