Symphony of the Night is masterful. Every aspect of the game is executed impeccably and unlike many games, it is concise and concentrated. To begin, every room oozes detail, each pixel feels like it has been meticulously placed, animations are fluid, think Alucard’s mesmerising walk cycle, backgrounds move and shift in a realistic way, the melding of 3D with 2D is utilised to great effect, allowing for effect, detail and subsequently depth that would be impossible to convey in just a pixel grid. Each area within Dracula’s castle has its own distinct identity, this is thanks to the outstanding and varied art direction throughout as well as the accompanying compositions which each excellently embody and evoke the mood of its corresponding location, defining them just as much as their visuals. Progression through the castle is smooth and mostly unceasing due to the refined map layout, which cannot be said for many Metroidvanias, backtracking is also minimal because of the tasteful placement of warp rooms.

I played this game completely blind and unspoiled so when I got to the Richter fight, and I rolled credits for the first time I understandably felt slightly underwhelmed by this conclusion. Luckily the game just compelled me to keep playing, so I went about filling in what I thought were the final tiles of the map, and in the process, I managed to obtain the holy glasses from Maria and initiate the Inverted Castle without outside interference or anticipation of what was to come, which was immensely satisfying. The spectacle of the Inverted Castle is still great, navigating the castle in reverse provides an interesting challenge as trying to rely on your memory can be a double-edged sword. The introduction of new, tougher enemies and often a higher density of them in each room keeps things from stagnating. I love the boss rush quality that crops up here, escalating to the final fight with Dracula which while a bit of a slog, delivers in cheesy, iconic dialogue and most importantly finality.