Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 514 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 421 out of 514
  2. Mixed: 43 out of 514
  3. Negative: 50 out of 514
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  1. Mbuckets
    Jun 18, 2019
    10
    It’s exactly what you want it to be. A great Castlevania game in the same vein as SOTN and the Gameboy renditions of SOTN style gameplay.
  2. LeoChross
    Jul 15, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So good so good. Nr 2: after, CSoTN. … Expand
  3. Josef217
    Jun 20, 2019
    9
    This game is a love letter to Castlevania fans, especially if you love symphony of the night.
  4. VirgoCave
    Jun 24, 2019
    9
    The same way we destroyed MIGHTY n9 for bein trash , we must give love to developers that love his baby. This is case of Iga and Bloodstained. The only problem i have with it is that is a little stiff, but the item and weapon variety and secrets it has is underwelming , ande you can tell that is game made with love and not only for the money.
  5. Eskie64
    Jun 30, 2019
    8
    If you're a fan of the Castlevania SotN or Super Metroid, then you should probably try this game. But still, this game feels like a clone of the Symphony. But a very good clone, though. It's like playing the spin-off of Symphony with better graphics and new mechanics. So you probably have to try this.
  6. ZXSth
    Apr 5, 2020
    8
    While understandably short (similar to its spiritual predecessor, Symphony of the Night), this game takes the best ingredients found across the journeys of Alucard, Soma Cruz and others (and even some minor elements from the Belmonts' adventures), and kicks it all up a notch. While somewhat lacking in polish and story, Bloodstained knocks it out of the park in terms of the element IWhile understandably short (similar to its spiritual predecessor, Symphony of the Night), this game takes the best ingredients found across the journeys of Alucard, Soma Cruz and others (and even some minor elements from the Belmonts' adventures), and kicks it all up a notch. While somewhat lacking in polish and story, Bloodstained knocks it out of the park in terms of the element I believe most players care about: Gameplay.

    Every bit of the mechanical superiority of the Metroidvania games that Koji Igarashi worked on before Bloodstained is here in spades. The game controls excellently, and the transition to the new generation of consoles hasn't seemed to cause Bloodstained to suffer through excessive technical issues. Though the game has crashed once on me over 40 hours, which was mildly annoying, I rarely encountered any discouraging issues. And while I can't say the graphics are anything to write home about (the character models seem a bit slipshod, if I'm going to nitpick), I can think of little else to critique this game for.

    I would dare to suggest that I enjoyed Bloodstained even more than Symphony of the Night, and at least as much as I enjoyed both Aria and Dawn of Sorrow. High praise (perhaps unduly so, for many), but understandable, as it seems to refine everything positive that its wonderful predecessor brought to the table.    … Expand
  7. M1tbus
    Jan 26, 2021
    9
    Best modern Castelvania! Must Buy for all Genre-Lovers. good Leveldesign, tons of updates and modes, deep gameplay and the Devs are Gods. Only Con is the Performance. In some Fights the FPS drops.
  8. Oinkmoo
    Jun 18, 2019
    10
    Dont listen to AceAscendus, hes an idiot giving 0 / 10. He's a moron.

    If you like Metroidvania style, get this game/

    Why 10/10? This game plays like Aria of Sorrow, need to say more?
  9. BongoYoda
    Jun 18, 2019
    9
    I may have to bump this up to a 10 after the patch comes out but I'm very pleased with this game. I backed the kickstarter and have been following the release notes for years...Iga and his team have poured their hearts into this and after 3 hours of gameplay...it shows. Tons of secrets and SotN homages. My only complaint is that it seems a bit glitchy but I feel like the patch will fixI may have to bump this up to a 10 after the patch comes out but I'm very pleased with this game. I backed the kickstarter and have been following the release notes for years...Iga and his team have poured their hearts into this and after 3 hours of gameplay...it shows. Tons of secrets and SotN homages. My only complaint is that it seems a bit glitchy but I feel like the patch will fix the text and cutscene jumps. If Iga delivers on the largest (inverted) castle he's ever made, we're in for a wild ride. Final gripe...Gebel is a stupid name but Zangetsu totally makes up for it!! Great music, smooth gameplay, macabre Metroidvania setting...all for $35....go buying this! game!!… Expand
  10. jpsnow85
    Jun 19, 2019
    9
    A spectacular game. There's so much love poured into this title that any fan of Symphony of the Night will feel like they're wandering the halls of their childhood home.

