Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night Review - MojoPlays

It’s hardly controversial to note, at this point, that the shadow of 1997’s “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” looms large not only over its own series but also its creators and much of gaming. From its then-novel blending of freeform exploration with the series’ particular flow of combat and platforming, to the endearingly bizarre infusion of Gothic rock and anime influences into its medieval fantasy world-building, “Symphony” was an artistic endeavour all its own.


Fast forward two decades and while the Metroidvania genre endures in various forms, “Castlevania” finds itself in a far less admirable state. Yet long-time “Castlevania” producer and writer Koji Igarashi, along with several of his series alumni, set about recapturing that earlier spirit by way of a spiritual successor to “Symphony”. With years of building anticipation and development time behind it, does Igarashi and company’s latest work manage to function as loving homage and a thoroughly entertaining game in its own right? I’m Dave with Mojoplays this is Kurt’s review of “Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night”.


As “Bloodstained” opens, it’s the late 18th century and Europe is recovering from a nasty case of an invasion by hellspawn, brought about by a secret order known as the Alchemists’ Guild. Said order also dabbled in unethical alchemical experiments on children, one of whom – (G-bul) Gebel – has set about on a crusade to murder all of humanity. In a bid to stop Gebel’s plot, the Guild brings another of their former child subjects into the fold: Miriam, a young woman imbued with curious powers and drawn to larger mysteries at play.


There’s more to the core plot than that so no spoilers here, but functionally it’s more a foundation upon which the game’s rhythms of play and cultivation of atmosphere can truly thrive. That’s not to say that “Bloodstained” is entirely frivolous when it comes to its narrative, far from it. It’s familiar in its story beats, but the playful use of character archetypes and the deliberate pace make the difference here.


Of course, what we’re primarily here for is the unique mix of monster slaying and secret hunting that’s a defining element of many an action-platformer. True to its design lineage, “Bloodstained” delivers on thrilling battles with a truly splendid lineup of demonic entities. It’s innately satisfying to charge through screen after screen, cutting down all manner of deadly beasts while searching high and low for new equipment and stat boosts.


Speaking of which, the game has a truly expansive inventory management and equipment swapping system in place. Miriam can accrue quite the impressive collection of weapons, armour, accessories, and crafting items in her travels. Players, then, may find themselves caught up in swapping between items or even grinding for materials to make new items. From blades with elemental attributes to prepared foods that confer useful bonuses, the range of items to create and utilize is quite admirable.


And you’ll very much need to dig into this aspect of the game, as the bosses of “Bloodstained” often pose a very serious challenge that necessitate adequate preparation. While some boss encounters can prove more obtuse than enjoyably challenging (the blood-absorbing vampire woman comes to mind), in general the game manages to balance difficulty with intuitive visual cues for these fights. It’s also a rather creative bunch of creature designs, like a giant hand made from a stained glass window, a massive dragon with a second head that’s also its tail and … get ready for this: A sentient demon-possessed train engine. Yes, really.


If that weren’t enough, the game’s packed with side-quests and odd detours that are fun and rewarding in their own right. In a lesser game, taking time out of the fighting-and-looting core loop to prepare dishes for an elderly villager or provide heirlooms for a string of burials might end up as tedious busywork. Here, however, the development team took great care to ensure that these diversions both endear players to the various supporting characters and provide tangible rewards for Miriam during regular play.


Then there’s the presentation of the game, which is mostly excellent across the board. “Bloodstained” benefits from its gleeful embrace of dark fantasy and Gothic iconography, creating a vast castle setting that rides the line between intimidating and beautiful. The character designs by Yuji Natsume and his fellow artists are universally detailed and varied, giving life to strange personalities and grotesque beings. The mix of haunting and energetic rock themes on the soundtrack further benefit the game’s tangible sense of mood, to say nothing of being enjoyable in and of themselves. And the voice work, especially Erica Lindbeck as the earnestly driven Miriam, is solid and appropriately dramatic.


Thus far we’ve been largely glowing in our praise, and that’s because “Bloodstained” gets a lot right. Alas, where it falters somewhat is in its technical construction; the game struggles with regards to frame rate and even basic stability in moments. Some rooms slowed Miriam’s movement to a crawl purely because of the onscreen detail and visually busy action, and there were recurring distortions on a number of screens. More severe were the crashes brought about by crossing between room too quickly, which occurred at least five times. While not a deal-breaker on our part, for some this may prove more infuriating than is worth the trouble, especially given the game’s reliance on manual saving.


As it stands, “Bloodstained” is a work walking a very fine line between two eras of game design. Its indulgences are obvious, its flaws doubly so... and yet the end result proves engrossing enough that the issues hardly register. Anyone who’d been searching for a fitting embodiment of all that was lost with Konami’s continued disinterest in the “Castlevania” spirit of yore, this is the game you’ve been searching for.