It's September 2023. We are eight years removed from the debut of the Bloodstained Kickstarter, and four years removed from its full launch. You could say...it's been a while. Time management seminars aside, that's exactly why I admire the raw tenacity of Bloodstained director Shutaro Iida and producer Koji "IGA" Igarashi (and their team); who have been working on a single release for this long in an era of fleet??ing live service games. And it's still being worked on, as two new modes are on the way.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X_54wp1xiU

A new Kickstarter update has promised more info is coming soon (September 14) on the upcoming VS and Chaos modes, which will add an online component to Bloodstained. Publisher 505 Games clarifies that Chaos mode will have local co-op, and we'll see more details "next week."  Here's the full statement from th?e team:

"First, we apologize for the long delay between updates. The development team has been busy working on the new VS and Chaos modes, both of which include online multiplayer play for t?he first time. This has resulted in some challenges and delays that we that we did not expect, but we continue forward! We are nearing completion of the new content.

We will share more on how Chaos and VS modes work on Sep??tember 14th.

Until then, we hope this small previe??w of the new modes and upcoming premium DLC will g??ive you an idea of what is to come!"

Apparently, there is more to wrap up after that: "Once these two modes are completed we will begin to work on the final physical reward remaining to be delivered: the Physical PC version of the game." Wild that this ??hasn't happened yet.

All that work updating the game seems to have paid off; as the team just announced in that same update that Bloodstained has cleared the "over two million copies sold" milestone since June of 2019. 505 also gabs about sequel talk, noting: "We want to finish up Ritual of the Night before we talk about it?, but it was leaked that a sequel is in the works."

Hey, that announc?ement could be any da??y (or year) from now!

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Update 112 involves IGA (Koji Igarashi) streams

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night launched its Kickstarter in 2015, and not all of its campaign promises have been delivered yet. Now that comes with the territory for some Kickstarters, but it's absolutely wild to see that I'm still getting original project Bloodstained Kickstarter updates in 2023. This week, backers just got their 112th update.

It's not info on anything coming up for the game update-wise, though. Rather, it's a tease for a "promise from eight years ago," where Bloodstained boss IGA will have dinne??r and stream with "IGAventure reward tier" backe??????????????????????????rs.

Here??'s the full context of the most recent update:

"The time to fulfill the promise from eight years ago has finally come! I will be having dinner and streaming with the backers who backed the IGAventure reward tier. The game streaming will take place on our YouTube channel at JPN time 13:00-14:00 on Friday, Marc??h 24. (That's 4 AM UTC, or 9 PM Pacific on March 23.) We will be playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as we can start playing right away. It would be a short amount of time, but please come watch."

What's left for Bloodstained to deliver?

Well, beyond some folks who say they're still waiting for physical copies, there's also some more content on the way. Back in June of 2022 an update from?? t??he Bloodstained team noted that they were getting "closer to the completion of development," which involves more free DLC. There's a crossover for the Journey franchise, as well as Chaos and VS modes (which includes on??line co-op and PVP), more outfits for main character Miriam, and Classic 2 (a "new premium mode").

Here's the latest info we have on everything beyond the Journey crossover: "We have not finalized ??the release timeframes for the new outfits and Classic Mode 2. They may be released separately, together or grouped with Chaos and Vs Modes. We will make that decision later."

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There is still content to be added to Bloodstained

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night still has some more journeys to undertake. Or, at least one. Bloodstained is getting a Journey crossover update on August 23, 2022.

The new crossover will add an entirely new section of the castle, dubbed "The Tunnels," inspired by thatgamecompany's Journey. Once players have found the area, they'll be able to expl??ore the depths and discover new areas, though it will require some explorations and sha??rd activities to navigate.

Once you reach the end, a final boss fight awaits. And upon beating it, you'll get an undisclosed special item that is inspired by Journey.

Alongside the update, the Bloodstained team is also issuing a few issue fixes and tune-ups. In order to access the new area, you'll have to progress decently far into the game. The entrance will appear after you've freed a certain character and gained access to the Den of the Behemoths, though it's not in the Den of B??e?hemoths. Because it's a new and hidden area, The Tunnels will not affect map completion percentages or achievements.

Immortal life

This is a really neat update, and I do enjoy both Bloodstained and Journey. The surprise in this isn't exactly coming from these two mashing up together, but the fact that Bloodstained is still getting content updates.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night launched in 2019, after a fairly lengthy Kickstarter campaign. [Disclosure: I backed the Bloodstained Kickstarter at the "get a copy of the game" tier.] It's since had a bunch of crossovers, a retro-prequel game that got its own sequel, and a bunch of other content all associated with this Vania-style game.

I'm not really complaining, even though I haven't gone back to Bloodstained to check out any of the extra content. Despite years of Kickstarter development and more, Bloodstained is keeping it rolling with new stuff. We'll see what special tricks Journey brings to Miriam's arsenal next week.

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Due on March 31, and naturally 'at a later date on Switch'

After a tease late last year, people cracked the code, and recognized a subtle flute melody from the Ubisoft game Child of Light. And lo and behold, confirmed this morning by 505 Games, there's going to be a Bloodstained Child of Light crossover.

Aurora, the hero from 2014's Child of Light, is ente??ring the fray. She has a light story reason for being there, having "awoken in a strange, dangerous new land." She'll wield the Sword of Matildis from her game, and will be accompanied by the cute floating blob wisp Igniculus (who will slow enemies and heal Aurora).