    With that being said, it's not strictly a SOTN clone either. The crafting and cooking systems are a fantastic addition that are a great example in how to encourage people to engage in these systems without making them    A spectacular game. There's so much love poured into this title that any fan of Symphony of the Night will feel like they're wandering the halls of their childhood home.

    With that being said, it's not strictly a SOTN clone either. The crafting and cooking systems are a fantastic addition that are a great example in how to encourage people to engage in these systems without making them needlessly complex.

    The visuals are fantastic, with the cel-shaded graphics really causing the colors to pop off the screen.

    The music is from the same composer who did SOTN, so you get a new iteration of the sweeping instrumentals that transport you to castle halls and underground waterways.

    Controls and combat are razor sharp, with various weapons having unique abilities that are triggered with fighting game-style inputs like quarter-circle forward + attack. Layered onto this is the shard system, which allows you to have passive magical boosts, an additional magic attack, and even summon familiars to your side. The loadout options are insane, and in time you'll unlock "shortcuts" to quickly switch between them.

    There are easter eggs and tributes to the fans throughout the game. Minor details in equipment and bestiary notes bring a smile to your face.

    So many games get caught up in wanting to be "intense", wanting to channel the difficulty of "The Game Which Shall Not Be Named". Bloodstained isn't particularly interested in that. Are there some challenging fights? Sure. Will you break a controller in the process of exploring this vast castle? Likely not.

    Now, there are still some hiccups and bugs here and there, but nothing game-breaking. Still, the blemishes are enough to mar a perfect score.

    At the end of the day - this game is fun. It's damn fun, and one of the best titles I've played in the last few years. Buy it.    … Expand
  11. sctthydn711
    Jun 19, 2019
    10
    I will admit when I first seen the first pics and videos of the game I was on the fence about backing it on Kickstarter. I love Castlevania and it was one of my favorite 2D side scrolling games when I was a kid besides Contra. Symphony of the Night was my favorite out of all the Castlevaina games and I have pretty much played them all. When Koji seen all the hate the game was getting; himI will admit when I first seen the first pics and videos of the game I was on the fence about backing it on Kickstarter. I love Castlevania and it was one of my favorite 2D side scrolling games when I was a kid besides Contra. Symphony of the Night was my favorite out of all the Castlevaina games and I have pretty much played them all. When Koji seen all the hate the game was getting; him and his team took that to heart and made a lot of changes to make the game look so much better. When I found out what they did and seen the game I had to get it. One of the best choices I made and I wished I backed it. I played it last night and it was so hard to put down. I got a little emotional cause it was so great and so worth the 4 year wait. I'm not really far into it but just blown way by everything such as the look, music, playability, upgrading system and much more. I can't wait to leave work to get home and play more. All hail Koji Igarashi for knowing what fans wanted and that's a kick ass Castlevania game. Many many thanks!!!!!… Expand
  12. mrenanpx
    Jun 19, 2019
    10
    simply fantastic, SOTN's true spiritual successor, the game I always hoped for, thank you Iga..
  13. Escher
    Jun 20, 2019
    9
    Igavania is back! This game feels like a sequel to Symphony of the Night (Gebel may as well be Alucard!), but it comes with advanced graphics and new gameplay elements. The graphics have beautiful 3D renderings, and many of the cutscenes actually pull the camera into the scene, creating a greater sense of immersion. The gameplay took the best of Symphony of the Night and the DS and 3DsIgavania is back! This game feels like a sequel to Symphony of the Night (Gebel may as well be Alucard!), but it comes with advanced graphics and new gameplay elements. The graphics have beautiful 3D renderings, and many of the cutscenes actually pull the camera into the scene, creating a greater sense of immersion. The gameplay took the best of Symphony of the Night and the DS and 3Ds Castlevania games, while using the best of modern dual-stick controllers to add more to the gameplay. This is a side scroller that feels wholly new and modern. And within 10 minutes of playing, you forget the fact that it is a side scroller, it is that immersive and addicting. Even on normal mode the game is challenging, but in way that feels rewarding. You will find yourself experimenting with various moves in order to defeat various enemies, but it never becomes tedious. A quick button function for potion/item uses would be nice, so that may be one of the few reasons I am giving this a 9. A skill tree associated to leveling up may have also been nice, but with Castlevania games, your skill/attributes are largely determined by your equipment and level. Great voice cast, great dialogue, great story! This game definitely has dozens of hours of playtime. Looking forward to the online co-op modes and local split screen!… Expand
  14. Bon2
    Jun 20, 2019
    9
    Ele mantém toda a essência do estilo de castlevania e a trilha sonora é espetacular valeu a pena a espera
  15. Douglas1989
    Jun 24, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Simplemente genial y maravilloso, tremendo lo hecho en este clonico de castlevania, bien logrado… Expand
  16. Asthmatic_Glock
    Jun 21, 2019
    10
    At an affordable price, bloodstained rotn contains a wealth of content. The visuals, attention to detail, the music all get a 10.

