The classic action-RPG goes mobile

The iconic game from the popular Castlevania series has come to mobile. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is the direct port of the classic console action-RPG developed by Konami. In the game, you will play as Alucard—Dracula’s dhampir son—as he rises from his slumber and explores Dracula’s castle. However, his adventure will not go smoothly as the castle is filled with a unique array of enemies.  

Rediscover Dracula’s castle

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night employs 2-D side-scrolling gameplay in which the objective is to explore Dracula’s castle. Players will also need to defeat enemies to progress. The game is non-linear, so you can explore anywhere you want. However, there will be parts of the castle that are inaccessible until you collect particular items and abilities. As the game goes on, you will uncover a map that shows your progress. 

Unlike the previous Castlevania games, the protagonist in this game is not limited to whip as a weapon. There will be a variety of weapons that Alucard can find and use. The game also includes inventory and other role-playing game elements. 

Alucard will have hit points, which determines the maximum amount of damages he can take. There will also be magic points, which decides how frequent players can cast magical attacks. Defeating monsters will provide players with experience points, which they need to level up and increase their attributes. 

Alucard will have four attributes, namely strength, defense, intelligence, and luck. He can also cast eight different spells. However, this requires directional combination input and will use up magic points. He can also summon familiars that can aid him in battle and exploration. 

Going mobile

The mobile version of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is optimized to fit small screens. The new UI offers intuitive special attack and transformation control. More, it maintains a steady framerate, and there is no sign of microtransaction. There will also be several language options available, with better translation. 

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night also offers two control schemes; touchscreens and controllers. The game recognizes clipped-on controllers right away and adapts to it well. However, playing with touchscreen controls is a different matter. 

The touchscreen control is not that bad. However, their placement is a bit awkward. They block parts of the screen and are a bit mushed together. Playing on a smaller phone will prove to be difficult since the probability of hitting the wrong button is high. 

Additionally, while it has Pixel 4 and disabling smooth display options, playing on a phone with high refresh rates can result in some jankiness. Moreover, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night lacks support for cloud saves, so playing on different mobile devices is not advised. 

A good mobile port

If you are a fan of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, playing this version is a good way to take a trip down memory lane. On the other hand, if you are a new player, this will be a great way to experience the classic game. It retains the story and gameplay of the original version but optimized it to play well on smaller screens. It doesn’t have any microtransactions and other shenanigans that mobile games tend to have. Sure, some areas need improvement. But, all in all, it is a solid mobile port.