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| Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Review | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 21 2011, 06:16 PM (462 Views) | |
| Aigis | Dec 21 2011, 06:16 PM Post #1 |
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Totally not a trap. :3
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![]() Developer: Konami Platform: PlayStation, PlayStation Portable(PSN) and PlayStation 3(PSN) Genre: RPG, Side-Scroller ESRB Rating: T Release Date: 1997 Overview: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was the turning point for the popular side-scrolling series of thrilling difficulty. Unlike all the titles before, SotN stars the son of the game's antagonist Dracula, named Alucard. The story takes place 4 years after Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, and opens with a prologue starring Richter Belmont in the final boss battle of the game. After the prologue, the story shifts to four years later as you take control of Alucard, the enigmatic son of Count Dracula. Alucard infiltrates his father's castle in the single attempt to end the tyranny of Dracula, as well as to search for the vampire hunter Richter Belmont, who went missing shortly after vanquishing Dracula previously. Gameplay - 7/10 Unlike most of the titles on the PlayStation at the time, Symphony of the Night kept the 2D graphics and utilizing the PlayStation's processing power to keep the tradition of side-scrolling action. Most fans noticed that SotN is played very similarly to the older Metroid games, with its map system, save point locations and earning power-ups in random locations, earning it the nickname, "Metroid-vania". However, the game has its own style of using swords, knives, spells, and familiars to attack, making it arguably more difficult than the Metroid series. There are also RPG elements, with shops, level-ups and equipment settings. In my personal opinion, this is the most enjoyable Castlvania title ever to be released. The gameplay is thrilling, while at the same time, adaquately difficult. Bosses are all unique and exciting, though most of them aren't required to even complete the game. The map of the game may seem intimidatingly huge at first glance, but Alucard has so many skills to pick up by the end of the game, that you'll end up wishing the castle were bigger. The best part about the game, imo, is once you've cleared it once with Alucard, you can enter your name as RICHTER and play through the game the way Castlevania used to be, controlling a Belmont. Music - 9/10 With the new age of CDs having much higher quality and potential than cassettes or cartridges, the PlayStation was a promise for wonderful music, and SotN did virtually nothing to disappoint. Every soundtrack that plays has a connection with the area or event that it is taking place. Lost Painting and Black Banquet are shining examples of this, with Lost Painting being very serene and soothing in the Inversed Chapel, and Black Banquet in the final boss battle with its intensity and dark atmosphere. The ending theme is nothing but a reward for all the hard work you put into the adventure, and revitalizes you for your next playthrough. Voices - 2/10 (This is referring to the original PS version, not the PSP remake) To be fair, voice acting for video games was very new in 1997, and not many actors knew how to portray a character simply through their voice. However, the acting as a whole in SotN is nothing short of unconvincing and above all, hammy. Robert Belgrade and Michael Gough are in particular, the worst voices. Robert Belgrade as Alucard had decent control of his inflection, yet his voice tone and accent were incredibly unfitting of Alucard's nature and upbringing. Michael Gough, to be blunt, simply couldn't voice act, being over the top in inflections and voice tones also unfitting of Richter's nature. Like I said, voice acting was new at the time, but the remake is leagues ahead of the acting in the original PS version. Visuals - 10/10 The PlayStation was a truly remarkable machine in 1997, and still blows me away with the potential it held. The artist for the project, Ayami Kojima captured each character's personality and backstory perfectly in simple designs. The graphics are top notch for a 2D game, and the movement design for Alucard is particularly breathtaking. The use of 3D animation is used in scenes, and are all phenomenal. The monsters are all unique and most of the time, fearsome to behold, which is the theme held above all else in Castlevania. General Consensus - 9/10 I can scarcely imagine a better game to have on your dusty, old PlayStation other than Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Everything from beginning to end is either to leave you in awe, or excitement. |
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7:00 PM Jul 11