Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon

 PC
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

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  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, 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, butThe 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.    … Expand
  2. Seinekar
    May 31, 2020
    4
    Extremely overrated and overprized, even more if compared to other similar (metroidvania= games.

    The game is pretty generic in all aspects. Map design, aesthetics, ambience, characters, story... nothing in it gives the game any identity or make the game special (not to say unique= in any way. Exploring the map (wich is key on metroidvanias, imo) is bland and boring, with little to no    Extremely overrated and overprized, even more if compared to other similar (metroidvania= games.

    The game is pretty generic in all aspects. Map design, aesthetics, ambience, characters, story... nothing in it gives the game any identity or make the game special (not to say unique= in any way.

    Exploring the map (wich is key on metroidvanias, imo) is bland and boring, with little to no suprise nor intrincated connections.

    The character moves quite slow, and the combat is plain bad, with weapons having only 1 single move as for main attack, spiced up (sometimes) with some special moves performed like fighting games, wich is a good addition but doesn´t fix the core combat being mediocre.

    Also the "skills" or abilities you unlock to progress in the game feel like "meh". Double jump is not great, another key skill"light bream teleport" is just and only used on the recquired spots to pass through small places and nothing else, and so on.

    The game tries to fix all those issues by giving (apparently) a ton of customization options, with tons of different powers to equip and use, and thats ok. But in the end you will find yourself using the same 2 OP powers and finding most plays the same.

    I get it has a ton of positive reviews because of the nostalgic people who loved Castlevania: Symphony of the night, wich it HEAVILY ressembles, but aside of said nostalgy, Bloodstained is quite mediocre. There are other games of the genre much better and even cheaper.

    Few suggestions instead Bloodstained:
    -Salt and Sanctuary
    -Axiom Verge
    -Blasphemous
    -Hollow Knight    … Expand
  3. KhalistaMundi
    Jul 27, 2018
    0
    So disappointing and badly done!! why this sh*t of hell?!!!! I miss the old feelings of Castlevania series!

Awards & Rankings

88
#88 Best PC Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  2. PC Gamer
    Jun 4, 2018
    80
    Made with affection and artistry, this retro appetiser is a very pleasant surprise.
    Read full review
  3. Game Informer
    Jun 1, 2018
    75
    Curse of the Moon isn’t incredibly challenging. You can finish it in one or two sittings, and that’s all this game really deserves. I had fun experimenting with Curse of the Moon’s four heroes, but for a game so clearly inspired by a beloved franchise, the level design feels largely uninspired. While I was initially swooned by this Castlevania doppelganger, its nostalgic spell was broken once I realized its 8-bit beauty was only skin deep.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »