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. frederik1478
    Sep 26, 2022
    9
    For me, this is the second best metroidvania game I have played and I enjoyed it way too much even so much I got a platinum trophy. I was surprised by how good this game Look it satley it not pixel art but I really enjoyed it. it was awesome trying all the different weapons and finding the difference techniques to the weapon.
    I got a platinum on this game. It was not fun. It was a tedious    For me, this is the second best metroidvania game I have played and I enjoyed it way too much even so much I got a platinum trophy. I was surprised by how good this game Look it satley it not pixel art but I really enjoyed it. it was awesome trying all the different weapons and finding the difference techniques to the weapon.
    I got a platinum on this game. It was not fun. It was a tedious grind so I will not recommend it, but I got a trophy and I enjoy the game so hey maybe it is worth to you if you are really is platinum hungry like me    … Expand
  2. th3w1ll
    Jun 22, 2019
    9
    A fantastic game with incredible depth and high replayability. Iga is back in action.
  3. liquidEvolution
    Jun 18, 2019
    9
    Yeah, another Kickerstart backer here, and for good reason. The game delivered on so many levels.

    Snappy input/ output, gorgeous settings, beautiful atmospheric music, player customization is spot on and not just from a visual perspective either. With a host of techniques to learn (think Street Fighter, Tekken combo inputs) but are not forced/ mandatory for success, to spells/ abilities    Yeah, another Kickerstart backer here, and for good reason. The game delivered on so many levels.

    Snappy input/ output, gorgeous settings, beautiful atmospheric music, player customization is spot on and not just from a visual perspective either. With a host of techniques to learn (think Street Fighter, Tekken combo inputs) but are not forced/ mandatory for success, to spells/ abilities (shard magic) that can be active, passive, and even passives-made-permanent (without having to equip them!), once max level’d up. Weapons, onto the host of weapons and armor that can change your stats and appearance (some can be toggled on/ off, accessories, etc.).

    Want a tank that hits hard or a glass cannon spell caster using a flaming two-handed axe? Whatever your style, chances are you’ll have it soon or not and maybe you have to find/ farm some enemies. That’s the fun though. It helps promote exploring, and explore you want to, for bonus loot and stat enhancements that are permanent.

    In he meantime, there is crafting to help fill the blanks for weapons and armor, and, yes, food! Recipes to find, farmers to give seeds to, which can then grow food for you. Quests. Yes, there are eve quests.

    All of that reads like an RPG, and rightly so. The director was responsible for changing the way 2D side-scrollers’ mechanics work.

    In short, a lot to do and see and while there is a lot of freedom to theory craft builds that suit your play-style, as well as help overcome situations, it doesn’t fall short of delivering that classic atmosphere of an A+ Igavania gem. That’s what it is, a gem.    … Expand
  4. Juash
    Jun 25, 2019
    9
    It's been a long time since I got excited about a video game.

    They kept all their promises :D

    Thank you very much for everything Mr. IGA & team
  5. RiPlays
    Aug 27, 2019
    9
    I absolutely love this game! The only thing that really holds me back from giving it a perfect 10 is the spelling errors and bugs that are fairly common, and I had the game crash on me once, but I hope that the next patch fixes those issues.
  6. abaduba
    Jul 9, 2020
    9
    It is not an exaggeration when I say this was one of the greatest games I ever played. I could nitpick about a few things but the overall experience was a blast in every way.

    Artistically, the game has OK graphics, beautiful music and minor details that will win you over. But the gameplay is where this masterpiece really shines. The difficulty is just right, hard enough to keep it    It is not an exaggeration when I say this was one of the greatest games I ever played. I could nitpick about a few things but the overall experience was a blast in every way.

    Artistically, the game has OK graphics, beautiful music and minor details that will win you over.

    But the gameplay is where this masterpiece really shines. The difficulty is just right, hard enough to keep it engaging, but not so hard that you can't beat it, and it has (mostly) no cheap tactics by bosses and can be learned with each try.

