Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1, 1997)
Graphics-8 Sound-8.5 Control-8 Challenge-5 (7) Story-4
Level Design-7 Frustration-6 (7) Fun-7 (7.5) Originality-5
Overall Score-7.5
+
Wield one weapon per hand (or shield and weapon, can't use both weapons at the same time though)
Two large castles to explore (no. 2 is no. 1 inverted though)
Great enemy variety
Transform to reach new areas or avoid enemies (wolf (this one's not necessary but can help speed up backtracking once upgraded), bat, mist - goes through certain obstacles - Wonder Boy III-IV)
Very good animation and some large bosses
Shop (the librarian; sells tactics on beaten bosses, bestiary)
Shields (block most projectiles)
Familiars (the fairy familiar will tell you about breakable walls when standing next to them)
Can teleport to the shop any time with library cards, There are also a few teleporters between areas
Unlockable character (Richter, tons of new moves but only uses whip)
Lots of secrets and glitches, spells (secret button combos)
Many memorable locations (colosseum, mines, clock tower, underground river etc.)
Unlockable Richter game (harder)
Flea armors
"Sniper of Goth"
Some sequence breaking possibilities (Without any major glitching: can get Soul of Wolf instead of Leap Stone. Transforming out of the wolf in mid air allows you to to a double-jump-kick (wolf bounce), which can get you into Olrox's Quarters and the Colosseum; can skip Echo of Bat and do the dark room by memory; can use a potion instead of the Spike Breaker armor to get the Silver Ring (you transform rom Mist right next to the door and use the item before you fully materialize (duplicator+elixir+heart refresh lets you spam them) - it grants a brief moment of invincibility in which you can open the door). "You could also go through the Clock Tower instead of the Royal Chapel to get to the Keep for the first time. With the wolf I think you can run and jump into it, or if you're playing on luck mode and have super low HP, you can be whacked by a flail guard and go flying across the main room into the Clock Tower)" - Mr_Hangman
+/-
Partially non-linear structure after you get to the Outer Wall area (can't really progress unless you go to the chapel after getting the key early on but can find some items and fight some bosses if you go south, can explore three new areas+more of the library after getting the double jump in the chapel although some are dead ends, six sub areas can be accessed after getting the bat form with the mist form)
Pretty interconnected world (5 areas connect to a central pathway from the entrance to Outer Wall, Royal Chapel connects to three other areas, all areas besides long library and underground cavern connect to two others and UC connects to the central path in two places)
Very frequent save points
Many reappearances from earlier games (Rondo)
Awful script and voice acting (in a 'so bad it's funny' way)
Spells are tricky to pull off
Richter game mode removes most RPG elements (shopping, alternate weapons and equipment, the inventory/status screen, spells?, status effects, exp)
No key system like in Rondo of Blood?
Can sort your inventory by pressing triangle when highlighting one of the weapon options (however it just sorts everything by the order of what's on the list and puts the group you selected at the top - so to sort the groups move the groups to the top one by one in reverse order)
Punching is a bit weird - if you land from a jump you can get in three attacks in the time it takes to do one while standing still
-
Can't dash forward (this makes skipping weak enemies later on impossible since you need the momentum, why have a backward dash and not a forward one?)
Can't get items from torches or see enemy/damage on enemies from the get go (silly skills to find)
Jewel knuckles are overpowered for the first third of the game (they're well hidden though) - then the combat knife takes their place for most of the mid/late game
Most bosses are pushovers unless rushing through the game (simple patterns, low HP)
Lots of redundant equipment
Good equipment lying out in the open (not rewarding to get)
A lot of ideas seem underdeveloped and shallow (cannon, switch puzzles, dark spiky cave)
Uneven difficulty (about 1 dmg from most enemies in an area, then a tougher enemy comes along doing 30 dmg)
Huge knockback
Item usage is weird and tedious (need to equip as weapon, throw item on floor then pick it up)
Can't sell anything but gems (can't even throw stuff away?)
Backtracking (see lack of front dash, there are a couple of teleporters though)
Cheap hits (enemies shooting from off screen, Scylla boss)
Still uses the up+punch for sub weapons (overlaps with spells)
All projectile weapons are one use only
A lot of dead space and long flat corridors
Lots of tedious vertical platforming in the inverted castle
The transformations have lacking controls (bat flies too slow, mist is unresponsive, wolf has awkward momentum during jumps - see Psycho Fox)
No shop in the inverted castle
Some trial & error (can miss the clock room locked door mechanic as it's not hinted at, bosses/enemy patterns, a few leaps of faith, some item effects and all spell combos)
Cheap hits and safe spots at the end boss (claws - no hint before attacking, stand behind claws and you'll take very little damage)
Gas cloud power ruins the late game (invincibility + flight+ decent damage to nearly all enemies and bosses for very low MP costs)
Unskippable cutscenes
Sound effects are often too loud in comparison to the music
Some annoying sound effects (voices)
Super cheesy vocal ending track
Minor slowdown
Notes:
-Normal upgrade/key/quest item progression sequence: Jewel of Open (open blue doors), Leap Stone (double jump), Soul of Mist, Soul of Bat, Echo of Bat (navigate dark rooms in bat form), Gold Ring (gain access to castle center via clock room if equipped with the silver ring), Spike Armor/Spike Breaker (destroy spikes), Silver Ring, Holy Glasses (see Shaft's orb when fighting Richter), The 5 Vlad items/Dracula's Relics (open door to Shaft in black marble gallery)
-Sequence break example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKUvX-OCwGY; More: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/196885-castlevania-symphony-of-the-night/52519205#:~:text=Go%20get%20the%20other%20wolf,skip%20the%20entire%20Richter%20battle.
