This "Symphony" is still classical and entertaining ten years after its original performance.
The story opens in the year 1797, five years after the events in the game, "Rondo of Blood". The beginning of the game sets things up pretty well, as you start out as Richter Belmont, who goes on to defeat Dracula, in this little prologue stage. Fast forward four years and Richter has disappeared. Also, Castlevania, usually hidden from the mortal world, has been seen once more. This shift in the balance of good and evil has caused Drac's son, Alucard (gotta love that name!), to awaken and see what's going on. At the same time, a young lady named Maria Renard sets out for Castlevania to find Richter.
The rest of the game plays out like any of the more modern Castlevania titles. You'll find a variety of weapons and armor, gain xp and level up Alucard, perform different spells, acquire familiars, etc, all while traipsing around the castle. If you've played the original game for the psOne, then its pretty much the same game you know and love. If you havent, then you may be in for a treat.
The graphics are, admittedly, pretty dated for a ten year old game, which doesnt hurt the gameplay at all. There is a new widescreen mode, which stretches the screen, so you can play it that way now, but its no biggie, really.
The soundtrack is usually one of the high points of a Castlevania game, and this one is no exception. From "Dance of Illusions", to "Moonlight Nocturne", all the pieces are wonderful and fit perfectly.
The gameplay is pretty standard fare. You play as Alucard and wander throughout the different rooms of the castle, pretty much taking down anything that moves. You have a ton of spells, and weapons at your disposal, of course. The spells, you'll fire off by performing "Street Fighter"-esque rotations on the joystick and actually many of the weapons you'll find in the second half of the game have a secondary attack which you can pull off by doing these kinds of moves, also. They arent the easiest things to pull off using the standard 360 controller, but they are doable.
After beating the game, as before, you can play as that whip swinging, knife tossing, Richter Belmont, by inputting "Richter", at the enter name screen, (it mentions this on-screen as well) which offers a much more challenging game, partly because, although he may be a legendary vampire hunter, he jumps like an old man (there, I said it!). Plus, Richter has the awesome "Hydro Storm", which pretty much decimates anything in your path, including most bosses. (Thats right, I'm a "Hydro Storm" addict, and proud of it! Although those rumors going around that I shout it in my sleep are just rumors .....yes..just rumors..)
The achievements are actually some of the better ones you can find in a 360 game, as almost all of them are awarded naturally as you play the game, something more games should do.
As any fan of Bach or Beethoven can attest, a nice symphony can enhance any evening. The same can be said of this "Symphony". It may be one of the more pricey XBL games, but is well worth the price of admission.