Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a 1997 platform video game made by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and Konami.
Alucard, the half-vampire son of Dracula, wakes from a self-imposed sleep to find Castlevania has risen again. He enters the castle alone, armed with a sword and his inherited vampiric abilities, moving through interconnected rooms that reveal themselves gradually as he gains new powers. The castle is vast and deliberately obscure, rewarding exploration over speed. Symphony of the Night folded RPG character-building into the gothic platform structure of earlier entries, letting Alucard level up, equip gear, and unlock movement abilities that unlock previously inaccessible wings of the castle. It is the game that defined what a Metroidvania is.
Quick answers
What is Castlevania: Symphony of the Night about?
Alucard, the half-vampire son of Dracula, wakes from a self-imposed sleep to find Castlevania has risen again. He enters the castle alone, armed with a sword and his inherited vampiric abilities, moving through interconnected rooms that reveal themselves gradually as he gains new powers. The castle is vast and deliberately obscure, rewarding exploration over speed. Symphony of the Night folded RPG character-building into the gothic platform structure of earlier entries, letting Alucard level up, equip gear, and unlock movement abilities that unlock previously inaccessible wings of the castle. It is the game that defined what a Metroidvania is.
When was Castlevania: Symphony of the Night released?
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was released on 20 March 1997.
Who made Castlevania: Symphony of the Night?
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was made by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and Konami.
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Castlevania: Symphony of the Night in our writing
- Companion guide: Dark Fantasy
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- Companion guide: Metroidvania: The Complete Guide to the Interconnected World
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A few thoughts on Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Castlevania is the animated series built on the same lore, with Alucard at its centre alongside Trevor Belmont. Hellsing Ultimate shares the gothic vampire register and a protagonist whose lineage is both gift and burden.
Vampire hunters and gothic bloodlines across the centuries
Alucard fights his own father's legacy in Symphony of the Night, an inherited vampiric curse he turns against Dracula's rebuilt castle. These picks share that same gothic vampire lineage, hunters and monsters bound by blood and centuries-old grudges, playing out across crumbling estates, ancient curses and old-world horror.
Elegant monsters who wear a civilized face
Alucard moves through Symphony of the Night as an aristocrat first and a monster second, all poise and inherited nobility even as he wades through the castle's horrors. These picks share that same tension, characters and worlds where refinement, wealth or a heroic reputation barely covers something far darker underneath.
Dread-filled places that reward slow, careful exploration
Dracula's castle in Symphony of the Night unfolds one interconnected room at a time, revealing new wings only once Alucard earns the ability to reach them, so backtracking itself becomes part of the horror. These picks share that same slow-burn dread, sprawling or trapped locations where just moving through the space is the tension.