-Glitchless speedrun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1GXuqX3x04
Level Design-7 Frustration-6 (7) Fun-7 (7.5) Originality-5
Overall Score-7.5
+
Wield one weapon per hand (or shield and weapon, can't use both weapons at the same time though)
Two large castles to explore (no. 2 is no. 1 inverted though)
Great enemy variety
Transform to reach new areas or avoid enemies (wolf (this one's not necessary but can help speed up backtracking once upgraded), bat, mist - goes through certain obstacles - Wonder Boy III-IV)
Very good animation and some large bosses
Shop (the librarian; sells tactics on beaten bosses, bestiary)
Shields (block most projectiles)
Familiars (the fairy familiar will tell you about breakable walls when standing next to them)
Can teleport to the shop any time with library cards, There are also a few teleporters between areas
Unlockable character (Richter, tons of new moves but only uses whip)
Lots of secrets and glitches, spells (secret button combos)
Many memorable locations (colosseum, mines, clock tower, underground river etc.)
Unlockable Richter game (harder)
Flea armors
"Sniper of Goth"
Some sequence breaking possibilities (Without any major glitching: can get Soul of Wolf instead of Leap Stone. Transforming out of the wolf in mid air allows you to to a double-jump-kick (wolf bounce), which can get you into Olrox's Quarters and the Colosseum; can skip Echo of Bat and do the dark room by memory; can use a potion instead of the Spike Breaker armor to get the Silver Ring (you transform rom Mist right next to the door and use the item before you fully materialize (duplicator+elixir+heart refresh lets you spam them) - it grants a brief moment of invincibility in which you can open the door). "You could also go through the Clock Tower instead of the Royal Chapel to get to the Keep for the first time. With the wolf I think you can run and jump into it, or if you're playing on luck mode and have super low HP, you can be whacked by a flail guard and go flying across the main room into the Clock Tower)" - Mr_Hangman
+/-
Partially non-linear structure after you get to the Outer Wall area (can't really progress unless you go to the chapel after getting the key early on but can find some items and fight some bosses if you go south, can explore three new areas+more of the library after getting the double jump in the chapel although some are dead ends, six sub areas can be accessed after getting the bat form with the mist form)
Pretty interconnected world (5 areas connect to a central pathway from the entrance to Outer Wall, Royal Chapel connects to three other areas, all areas besides long library and underground cavern connect to two others and UC connects to the central path in two places)
Very frequent save points
Many reappearances from earlier games (Rondo)
Awful script and voice acting (in a 'so bad it's funny' way)
Spells are tricky to pull off
Richter game mode removes most RPG elements (shopping, alternate weapons and equipment, the inventory/status screen, spells?, status effects, exp)
No key system like in Rondo of Blood?
Can sort your inventory by pressing triangle when highlighting one of the weapon options (however it just sorts everything by the order of what's on the list and puts the group you selected at the top - so to sort the groups move the groups to the top one by one in reverse order)
Punching is a bit weird - if you land from a jump you can get in three attacks in the time it takes to do one while standing still
-
Can't dash forward (this makes skipping weak enemies later on impossible since you need the momentum, why have a backward dash and not a forward one?)
Can't get items from torches or see enemy/damage on enemies from the get go (silly skills to find)
Jewel knuckles are overpowered for the first third of the game (they're well hidden though) - then the combat knife takes their place for most of the mid/late game
Most bosses are pushovers unless rushing through the game (simple patterns, low HP)
Lots of redundant equipment
Good equipment lying out in the open (not rewarding to get)
A lot of ideas seem underdeveloped and shallow (cannon, switch puzzles, dark spiky cave)
Uneven difficulty (about 1 dmg from most enemies in an area, then a tougher enemy comes along doing 30 dmg)
Huge knockback
Item usage is weird and tedious (need to equip as weapon, throw item on floor then pick it up)
Can't sell anything but gems (can't even throw stuff away?)
Backtracking (see lack of front dash, there are a couple of teleporters though)
Cheap hits (enemies shooting from off screen, Scylla boss)
Still uses the up+punch for sub weapons (overlaps with spells)
All projectile weapons are one use only
A lot of dead space and long flat corridors
Lots of tedious vertical platforming in the inverted castle
The transformations have lacking controls (bat flies too slow, mist is unresponsive, wolf has awkward momentum during jumps - see Psycho Fox)
No shop in the inverted castle
Some trial & error (can miss the clock room locked door mechanic as it's not hinted at, bosses/enemy patterns, a few leaps of faith, some item effects and all spell combos)
Cheap hits and safe spots at the end boss (claws - no hint before attacking, stand behind claws and you'll take very little damage)
Gas cloud power ruins the late game (invincibility + flight+ decent damage to nearly all enemies and bosses for very low MP costs)
Unskippable cutscenes
Sound effects are often too loud in comparison to the music
Some annoying sound effects (voices)
Super cheesy vocal ending track
Minor slowdown
Notes:
-Normal upgrade/key/quest item progression sequence: Jewel of Open (open blue doors), Leap Stone (double jump), Soul of Mist, Soul of Bat, Echo of Bat (navigate dark rooms in bat form), Gold Ring (gain access to castle center via clock room if equipped with the silver ring), Spike Armor/Spike Breaker (destroy spikes), Silver Ring, Holy Glasses (see Shaft's orb when fighting Richter), The 5 Vlad items/Dracula's Relics (open door to Shaft in black marble gallery)
-Sequence break example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKUvX-OCwGY; More: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/196885-castlevania-symphony-of-the-night/52519205#:~:text=Go%20get%20the%20other%20wolf,skip%20the%20entire%20Richter%20battle.
-Glitchless speedrun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1GXuqX3x04