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We all know what Castlevania is, that platformer where you wield a whip and
you hit enemies and torches, you know the drill. After Dracula X and
Castlevania 4 on SNES, the series began to get stale, bringing gamers
nothing new to the series except better graphics. When I first heard that
they were bringing the new Castlevania to the states, I expected it to be
“just another Castlevania”. However, Symphony of the Night is Konami’s
rebirth of the series, and it turns out to be one of the best games
available for PSX.
You start the game out 100 years back from present time, as the renowned
vampire hunter, Richter Belmont, of the renowned Belmont clan. After a short
scene with Dracula, we are then brought back into present time, where
Dracula's castle has risen. Sure, identical to past Castlevania games, right?
This however is when things pick up; we are introduced to Alucard, and one of
the most hardcore characters you will be introduced to in a game. Alucard
himself is a vampire, but no whips here. Alucard sticks with magic and swords,
which are learned and equipped throughout the game.
The concept is in essence the same, go through the castle and kill Dracula’s
minions. This time around though, you just can’t go through the game just
killing things. Think of this game as a platformer with RPG elements. You
equip weapons, armor, special items, spells, and even customizable cloaks
throughout the game. To progress through the game, you need to find most of
these items to get into many of the castles 120 rooms. It does get repetitive
going back and forth throughout the castle, and the teleports are not always
where you need them to be.
The combination of the setting and the music makes the game even more
appealing. Certain rooms are absolutely amazing, and full of vibrant colors,
while others stick to the drab colors of a castle. The soundtrack is also
one of the big highlights of the game, full of memorable music that sets the
gothic tone of the game. I have to rank this up there as one of the finest
composed soundtracks in a game, which is a big title. Each room I went into,
I was greeted with another fine piece of music, and I can't say that there
were any I didn't like.
Graphics: 8
These aren't your super duper flashy 3D graphics, but they are great 2D
graphics.
Sound: 9
The music alone carries this catagory
Control: 8
Normal gameplay is perfect, but once you get into the spells, they are so
hard to pull off you forget about them.
Fun factor: 8
You will probably play this game once, and love it to death. Theres not much
more to do though after you get to 200% and complete the game.
-Genraven
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