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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. 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
  2. PrinceWolf
    Feb 4, 2019
    10
    PREGI
    - Gameplay che si incastona da sè in un mosaico perfetto che porterà ad esplorare ogni singola stanza del castello.
    - Atmosfera gotica ineguagliabile, affiancata da un ambientazione e un design generale della più grande eleganza concepita. - Comparto sonoro che va oltre l’eccellenza. DIFETTI - Raggiunge la perfezione fondendosi con la formula introdotta da Super Metroid. -    PREGI
    - Gameplay che si incastona da sè in un mosaico perfetto che porterà ad esplorare ogni singola stanza del castello.
    - Atmosfera gotica ineguagliabile, affiancata da un ambientazione e un design generale della più grande eleganza concepita.
    - Comparto sonoro che va oltre l’eccellenza.

    DIFETTI
    - Raggiunge la perfezione fondendosi con la formula introdotta da Super Metroid.
    - Menù che poteva essere più chiaro.    … Expand
  3. 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
  4. stgrunu
    Apr 15, 2018
    10
    I've replayed this game easily 10 times and I don't get bored of it. One of the best games for the PS1.
  5. BigEvilSquirrel
    Aug 12, 2018
    10
    5 out of 5.
    This game manages to take everything good about Castlevania and blend it perfectly with everything that made Super Metroid great, making a game formula others have been trying to duplicate for centuries. This game manages to perfectly blend various genres into a beautiful masterpiece. Excellent platforming, RPG elements, and exploration seamlessly come together here. The music    5 out of 5.
    This game manages to take everything good about Castlevania and blend it perfectly with everything that made Super Metroid great, making a game formula others have been trying to duplicate for centuries. This game manages to perfectly blend various genres into a beautiful masterpiece. Excellent platforming, RPG elements, and exploration seamlessly come together here. The music is second to non and elevates the atmosphere to astronomical levels. The gameplay is just on point. I just can't recommend this game enough.    … Expand
  6. 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
  7. frederik1478
    Aug 25, 2020
    10
    Castlevania Symphony of the Night A start to a genre I hold very dear , I cannot tell you how many times I have played through this game because it's so comfy, Everytime you Revisited it you begin andmin min speedrun to see how fast you can get through it , The music and visuals are the best the PS1 have, Only bad thing I can say about the game is that a difficult is completely unbalancedCastlevania Symphony of the Night A start to a genre I hold very dear , I cannot tell you how many times I have played through this game because it's so comfy, Everytime you Revisited it you begin andmin min speedrun to see how fast you can get through it , The music and visuals are the best the PS1 have, Only bad thing I can say about the game is that a difficult is completely unbalanced in the beginning it's hard but when you get halfway through the game it become too easy, Despite its flaws it is my favourite PSone game .… Expand
  8. ByYuxiSs
    Mar 13, 2017
    10
    For my opinion one of the most important games of Ps1 along with a solid Metal gear, Final fantasy and Crash bandicoot, although ps1 was due more than anything to games with 3D graphics and that the 2d were not worth anything as they were Of the previous generation this game knew to mark a before and after to the games of 2d like one of the best games never created with a perfect music,For my opinion one of the most important games of Ps1 along with a solid Metal gear, Final fantasy and Crash bandicoot, although ps1 was due more than anything to games with 3D graphics and that the 2d were not worth anything as they were Of the previous generation this game knew to mark a before and after to the games of 2d like one of the best games never created with a perfect music, excellent gameplay and an incredible history.

    My favorite game of ps1 10/10    … Expand
  9. 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
  10. Kurokatana
    Sep 13, 2017
    10
    Probably one of if not the best Castlevania game and one of the best PS1 games of all time. Everything about it is beautiful, the 2D models and backgrounds, the spectacular OST, the gameplay... Tons of beautifully rendered enemies, a great amount of special weapons, magic spells, familiars, secrets, equipment, transformations, this game has it all. You will fall in love with this game ifProbably one of if not the best Castlevania game and one of the best PS1 games of all time. Everything about it is beautiful, the 2D models and backgrounds, the spectacular OST, the gameplay... Tons of beautifully rendered enemies, a great amount of special weapons, magic spells, familiars, secrets, equipment, transformations, this game has it all. You will fall in love with this game if you haven't already.… Expand
  11. 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
  12. egoBorder
    Jan 29, 2022
    10
    I just played this again after like 15 years and my jaw was on the floor at how good this game is still today. It's so rich and alive, with beautiful sprites, a thumping soundtrack, and vibrant gameplay that is simple while offering a lot of variety as well. No matter when you're reading this, if you haven't played this game go out and find any version of it and try it. Minus a fewI just played this again after like 15 years and my jaw was on the floor at how good this game is still today. It's so rich and alive, with beautiful sprites, a thumping soundtrack, and vibrant gameplay that is simple while offering a lot of variety as well. No matter when you're reading this, if you haven't played this game go out and find any version of it and try it. Minus a few nitpicks that haven't aged well or might require a guide, this is a diamond in any casing.… Expand
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. Viper_Necklampy
    Jun 6, 2018
    10
    Simply masterpiece. variety, objects, soundtrack, enemies, bosses, dialogues, everything ... I mean ... Stupendous. However pleasant nowadays.
  16. Leontorres7
    Nov 13, 2018
    10
    A Masterpiece, loved everything about this game, it is definitely a must play!
  17. redbutnotdead
    Jan 30, 2023
    10
    What can anyone say for one of the best ideo games ever created? Everything you will see there is simply top notch.
  18. 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.
  19. mikesuper666
    Jan 1, 2019
    10
    This is a game that I played in childhood in the middle of the 3D era, already in that time I found it beautiful graphically and with incredibly precise gameplay, without doubt the best of psx
  20. 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
  21. 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!
  22. bumsoo
    Jun 10, 2019
    10
    Best of the best !!! "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night" This is BEST !!!
  23. 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
  24. Agz
    Nov 29, 2019
    10
    Um dos melhores jogos já lançados até hoje impressiona pelo grande cenário a se explorar e pela música marcante
  25. Thwomp
    May 28, 2023
    10
    Oh the sweet memories of this masterpiece. I even had the original guide. The soundtrack really goes hard in this game.

