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Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (SOTN) is a Japanese action-adventure game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and published by Konami for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It was rereleased the following year for the Sega Saturn. This second version was never released outside of Asia. It is also known by the Japanese language title Akumajō Dracula X: Gekka no Yasoukyoku (which translates as Demon Castle Dracula X: Nocturne in the Moonlight), and is a direct sequel to Akumajō Dracula X: Chi no Rondo (Demon Castle Dracula X: Rondo of Blood) for the NEC PC Engine.
This game is widely considered to be one of the best in the series. Aside from the Nintendo 64 3D games, many of the later Castlevania games attempt to emulate the gameplay that this game produced, including the three Game Boy Advance Castlevania titles: Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, and Aria of Sorrow.
Storyline
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.  Screenshot from Symphony of the Night The game's story takes place during 1797 and after the games Dracula X: Rondo of Blood and Castlevania: Dracula X. The game starts with the star of those games, Richter Belmont, as he fights Dracula at the end of Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. However, a curse cast by the Dark Priest Shaft causes Richter to fall under his control and effectively become a demon. Richter claims lordship of Castlevania, the castle itself, which in this game is explained as a malevolent entity under Dracula's sway that periodically alters itself internally to confuse invaders.
This causes Alucard to awaken from his self-induced sleep. He awakens to find Richter Belmont missing and so begins searching for clues. The trail leads to his father Dracula's castle, Castlevania, which reappears after only five years of banishment instead of the traditional century. Alucard encounters Maria Renard (Richter's sister-in-law) at the gates of the castle, who states she is also questing for details of Richter's fate. This is the point where the game truly starts, with Alucard deciding to brave his father's cursed realm and find Richter and determine what happened to him.
Under your control, Alucard ventures through and explores his father's castle to find out what exactly has happened to Richter. As he begins his quest, the spectre of Death (an ally of Dracula) appears. After some icy banter and an unsuccessful attempt to sway Alucard back to his father's cause, Death takes away Alucard's family heirloom gear. During his quest, Alucard finds various other weapons, shields, armor, capes, and rings to use.
There are, to date, three known separate endings for the game, depending on your level of exploration of Castlevania itself. If a certain sequence of events is followed Richter is revealed to be under the influence of Shaft's will, and after the former is defeated another, inverted version of Castlevania appears from the heavens which contains another entire series of adventures crowned by the ultimate face-off between Alucard and his revived father, Dracula himself.
Characters All three characters are playable from the beginning only in the Sega Saturn version. - Richter Belmont (Playable only at the beginning, until he is unlocked)
- Alucard (Real name: Adrian Farenheights Tepes)
- Maria Renard (Non-playable)
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