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. wasabi867
    Dec 10, 2012
    10
    ZzzZZzzZz *Oh, another CoD, thanks is pass* ZzzzzzZZzzzz *Oh what we got here ? MoH Warfighter* ZZzzzzzZZZ Oh, Another CoD Game ? ZzZZzzzZ *Opens old PS1 Book, what have we got here ? Castlevania Symphonie of the Night... Pops the Game in... BAM! ............ It blows you away and shows you even to this Date what a real "Magical" Game does .. It is EPIC and holds up better then the RestZzzZZzzZz *Oh, another CoD, thanks is pass* ZzzzzzZZzzzz *Oh what we got here ? MoH Warfighter* ZZzzzzzZZZ Oh, Another CoD Game ? ZzZZzzzZ *Opens old PS1 Book, what have we got here ? Castlevania Symphonie of the Night... Pops the Game in... BAM! ............ It blows you away and shows you even to this Date what a real "Magical" Game does .. It is EPIC and holds up better then the Rest of the Sh** that gets shi* out nowadays!!!! Pick it up!… Expand
  2. Awordley
    Oct 9, 2018
    10
    Released in 1997, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is widely regarded as one of the best games released for the Playstation. For a console strongly forging a path into the 3D era of gaming with titles such as Crash Bandicoot and Final Fantasy VII, how was a traditional 2D side-scroller able to compete with these games?
    Symphony of the Night’s story focuses on Alucard, the rebellious son    Released in 1997, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is widely regarded as one of the best games released for the Playstation. For a console strongly forging a path into the 3D era of gaming with titles such as Crash Bandicoot and Final Fantasy VII, how was a traditional 2D side-scroller able to compete with these games?
    Symphony of the Night’s story focuses on Alucard, the rebellious son of Dracula, rather than the usual Belmont family that have been the series’ protagonists since Castlevania’s debut in 1986. Alucard is unnaturally awakened from long slumber to find that Dracula’s Castle has once again returned, and strangely there isn’t a Belmont to put a stop to it, leaving it up to Alucard to investigate what’s going on.
    Unlike previous Castlevania games that came before it, Symphony of the Night takes the archaic design of the classic games and gives it a new coat of paint. Gone are the linear stages, now replaced with a sprawling, open-ended map of Dracula’s Castle granting the player the freedom of exploration and the ability to choose their own path. While the classic vampire-killing action remains it has been refined with exceptionally smooth control that still holds up well even today, and a heavy emphasis on character customisation. A huge variety of equipment (such as weapons, armour and accessories) can be found scattered throughout Dracula’s Castle for the player to find and use, enabling them to grow stronger through exploration and allowing them to customise Alucard to their liking.
    This style of gameplay, having the player grow in strength through exploration, is comparable to the likes of the Metroid series, and along with the game Super Metroid, pioneered the genre ‘Metroidvania’. However, unique to Symphony of the Night is the addition of RPG mechanics. Enemies that would usually only serve as obstacles now allow the player to gain EXP, making every encounter an opportunity to grow in strength, keeping the game’s combat fresh.
    Konami’s decision to stick to a 2D style for Symphony of the Night was definitely worth it; the Playstation’s hardware is used to produce stunning 32-bit sprites that are full of detail, making this the best looking 2D Castlevania game to date. The sprite quality is gorgeous and certainly still holds up today, contrary to a lot of the early 3D titles on the Playstation that are riddled with polygons and have not aged well. Accompanying the masterful sprite-work is an excellent score composed by Michiru Yamane that sets the tone of the game perfectly. With action packed, exhilarating melodies that Castlevania is known for, and expertly crafted tracks that cause areas to ooze with atmosphere, it’s easy to say that Symphony of the Night has one of the best soundtracks in gaming.
    Overall Symphony of the Night is a Playstation classic that shouldn’t be missed. The only downside is that as with most Castlevania games, it can be difficult to pick up for beginners to the series, as some of its designs (such as the UI) can be unintuitive and the gameplay can be unforgiving. Yet with its tight controls, gorgeous sprite-work, brilliant music and addictive Metroidvania gameplay, Symphony of the Night is a gaming classic for the Playstation and is worth anyone’s time to experience until the end.    … Expand
  3. RichterB.
    Dec 7, 2006
    10
    This game was a break through when it was created not just because the soundtrack was incredible, the visuals were stunning, the variety of characters you could play with, the multitude of weapons and items, infinite combinations of the former and secret powers, but because it offered what a lot of games did not at the time and that was freedom of environment in a 2-D. Super metroid was This game was a break through when it was created not just because the soundtrack was incredible, the visuals were stunning, the variety of characters you could play with, the multitude of weapons and items, infinite combinations of the former and secret powers, but because it offered what a lot of games did not at the time and that was freedom of environment in a 2-D. Super metroid was one of the predecessors to this type of gameplay and it holds its crown for its ability on the Super NES. Castlevania was the definitive for PS because it took that powefully free and entertaining gameplay with a classic story and game to more depth and adventure than ever before. It was similar to Fable on X box or Lament on PS2 but it still out classes both with its sheer amount of charater and playable variability. If only we could have more games with such fun, simplicity and depth that keeps you asking for more.… Expand
  4. steven14329
    Jun 12, 2011
    10
    The very best Castlevania, and my favorite Playstation title. The music and gameplay are like crack to gamers.
