"A Symphony Like No Other"

Very few games in the gaming world merit a 10/10 rating. Well boys and girls, this game is one of them. Everything in this game was done masterfully and should be looked to in many areas for future success of video games. To begin:

Gameplay 10/10

Most of the aspects of this game are not all that "flashy" per say and aside from "Castlevania" being in the title and the general respect this game has been awarded, it would fly under the radar of almost all gamers. The game is simple (setup wise) and is not overly "exciting" in terms of new ideas being put into practice. This game really just builds off the success of a very general formula that has been successful in the gaming world. The game is in 2D, therefore being side-scrolling. So more or less, you can move back and forth, crouch/slide, and jump. Now from my experience, this is not a new-age formula of gaming, but one that more or less finds roots back on the NES and some even before. There is no sprint (unless you count when you turn into a wolf which is amazing), you cant fly (haha unless your turned into a bat which is equally amazing), and you really cant do much without the aid of something else in the game. That "something else in the game" is where Castlevania: SOTN shines like no other. The basic controls of the game are as basic as they come, but what you as the character can do as time goes on and you acquire various items, weapons, armor, etc., you can do a countless list of spells, attacks, defenses, etc. As in so many other Castlevanias, you take control of a character and waltz your way through Dracula's castle dispatching zombies, skeletons, along with a multitude of "unique" creatures. In SOTN, you will have countless ways to do your dispatching, as well as countless ways to avoid be being dispatched by your enemies. There are a HUGE number of swords, shields, axes, flails, gloves, and “useable items” to be used as weapons. The same goes for armor, helmets, accessories, and cloaks/capes. There are close to 200 enemies throughout the game if I recall correctly as well as some of the most unique boss battles you'll encounter. Dracula's castle is absolutely enormous in this game, bigger than any other Castlevania to date. To avoid spoilers I will not mention anything pertaining to the game itself story wise, but if you, my reader, take one thing from this review it should be this “when you think its over, its not, in fact your not even close.” There is something along those lines on the back of the case to this game and I never really could figure out why that was stated, until one day I found out why, and you will not be disappointed. This game is by far the largest Castlevania on the market and would hold its own in length along with almost any other game of its genre, and even some outside of it. The game classifies as and action/rpg mainly due to the whole idea that your character does level up as you gain experience from defeating enemies, each warranting a set amount of experience. You can find good experience from some enemies, but as your character progresses and becomes stronger, the enemies warrant less and less experience until, eventually, they offer a measly 1 exp, this includes even the hardest of enemies.

Graphics 10/10

State of the art? Definitely not! Fitting for the game? Absolutely. I have played many of the Castlevania games, including the two new 3D ones (Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness) and let me tell you, neither one holds a candle to this game. I hope that as the era of 3D Castlevania games continues on, they will be able to incorporate more of the elements that made SOTN so great. The weapons, for the most part, each have a different look to them when used, the spells and magic attacks from the weapons look great, as do the environments within the castle. The caretakers of the castle also look intriguing and unique as ever. This game is probably at the pinnacle of games of the 2D generation.

Story 10/10

This game is a bit different from your “normal” castlevania experience for what that statement is worth. In *most* Castlevania games, you take control of a Vampire Hunter, primarily of the Belmont Clan, to take care of Dracula and end his rule. In SOTN it's a bit different. The story begins with the player controlling Richter Belmont, a vampire hunter of course, but what is different is that you fight Dracula right away and defeat him rather easily. The game then goes into a prologue that describes Richter's defeat of Dracula and Richter's consequential disappearance following shortly after. It is told that Richter is still in the castle. So you the player, as Alucard (The son of Dracula), go into the castle to fix what is wrong, to find Richter Belmont. From there the story takes off into one that is much more involved and intriguing than the average Castlevania. You have appearances by many well done characters such as Dracula, Death, the dark priest Shaft, Maria, Richter Belmont, a vampire named Olrox, the Librarian of Castlevania, and the Boatman. All the characters are masterfully done and voiced. Some will aid Alucard on his quest because of who he is (He is the son of their lord after all) while some will stand in his way because he has “betrayed” Dracula. I would like to elaborate more of what transpires but I really attempt to keep my reviews spoiler free. If you get the chance, although the game itself is sub-par, check out Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, it describes the beginnings of the Belmont clan and their quest to defeat Dracula, and it is told brilliantly and makes the game well worth the $$ and your time.

Music 10/10

I have always been a fan of Castlevania's music, even from the humblest beginnings. SOTN takes this music to a whole new level. The music ranges from all sorts of tones, moods, and speeds. The mysterious music of the Prologue, to the electric guitars of the “Bloodlines” chapter, to the creepy and ominous “Chapel” music, to the high octane “Castle Entrance Theme,” to the eloquent “Marble Gallery,” and to the mysterious, intelligent, and whimsical sounding music of the “Long Library,” SOTN delivers musically as much as any other game on the market.

Voiceovers 10/10

Perfect! The voices that are given to each character are so perfectly done, there are few games that match the eloquence of SOTN in this regard. Alucard, Dracula, Richer Belmont, Maria, Death, The Boatman, and The Master Librarian all have dialogue, and each and every one of them sounds great. I do believe this game was made in 1997 if I'm recalling correctly. Therefore, it was really in a time before voiceovers had really taken full effect in video games, but in this case, they add such a deep and grand level to the experience of playing through this masterpiece.

Difficulty 2/5
Now I am all for a challenging game, but a game does not *necessarily* have to be hard to be fun. SOTN is really rather easy in most regards. There really are no stand out bosses (though if you don't know how to beat the Doppleganger10, he's somewhat difficult) and really no stand out enemies from a difficulty standpoint. Early on your lack of HP can make you take care in waltzing around the vast halls of Castlevania. But as time goes on, and you explore more and more, you quickly become more than a match for anything in the castle. As you progress later in the game, this is one of the few games where you become utterly invincible (which is fun every once in a while don't you think?) Between all the weapons, spells, items, and familiars (little creatures that fly around you and whomp anything that comes after you) that you get, there isn't a creature Dracula can throw at you that you wont send back to Hell as fast as they came out of it.

Conclusion

Castlevania: SOTN is a masterpiece in the gaming world. Unfortunately at this point in time, it is becoming harder and harder to come by. It is so hard to come by because the people who have it, aren't getting rid of it. So, I hope that you get a chance to play this fantastic game from Konami. I give Castlevania: SOTN a rare 10/10 for its involved gameplay, its fitting graphics, its twist on a normally traditional storyline, its beautiful, fitting, and masterful musical score, its superb voiceovers, and in the case, its lackluster difficulty. With all these factors, they make Castlevania: SOTN, not only the shining star of the Castlevania long running series, but a shining star for Konami, as well as for all of the video gaming industry.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/02/07