    The gameplay is fluid, and faster paced than symphony of the night. So I would give it a 9.
  17. Hired_Sword
    Jun 22, 2019
    10
    A resounding success in reviving the genre that Iga helped to establish. Fun, with deep mechanics and a well designed map that begs to be explored.
  18. Tonocruise
    Jun 22, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Increíble juego. Se ven las ganas de hacer un buen juego. Un solo fallo... Algunos textos en castellano no están bien… Expand
  19. Leomattoso
    Jun 22, 2019
    10
    Masterpiece. A evolução de SotN. Tudo que SotN ofereceu com gráficos atuais. Aguardo ansiosamente as DLCs. Thanks, Iga!
  20. Ale1991
    Jun 23, 2019
    10
    An instant classic and one of the best games of this generation. Just buy it and support this developer.
  21. John_S_Jr
    Jun 24, 2019
    10
    Awesome Metroidvania, worth the wait, I was a little hesitant about the 40$ price tag but it's worth every penny!
  22. RodVal
    Jun 24, 2019
    10
    Amazing game! All we wanted is here, another metroidvania from koji igarashi, just a masterpiece o this game type. Looks like Castlevania Sotn, great feeling you will get when playing this game.
  23. elrubeng5ESP
    Jun 25, 2019
    10
    It is simply INCREDIBLE. Of the best games I've played in many years. When I played I felt like I was going back to my childhood playing Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow and Symphony of the Night. Bloodstained is made exclusively for Castlevania fans and for Metroidvanias fans. 100% I have had a lot of fun.
  24. Vivid_Trance
    Jun 25, 2019
    9
    Quality product worth the wait.

    Starting with the only bad thing.. 1. The game experiences lag spikes where the screen freezes for a few seconds, typically this happens after entering a new room and getting a drop. But from what I've read with the Switch version of the game - we got off very easy. This is the only real problem I have experienced with the game in a complete    Quality product worth the wait.

    Starting with the only bad thing..

    1. The game experiences lag spikes where the screen freezes for a few seconds, typically this happens after entering a new room and getting a drop. But from what I've read with the Switch version of the game - we got off very easy. This is the only real problem I have experienced with the game in a complete playthrough.

    Everything else with this game is amazing

    1. The graphics are great. Characters and enemies are a pleasure to look at and the environment is exactly what you would want from a igavania game, full with a bunch of interesting castle subareas.

    2. The gameplay is deep, hundreds of weapons and spells to choose from, special weapon attacks, and different movement options.

    3. Level progression feels good, you will be struggling at the start and by the end of the game you will be an untouchable god.

