Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon

 PC
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. GameOver.gr
    Jun 29, 2018
    70
    Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is a fun 8-bit nostalgia trip that succeeds in capturing the aesthetic, challenge and gameplay of the Castlevania games of that era, though it doesn’t try to bring anything new on the table. Hopefully, its big brother, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, will not try to only repeat Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but it will be a true spiritual successor, advancing further the genre of metroidvania.
  2. Cubed3
    May 31, 2018
    70
    As far as throwbacks go, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is a worthwhile venture. It captures the essence of yesteryear's classics, while offering numerous options to comfort an audience that might be unfamiliar with that time period. The game is also quite entertaining, and the replay-value is quite high. Still, it is not possible to shake the feeling that something is missing. It's as if the developer decided the safe choice was the right one, and left all of the risk-taking up to the player. Will this game be remembered in thirty years? Only time will tell.

Awards & Rankings

88
#88 Best PC Game of 2018

User Reviews

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User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 82 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 82
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 82
  3. Negative: 13 out of 82
  1. somedude14
    May 28, 2018
    4
    The game gives you the option of two difficulties: Veteran, which is supposedly designed for people who are used to these sorts of games, andThe game gives you the option of two difficulties: Veteran, which is supposedly designed for people who are used to these sorts of games, and Casual, which is for people that aren't used to the NES-era Castlevania difficulty. Veteran is still unbelievably easy. You unlock a new mode called Nightmare after beating the game (which also unlocks an additional stage and the "true" ending, but it's 10 more minutes of gameplay and the story is a generic throwaway affair so who cares), but it only makes the game slightly more difficult by giving the bosses more health and attacks. There's also an Ultimate mode you can unlock but it's basically the superpowered steamroll mode for the game. Hence Veteran is the highest difficulty, you can make it a bit harder by going Solo Zangetsu (which is how you unlock the said Ultimate mode), but no matter how you cut it, this game is very, very easy. Veteran mode feels like it should be called Casual, simply due to the game's design, Veteran is nowhere near an NES-era action-platformer in difficulty...

    Basically an easier Castlevania III (NOT a Metroidvania) with no slowdown and flicker that only occurs when your character is in water. You also have branching paths within stages instead of having the option to choose different stages as the game progresses. You can have up to four playable characters and switch between them on the fly, you can ignore them or sacrifice them as well for different endings. Soundtrack is decent but not nearly as inspired as the classic Castlevania tracks, I can't remember any of the music and I just completed the game, they really dropped the ball here. Worth playing if you want a classic Castlevania game but are sick of the official classic Castlevania games because you've played them too many times, but otherwise this is "same old" with next to nothing to set it apart and honestly I wouldn't put this higher than a 4/10, yeah I said "worth playing if you want a classic Castlevania game but are sick of official classic Castlevania games" but that doesn't mean this is a passable game, just the only one on Steam I can think of that might remotely scratch that itch. It does end up feeling like "No Name Brand Castlevania III". It takes advantage of modern tech for higher resolutions and no slowdown (but again there is flicker when in water), but otherwise the overall quality (especially in the music department) is a dive. There's also a boss rush mode you can unlock.

    Also seems to be more than a little overpriced, but I'm comparing it to something like "Castle in the Darkness" which cost me $6.50CDN on launch and is a better game (despite being derivative in its gameplay and some of its art, the music and level design were clearly labors of love). Too much of a "been there, done that" with not much else put into this to really wow. When I beat it I was dumbfounded by how easy it was.    … Full Review »
  2. jonaskenazi
    May 28, 2018
    10
    Castlevania is back! This game is a punch of nostalgia right in the heart, and a kick in the ass to Konami. **** Konami.
  3. StriderKiwi
    Aug 2, 2018
    5
    Overall a competent throwback that has more than most games from the time it's emulating but still feels lacking compared to contemporaryOverall a competent throwback that has more than most games from the time it's emulating but still feels lacking compared to contemporary games.

    Also, while I backed it on Kickstarter it took me weeks to get my code after non-backers were able to purchase.

    Thoroughly disappointed.    … Full Review »
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