Since I just discovered what the rest of the universe has known for over a decade (that this game kicks serious ass), I will refrain from spending too much time describing just how it goes about kicking that much ass. Most everything about this game hits the sweet spot for me: nonlinear design, gorgeous in-game graphics, awesome music, and incredible depth of play. Without a doubt, Symphony of the Night is the newest inductee into my personal Video Game Hall of Fame.
However, I do have one mild concern. Towards the end, I’d made it through the entire castle and saved one last time before heading to the final boss. Charging in, I expected a difficult battle ahead of me; but I beat Richter without so much as breaking a sweat.
Exit Richter. End of story. Crappy final credits song.
Wait, what? That's it? That was anti-climactic.
Konami created this awesome and involving world and then just cut it off? That’s weird. I figured that there would be a little more meat to the finale. Also, when Death stole all my equipment at the beginning, didn't he mumble something about 'seeing me again?' What is he, an optional boss or something?
Truncated ending aside, the game was still awesome. So much so, that I might as well go back to my final save and explore a bit more, maybe find some of the relics and items that I missed.
Hey, here's an area that I never found. Oh, and armor that breaks spikes, awesome! Wasn't there a room off the chapel with a bunch of spikes? Sure enough, and Maria is hanging out there with a Silver Ring.
How Maria got in a room that is at the dead end of a long hallway of spikes, that also includes a door that only Mist can pass through, and another door for which I alone have the key is another matter entirely, but I digress.
Anyway, back to the Silver Ring. The item description mentions, 'In...Tower...' Okay Konami, I'm not an idiot (for the most part), I know how to use these rings. Oh, and Maria is waiting for me in another completely inaccessible area. And this time she gave me some magical sunglasses that let me see in HD!
For when real life isn't vivid enough!
I guess that's all the new stuff I can find, I'm gonna go beat Richter again. Maybe my new shades will let me see the real final boss, maybe its Death, or maybe Dracu. . .
Holy Balls!
An entire new castle to explore! Hell Yes! This game is awesome!
Now THAT is what I’m talking about.
I think I need to go change my shorts.
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Truthfully, I never fully believed that Richter was the final boss. Something just didn't feel right after beating him. Everything, from the story to the gameplay seemed like it wasn't tied up; that there were too many loose ends. I don't know how gameplay has loose ends, but that's how it felt. But I had no idea that it would be an entire new castle to fight through. I think it was when I saw the castle materialize upside-down was the moment that I fell smack in love with Symphony of the Night.
My only two true complaints are:
When Richter is freed before the castle inverts, Alucard, Maria, and Richter stop to chat for a bit. For a fleeting moment, I thought that maybe I would be able to play through the new castle with the ability to switch between the three characters. Naturally, it didn’t turn out that way, but I think that would have been pretty cool.
Second, that ending credits song truly is terrible. Anything featuring the Saxophone in an extended solo shouldn’t be in the finale of a game called ‘Symphony of the Night.’ Or really, any game for that matter…
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