    Absolute masterpiece. Anything less would be uncivilized. Can you imagine the few people who actually gave less than a green number rating, and the REDS?!?! Insane.
  26. 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
  27. nachoespoz
    Sep 5, 2019
    10
    un clásico de la play 1 y un juego revolucionario que hasta hoy es una vara de medir para los juegos de este genero. si bien no creo el subgénero de los metroidvania podríamos decir que lo llevo al siguiente nivel.
    en mi opinión supero a súper metroid de la snes en casi todos los apartados y fue por mucho tiempo el mejor metroidvania jamas creado de los videojuegos, para muchos fans de    un clásico de la play 1 y un juego revolucionario que hasta hoy es una vara de medir para los juegos de este genero. si bien no creo el subgénero de los metroidvania podríamos decir que lo llevo al siguiente nivel.
    en mi opinión supero a súper metroid de la snes en casi todos los apartados y fue por mucho tiempo el mejor metroidvania jamas creado de los videojuegos, para muchos fans de castlevania hoy por hoy el symphony of the night sigue siendo el mejor de toda la saga pese a que el juego salio hace mas de 20 años.
    no voy a hablar como funcionan los metroidvania (esta demás explicarlo), solo puedo decir que me asombra hasta que punto de excelencia llega este juego y mas cuando llegas al castillo invertido ahí las cosas solo mejoran y se vuelven mas retadoras.
    las transformaciones, habilidades y objetos que te permiten acceder a nuevas zonas están muy bien pensadas pero sobre todo se siente que encaja con el castillo y su estructura.
    el punto mas fuerte sin duda son los jefes, que si sumas los dos castillos tendrás mas o menos 24 jefes, para todos los gustos y con muy buenos diseños. en el primer castillo la mayoría son difíciles pero en el segundo la dificultad aumentan mucho, lo que demanda mas habilidad de tu parte.
    la música es perfecta para este juego pero sobretodo muy bien compuesta, los gráficos también son muy buenos.
    a veces me cuesta creer que este juego salio en una la play 1, es tan adelantado a su época que asusta, no les puedo decir nada mas, es un juegazo y un clásico de los videojuegos si puedes jugarlo te lo recomiendo con todas mis fuerzas.    … Expand
  28. 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.
  29. SomaKurusu
    Nov 19, 2019
    10
    Una de las obras maestras más grande de la historia de los videojuegos. Creador del género Metroidvania al combinar conceptos de las 2 sagas. Para mi, entre las 3 mejores bandas sonoras d e la historia, con una historia muy buena para el género que és; unos gráficos en 2d lleno de detalles y animaciones brutales. Una mezcla de plataformeo, rpg, acción y exploración que le sienta deUna de las obras maestras más grande de la historia de los videojuegos. Creador del género Metroidvania al combinar conceptos de las 2 sagas. Para mi, entre las 3 mejores bandas sonoras d e la historia, con una historia muy buena para el género que és; unos gráficos en 2d lleno de detalles y animaciones brutales. Una mezcla de plataformeo, rpg, acción y exploración que le sienta de maravilla. Todos los alagos que se le puedan hacer a este juego son pocos, fue un antes y un después en la Historia de los Videojuegos. Recomendado para todos, ya que este estilo nunca pasará de moda.… Expand
  30. ElObjetivo89
    Apr 17, 2020
    10
    The game who change all.

    Es difícil encontrar puntos negativos para este juego. A mí el Castillo invertido me parece un desastre, pero creo que es un añadido extra (bastante trabajo debió llevar el original). Y quizá conseguir algunas armas debiera ser más fácil. Alucard es brutal, y los escenarios son variados y maravillosos para la época. Jugar es divertido y adictivo, y el juego    The game who change all.

    Es difícil encontrar puntos negativos para este juego. A mí el Castillo invertido me parece un desastre, pero creo que es un añadido extra (bastante trabajo debió llevar el original). Y quizá conseguir algunas armas debiera ser más fácil.
    Alucard es brutal, y los escenarios son variados y maravillosos para la época. Jugar es divertido y adictivo, y el juego contiene multitud de secretos y posee una libertad total de movimiento desde el comienzo.
    El mejor Castlevania...y es decir muchísimo.    … Expand
Page:

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 »