    If I could define this game in one single sentence, it is a Symphony of the Night but with better difficulty. And that is saying a lot, considering how much I love that game.    … Expand
  7. Josef217
    Jun 20, 2019
    9
    This game is a love letter to Castlevania fans, especially if you love symphony of the night.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. bitts
    Jul 8, 2019
    9
    if you liked Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, you will love this game. There are more systems to sink your teeth into like crafting, ability enhancements, equipment loadouts, quests, food/buffs, etc. Also David Hayter, the original voice of Solid Snake from MGS, lends his voice acting to this game. Highly recommended if you like Metroidvania type games.
  11. guiguidasgata
    Jun 25, 2019
    9
    The game is sensational. The graphics are beautiful and neat. epic soundtrack and metroidvania-style gameplay. My only note is not higher because I still want an update to improve the performance of the game. At times when fps crashes and has very constant loadings.
  12. WMMAMM
    Jun 18, 2019
    9
    An avid fan of SotN, RotN is exactly what I’d hoped for: Awesome design, thousands of weapons, armor, items, etc and the notorious backtracking. It draws me in just like Symphony did. Thanks IGA!
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  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. 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
  20. 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
  21. brachypelma44
    Jul 3, 2019
    9
    Excellent game, with a few nit-picks: The environments look great, but because the characters were forced to be these weird 3D cartoon models, they look like they belong in a different game. They just don't mesh well with the environments. I wish they had done really nicely animated 2D sprites instead (something like Dragon's Crown.) The music is above average, but not anywhere near theExcellent game, with a few nit-picks: The environments look great, but because the characters were forced to be these weird 3D cartoon models, they look like they belong in a different game. They just don't mesh well with the environments. I wish they had done really nicely animated 2D sprites instead (something like Dragon's Crown.) The music is above average, but not anywhere near the brilliance of the soundtrack of SOTN or Super Castlevania 4. Combat is great, level design is decent, and there are enough RPG mechanics for it to be satisfying as you level up your character and get more powerful familiars, shards, weapons, and armor.

    I did lose 5 hours of progress because the 1.02 patch screwed up the treasure chests from all version 1.01 save files, so that wasn't great. It's a good thing that it's so much fun to play, as I went through all that again to get back where I was.

    This is my 3rd favorite Metroidvania behind SOTN and Aria of Sorrow. Well done, and worth the price.    … Expand
  22. Dariem
    Jul 30, 2019
    9
    Exceptional game! Super fun ! Metroid like game for castlevania franchise fans. It lacks on difficult but i enjoyed playing. Super recomended
  23. 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.
  24. LioloucoPlays
    Sep 10, 2019
    9
    They did it. They really did it. After a lot of not well received games made by Kickstarter croudfunding, someone really did what was promissed.

    Iga and his team nailled the coffin of criticism and showed that with commitment and hard work, it can be done. Althought the history is not brilliant and there´s hickups and fails that has not been solved yet, as the floating itens you cant    They did it. They really did it. After a lot of not well received games made by Kickstarter croudfunding, someone really did what was promissed.

    Iga and his team nailled the coffin of criticism and showed that with commitment and hard work, it can be done.

    Althought the history is not brilliant and there´s hickups and fails that has not been solved yet, as the floating itens you cant get, it´s been a long time we do not have an outstanding classic Metroidvania,

    Kudos for IGA    … Expand
  25. TricksterZero
    Sep 8, 2019
    9
    A Metroidvania title true to form for the modern generation without having to re-release a game from back then. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night for the PS4 is a treat to the eyes and a blast to play through and if you loved SOTN, you'll love this one, just don't get the Switch Version, that port is absolute garbage.
  26. 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.
  27. Puozzo
    Sep 18, 2019
    9
    Ótimo jogo. Muitas referências do Castlevania Symphony of the Night. Bons gráficos. Ótimos desafios nas batalhas. Muitas opções de armas, itens. Alguns bugs.
  28. 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.
  29. 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
  30. 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
  31. 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
  32. 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
  33. 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
  34. Fissile-Materia
    Jun 27, 2019
    8
    This game accomplishes everything it set out to do. Many crowd funded games fail, but this is definitely one of the most successful and polished, no question. A lot of love was put into it and it shows. It has a lot that made SotN so great, but exceeded expectations by adding deeper RPG mechanics, crafting, cooking, and best of all, a really awesome system that allows you to use theThis game accomplishes everything it set out to do. Many crowd funded games fail, but this is definitely one of the most successful and polished, no question. A lot of love was put into it and it shows. It has a lot that made SotN so great, but exceeded expectations by adding deeper RPG mechanics, crafting, cooking, and best of all, a really awesome system that allows you to use the abilities of ALL the demons you kill in tens of thousands of combinations. It’s not perfect, has minor bugs, but you probably won’t care.… Expand
  35. DrewHLMW
    Jun 21, 2020
    8
    My first foray into the world of metroidvania style games and I can't complain, there's tons to do with a huge map to uncover, countless weapons and magical abilities to explore and discover. The combat is fast and fun and the boss battles are highly entertainin. a Great Game that any metroidvania fan should play.
  36. SethGrey
    Apr 20, 2021
    8
    Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

