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STORY: "As a descendant of Dracula, you must end the vampire bloodline. Can you rid the world of this unspeakable terror? Uncover the mystery of Castlevania, and challenge an adventure as legendary as it's name." GRAPHICS: B- (8.25) The Castlevania series is probably what Konami is most known for, dating back to the NES days. It wasn't famous for spicy visuals or top-of-the line music, but rather for its flawless intuitive gameplay. Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night is the PlayStation addition to the series. So how is it presented? In fine form. Graphics-wise, it doesn't present anything new to the series that couldn't have been done on the Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis. Upon initializing, you'll actually think the graphics are lame, and may even re-think the purchase, but fear not, it does get much better. Everything in Castlevania: SOTN is hand-drawn and 2D. Nothing mind-blowing. However, rather than using up all of the CD storage for fancy graphics, Konami decided to have a far longer game, with much more depth. This decision was well served as C:SOTN contains around 140 monsters to encounter, all meticulously thought-out and portrayed. Some are gruesome, some are downright hilarious. The graphics don't shape up that bad either. There are some 3D effects in some of the backgrounds, such as when you move a polygonal bookshelf to reveal a hidden room. But these 3D effects only serve as a change of pace. The spells and special weapons (which aplenty) look nice as well, and may even have transparency and lighting effects. Everything sums up looking good, but there is some blood and mild nudity, which parents may want to look out for.
SOUND/MUSIC: A (9.75) Whenever characters interact in Castlevania, it is done with voice acting and subtitles. Some of the voices sound pretty stupid though. Konami didn't go all-out to find the best actors it could, but at least it's something, and it isn't all bad anyway. This game also has a large amount of sounds, another good use for the CD medium. The music is very cool. It is mostly gothic-style and very nicely orchestrated. If you use Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or higher, you should be hearing a placid melody while you're reading this. It is the intro music from this game, and is not even as good a quality you can expect from this game. GAMEPLAY: B+ (9) Konami's decision to cut down in graphics was rightly justified, I must restate. Not only is Castlevania a whole new and longer game now, but it is also an RPG. Konami was able to merge the standard side-scrolling action genre with the role-playing elements of an RPG into a huge, deep, and challenging side-scrolling action RPG. It is now necessary to level-up, buy armor, weapons, and the other good stuff you'd have to buy in an RPG in order to make it anywhere in this game. C:SOTN is played in typical side-scrolling form, which insures fast-paced action and less confusion, and adds, as I already stated, RPG elements to make it more interesting and also longer. Since you are a descendant of Dracula, there are some really neat things you can do. Such as changing into a bat, werewolf, or a cloud of mist in order to get to otherwise elusive or hidden places, or complete various otherwise impossible tasks. All in all, this game has more interesting gameplay elements going for it than not, and is a thoroughly enjoyable experience all around. What brings the score down unfortunately is that it can get a little repetitive to just keep hacking away with a sword or a different weapon, and spells and special moves aren't used enough in this game.
FUN AND REPLAY VALUE: A (9.75) Another thing improved for this game is its length. Its huge and could take you a month to beat, especially since you think you beat the game, and it just throws in another castle! Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night is known to be one of the longest games ever. The gameplay elements it contains are classic and intuitive, and the overall amusement it entails is nothing short of remarkable. Perhaps someone who isn't fond of the genre and is too sucked into 3D will not realize how fun this game really is. But for the rest of us who aren't threatened by less than stellar graphics, Castlevania Symphony Of The Night is a great load of fun. WORTH BUYING: YES Its popularity has earned this game a place in the Greatest Hits collection. Meaning you will not have trouble finding this game for less than $30 dollars. This is a rare effort by Konami that requires of you a little faith in reviews and a little blind shopping, but if you don't want to risk it, why not give it a shot for your next rental?
OVERALL: B+ (9) The classic Castlevania series is back in very fine form indeed. If you're a fan of the series, there's absolutely no reason to withdraw from purchasing. Heck, I was never a big fan myself and I bought it and never thought twice about it. It's a very good game worthy of the Greatest Hits stamp. To order Castlevania: Symphony Of The
Night,
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