To level up she can transmute things via the NPC Johannes, and absorb ?shards over time to upgrade her abilities. Defeating bosses will push her even further, giving her a similar arc to Miriam where she can unlock new movement powers to traverse to more areas.

Thankfully, like some prior DLC, starting as Aurora is streamlined: you just start a new save file and choose between Miriam, Zangetsu, or Aurora with a handy menu (505 also reminds us that selecting Bloodless is p?ossible with naming a save "BLOODLESS" in caps).

So as per usual, the crossover character will arrive on March 31 on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms, but not Switch. The lat??ter will arrive "at a later date," which is code for "wheneve?r we can get it even remotely playable."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkyHqGBEoJU

[Update: The "later date" Switch edition of the Bloodstained Child of Light crossover has finally come. It was released on June 3, 2022.]

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'Our next update will introduce a new playable character to the game'

Bloodstained has had a really interesting run so far. It has those two fantastic, almost universally beloved spinoffs, and one very polarizing main entry. Not only was the Kickstarter itself divisive, but the game, most notably the Switch port, has been the subject of scrutiny since launch. That was over two years ago. Now the team is still having technical issues with Bloodstained DLC.

In an update for backers, IGA and the team set people's expectations for the upcoming content updates. IGA mentions "technical issues that ?have slowed down [the] production timetable, and they still don't have a release window. Plus, things have changed in terms of the content cadence.

IGA says that the next Bloodstained DLC update will be the new playable character, which is a shift from the prior plan. He provides another tease, noting: "We can confirm that this new character is NOT from the world of Bloodstained. We have been working closely with a well-known partner to b?ring their character (and a friend) into the game." So Shov??el Knight? It's always Shovel Knight!

IGA confirms that you can "explore the entire map," though different portions of it will be gated differently depending on what abilities you've picked up: because the character is inherently different. It'll also level? up to some extent, with "rank and class" increases.

After that, we have the chaos mode "with co-op," as well as Vs mode with multiplayer. ?So there's still quite a few things to deliver on, using this old-school lengthy Kickstarter game timetable.

In the end, Shovel Knight took multiple years to finish all their stretch goals, but the game ended up becoming an all-time classic. Bloodstained, one day, could clean up all its te?chnical problems and have a similar reputation. For some people t??hough, it's already a classic.

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The symphony isn't over just yet

After a new Bloodstained title was seemingly referenced in a financial report, 505 Games an?d Artplay have confirmed that a sequel is indeed on the?? way. It doesn't seem like it's arriving anytime soon, however.

A tweet from the Bloodstained account confirmed that, regarding recent reports, 505 Games and Artplay are in "very early planning stages" for a Bloodstained sequel. Right now though, development resources on focused on completing upcoming content for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. "We have a lot planned for you," ??the statement concludes.

//twitter.com/SwordOrWhip/status/?1400661665142636544

While there's been a steady rollout of additional modes and content for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and most of it is has been pretty alright, I would definitely still be down for a sequel as well. (Full disclosure: I backed the first Bloodstained Kickstarter.) Honestly, the Curse of the Moon side games that have come out over the years have already been a really great way to explore that world and also get some old-school Castlevania gameplay in my life.

Seems like 505 Games and Artplay are setting some expectations here, though. This is at least good news for Bloodstained fans who want the series to continue on, as well as Castlevania fans eager to see its legacy endure.

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Metal Geee... I mean...

NetEase and ArtPlay continue in their efforts to bring all of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night's console content to the mobile edition of Igarashi's great gothic platformer. Today sees the arrival of a new playable character, Zangetsu, who joins the Bloodstained roster on iOS and Android as a free download.

Voiced by David Hayter, who brings his "Solid Snake" tone to the part??y, Zangetsu is a demon-hunting samurai who frequently pops up as a part? of protagonist Miriam's story. Equipped with various acrobatic abilities, his legendary sword - the Zangetsuto - and a wonderfully '90s surliness, Zangetsu eventually joins Miriam on her quest into the darkness.

To unlock Zangetsu as a playable character for Bloodstained mobile, all you need do is download th??e new update and have completed the main campaign. Zangetsu will then be available to select from the New Game screen, bringing his swordsmanship, kunai daggers and grappling hook to bear for a fresh jaunt through the dark corridors of Hellhold.

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From famed illustrator Tom duBois

As much as I love the game, I don't need a collectible physical edition of Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 from Limited Run Games – but bo??y am I tempted to show up when pre-orders open next week.

There's a $30 standard copy for Nintendo Switch and PS4 with typical cover art and a manual tucked inside, which is fine. The $60 Classic Edition, on the other hand, has new box art from artist Tom duBois, the guy responsible for bringing Konami games t?o lif??e before you even put the cartridge in your console.

His take on Curse of the Moon 2 feels at home with the retro era. I'?m enamored.?? Little Hachi!

Apart from the game, this pricier collector's set also comes with an 18x24" poster (featuring duBois' art in all its glory), the soundtrack on CD, and a cozy NES-style sleeve. It's available for Switch and PS4.

Pre-orders for Limited Run's standard and Classic Edition copies of Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 will run from Friday, February 26 at 1?0:00 am Eastern until March 28? at 11:59 pm.

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Any guesses on the button inputs needed to unlock it?