  5. dani666
    Nov 15, 2014
    10
    A Masterpiece!!! without doubts the best game on psx and created by konami
    I missed this kind of games in the new consoles, now the people just want stupids FPS
  6. 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
  7. PeterG.
    Jun 26, 2003
    10
    Castlevania SOTN is one of those games: easy to pick up, impossible to put down. This game has established itself in many peoples opinion as the best platformer of all time, it oozes quality and longevity. The graphics being although 2d have a feel all of their own!! Unmissable!!!!
  8. Alucard
    Dec 16, 2003
    10
    If I could I would rate this a 912390132098. It is an AMAZING game. Go get it now and play it if you haven't already.
  9. 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.
  10. Morbideathrash
    Mar 24, 2014
    10
    Castlevania: SoTN is the first castlevania to introduce a non-linear gameplay, but a RPG similar gameplay style with a lot of RPG elements and focusing on exploration and character levelling. Back in the time (1997) most of castlevania fans were confused because of the drastic gameplay change that SoTN has brought to the series, but it succeded to conquer new and even the purist old fansCastlevania: SoTN is the first castlevania to introduce a non-linear gameplay, but a RPG similar gameplay style with a lot of RPG elements and focusing on exploration and character levelling. Back in the time (1997) most of castlevania fans were confused because of the drastic gameplay change that SoTN has brought to the series, but it succeded to conquer new and even the purist old fans (With only few exceptions) of this amazing series thanks to it perfect formula. A lot of the classic elements of the older games can be found in SoTN which proves that even being a renewal of the series, SoTN remains a Castlevania game and not a Reboot like "Lords of Shadows" which seems to have nothing to do with the series. SoTN in longer than any other game in the series and the most complete. None of others castlevania games you will find such amount of weapons, items, armors (Even the post SoTN games which followed the SoTN RPG style formula/Gameplay) bosses, scenarios, dialogues, places to explore and etc.. When SoTN was launched a lot of reviewers called it "Metroidvania" Because it's gameplay style resemble a lot the metroid exploring gameplay, even the character movements and animations, some even called it a ripp-off, of the Metroid series. Well, we don't care if it is or it is not a Ripp-off (It is NOT!) the fact is that SoTN kicks ass! It is undoubtely the best Castlevania ever (Universally acclaimed by Official critics, not only my personal opinion) the is a lot of things to do, a lot of items to find, special bosses to beat, secret areas to discover.. Everything! It has the best protagonist of the castlevania series ever, Alucard! You play with Dracula's son in this game which is awesome. Like in Castlevania III Alucard can transform itself in another beasts, like the wolf, the bat or the mist, which are important to end the game. The graphics like the other games are 2D based, and they're not bad at all, the colors and scenarios are very beatifull. Nothing awesome, but it does not matter that much at all, we are talking about a castlevania/2D game. The musics and soundtracks are STUNNING! The first soundtrack when you play with richter belmont in the prologue (A very special surprise awaits you when you end the game for the first time..) gives you chills.. Some tracks are very epic, others are very deep and dark which combines perfectly with the game atmosphere. You will hear a lot of classical music in the game too, in other word, SoTN sound track is perfect, and not only perfect but even complete, the tracks do not sound all the same, they are sundry. Unlike the other series, in SoTN you will have a lot of RPG elements and attributes like Strenght, Armor, Intelligence and others. To beat the most powerfull bosses you will have to beat many enemies as you can and increase your statistics and character level, so it will be not wise to avoid enemies, in order to advance the game main story you will have to get stronger as you can. The game as two castles, the normal one and the inverted one, and it is up to you to discover how to get to the inverted one and unlock the good ending (SoTN has about three endings). All this things combined proves that SoTN is a very long game (probably the longer one). SoTN set new standards for the series, all the newer games were "SoTN" based, most of them very good titles but none reached SoTN perfection and epicness. After SoTN release the castlevania series has changed and it remains the best castlevania ever.… Expand
  11. Aeon
    Mar 7, 2013
    10
    SotN was the best Castlevania in that time. Don't get me wrong, but i think AoS has the better Story and OoE has the better gameplay, but i won't go deeper. SotN let's you play the son of Dracula who wants to stop his own father from taking revenge for his mother. Well the story is nothing important, but it's cool to play the son of Dracula, who can use alot of weapons and spells, insteadSotN was the best Castlevania in that time. Don't get me wrong, but i think AoS has the better Story and OoE has the better gameplay, but i won't go deeper. SotN let's you play the son of Dracula who wants to stop his own father from taking revenge for his mother. Well the story is nothing important, but it's cool to play the son of Dracula, who can use alot of weapons and spells, instead of those 1-weapon-only-Belmonts, isn't it? The RPG feature made this game what it is: the very best PS1 game. You also have some really nice and dark atmosphere in that game. The sound is also very good mixing up some old Castlevania soundtracks and adding a few new, which really fit for this game. I recommend this game for everyone who likes 2D Sidescroller games, Metroid and Castlevania games.… Expand
  12. Evangellist
    Jul 27, 2013
    10
    Hoaky voice acting aside, what lies in this PS1 title (Calling it PSX always sounded stupid to me...) is one of my favorite, and in my opinion, best games ever made.