    If it wasn't for the occasional lag spikes this would get a 10 from me. I have a 100% completion file and I look forward to all the DLC coming in the future.    … Expand
  25. Carlos8287
    Jun 26, 2019
    9
    Simply put the best Metroidvania I've played since Symphony of the Night and up there as one of my favourite "Castlevania" games. Let's face it this is Castlevania in all but name and it looks absolutely beautiful, with a wealth of customisable options and many fighting styles plus some brilliant secrets there is plenty to get your teeth into. This is comfortably the best game of 2019 so far
  26. Mgraham237
    Jun 26, 2019
    10
    I baked this game and was pleasantly surprised that all of my expectations were well exceeded. The only weak link present is the disjointed story for the game. If they put a bit more time into it, it would be absolute perfection. Despite that, this game deserves every single 10 it receives. The launch had issues, but they didn’t want to delay it any longer than they absolutely had to.I baked this game and was pleasantly surprised that all of my expectations were well exceeded. The only weak link present is the disjointed story for the game. If they put a bit more time into it, it would be absolute perfection. Despite that, this game deserves every single 10 it receives. The launch had issues, but they didn’t want to delay it any longer than they absolutely had to. Kudos to Iga and 505. The game is a complete and polished treasure. Sound, graphics, and gameplay are all beautifully done and satisfying. Thank you for making a true SotN successor.… Expand
  27. Nastynate81
    Jul 11, 2019
    10
    Love it but fix the switch version. ,after all they are the biggest install base.
  28. Eyes_Grim
    Mar 7, 2021
    10
    The best metroidvania game I ever played. Decent graphics, an intriguing stoty and addictive gameplay.
    A real masterpiece.
    Good job, IGA!
  29. simopoz
    Aug 6, 2019
    9
    Degno erede della serie Castlevania, che per quel che mi riguarda si conclude con SOTN. Meccaniche di gioco fantastiche, atmosfera e colonna sonora coinvolgenti. Non do il 10 perché ad oggi il gioco soffre di qualche bug.
  30. MatthewDavisMed
    Oct 17, 2020
    9
    A love letter to those who grew up playing Castlevania SOTN. With it's challenging and addictive gameplay and beautiful artstyle. This is a truly great Metroidvania experience.
  31. Crysouls
    Nov 30, 2022
    8
    Prós:
    - Jogabilidade
    - Direção de arte
    - Fator Replay
    - Level design
    - Trilha sonora

    Conclusão: o game é fantástico, se você procura um metroidvania apenas jogue, não vai se arrepender, me diverti muito com esse game, só não platinei pois demandaria muito tempo mas o jogo tem varios extras e compensou muito o tempo investido.
  32. streetkrc
    Aug 4, 2021
    9
    A very good game. A well-designed world, an excellent combat system, a variety of locations and bosses, and great music. The story is easy, well received and not overwhelmed.
    Of the cons, this is a large amount of equipment, most of which are useless and, accordingly, you will not use it. It is also a little difficult to find all the keys and secret rooms.
  33. SebbyPlaysMusic
    Dec 16, 2020
    9
    I was on the fence between an 8 or a 9, but I went with 9 because I ultimately wished this game went on longer than it did even though I spent a few days straight getting 100%.

    You've probably already read that this game is a spiritual successor to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. If you've never played that game, it is an absolutely fantastic, fun, and highly memorable    I was on the fence between an 8 or a 9, but I went with 9 because I ultimately wished this game went on longer than it did even though I spent a few days straight getting 100%.

    You've probably already read that this game is a spiritual successor to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
    If you've never played that game, it is an absolutely fantastic, fun, and highly memorable side-scrolling action/platformer with minor RPG elements where you fight hordes of mythical monsters and demons (in a castle), but if you haven't and don't have access to it, this is absolutely a great place to start, and definitely improves on the formula in a few ways.

    Pros:
    - Impressively wide range of abilities:
    Every type of enemy offers a new ability (plus there're more abilities you can find or craft).
    Every type of weapon has multiple hidden abilities.
    - Controls are highly intuitive and accessible, with a shortcuts menu that let's you change entire gear/magic set-ups.
    - The movement is also MUCH faster and more maneuverable, particularly later in the game, compared to SotN.
    - You can craft the majority of items in the game, including equipment, potions, and cooking meals for permanents stat increases.
    - Well thought-out map with a diverse-but-logical set-up, emphasizing grandeur to add to that feeling of going on an adventure. Many secrets are well-hidden.
    - Visuals are often lavish to emphasize the grandness of the environment, adding a sense of depth to the 2D plane.
    - Soundtrack is very pleasant and engaging: Largely classical-type compositions with an occasional rock edge.
    - Certain voice lines are pretty funny. "Kill those murderers dead!"