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night debuted its Castlevania-inspired stage-based Classic Mode last month, and if you were up to the task, the??re's another challenge to face: 1986 Mode. It?'s even stricter.

To unlock 1986 Mode, just start up Classic Mode and, while you're still on the title menu, enter these button inputs: up, up, down, down, left, right, left??, right, Square, Circle. You'll see "1986 Mode" appear.

(If you aren't playing Bloodstained on PlayStation, substitute Square for?? the left face button and swap Circle for the right face button. For instance, on Xbox, you'd end the code with the X and ?B buttons.)

From there, you can hit?? "Start Game" and you should see an "86" icon when you select your difficulty.

From what I've played, 1986 Mode is more of a control-restricting variant of Classic Mode than anything else – but it's surprisingly cool in practice. It feels much more fitting. IGN was able to confirm some of the changes, most of which have to do with Miriam's movement. She can't backflip, slide, readjust her jump mid-air, or leap onto staircases. You'll need to be ?precise with the whip, too.

The timing on this news is uncanny, as I just picked up the Castlevania Anniversary Collection on sale and started bouncing around the series this past weekend – so far I've made it through Castlevania and Super Castlevania IV, and I left off with Kid Dracula. I'll admit: I've been sav??e scumming like a maniac.

After I finish my full playthrough of the compilation, I'll circle back to Bloodstained's 1986 Mode o??nce I'm (hopefully) in tip-top sh?ape. It's been a blast reliving these memories. Bury me with my Holy Water.

@SwordOrWhip [Twitter]

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Defeat the Master

NetEase Games, in association with ArtPlay, has announced that new updates are now available for the iOS and Android editions of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, adding new modes and challenges to the Castlevania-like Gothic platformer.

A free update for all players adds three additional modes previously made available to Bloodstained on PC and console. Speed demons might want to try their hand at the clock-busting Speed Run mode, while fight fans can take on challenging back-to-back battles in the new Boss Rush mode. Finally, Sound Mode allows players to take a break from all the sword-swinging action, sit back, and bask in Bloodstained's wonderful soundtrack.

Additionally, a new paid update sees the arrival of the "IGA's Back Pack" DLC, adding powerful boss character "IGA" - a thinly veiled representation of Bloodstained head honcho and Castlevania creator Koji Igarashi. Defeating yer boy IGA will award Miriam with the "Insatiable" shard and a Belmont-like whip ??sword. The IGA's Back Pack DLC is available to purchas?e now at the cost of a single dollar.

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Which is all it really needed to be considering it's free

It's been great having continued reasons to revisit Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, especially as of late. I've been on a real Castlevania kick with the Game Boy Advance lineup and the perennial Symphony of the Night. The latest free content update for Bloodstained, Classic Mode, has far more of a retro feel.

There's something about a castle-storming hero l??ooking off into the distance that just feels right.

I spent half an hour with the whip-cracking, stair-climbing, pitfall-dodging mode this afternoon a??nd that's exactly what it's good for: a session or two of linear action-platforming fun. I'm cool with that.

From the main Bloodstained menu, you can find Classic Mode listed under Extras – you don't need to have cleared the main campaign or anything. You'll choose between Easy, Normal, and Hard, and if you can't clear all five stages in one sit?ting, you can pick your save file back up later. I left off with the third level, which culminates in a double boss battle that I wasn't adequately prepared for. Classic Mode has (infrequent) checkpoints on Normal; if you run out of lives, you're kicked back to t?he start of the level.

For better or worse, this is classic NES-era Castlevania, albeit with more modern visuals.

By that I mean the foes themselves aren't the real threat – many of the repurposed Bloodstained creatures will perish with a single strike of your whip or a sub-weapon like the throwing knife. Instead, you're far more ?likely to succumb to? tricky back-to-back platforming sections with bottomless pits.

Miriam has a fairly high jump in Classic Mode – and she ever so briefly "hangs" mid-air at the top of the jump to give you slightly more control. She can als?o slide or use a backflip to get out of trouble. There's just enough going on to keep things engaging without ever feeling too dull or too overwhelming.

If I have any nitpicks, it?'s that the bosses are a tad too simple, and the load times a??ren't very short.

As for the level layouts, they're familiar in a good way. You're gonna want to pull out the handy old leap-into-a-diagonal-stair-climb maneuver that has served Castlevania fans well for so many years.

Classic Mode doesn't feel as fresh as something like the fantastic Curse of the Moon spin-offs, but considering it??'s a free update – the lates?t in a line of updates, I should add – I'm pleased with it.

Props for styling the castle map like the oldies.

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Whip It

Our best gal Miriam will get to do her best Belmont impression this week. Developer ArtPlay has announced that the anticipated "Classic Mode" will finally be launching in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night on Thursday, January 14th as a free update to all players.

Classic Mode will see Miriam attack Hellhold castle in a 16-bit style reminiscent of the Castlevania titles from the early '90s, such as Castlevania: Bloodlines and the superb Super Castlevania IV. The new mini-ad??venture will task our hero with storming the halls of Hellhold a??nd laying waste to five deadly demons, while avoiding the enemies, pitfalls, and traps lurking in every corner of the kingdom.

The retro-infused add-on is the latest in a long line of free updates to the Gothic platformer, following on from the addition of a Boss Rush mode, Randomizer options, and a selection of alternate player protagonists. Also arriving in Bloodstained this will be a new area – Dead Lands – which will open up as part of a limited time crossover with Raw Fury's Kingdom Two Crowns. This event is also scheduled for January 14.

