4.5/5 ★ – Sefferson's review of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

I have my fair share of issues with this game that come down to its age more than anything, but when viewed in a vacuum of the time that it came out, it’s absolutely a 5/5. Phenomenal experience from start to finish, with so many fun and unique secrets hidden about; whether it’s getting a cool new sword drop from an enemy, or finding a hidden wall that contains a unique piece of armor…There’s a lot to find and do here. Each new location in Dracula’s Castle looks fantastic, and many of them have their own songs to go along with them to really set the tone. I wish that the map itself would have more unique features to make it so recalling where certain locations were just by looking at it was easier. Despite all that though, each new location has such a unique feel to it that it’s easy enough to piece together how the castle connects. Visually, this game holds up incredibly well. Some of the best spritework I’ve ever seen is on display here. From how detailed Alucard’s sprite and actions are, to how grotesque some monster sprites are, the game is a marvel to look at. Backgrounds have so much thought put into them, enemies have so many different animations they play through during their attacks, the attention to detail as a whole is honestly really remarkable. The gameplay twist halfway through the game is so great, even though it’s been talked about to death, I almost don’t want to say anything about it on the off chance someone who hasn’t played the game and doesn’t know about it sees this review. The amount of effort that had to go into the level design because of this twist, though, is insane, yet this does bring out one of my main issues with the game. The upgrades you receive in the first half that become a necessity for filling out the map in the second half leave quite a bit to be desired. They get the job done, but actually utilizing them is just not as fun as I would want it to be. Flying around as a bat, the whole castle opens up to you, but the bat is the speed of molasses in January. The wolf is downright useless, with very rare instances where you can actually take advantage of its increased running speed. I just wish there was a bit more oomph to the upgrades, but seeing as this is the start of the Igavania-style games, it’s a really impressive start. In terms of combat, there’s also quite a bit to be desired. Often times, rooms are filled with enemies placed in the most obnoxious spots, and the knockback Alucard receives feels ridiculous at times, though once you get a good weapon, this becomes a nonissue. The larger issue I have comes down to the inventory management, which makes up a small part of the combat. Changing your weapons around is a must; switching to healing items is also a must until you get the Fairy familiar, and it’s just really clunky. Very quickly, you’ll have tons of items you’ll never need to use and no way to get rid of them. You can organize your inventory, but only by moving one item at a time, so at that point, why bother? It just becomes increasingly more annoying as you get new gear to cycle through the wide variety of abilities available through the gear. I really do feel a lot of those issues come down to how games have progressed over almost three decades since this game released, and that’s why it’s hard to hold it against the game. Symphony of the Night holds up incredibly well, and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for the best of the best when it comes to Metroidvanias. There’s a reason why the genre ends with vania, and this game is that reason.