    Cons:
    - The story's exposition isn't the most gripping a lot of the time. They kind of just throw information at you towards the beginning, in the intro sequence and whenever you talk to Johannes for an upgrade the first few times; I accidentally skipped some info because I just wanted to make stuff.
    Though it's not bad and serves it's purpose for the first playthrough, it's just not particularly astounding.
    Most of the dialogue wasn't worth hearing more than once, so you'll end up skipping it if you have to retry something.
    - There can be a bit of grinding if you're a completionist, so it's kind of important to be careful what you use your items for.
    - With such a wide range of abilities, some may end up being impractical and thus generally useless; When I got Bolide Blast halfway through, that was pretty much the last offensive spell I actually needed to use.

    What I wish I knew beforehand:
    - Items that are crafted show up in the shop for future purchases.
    - You need to master a technique on one weapon before using it with other weapons of that type. (It's worth the effort)
    - You can unlock Nightmare difficulty before your first playthrough by typing in "NIGHTMARE" as the name; You can change your name after it unlocks. While some people don't recommend this, it puts way more enemies on the map, which can actually help shave time off of acquiring rare items later in game (though the enemies are doing more damage).
    - There's an accelerator ability in the second-to-last area (Den of Behemoths) that makes you move like Sonic fast. It's great. Get it ASAP. Also, High Jump lets you have infinite jumps.

    Strongly recommended gaming experience.    … Expand
  34. MasterMike000
    Nov 19, 2020
    9
    Coming from a hardcore Castlevania fan, who has played most of the Classicvania and Metroidvania (or Igavania) games in the franchise...I cannot express how much I love this game. It's definitely not perfect and there are room for improvements, but this game perfectly captures why I love the Metroidvania/Igavania games in the Castlevania series.

    Unlike other attempts of creating a    Coming from a hardcore Castlevania fan, who has played most of the Classicvania and Metroidvania (or Igavania) games in the franchise...I cannot express how much I love this game. It's definitely not perfect and there are room for improvements, but this game perfectly captures why I love the Metroidvania/Igavania games in the Castlevania series.

    Unlike other attempts of creating a spiritual successor, like Mighty no 9 and Yooka-Laylee…Bloodstained Ritual of the Night is the only one that truly succeeds at capturing what Castlevania fans love about this series.
    It not only brings back certain things from previous Castlevania games that fans loved, but at the same time, it expands upon those elements. For example:
    - The “Soul mechanic” from Aria of Sorrow, which is the best mechanic in all Castlevania games in my opion… was brought back under the name of “Shards” that functions exactly like the “Soul mechanic”, but offers so much more variety to it.
    - The crafting system from Dawn of Sorrow was also brought back in Bloodstained, but once again, it offers more varieties and options to choose from because Bloodstained has incredible number of weapons.
    - The fun quests that are given by the villagers like in Order of Ecclesia, was also in this game. From avenging someone (who are all named after Castlevania characters like Simon, Mathias, Trevor, Richter, etc…), to finding certain items, to crafting meals, to finding someone who is lost in the castle, etc...
    - Even the most popular and beloved weapons in previous Castlevania games were brought back like the Crissaegrim and the Heaven’s Sword but given a different name. And like I said before, the diverse number of weapons in this game is crazy. You can have a lightsaber, you can wear boots that are lit on fire, you can have a crossbow that has like aimlock on, etc…And some of them are just so ridiculous fun to use and hilarious such as kicking enemies with a toy shoes that squeak every time you move. Each weapon can have a different effect from each other, allowing players to choose from so many different options to pick.
    - Even the inverted castle idea from Symphony of the Night is kinda brought back in its own way. I think the people behind this game heard how exploring an entire new castle that upside down, was tedious and boring in Symphony of the Night. Because in this game, it is a mechanic and a “Shard” system where you can control wherether to invert the castle or not. This allows you to explore the castle even more, reach new areas, find certain items and fight couple of bosses differently.
    Add that with the amount of Castlevania Easter Eggs there are in this game that made me drop my jaw…It's like the creators know what their fans wanted to see. The fact that this game is not titled as Castlevania game is incredible because it has everything you want or need to be called a Castlevania game. The only thing that separates this game with the other Igavania games is the title alone...that's just it.