ArtPlay has noted that it will continue to bring updates to Bloodstained over th?e course of 2021, with work continuing on bringing the s??tability of the Nintendo Switch release in-line with other platforms.

Gremory has enlisted five demonic bosses to?? protect his castle. Can you survive each level and defeat each boss?

Classic Mode launches January 14th.#BloodstainedROTN pic.twitter.com/PN1BNGfkzc

— Bloodstained: RotN (@SwordOrWhip) January 8, 2021

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Uneasy lies the head...

Team IGA's Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will be getting more free content next week, as the fab action-platformer crosses over with Raw Fury's "micro-strategy" title Kingdom Two Crowns.

The crossover will take the form of a new secret area, hidden deep within the confines of Bloodstained's Hellhold Castle. According to a tweet from Raw Fury, our girl Miriam ?will have to "acquire the crown" before seeking out the exclusive new area, "Dead Lands." A very short teaser offers a look at the strange new land.

The Kingdom Two Crowns crossover is just the latest in a long line of free content added to Bloodstained, following on from a variety of additional modes, character skins, and playable protagonists. This month will also see the addition of a rad-looking "Classic Mode," which will offer a mini-adventure recalling the heady days of the 16-bit Castlevania ti??tles. Further updates, including ongoing Switch stability fixes, are to be implem?ented across 2021.

The Bloodstained x Kingdom Two Crowns event will go live in-game on January 14.

Thrilled to let you know Kingdom Two Crowns is coming to Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night! On January 14th a unique @kingdomthegame area will appear within the existing castle. 👑

Acquire the Crown then hunt for the new area🦇 #BloodstainedROTN pic.twitter.com/ycaBCaXkET

— Raw Fury (@RawFury) January 7, 2021

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Theme of Miriam

Publisher 505 Games and developer ArtPlay has shared some more footage of the incoming "Classic Mode", which is headed to gothic platform adventure Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night next month.

Classic Mode will see Miriam take on Hellhold and its ministry of darkness in old-school 2D platforming action, much akin to the fine Castlevania titles of the SNES era. Fans of said games will immediately recognize the gameplay style in the tweet below, with footage of Miriam climbing?? staircases, leaping chasms, smashing candelabras, and taking on an army of monsters armed with a deadly whip. Simon would be very proud indeed.

Classic Mode is one of a selection of free DLC additions released for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night since its initial launch back in 2019. Igarashi's crowdfunded adventure has since received alternate protagonists, Randomizer and Boss Revenge modes, as well as a mobile port. More content is expected in 2021, including further stability updates for the N??intendo Switch edition.

Classic Mode brings back old-school gameplay as you fight through five levels of demons and challenge Gebel's deadly bosses.?

The new mode arrives for free in January!#BloodstainedROTN pic.twitter.com/8a76P7nVEp

— Bloodstained: RotN (@SwordOrWhip) December 23, 2020

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Name your save file 'BLOODLESS' with all caps

Every now and then, I catch a passing glimpse of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, and I think "Yeah, I could obsessively play that?? again." The moment hasn't come yet, but one of these days, it will.

Some of you might be at that point with the arrival of Bloodless, a boss-turned-bonus-playable-character. You can play as her with a new save fi??le named "BLOODLESS." (Classic!) As for the lady in red's stat progression, be on the lookout for crystal globes to earn?? "new skills and improve her attributes."

This update is live on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and – you know how this goes – it's coming to Nintendo Switch in December. The developers also worked in bug fixes for Bloodstained's Randomizer Mode.

It's worth mentioning that Bloodless is bonus content that's separate from the "prev??ious development roadmap." With that in mind, the game is still getting a new "unnamed playable character."

Realistically, I'm probably g??oing to hold off until then.

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It could still be pushed

Amid a very hectic and unpredictable schedule, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has been getting updates periodically.

Zangetsu was added as a playable character a few months ago, on top of the previously-promised Boss Revenge (playable bosses) and Chroma Wheel ??(protagonist customization) modes. But the latter two were not fated for Switch, it seems, as that version has its own timeline (along with a few other wacky platforms like EA Origin, which has its own patch pipeline).

While the development team isn't quite ready to nail down a? date yet, we do have a window: "later this month." Taking to Facebook, they noted that "Boss Revenge Mode and Chroma Wheel debut on Game Pass and EA Origin this week then later this month for Nintendo Switch." Crash fixes for other platforms are coming soon: crashe??s that the last patch introduced, mind.

As a reminder, a new landing page is open now that breaks down the status of each platform.

Bloodstained [Facebook]

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So much work to be done

[Update: It looks like the below issues will be fixed individually. A separate patch has b??een deployed on Steam/PS4/Xbox One that fixes errant achievement bugs: once you load your save data the achievements should pop. The Boss Revenge bug ?"will be part of a future update." That just leaves the NPC crashing bug as one of the last major known unsolved issues.]

Ah Bloodstained.

While the actual game is lovely, the team has been dealing with issues across various platforms for nearly a year now, especially on the tumultuous Switch, which is alway?s behind the others in terms of c?ontent cadence.

To function as a sort of "be all end all" solution to get people to stop pestering the team on a daily basis as to what version of whichever platform will be fixed on any given week, the studio has opened up a new "current status page" that you can now peruse for up-to-date info.