    When the console generation of the PS1 and N64 surfaced, it seemed that everyone was utilizing the new technology known as Polygons, so they focused more on the new 3D, where as, Castlevania, made a game with the newfound    Hoaky voice acting aside, what lies in this PS1 title (Calling it PSX always sounded stupid to me...) is one of my favorite, and in my opinion, best games ever made.

    When the console generation of the PS1 and N64 surfaced, it seemed that everyone was utilizing the new technology known as Polygons, so they focused more on the new 3D, where as, Castlevania, made a game with the newfound technology but with pixels, so it looks like a Super Nintendo game on steroids, a look the compliments the game very well.

    I must applaud the developers for their achievement in in-game architecture with Dracula's Castle this time around, it looks beautiful. Not only that but it flows so nicely with this game's sublime platforming, exploring this monstrous place is wonderful and exciting. The atmosphere is very heavy and engrossing, and its one of the few games I can truly call 'immersive'. It's RPG elements fit in perfectly, not taking precedent on the flow of the game and the traditional placement of enemies or grinding, but weaving all of its mechanics together like this is crazy, especially considering this was the first of its kind. The music and sound design is God-tier, spoting many classical tunes that add to the thick atmosphere of this gothic horror setting. Buy the game on Xbox 360 or any Playstation device, it is COMPLETELY worth it.    … Expand
  13. pirralho3
    Jul 4, 2013
    10
    Epic, in all different levels. The only way to make this game better is by making an HD version, with HQ music and with new areas. It's perfection itself.
  14. Plasmaneedle
    Mar 17, 2014
    10
    A classic. Although not quite as good as Super Metroid this game is one of the best 2D games there are. It evolved the Metroidvania formula and added always welcome RPG elements. Carries on the atmosphere and exploration of the classic Metroidvania games. Definitely worth it.
  15. Kai82
    Jul 21, 2021
    10
    A classic of its time, my favorite game in the franchise and probably the poster child for the Metroidvania genre. In Metroidvania games you explore vast levels and find new equipment, skills and abilities that unlock new parts that were non accessible before. Many have RPG mechanics and these combination of exploration, puzzle solving and character improvements is quote addicting. TheA classic of its time, my favorite game in the franchise and probably the poster child for the Metroidvania genre. In Metroidvania games you explore vast levels and find new equipment, skills and abilities that unlock new parts that were non accessible before. Many have RPG mechanics and these combination of exploration, puzzle solving and character improvements is quote addicting. The stories starts with the final battle of the former game “Castlevania Rondo of Blood” where Richter Belmont fights Dracula. Four years have passed since then when Dracula's’ son Alucard arrives at Dracula’s castle to destroy it while Richter Belmont has been missing. What he finds is however different than he has imagined. The story is solid and has an interesting plot idea. However the focus is on the gameplay and so it is not a huge plot or hours of sequences as this is a genre standard. Depending what you do or found out there will be multiple endings and even one where the world is set upside down before it ends (pun intended ;-). The gameplay is excellent. Alucard has awoken from a long slumber and is not at his full strength. You gain experience by defeating enemies, level up and become stronger and stronger. Of cause there are countless weapons, equipment, familiars, (vampiric) powers, spells and secrets to discover. The other part is exploring Dracula’s castle. It is huge and has so many hidden and seemingly non accessible areas. There is so much to explore and find. This is what made me keep going. Also a lot of effort is put into the level design and I think this works as well today as back then. As example for the logical set up just use the clock item in the clock room. The controls work very well and I had never problems in this regard. The difficulty is O.K. for me but can be challenging if you do not level up enough or get better equipment. Visually the game looked really good back then and the art style was a favorite of mine for that time. Today I say it aged well enough that it is not outdated. The soundtrack was truly great and the name “Symphony of the Night” is valid. It is composed by Michiru Yamane and uses a lot of genres to create an awesome soundtrack. For the negatives I would say the loading times are a bit to long for today especially when you died and want to continue. Other than that I think the game holds up well. Overall this became my favorite game in the franchise together with Super Castlevania. It is still really good and worth playing. I view it as a classic of its time and franchise. While the Castlevania franchise is long dormant I would recommend the excellent spiritual successor “Bloodstaines Ritual of the Night”. A truly good successor and a Kickstarter success-story unlike many others.… Expand
  16. 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
  17. ItsAllOgre5
    Sep 23, 2017
    10
    This is easily one of the best games ever created. I first played this last year and was enraptured from beginning to end. The music is memorable, the graphics are gorgeous, the challenge level is just right, and the replayability is high with the options to go for 200% completion and a Richter playthrough. Timeless.
  18. UncleEd
    Oct 12, 2021
    10
    A phenomenal game that deserves all the praise. This is the game that co-invented the metroidvania genre together with Metroid. You are Alucard, Count Dracula’s half human son and you have to explore Dracula’s castle. You gain access to different parts of the castle by unlocking some skills, weapons, solving puzzles, killing enemies, typical to metroidvania games.

