Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

 PC
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Cubed3
    Jun 26, 2019
    70
    Want to play an old-school action/exploration game the likes of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night? Well, you can't get more old-school, or more... Symphony of the Night than Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. This offers a vast castle to explore, full of monsters to slay, and with lots of ways to slay them, be it the many weapons that your Shardbinder can use, or the demonic powers that she can absorb. If you are in need for something that's NOT an exact copy of late '90s metroidvanias, though, better look elsewhere.
  2. The Games Machine
    Jun 23, 2019
    65
    Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is not a bad game but it is disappointing, a metroidvania all too anchored in the past that doesn't really add anything new to the genre that Koji Igarashi himself contributed. Beyond the bland execution and the continuous plagiarism of Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow, Bloodstained is plagued by too many problems, especially in terms of combat and the hitbox system, preventing an enjoyable gaming experience. It hurts to say this, but there are too many better alternatives to Bloodstained on the market. We expected a lot more than this from Igarashi-san.
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In Progress & Unscored

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  1. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Jul 29, 2019
    I’m still not sure if Bloodstained has made a dyed in the wool Metroidvania fan out of me, but it’s certainly the most fun I’ve had playing one in a while. Even if I am still salty about that ending, and learning the super-specific requirements, I didn’t immediately throw up my hands. In fact, it feels more like an excuse to try out more attack combinations, zip around the lovely areas, and hopefully find a new hairstyle that makes Miriam look even more like an anime magical girl.
  2. The Jimquisition
    Jun 18, 2019
    Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has, amazingly, lived completely up to expectations. It's the Castlevania game we knew we needed, but Konami didn't want us to have. Koji Igarashi isn't trying to hide the fact that Bloodstained is a Castlevania game in all but name, and he doesn't have to. It's a heartfelt, authentic, beautiful MetroidVania game and I am so very happy with it.
  3. The Verge
    Jun 28, 2019
    Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is good. Now that you know that, it will rarely surprise you. But sometimes it’s comforting to get just what you want.

Awards & Rankings

30
#30 Best PC Game of 2019
44
#44 Most Discussed PC Game of 2019
42
#42 Most Shared PC Game of 2019

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 379 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 298 out of 379
  2. Mixed: 46 out of 379
  3. Negative: 35 out of 379
  1. ThePunchmaster
    Jun 18, 2019
    10
    This is like the OoE sequel we never got, it feels like they took what made the previous games great and made it even better, i couldn't ask for more
  2. HonestReviews4U
    Jun 18, 2019
    10
    Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a beautiful reminder of the roots of the Metroidvania genre.

    It looks pretty good, even though    Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a beautiful reminder of the roots of the Metroidvania genre.

    It looks pretty good, even though everything beyond 1080p is just upscaled, but that really doesn't matter.

    The OST is beautiful. Every song is very atmospheric and fits the environment it has been placed it.

    Much like with actual Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, there is barely any story, and the bit that is there is quite interesting. However, this game's main focus is to re-capture the "SOTN-feeling"... does it succeed?

    Absolutely yes.

    The gameplay is phenomenal. It pretty much feels 1:1 like SOTN. You have different spells, movement upgrades, weapons and weapon types, and it all just feels like a newly oiled machine. My only real complaint is that it does feel a bit slower than SOTN, maybe it's because of it being 2.5D instead of 2, but this is hardly ever a problem.

    TL;DR Should you buy this game? What are you still doing reading this review? Get out there and buy this masterpiece!    … Full Review »
  3. Kamasenin
    Jun 18, 2019
    10
    This is the modern take of SOTN that you always hoped for, but Konami was never willing to deliver.

    If you love Castlevania, Super Metroid,    This is the modern take of SOTN that you always hoped for, but Konami was never willing to deliver.

    If you love Castlevania, Super Metroid, and Metroidvania style gameplay, you owe it to yourself to try this game.    … Full Review »
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