Underplayed Gems

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night cover
Developer
Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, Konami
Publisher
Konami
Platforms
PlayStation 3, PlayStation, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360
Genres
Platform, Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Rating
4.6 of 5, 827 player ratings
Main story
about 12 hours
Completionist
about 20 hours
Where to get it
Xbox

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The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

Wandering through shadowy castle corridors, uncovering hidden rooms and growing ever more powerful feels like slowly mastering a beautifully dark, sprawling labyrinth.

atmosphericexploratorygothicrewardingmysteriouslayereddark fantasydeliberate

About

Having been awoken from his eternal slumber by the reappearance of Castlevania, Alucard must once again face the evil minions of darkness. Use your vampiric powers, along with weapons, potions, and other magical relics to change the tide of battle. A mixture of platform and role-playing action with many hidden areas and secrets. Can you discover them all?

What players say

Players regard it as a slow-burn cult classic that flopped at launch but became a genre-defining Metroidvania through word of mouth; the sprawling castle, gothic mood and beloved soundtrack make exploration feel rewarding and almost essential to play.

Screenshots

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night screenshot 1Castlevania: Symphony of the Night screenshot 2Castlevania: Symphony of the Night screenshot 3Castlevania: Symphony of the Night screenshot 4Castlevania: Symphony of the Night screenshot 5Castlevania: Symphony of the Night screenshot 6

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Featured in: PS1 RPGs beyond Final Fantasy

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.