Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

1. ThePunchmaster

   Jun 18, 2019

   10

   This is like the OoE sequel we never got, it feels like they took what made the previous games great and made it even better, i couldn't ask for more

   • 12 of 13 users found this helpful
2. Leconv

   Jun 20, 2019

   10

   You are a nostalgic of castlevania: sotn? You want some more? Then this game is made for you. Yes it has a couple of minor issues, but nothingYou are a nostalgic of castlevania: sotn? You want some more? Then this game is made for you. Yes it has a couple of minor issues, but nothing that will stop you enjoying this gem in the long run.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
4. Orvar83

   Jun 18, 2019

   10

   It's everything a Metroidvania fan would want, the amount of content and care put into this is astonishing, the music is on par with the bestIt's everything a Metroidvania fan would want, the amount of content and care put into this is astonishing, the music is on par with the best titles in the genre, and the visuals are stunning.… Expand

   • 3 of 3 users found this helpful
5. Aaargh

   Sep 21, 2019

   9

   This is the second Bloodstained game. The first was considered an 8-bit gem much alike Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Both those gamesThis is the second Bloodstained game. The first was considered an 8-bit gem much alike Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Both those games were made by Koji Igarashi. It seems he reached a new level with this masterpiece. Respect. True master of the genre.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. alza2

   Mar 12, 2023

   9

   I haven't been hooked to a game for a long time. I stated Bloodstained on the Switch as a successor to Sotn and I was so disappointed by theI haven't been hooked to a game for a long time. I stated Bloodstained on the Switch as a successor to Sotn and I was so disappointed by the lag and the blurry graphics. The lag was supposed to be fixed but it was still tangible and ruined the experience.
   
   I gave it another try on PC and the problem was not the game at all. It was 100% because of the Switch port. The PC version is incomparably better than the switch one.
   
   I played it "portably" on my Steam Deck. The switch is still great device for Nintendo exclusives...… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
7. DJKrimson

   Jul 15, 2020

   8

   A good metroidvania game. Fun combat with and amazing music. Definitely worth a go if you're into this genre. Some minus points to theA good metroidvania game. Fun combat with and amazing music. Definitely worth a go if you're into this genre. Some minus points to the character models that look terrible (when in conversations) and it being way too cryptic at times.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. blimpsgo180

   Mar 27, 2023

   0

   This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let me say clearly, this is a good game, but it loses a lot of points for lack of originality. In some ways , little has changed since Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (though it is an inferior title), which was released by Konami in 2001, and that game was just imitating the first ever “Igavania,” which is Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. This is an “Igavania” in the sense that Koji Igarashi was at the helm of development efforts, but scratch the “vania,” because this game doesn’t bear the Castlevania name or license. Igarashi formed a new team and crowdfunded this one on Kickstarter. It is just so similar to the last six games in the Castlevania series, those on Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS, that this is just more of the same. If this is your first Igarashi game, maybe it’s great, but I would love to see some changes to the formula.
   
   If you’ve never played an Igavania, let me spell it out. You traverse a massive map on a 2D plain, fighting monsters and bosses. Some regions are blocked off, accessible only after acquiring a key item or ability, such as a double-jump. You level up and slowly become more powerful, similar to an RPG. It is very similar to the Metroid series, with more of an emphasis on combat. The combat is highly refined, requiring good timing and strategy for each unique monster. That about sums it up. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow had an excellent “Souls” system, where you collect enemy souls, and can summon the power of that enemy at any point after that. The souls drop at random, with higher likelihood of collecting one as your in-game “Luck” levels up.
   
   This system makes a return, but you now collect “Shards.” It’s a new name, but the same concept, with one exception: the shards are highly categorized. Some enemy shards enable that enemy to assist you on-screen at all times–so-called “Familiar Shards”–and occasionally will damage other enemies or increase HP/MP periodically. Then there are “Directional Shards,” which generally let you attack in any direction, typically with a bit of range. There are a number of categories, and one shard from each category can be equipped. This is all handled in menus, and it’s worth pointing out here that the menus are really well done. I never felt overwhelmed or confused.
   
   The graphics are not the best. The characters, and enemies are mostly cel-shaded, but the backgrounds are not. I heard rumblings (source, Digital Foundry) that the reason this is typically done is it’s more cost-effective than cel-shading the entire game, but it makes things look inconsistent. Look at Jet Set Radio, a game running on much older hardware at half the frame rate. It’s pure eye candy, because they cel-shaded everything. On the topic of framerate, the game targets 60 frames-per-second, but there are dips below. The problem isn’t my hardware, but the game may have some slight shader compilation stutter. It’s an advanced topic, and I don’t fully understand it to be honest, but it will make your frame rate dip below the target. I suspect it is shader compilation stutter, because the engine this game was built on, Unreal Engine 4, is notorious for this problem. It would have been nice to play at unlocked frame rates.
   
   The combat is the real highlight, but with so many shards and shard combinations, I was able to break the game early on. [spoiler] The “Heretical Grinder” shard is a long sword that can point in any direction, and does a slight amount of damage, rapidly, which means that the little bit of damage it does starts to stack. The sword is so long that you can stay a healthy distance away from your enemies and not get hurt. This shard enabled me to defeat almost every boss with minimal effort. It broke the game. The supposed hardest enemies in the game could be defeated by pointing my sword and holding the R2 trigger for long enough. [/spoiler] It’s a bit like when a game gives you difficulty options (this one does) and you pick the absolute easiest, only to realize it’s now a cakewalk.
   
   The game ended rather abruptly. [spoiler] I opened a boss door not thinking much of it, and it was Gebel, the main villain of Bloodstained and final boss. I defeated him on the first try. That isn’t a flex, it’s just easy. The GBA and DS Castlevania titles have notoriously difficult final bosses, and I haven’t finished some of the games because of the final boss. [/spoiler] There is a “good” ending and a bad one, and I got the bad one. Oh well. I understand the real treasure of the Bloodstained Kickstarter is we got two Curse of the Moon games with retro NES style graphics that are a throwback to classic Castlevania. This is a good game. I mean it. But the formula isn’t new. There’s a sequel in the works, and that’s great, but let’s try something different in it, shall we?… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful

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