    First thing you notice    A phenomenal game that deserves all the praise. This is the game that co-invented the metroidvania genre together with Metroid. You are Alucard, Count Dracula’s half human son and you have to explore Dracula’s castle. You gain access to different parts of the castle by unlocking some skills, weapons, solving puzzles, killing enemies, typical to metroidvania games.

    First thing you notice when you start the game is its unique visual style. It definitely holds up and looks absolutely beautiful today, better than most other PS1 titles. Music is also spectacular (especially in the first half of the game), fitting to the vampire theme nicely and changing based on your location within the castle. Once you explore the castle, you gain access to the inverted castle (a top-down version of the same castle), with new puzzles, enemies and bosses.

    One of the things I enjoyed the most about the game is the cohesive game design with the vampire mythology. Different parts of the castle introduce different enemies but they are all connected to the vampire mythology one way or another. Nothing feels out of place.

    There are some flaws. The infamous cheesy dialogue written with poor English which may now belong to “so bad that it’s good” category. Also, the game has a difficulty problem in the sense that it starts a bit too difficult. And depending on your weapons and skills, it may become way too easy before you are half way through. Finally, there are some areas which would be very hard to figure out without a guide.

    Despite all these flaws though, Symphony of the Night’s main strength is something lacking in most games. It has character and you feel strongly connected to it despite the many games you may have played in the past which Castlevania: SoTN has strongly influenced.

    9.5/10    … Expand
  19. Burayan
    Jul 21, 2018
    10
    This game is truly a masterpiece that defined the "Metroidvania" genre as we know it, but remember, a masterpiece can have it"s flaws, like the difficulty being really unbalanced, useless items and powers, bad plot and voice acting, the second part of the game being a little copypaste from the first part, but, what makes this game a masterpiece is it"s gameplay, music and environment,This game is truly a masterpiece that defined the "Metroidvania" genre as we know it, but remember, a masterpiece can have it"s flaws, like the difficulty being really unbalanced, useless items and powers, bad plot and voice acting, the second part of the game being a little copypaste from the first part, but, what makes this game a masterpiece is it"s gameplay, music and environment, first the gameplay, this gameplay is so good man, combining rpg with aspects from old castlevanias and inspiration from metroid, being really satisfying to play and to get power-ups and even addicting to just explore and kill enemies with the tight controls, then, the music... this is truly a symphony, every track of this game is good and mixes perfectly with the atmosphere, and then, the environment, all of the game happens in dracula"s castle, castlevania, and man, there are a lot of unique places that blend perfectly toguether with the enemies and music. For being a 1997 game, this game is truly special.… Expand
  20. Gaisericus
    Feb 14, 2020
    10
    hey, look buddy, do you have any idea who you're dealing with? this is one of the best games of all time
  21. 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
  22. kailip
    Apr 10, 2012
    10
    This game is the best game of all times. PERIOD. There's nothing else to say.
  23. FelipeSabba
    Apr 3, 2015
    10
    This game was the best game i've played on my entire life. The soundtrack is absolutely amazing, the customization, the amount of items, the bestiary, the bosses, everything in this game is fantastic. I recommend it to everyone!
  24. 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
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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.
  28. 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
  29. 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.
  30. 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
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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.
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