There you'll be ab??le to spy on which version each platform is on (PC [Steam], PS4 and Xbox One, as usual, are the best supported), as well as what the current "top issues" are that the team is trying to squash. Those problems include a Boss Revenge mode crash, bugged achievements and items and NPC-related crashes. Several of those bugs were added in the last patch, but the team might need "more time" to get them under control as of this week.

The eternal struggle is real! While I'm not sure the Switch port will ever be fully under control, it would be cool to get a "Bloodstained: Fully Fixed Edition" at some point down the line.

Current Status [Bloodstained via Facebook]

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Boss Revenge and Chroma Wheel still TBD for Switch

Bloodstained is kind of like the Fallout 76 of the M?etroidvania world: one p?atch enters, several new bugs leave.

The Bloodstained team has acknowledged some recent bugs, most notably crashes after interacting with NPCs, crashes while playing Bloodless in boss rush mode and items negatively impacting achievements. There's no E?TA on the fix right now, but it is in the works.

In other news, that? same bugged boss revenge and chroma wheel mode is not yet implemented in the Switch version, so those bugs don't exist. Sadly, that likely means that there's more work to be done in tandem with that Switch patch, so it could be even farther out. Better late than buggy, but the Switch port just can't catch a break.

In fact, this could push back the 2020 roadmap, which was smartly labeled with "all plans ??subject to change" when it dropped in June. After t??his mess is sorted out, the next step for the third quarter is chaos/versus/classic modes, as well as a "special crossover."

Bloodstained [Facebook]

We are working on a hotfix to address the following issues occurring on Steam (1.15), PS4 (1.15) and Xbox One (1.0.1.5):

1. A crash linked to NPC interactions.
2. A crash linked to pausing while playing as Bloodless.
3. Extra items affecting achievements.

We will update everyone as soon as we have an ETA on the r?elease of this hotfix.

Note: Boss Revenge and Chroma Wheel have ?not yet been released for Switch, GamePass or GOG and are not affected by the issues listed? above.

 

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Classic Castlevania vibes with a modern co-op twist

Even i??f?? Konami has firmly planted itself on the sidelines, it's a darn good time to be a vampire hunter.

Modern Castlevania fans have the IGA-led Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, and classic Castlevania fans have the 8-bit-style Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon. They're both great for different reasons. The former is a satisfying level-grinding power fantasy across a sprawling, secret-fi?lled map. The latter is a single-sitting action-platformer that would've been an ideal rental back in the late '80s or early '90s.

If you've only played one but not the other, you should reconsider. And if you're wondering how much more mileage Inti Creates could possibly get out of its Castlevania III tribute, I have great news.

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 isn't the kind of modernized retro game you'll tear through once or twice only for it to slip out of sight and out of mind, never to be touched again. Over the weekend, I happily cleared the sequel four times – twice alone, twice in local co-op – and it's still calling my name.

"One more playthrough."

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 (Nintendo Switch [reviewed], PC, PS4, Xbox One)
Developer: Inti Creates
Publisher: Inti Creates
Released: July 10, 2020
MSRP: $14.99

If Curse of the Moon only starred its sword-slashing l?ead protagonist Zangetsu, it would still be pretty good, but not nearly as memorable or fun. The first game's cha??racter-swapping conceit is back for round two, and not only does the original roster return, there are three new playable characters.

Between the spear-stabbing Dominique, the bomb-chuckin' sniper Robert, and Hachi – a dog in a mech that can s??tomp on spikes, hover in place, and temporarily go invincible – there's a character for every playstyle. Everyone has an individual life bar, but they share a common mana-like resource ?for special attacks. As long as you smash every candle in sight, you'll stay topped up. You know the score.

Like the last game, you'll cut down demons in eight densely-packed levels, picking up recruits (and permanent upgrades to your health and energy reserves) along the way to each boss battle. The world-map progression is linear, but the levels are layered with alternate routes, character-specific shortcuts, and secret??s. In terms of sequel refinements, the checkpoints are more considerate and clear, the bosses are more elaborate (and they have health bars), and the multi-playthrough payoff is much stronger.

As I alluded, replayability is a huge priority for Curse of the Moon 2. You'll have access to different characters on each of the four main playthroughs (the last of which has a pair of exciting bonus stages), so if you're worried you missed Miriam, Alfred, and Gebel, don't sweat it. They'll show up in due ti??me.

Inti Creates did a fantastic job of shaking things up across these story "episodes." The broader content remains largely the same, but it doesn't wear thin. At times, I felt totally overpowered (in a good way). Other times, I c??ouldn't rely on my old tricks to bypass powerful foes or circumvent nasty platforming gauntlets. I also gained a new appreciation for the level and boss designs every step of the way.

I can't stress enough how big of a deal two-player support is in a game like this. It's the best. It's so well done here, I'm retroactively bummed Konami didn't experiment more with co-op in Castlevania.

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2's ??dated aesthetic might be initially off-putting to a co-op partner who doesn't have any particular fondness for old-school gaming, but pass 'em a controller anyway &??ndash; this game is streamlined and palatable enough that retro skeptics can come around and have a fun time.

Every single character – especially Dominique and Robert – has a time and a place. They're all a blast to play as and freely swap between. (Just don't overextend yourself and let anyone die, or they're out for the rest of the level.) Figuring out who is best suited for each enemy, environmental hazard, or specific boss attack was a highlight. It's surprising how much Curse of the Moon 2 encourages communication.

