Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the Castlevania Game that You’ve been Waiting for

In 1997, I first played Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (SOTN). The game captivated me and was a major source of relaxation for me. As I recall, I was preparing for my A-Levels then and would always turn to this game whenever I had a scheduled break from studies.

First of all, I really liked the freedom I had to explore the entire castle. It was an open world where I could take my character, Alucard, anywhere. From time to time you would come across certain obstacles that would restrict your access to a new area.

Later on, you would find new power ups or equipment that would grant you access to the previously restricted areas. I enjoyed those moments when you would find a new item and realize that this item is going to help you open that door you previously could not.

Secondly, there was a ton of variety in the designs of the enemies you encounter. You will not get bored of the game as you are constantly encountering new enemies.

Thirdly, the item drops and secret rooms that you can find. See a strange knob in the corner? Try equipping a demon with a spear and he will press it for you to open a new room. Notice that strange pattern in the wall? It’s probably breakable to reveal a hidden room. Sometimes, killing enemies would drop some rare items that may greatly power you up.

Also, the SOTN soundtrack is very good and has lots of amazing tracks for different parts of the Castle.

The best part was that just when you thought you have finished the game, you discover that you can go to an inverted castle to continue the game play. What you thought was the end was only 50% of the game.

This is why after so many years, I still occasionally replay Castlevania:Symphony of the Night. It is like a yearly craving that I had to satisfy.

Of course, another reason for not moving on to other games was the fact that no other games came close to what Castlevania:Symphony of the Night had achieved.

This is until Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night was released in Jun 2019 on Xbox One, Playstation 4 (PS4) and Nintendo Switch (NDS).

Bloodstained:Ritual of the Night

Developed by Koji Igarashi who also produced the Castlevania series, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the spiritual successor of Castlevania:Symphony of the Night.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has breath-taking visuals that fully utilizes today’s technology. It revives the “Igavania” or some would say “Metrovania” style of game play that had captivated me since SOTN.

Here are some things to know about this game

• Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a Gothic horror action side-scrolling RPG set in 9th century England
• You play as Miriam who has crystals with demonic powers embedded in her
• Fight through a castle filled with all sorts of demons with shards for you to collect
• Unlock a vast arsenal of weapons and equipment when you defeat minions and bosses
• Customize Miriam’s appearance and craft and upgrade weapons, spells and powers to find your own unique play style
• Map size almost 2x as big as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
• More Secret playable characters can be unlocked
• With music by Michiru Yamane and Ippo Yamada, respectively, veterans of the Castlevania franchise and Capcom brand, Bloodstained’s music is an unforgettable experience

Is Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Fun?

Yes, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is absolutely fun and I have a hard time putting it down. Just a few hours into the game and I found that this is exactly what I have been looking for.

There is a lot of variety in weapons and items that you can get and the good thing is you do not have to wait too long.

Some of the weapons include whips, guns, two handed swords, spears, daggers, karate boots and clubs. As you advance through the game, each of the weapons can be upgraded.

To add variety to the game, you can also do a lot of customization on your character, Miriam once you find the “Good Killer Barber”. You can customize her hair, skin and eye color.

On top of that, from the Equipment Screen, you can change her head gear, face masks scarves and other items that you can equip and change the look of Miriam. You can wear cat eyes, horns, cowboy hats, butterflies or whatever you can find in the game.

One big difference from Symphony of the Night is the addition of Shards. Shards are pieces of the demons and monsters that give you extra powers. There are five forms of Shards: Conjure, Manipulative, Directional and Familiar.

Conjure: Functions like the sub-weapon in Castlevania, you can summon a weapon or a creature

Manipulative: Allows you to make Special moves such as moving heavy objects or boost your stats or even transform

Directional: Offers projectile weapons that can be pointed in the direction of attack using the right analogue stick

Passive: Offers buffs to your stats like intelligence, resistance to elements or attack speed etc

Familiar: One of my favorite shard element which is also reminiscent of SOTN. You get to summon a creature to help in battle.

With the Shard system, you can find your own fighting style and and the different combinations ensure that you are constantly inventing something new.

So Should I buy Bloodstained?

Having said so many good things about Bloodstained:Ritual of the Night, I have to mention that the price is equally enticing. At only $40 dollars, this game is well worth the price.

Take note however, that the port to the Nintendo Switch version was poorly done. The developers promise to resolve glitches but until that is done, I would be cautious about getting the Switch version.

In Conclusion

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the game that I have been waiting for close to 20 years. It is the game that fills the void of Castlevania:Symphony of the Night.

I am sure I will continue to have hours of fun playing this game at home.

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