Bloodstained’s Zangetsu and Randomizer update drops May 7 on most platforms

Nintendo Switch fans have to wait a little longer

I haven’t been able to justify another Bloodstained playthrough this year, but I’ll have a bulletproof rationale for resuming the grind soon enough. The long-time-coming Zangetsu and Randomizer Mode update – a freebie, not paid DLC – releases May 7, 2020, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC players.

One not-so-small caveat: the equivalent Nintendo Switch update is lagging. It might not release until “the end of May or the beginning of June,” according to 505 Games senior community manager Jason Ryan. It’s been a less-than-ideal journey for Bloodstained Switch owners, and it’s not over yet.

“We are still waiting to get a confirmed date for Switch and will announce it as soon as we are able.”

To unlock Zangetsu, you’ll need to have cleared the original with Miriam. He has MP-based abilities and was “designed to be a different experience than playing as Miriam.” A “fast-paced” secondary playable character without shards, equipment, or consumable items sounds enticing.

That said, it’s slightly disappointing to hear that Zangetsu won’t have new story cutscenes.

As for the Randomizer (which was conceived as a roguelike mode until plans changed), it’s a chance to “adjust eight different game parameters to mix up your experience as you play through the main story.”

The most interesting-sounding elements are Items, Key Items, and Save / Warp rooms, which can be shuffled around the map, but you can also tweak the Enemy Drops, Shops, Quests, Crafting, and Goal. Today’s post announcing the update timing has a for each parameter.

For instance, for Items, you could pick Retain Type (“a chest that originally held a Whip may now hold a Rapier, but will never hold an HP consumable”), Retain Method (“items found in chests will shuffle among themselves, items hidden in walls will remain hidden in walls, etc.”), or – if you’re in a chaotic mood – Total Random (items can spawn anywhere, “regardless of the original item in said location”).

Once you tune the different settings to your tastes, Bloodstained will create a seed that can be shared with others. It shouldn’t take long for the community to come up with fun (and also “fun”) remixes.

[Kickstarter] [Thanks, Jonathan]