It's worth mentioning that player two will have their own Zangetsu (an instant advantage over solo play), co-op is drop-in (don't mind the "One Player" and "Two Player" prompts in the beginning), and there's a New Super Mario Bros.-esque bubble mechanic if a player wants or needs to sit out fo??r a b?it.

If someone falls off a cliff or takes a few too many arrows to the head, that particular character will be wiped from the board, but as long as at least one player is standing, their teammate can quickly rejoin after a short delay and try to keep the fight going. What's more, you won't need to worry about running out of "continues," and like in the original Curse of the Moon, there's a handy "no knockback" option.

The potential for close-calls and last-second comebacks is extremely high. This is a lively co-op game.

I can think of one platforming-heavy screen (in the lava level) and one boss (with a chaotic attack pattern) that we??re a little too?? pesky for their own good, but otherwise, I enjoyed almost every minute.

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 can take an hour or two to beat depending on which playthrough you'?re doing and which paths you take through the levels. Altogether, I've spent something like eight hours in this game, and there's still (at least) one secret I still need to unlock on the menu. I'm hooked.

Inti Creates could've done "more of the same" and called it a day, but the new characters lend Curse of the Moon 2 a ton of flexibility, the co-op support is commendable, and the subtle refinements can be found far and wide if you go back to play the original game after s?pending a weekend with the sequel.

Curse of the Moon isn't just some quaint offshoot of Bloodstained. It's leading the charge.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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The game is out today

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 is out today, and it's packed with several ?modes and a heap of playable characters. Its list of gametypes is only getting stronger next week.

Revealed by Inti Creates on YouTube, Curse of the Moon 2 will be getting a Boss Rush mode as early as next week on July 16 via update 1.2.0. Shown in the clip, you can select any character available from the full roster (using the game's in-level swap mechanic) and any weapon type. Like Kirby Super-Star, ther??e's a little holding area where you can pick your loadout a??nd heal up between bosses.

Note: the trailer below contains a semi-gameplay-spoiler in that it reveals the full cast of the game moments in. Funnily enough, the video also showcases a few effective boss strategies throughout and outright highlights most of the? major encounters.

Stay tuned for our review later today!

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Boss Revenge and Chroma Wheel are the highlights

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night ;is getting its delayed DLC drop today (on everything but Switch, which is coming at a later date), but there's actually two orders of business: the content itself and an underlying ??update. We'll get to that.

First, the meat! Boss Revenge and the Chroma Wheel are the main courses. The former allows you to step into the shoes of several main campaign bosses (Andrealphus, Bathin, Bloodless, Gremory) and take on the game's heroes (Miriam, Dominique, Zangetsu). Think of it like a fighting game, w??here you go room-by-room defeating each enemy, with each "fighter" bringing along their own moveset.

The Chroma Wheel is a lot simpler of a concept: it adds more cosmetic options into the fray, like a hair salon on top of more outfit coloring. To access that feature you just need to go visit Todd the Barber in the main game.

As for that aforementioned underlying update, the Zangetsu progress bug is now?? finally fixed in a roundabout way. Previously the Zangetsu update annoyingly required players to finish the full game before accessing him as a playable character. The problem is, a lot of folks started a New G??ame+ run and deleted their endgame save. If you didn't have the time to run the game all over again, tough.

Now, today's update fixes all that. You can just play speedrun mode, the randomizer, boss re?venge and Zangetsu by default with no requirements. Boss rush, hard and nightmare difficulty still require completion. That's all reasonable, given that they mostly incentivize subsequent runs, while boss rush includes the final encounter.

Bloodstained [Facebook]

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You can always expect that constant

Recently, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night's development team released a "2020 roadmap" that gave us some sembl?an??ce of what's to come down the road.

First up is a boss revenge mode and a chroma wheel, followed by chaos mode, versus mode, a "special crossover" and classic mode in the th??ird ??quarter, with another crossover and the third playable character in quarter four. The former duo of DLC was due up recently: June 23, in fact, but that day came and went without a peep of the content.

Thanks to a tweet from the game's official account, we now know what's happening. Like pretty much every facet of this project it's been delayed due to a "last minute chroma wheel display issue." Now it's going to come sometime this week with details arriving soon. Confusingly, a tweet on June 27 noted that the DLC was coming on "June 25-26," which seems to imply an actual new "July 25-26" date. We've reached out for full clarification o?n the matter.

Presumably, the Switch up??date will still be coming later than the rest, as more polish is needed.

Bloodstained [Twitter]

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Howlin' good time

Inti Creates has announced that its recently revealed retro sequel Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 will launch on Nintendo Switch?? as soon as July 10. Budding castle adv??enturers can pre-order the title over on the Nintendo eShop, priced at just under $15.

The developer also revealed that Curse of the Moon 2 will feature a new two-player co-op mode, allowing you to take a pal on your quest into the gothic walls of a haunted castle. In addition to previously announced heroes Dominique, Zangetsu, Robert, and Good Boy Hachi, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night alumni Miriam, Alfred, and Gebel wi??ll also be featured as playable characters, each bringing their own skills, weapons, and abilities to the pale-skinned pa??rty.

All-in, this is looking like a really good time for a reasonable price. I'm excited to check it out in all of its 8-bit gory glory. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 launches July 10 on PS4, PC, Xbox O??ne and Switch.

