Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Sony PlayStation
Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo
Publisher: Konami of America
Release Date: 1997
Completed: 03 January 2015
Rated: T
I'm not sure I would call any game a perfect experience, but Symphony of the Night is probably the closest thing to it. Though Sony originally didn't want any 2D games on their original PlayStation machine, in an effort to showcase the system's 3D superiority over the competing Sega Saturn, they couldn't pass up getting such a notable franchise on their first foray into console gaming.
The Castlevanias of old had always been strict 2D action-platformers, renowned for their intense difficulty. Symphony eschews the formula by adding a giant, mostly non-linear castle to explore and RPG elements such as different equipment and an experience point system. Similar to Nintendo's groundbreaking Metroid franchise, new areas of the game world open up as you find new items and powers, creating an incredibly rewarding sense of discovery and adventure, and coining the popular phrase Metroidvania.
I have reviewed Symphony of the Night before, back in the early days of this blog, but having completed it for the thirteenth time this afternoon, I wanted to sing its praises once more. It's just that good. I remembering purchasing the game before I owned a PlayStation of my own, playing through the game on my brother's console. That same copy (original black label release) sits proudly on my shelf to this day.
The game opens with some spectacularly bad voice acting that has become the stuff of legend. To save money, I'm assuming Konami hired the office janitor to provide the voice of Richter Belmont in the prologue, which retells the final battle from the game's Japan-only prequel Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. Dracula himself fares a little better and is given such classic lines as "What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets! But enough talk... Have at you!"
Shortly after the prequel, you take control of Alucard, the inconspicuosly named son of Dracula, who has interrupted his eternal slumber in order to stop his father's return once more. Alucard first appeared in the NES classic Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, and this game pays homage to that fact several times. Of course, you barely set foot in the castle before Death shows up and steals all your gear like a jerk. I suppose it wouldn't be much of a game if you had powerful equipment right from the start, so instead you're forced to scavenge for new weapons, armor, and accessories, as well as single-use items that range from stat buffs to the usual life and magic power restoratives found in every RPG.
There are so many things that make Symphony special. Even with the somewhat drastic change in gameplay mechanics, it still feels like Castlevania, with atmospheric and incredibly beautiful graphics. Even today, this is a fantastic looking game. There is some noticeable slowdown at times, but the castle is lavishly detailed with each area looking vastly different, and the lighting and effects are stunning. Alucard and his enemies are also meticulously detailed and fluidly animated. In true Castlevania fashion, you still destroy candles in order to find money, hearts, and other power-ups, which always puzzled me. How do you hide a sword in a candle? For that matter, who keeps relighting all of them? If you leave a room then immediately come back, all the candles you've destroyed will be relit. Whoever has that job must be very efficient, and they must absolutely hate Alucard.
There is a wide variety of enemies, and unlike standard RPGs, very few are simple palette swaps. There are a few different kinds of skeletons, for example, but they all have different attacks and animations. Most of the enemies are completely unique, and encountering new ones is always a fun treat. Though once again I'm left to wonder why a crow drops bags of gold when killed. What do you need that money for? You're a bird.
The voice acting may be endearingly bad, but enough legitimate praise cannot be lavished upon Michiru Yamane's musical score. Yamane had previously worked on the Sega Genesis installment, Castlevania: Bloodlines, but thanks to the CD format's extra storage capacity, her score for Symphony of the Night is as breathtaking as the visuals. Beautifully orchestrated with flourishes of rock 'n' roll guitars and gothic instrumentation, the music is haunting and unforgettable. In fact, I'm listening to it in iTunes as I write this.
The game is notably easier than its predecessors, thanks in part to ability to level up, but that doesn't mean it's a cakewalk. Early on, you're very vulnerable, and the challenge ramps up significantly in the game's second half until you acquire a certain equipment combination that might as well be a giant, red Win button. Spoiler alert (though if you haven't finished this game by now, what the hell is wrong with you?), but what appears to be the final battle with a possessed Richter Belmont is just the halfway point. If done properly, you must play through the entire castle again, but this time it's inverted.
I could be cynical and say it's a cheap way to make the game longer, but in truth I'm actually amazed by how much care went into making a castle that is playable upside down and rightside up. In both versions, you'll have to use some of your special abilities, such as turning into a bat or mist, in order to reach other areas. The level design is superb, and the inverted castle is just as much fun to play through as the regular version.
Once you've completed the game, you can play through it again as Richter Belmont. He lacks the ability to level up, which makes the game feel much more like a traditional Castlevania title, and makes it a more challenging experience as well. It's an excellent bonus that's well worth spending the time to experience.
There's not much more I can say about Symphony of the Night that hasn't been said over the course of the last 18 years since it's initial release. It remains the best entry in the venerable franchise, and one of the best games of all-time on any platform.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was completed on a real Sony PlayStation with no cheats.
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