    There are so many other things to love about this game, such as the soundtrack composed by Michiru Yamane, the character customization, the awesome bosses, etc...It terms of content and gameplay, this game beats all the other Igavania titles in the Castlevania series without a doubt.
    Now I heard that some people say that this game isn't very original or creative, and that it doesn't really do anything new. Frankly, I'm okay with that. We didn't need something new or different like what Mighty No 9 did by adding a dash mechanic or a back-shoot when it wasn't in any of the Mega Man games. If maybe in the sequal or in another game, we get something new...I wouldn't mind it as long as it's good. For me, this felt like bringing the Castlevania fans back together and giving us a game that had everything we loved about the series. And I don’t see a problem with that. It knows this is a spiritual successor to Castlevania and it is not afraid to bring back all the things that was loved throughout the Castelvania franchise.

    Now there are some problems that I had too and was not a big fan of. I feel like the Lava/Inferno Cave was not well designed. I felt that the Oriental Sorcery Lab segment and the train sequence was out of place with the rest of the castle. Like was it necessary for the train boss to have a timer? The 2.5D isn't great sometimes, but I'll cut them some slacks because at least they tried to make the game look better when fans said that it didn't look great. But certain moments like Johannes walking/running looked weird.

    Other than that, there's not much I can say about this game. This is a great game and it delivered what was promised. I always had a hard time thinking which game between Aria of Sorrow, Symphony of the Night and Order of Ecclesia was the best Igavania title...and now with this game, I'm even more frustrated because this game is on par with the other three.    … Expand
  35. Johnnyls
    Jul 24, 2020
    8
    A clássic metroidvania. The details could be more polished and the story more deep, but even that is very enjoyable
  36. Rhamer
    Jun 23, 2020
    8
    É um típico Castlevania Symphony of the night. O jogo em si é lindo, a história por mais clichê que seja, ainda é boa, faltou um pouco mais de puzzles e enigmas para deixar o jogo mais desafiador, os chefes por sua vez não apresentao muita dificuldade em nenhuma das opções de dificuldade do game, parece que só a vida deles aumenta. Nota 8.
  37. RushBwithNegev
    Aug 27, 2020
    9
    Good game, good desgin, still worth to buy but
    Too many quests look same
    Can't change character cloths
    Sometime got stuck by talking with NPC
  38. Bartson
    Oct 26, 2021
    10
    Nahe an der Perfektion. Das beste Spiel das ich seit langem durchgezockt habe.
  39. djdizzy
    Nov 22, 2020
    10
    I’m a fan of the Metroidvanias (Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow, etc). This game plunged me right back into that world and gameplay. This game is deep and the visuals dazzle me. It feels exactly as you’d expect, like I’m playing a modern Metroidvania in that series. Everything is fresh and the only thing that saddens me, is that I know I’ll achieve 100% completion. But there areI’m a fan of the Metroidvanias (Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow, etc). This game plunged me right back into that world and gameplay. This game is deep and the visuals dazzle me. It feels exactly as you’d expect, like I’m playing a modern Metroidvania in that series. Everything is fresh and the only thing that saddens me, is that I know I’ll achieve 100% completion. But there are additional non-Miriam characters to choose once I reach 100%. This is the best game I’ve played in years.… Expand
  40. MantisMind
    Nov 24, 2020
    10
    Beautiful game with beautiful music. I got the platinum trophy (is not very hard to get)
  41. VanCan72
    Apr 4, 2021
    10
    This was an absolute delight to play from start to finish. A MetroidVania that looks great top to bottom. There are some areas in the castle that are absolutely gorgeous and really shined bright. Story is a little cut and dry, but there's enough added in that it stays fresh and interesting throughout, which extends a little bit to the characters. They're all distinct and varied but IThis was an absolute delight to play from start to finish. A MetroidVania that looks great top to bottom. There are some areas in the castle that are absolutely gorgeous and really shined bright. Story is a little cut and dry, but there's enough added in that it stays fresh and interesting throughout, which extends a little bit to the characters. They're all distinct and varied but I always felt like they could've been expanded just a little bit. Gameplay is as tight as the game its a spiritual successor, maybe even a bit more with more types of weapons to play with in numerous amounts, even being able to collect materials and make your own, including food dishes that permanently increase your stats on top of healing you.