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon?? 2 launches July 10 [Gematsu]

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Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2

In case you forgot (and I get it, it was years ago!), Inti Creates was initially slated to help with a chunk of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night's development work, but was moved off the project mid-stream.

Thankfully they were still able to contribute to the series in a meaningful way, crafting the Curse of the Moon retro spinoff; which was granted as a bonus to some backers and became a full standalone release on 3DS, PC, PS4, Switch, Vita and Xbox One (RIP 3DS and Vita). That universally beloved spinoff is getting a full sequel. Announced today during the New Game+ stream, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2?? has been confirmed and will once again b?e handled by Inti Creates.

It's c??oming to PC (Steam), PS4, Switch and Xbox One "soon," and will contain a multi-episode storyline "sup??ervised" by Koji 'IGA' Igarashi. Zangetsu will return as the lead alongside of "three brand new characters," a roster that includes Dominique (the spear-wielding exorcist from the main game), Robert (a marksman) and Hachi (a corgi who uses steampunk armor).

Ally swapping is in (with their own life bars) as is the return of ally-specific shortcuts. A casual mode is baked-i??n (on top of the default "veteran"), which provides unlimited lives and eliminates the enemy knockback effect (so you don't fall to your doom). It sounds like a tempered but additive approach, which is the classic Inti Creates touch.

??I'm all in on? the robot ride armor corgi: Inti Creates is on fire.

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All the way through Q4 is planned out

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is still chugging along, having recently released the so-so Zangetsu DLC. But this is not the end of the line, ??as the team still has a ton of Kickstarter stretch goal updates to deliver, not to mention the highly anticipated mysterious third character.

Taking to Kickstarter, Koji "IGA" Igarashi and his team announced that Bloodstained has now sold one million copies worldwide, and have decided to share the tentative 2020 roadmap with fans. Right now the plan is to deliver Boss Revenge mode and Chroma Wheel ("more in-depth character customization") on June 23 on all platforms except for Switch, which will get it in July.

After that versus mode ("A tense survival mode where players compete by indirectly attacking each another"), Chaos Mode ("A specialized boss rush for 1 or 2 players - the mode includes randomized drops and special sub goals that will grant more equipment when completed - collect the best, drop the rest as you build power to defeat all the bosses") and Classic Mode ("It’s Bloodstained 80s-style as Miriam faces off against a series of sub-bosses laid out across five harrowing stages and three difficulty levels") are coming in "Quarter 3, 2020," as well as "Special Crossover Content."

Then there's the coup de grâce: the third playable character that is "not Dominique" is coming in Quarter 4 of this year. As we know, these plans could, and probably will change. But for now it's great seeing it all lined up like this. The team also say?s that there are "bug fixes and improvements" ?on the way, as well as "paid DLC and a few other surprises." This game is far from done.

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Samurai Shenanigans

Publisher 505 Games has released the "Randomizer" update for the Nintendo Switch edition of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.

Released for PS4, PC, a??nd Xbox One back in early May, the new update will allow players who have achieved Bloodstained's "Tru?e Ending" with Miriam to re-run the adventure as brooding demon slayer Zangetsu. While Zangetsu has his own weapons and attacks, he unfortunately does not have his own story arc/cut-scenes. Still, it's a nice change of place to whiz through HellHold as a new character.

The Randomizer features will let players alter the parameters of the game, essentially creating a unique path through Bloodstained by shuffling item locations, save rooms, and quest givers, while tweaking the drops offered from defeated enemies. This will provide even the most hardened Bloodstained players with a fresh, new challenge. I just hope you find the voice-changer mask in doub?le-quick time.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is available now on PS4, PC, Xbox One, a??nd Nintendo Switch.

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Previously, it was up in the air

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night just launched its Zangetsu and? randomizer DLC on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, but you might have noticed an omission: the black sheep port of the family, Switch!

Originally the date for the Switch update was "the end of May or the beginning of June," but that's since changed...a few times. Confusingly, as is the case with this game's marketing, a tweet went out that the?? Switch update was coming out "next week," but was since deleted.

A follow-up notes: "Sorry, had dates mixed up. Zangetsu is coming to Switch at the end of the month. My apologies." Dates are often "mixed up" in Kickstarter updates as well, leading to corrections for when content might arrive. For those of you holding out for the free update to hit Switch, heed the warnings ?of the folks who downloaded it already and located a pretty big glitch.

The DLC requires players to "finish the true ending/boss" before unlocking it, but even if you already did that, it still might not unlock until you finish it after acquiring the update. So, word of warning, don't save over your endgame save file with New G??ame+, and if you need to, get to the very end and save outside of the final boss door.

Bloodstained [Twitter]

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It's a shame, because the game's core is fantastic

Bloodstained is a great game, but its developmental process will go down in history alongside of Mighty No. 9 as an example of what not to do when managing a Kickstarting a project (admittedly, less intensely, as Mighty No. 9 was a complete disaster of a campaign up to the bitter end).

Amid numerous delays, communication issues, bug fixes and a rush to get an unfinished port to market, Bloodstained didn't have a great pre-launch period. It isn't having the best post-launch time e??ither.

Support for Bloodstained has been absolutely all over the place.

