Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a 2D platformer and RPG game released in 1997. The game was a huge success and was critically acclaimed for its gameplay and graphics. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night can be described as a platformer with RPG elements. It is one of the most well-known platformers. It can be found on the Playstation, Playstation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and Wii Virtual Console. The game is set in the year 1691, and it is the year of the new moon. Dracula has been slain, and his castle is open to exploration. The goal in the game is to explore the castle and destroy all the monsters.
Gameplay
The gameplay consists of exploring a castle which is laid out like a maze, with the exception of the outside world. In order to progress to different areas in the castle, the player has to explore and find a way to unlock the next door. To do that, there are different ways. Some of the ways to unlock a door are: defeat the enemies in a room, find a key, strike a switch, or find a different room and then return back to the room where the door is. In Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, there are two types of levels, the upside-down levels and the regular levels. The upside-down levels are levels that are flipped from left to right. Regular levels are levels that are not flipped. In the levels that are flipped, there are no doors that lead to the opposite side. In the levels that are not flipped, there are doors that lead to the opposite side. There are also levels that are not flipped and not regular levels, like the room with the three blue dragons.
Graphics
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night's graphics consist of "high resolution pre-rendered 3D backgrounds [which] are blended with 2D hand-drawn characters." The 3D backgrounds are pre-rendered and then stored on CD-ROM, while the 2D hand-drawn characters are animated on the screen. The graphics are in the style of the 16th century. There are lots of colors, and the colors are not too bright. The graphics of the game are 2D. They are not 3D.
Replayability
There is no replayability in this game, as there is only one way to progress through the game. There are lots of different levels in the game, and there are lots of different paths that a player can take. Therefore, replayability is high.
Pros
- The graphics are very well-done
- There are lots of different levels in the game
- There are lots of different paths that a player can take
- There are many different types of levels
- There are many different types of enemies
- There are many different bosses
- The game is very challenging
Cons
- There are not many weapons
- Lots of the enemies are very difficult to defeat
- The upside-down levels are too difficult
- The game is too difficult
Conclusion
The game is great. It is a classic platformer and RPG game. It is very challenging, and the graphics are done well. The game is very fun, and it is very difficult. The replayability is high.