    Music is wonderful in this as well as sound design.
    Everything in this, is fantastic and is everything it was promised to be and more.
    Also there's a slot machine boss to taunt Konami.    … Expand
  42. morjito
    Aug 5, 2021
    9
    Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a "masterpiece" that is a worthy tribute to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The game is fluid, immersive, offers plenty variety of skills, items and equipment to suit every player. Was skeptical at first, knowing this was a kick-starter, but later, glad to pickup the game and immerse in it. Grinding is required to get the total experience thatBloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a "masterpiece" that is a worthy tribute to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The game is fluid, immersive, offers plenty variety of skills, items and equipment to suit every player. Was skeptical at first, knowing this was a kick-starter, but later, glad to pickup the game and immerse in it. Grinding is required to get the total experience that the game has to offer, and is finely tuned that its not boring or a chore, thanks to the fluid loading of areas and well-placed monsters. The story is good enough to build the characters and basic plot, while the variety of traps, monsters and bosses are also enough to challenge and engage the player. The game is quite immersive that getting the platinum trophy is just part of the experience.… Expand
  43. Jattaman
    Sep 1, 2022
    8
    Bellissimo titolo, seguito spirituale di Castlevania.
    Trama piacevole, protagonisti abbastanza carismatici.
    Mappa da esplorare vasta, interessante e piena zeppa di enigmi, nemici sempre vari e segreti.
    Bella resa grafica 2d e buon comparto sonoro.
    Ottima varietà di oggetti, armi e incantesimi, che valorizza un sistema di combattimento semplice e preciso.
    Assolutamente meritevole.
  44. Tomplexthis
    Jul 8, 2022
    9
    I paid 100 Dollars to put my name in the credits. And yet, this good game still feels ugly.
    Like it wants to be symphony of the night, but it just looks awkward to stare at.
    Great to play, but still looks and feels iffy. It had a massive game breaking glitch on launch, that stopped progression But even then, the game deservers a run, Iga consistently added more content Even though    I paid 100 Dollars to put my name in the credits. And yet, this good game still feels ugly.
    Like it wants to be symphony of the night, but it just looks awkward to stare at.
    Great to play, but still looks and feels iffy.
    It had a massive game breaking glitch on launch, that stopped progression
    But even then, the game deservers a run, Iga consistently added more content
    Even though they nerfed tons of the base game stuff i used
    It reminded me of the dead castlevania franchise.    … Expand
  45. BULETAURA
    Dec 21, 2022
    10
    It's an amazing game. Of course it remembers Castlevania SOFTN but this game follows your own story, with maestry. I don't have doubt that this game is a great option to spend the time, playing the better metroidvania style. Great job from Koji Igarashi and his team!!!
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Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Best PS4 Game of 2019
32
#32 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2019
16
#16 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 54
  3. Negative: 0 out of 54
  1. Games.cz
    Aug 19, 2019
    90
    An awesome spiritual successor to old Castlevanias. The story is the weakest point, true, but everything else is splendid, especially the level design and the sheer amount of creative ideas. If you want a great action RPG platformer, you’ve got one right here.
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  2. PSX Extreme
    Aug 8, 2019
    85
    Bloodstained has a lot going for it. Satisfying gameplay, many secrets to find, and a huge castle to explore. There is a lot to discover in how you play, especially as you find more secrets and items. The shard system is an interesting way to customize your gameplay style. It is very much more of what you love from Symphony of the Night and other Castlevania games of that era. But Bloodstained doesn’t do anything new with the genre. It borrows many concepts to create a game with more of what people loved about the other games. In short, if you’re a fan then give this one a go. Minus a few iffy aspects, Bloodstained is fun experience. Whether it falls into the realm of one of the greats is unlikely but I enjoyed my time anyway.
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  3. PLAY! Zine
    Aug 2, 2019
    85
    The king of Metroidvanias is finally here with a new title. A few bugs and weird animations will not prevent it from sitting on the throne.
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