I get that developmental resources might not have been abundant for lead studio ArtPlay, but laying out plans to fix the Switch version after it launched as a broken mess, then changing those plans completely weeks later wasn't a great look. In the past year (we're just one month away?? from the first anniversary), Kickstarter Backpack DLC was delayed on individual platforms, there was no version p?arity for months, the Xbox One edition had a weird HDR bug that made the game look worse and all sorts of weird issues (in one case, gamebreaking) sprung up for any given edition.

A lot of that is ironed out, but the damage was done. Much of ArtPlay's resources wer?e devoted to plugging up the Switch edition as best they could; but now we're getting actual new content this week in the form of a playable Zangetsu and a randomizer mode. Just like the aforementioned communication effort??s, part of it feels rushed and half-measured.

Zangetsu, voiced by David Hayter, was a fan favorite of many Bloodstained players. He offered what is arguably one of the more memorable boss fights in the game, tasking players with picking up the basics of locomotion and restrained combat if they hadn't already. He returns this week in the form of a second playable character, akin to the "Richter Mode" in Symphony of the Night. To access him, you'll need to beat the "True Ending," so go ahead and do that now if you were expecting to dive in at the ?zero hour.

On paper, Zengetsu is fine. His moveset (which you can view above in full) is vastly different from previous protagonist Miriam's, and I think ArtPlay succeeded in giving us a "more action-oriented playstyle" to zip through the castle. He doesn't have to worry about laboriously attaching spells or acquiring them: instead he just rips and tears (and slices) everything in his path. He doesn't have to worry about anything actually, as it's all unlocked at the start: no keys needed, with the blood pool pre-drained, with high-jumps by default to sequence break to your heart's content. He's a ton of fun to play, notably because Bloodstained, as a whole, rules.

But where the seams start to come apart is how he's actually implemented in such an underwhelming manner. Zangetsu has no new dialogue, which feels like a waste of Hayter's talents. He has no cutscenes; nothing tethering him to the story. He has no real excuse for being there, and there's zero sense of immersion when playing as him. A boss fight mirror with himself could have been a cool opportunity to expand the lore, but it kind of just happens. This is forgivable, as past Castlevania entries have flirted with this approach.

But because things can't ever be simple with this game, players have encountered a bug where, upon booting it up even after having completed the true ending, they don't have access to the new content. Right now the official fix is "beat the last boss ag??ain," but if you don't have a save file right before it because you overwrote it with?? the New Game+ save: tough. Some veterans might relish the challenge at speedrunning again, others might not even bother. Luckily I keep a 100% file right near the end to mess around with (and literally just in case there's some weird requirement for accessing anything).

The randomizer is a bit more justified. There's no pretense of a narrative here: you just select random knobs and buttons and have at another entropic play?through where everything is scattered at your whim. While it's not nearly as enticing as the "random dungeon" mode that would have completely changed everything, the castle itself?? is very well designed and the randomizer slots in nicely. If you haven't played it in a while, this is the way to do it.

Said knobs include things like swapping save rooms, moving around key items, changing the ultimate goal, randomizing items: the whole shebang. Once you feel like you'v?e created the perfect dungeon (well, co-cre??ated, given the limitations), you can share it via a "seed" (like many other randomizer tools offer in the modern era). That's pretty much all there is to it. It's neat. Limited and not as grand in scale as the original Kickstarter goal, but neat.

I still stand by the fact that Bloodstained, for all its behind the scenes flaws and bugs, is one of the best Metroidvanias in years. But as this DLC drop shows, it could have been so much ??more. It is free for everyone, though! That's a huge plus.

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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 resum?ing 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 an?nounce it as soon as we are able."

To unlock Zangetsu, you'll need to have cleared the original True Ending 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, equip??ment, or cons??umable items sounds enticing.

That said, it's slightly disappointing to hea??r 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 nitty-gritty breakdown 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 ches?ts will shuffle among themselves, items hidden in walls will remain hidden in walls, etc."), or – if you're in a chaotic mo?od – 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 f??or the community to come up with fun (and also "fun") remixes.

Publishing Update: Zangetsu and Randomizer Mode are ?comin??g soon! [Kickstarter] [Thanks, Jonathan]

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Now it'll be 'Randomizer'

It's been a while since our last Bloodstained update.

The development team was hard at work fixing the Switch ??version (there's still more work to be done) and getting the other versions in sync with each other. This week's Kickstarter update addresses both of those notions and more.

Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, the update touches on a big change that was originally promised in the Kickstarter campaign: a roguelike game mode. That mode is "not currently compatible" with the current incarnation of the game, and has been canned. Instead, there will be a new "randomizer" mode that will arrive with the Zangetsu playable character DLC for free. You can randomize things like item spawn methods and enemy drops (more info here), with the option to share a level seed with others. Next up, a correction: boss revenge mode will not come at the same time as Zangetsu, despite an earlier update stating it would. Instead, it will arri??ve in the next content update.

In better news, all versions seem to be synced up now and have content parity with version 1.04. Going forward, content drops should be in sync. And that's really it. There's no date for any of this, as developer ArtPlay and publisher 505 Games has learned the hard way that making any promises is a road to disappointment. They even mention in the latest post that? they're going to be doing less ?"updates about updates" for their Kickstarter and more substantial news pieces going forward.

This whole project has been a fascinating case study, along with Mighty No. 9, of common crowdfunding missteps. Thankfully in the end, despite jank, Bloodstained will be remembered more fondly.

Publishing Update [Kickstarter]

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