Cover artwork I generate from the game data. I do not use publisher artwork.
Game profile
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
This PlayStation classic is considered the blueprint for the modern Metroidvania genre and is playable today via the Requiem Collection and digital storefronts on PC, consoles and Switch. Its inverted castle, RPG elements and dense exploration still feel unique today.
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What kind of game this is
At its core this is Metroidvania / Action, set in a fantasy world. Visually it is built on pixel art, and the overall tone stays dark throughout. The structure is guided rather than open, so you are moved along instead of dropped into a map. Sessions of an hour or two sit at the sweet spot here.
The difficulty is moderate and fair, demanding attention without punishing you for it. The story matters and gives the mechanics a frame, without taking over. It is a single player experience from start to finish. It is available broadly, on 4 platforms. It sits in the budget bracket.
What stands out
- Inverted castle
- RPG elements
- Genre defining exploration
This fits you if
- exploring for its own sake is the point for you
- levelling, looting and optimising a build is your kind of loop
- you play alone and want a complete experience without other people
- you are watching your budget
- you like a deliberate retro look over photorealism
- you prefer a darker, heavier tone
Look elsewhere if
- you want something light and easy going
- pixel art puts you off
- you specifically want an open world to roam
- you want to play it side by side with someone
What it costs you in time
About 13 hours in total. At three evenings a week and two hours each, you will be busy for roughly 2 weeks, or 7 sessions.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 92 out of 100, which puts it above 93 percent of the 1206 games here and at rank 60 overall. That is a strong score, comfortably above what most releases manage.
For comparison, Metroidvania averages 86 points across the database, so this one sits 6 points above its own genre. The figure rests on 836 collected ratings.
Released in 1997, which makes it 29 years old. A genuine classic, and worth checking how the version you buy holds up today.
The facts
- Release year
- 1997
- Genres
- Metroidvania, Action, RPG
- Playtime
- approx. 13 hrs.
- Difficulty
- Moderate, fair
- Story weight
- Present and relevant
- Play with
- Solo
- Setting
- Fantasy, Historical
- Visual style
- Pixel art
- Price bracket
- Budget
- Platforms
- PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
- Critic rating
- 92 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castlevania: Symphony of the Night | 1997 | approx. 13 hrs. | 92 | Budget |
| Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | 2019 | approx. 25 hrs. | 82 | Mid price |
| Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist | 2025 | approx. 20 hrs. | 87 | Mid price |
| Mina the Hollower | 2026 | approx. 16 hrs. | 91 | Mid price |
If you liked this, try these
- Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Shared: Metroidvania, Action, Fantasy, longer
- Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Shared: Metroidvania, Action, Fantasy, longer
- Mina the Hollower Shared: Metroidvania, Action, Fantasy
- Dust: An Elysian Tail Shared: Metroidvania, Action, Fantasy
- Sworn Shared: Action, RPG, Fantasy, longer
- Blasphemous 2 Shared: Metroidvania, Action, Fantasy