    Graphics & Presentation: 10 Graphics, art style and presentation is excellent for what it is. The 2.5D style really works for the game. Sound Effects, Voice Acting & Music: 8 Soundtrack works for the game. Sound Effects and voice acting are both competent. Gameplay: 10 Combat and gameplay loop is very engaging and has a lot of variety through shards    Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

    Graphics & Presentation: 10

    Graphics, art style and presentation is excellent for what it is. The 2.5D style really works for the game.

    Sound Effects, Voice Acting & Music: 8

    Soundtrack works for the game. Sound Effects and voice acting are both competent. Gameplay: 10

    Combat and gameplay loop is very engaging and has a lot of variety through shards and weapons. There are plenty of secrets to keep you engaged as well. Story: 4

    Serviceable but nothing to write home about.

    Performance: 10

    I noticed no noticeable frame rate drops and didn't have any crashes. Overall: 8.4    … Expand
  37. SailorSonic
    Jul 14, 2019
    8
    It's great! Kinda surprised it turned out so well! Great gameplay, memorable music. It's all here!
  38. SplitMind
    May 10, 2020
    8
    Bloodstained is a fantastic game with only some minor issues. It is well worth the investment and can become very fun and addictive.

    The graphics could be the game's main weakness. It is not intended to be a graphical powerhouse, however the running animation in particular stands out as unconvincing. The designers did a very good job of providing a variety of environments and there are    Bloodstained is a fantastic game with only some minor issues. It is well worth the investment and can become very fun and addictive.

    The graphics could be the game's main weakness. It is not intended to be a graphical powerhouse, however the running animation in particular stands out as unconvincing. The designers did a very good job of providing a variety of environments and there are just enough enemy sprites to avoid repetition.

    The gameplay is where this game truly shines. There are crafting systems for food, weapons, armor and potions. These are all very well done. Some of the rarer items can be a pain to obtain and I found myself having to use online guides for these, however they are not essential to finish the game. The combat is also enjoyable, with the shards concept making for a very fresh feel and variety. The downside is that some enemies, especially bosses, can be quite cheap and not being able to save the game instantly can lead to some frustrations. Once or twice I almost gave up but the compelling nature of the game always brought me back and this should be commended.

    The story is very minimal and this works very well. The quests given can be very homogenous and occasionally you are left without direction which may necessitate a walkthrough, which is where the game lost some points for me. Having multiple endings is a nice idea but having bad endings makes the concept a bit pointless and it frustrated me having to reload and repeat sections of the game.

    Overall, this is a fantastically compelling and addicting game. Levelling up and crafting equipment is a tried and true model in RPGs and is very well executed here.    … Expand
  39. 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.
  40. 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
  41. 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.
  42. 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
  43. Rickrbrum
    Aug 29, 2020
    8
    A respectable return to the legacy of Castlevania SOTN.
    Through an extremely fluid and fun gameplay, with a memorable soundtrack and a total respect for the fans, Bloodstained delivers what was promised.
  44. 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.
  45. 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.
  46. poker909
    Sep 3, 2019
    7
    I was completely addicted to this game start through finish, but looking back, it’s flaws are more memorable than the great gameplay. This is of course from the same director as Castlevania Symphony of the Night on PS1, and improves on that great game in many ways. Where it really lacks is the art direction, character design, and the music (which something SOTN was known for). All ofI was completely addicted to this game start through finish, but looking back, it’s flaws are more memorable than the great gameplay. This is of course from the same director as Castlevania Symphony of the Night on PS1, and improves on that great game in many ways. Where it really lacks is the art direction, character design, and the music (which something SOTN was known for). All of that feels very generic in Bloodstained. Where this game shines is the gameplay, the precise control/combat that is simply a joy, and the classic level design that defines a “metroidvania”. After beating this game I went back to play SOTN, to check my memory, and the minor details like the geometric patterns on the wall, the trails Alucard”s movement leaves behind, the way the skeletons shake all just ooze style that Bloodstained just lacks. SOTN had jaw-dropping bosses I remembered for decades, like the giant sphere of reanimated corpses white bodies wriggling off crawling as you attacked, where as Bloodstained has lame bosses like a dudes face on a snake grunting cringe-worthy expressions. Overall - the mechanics are great, but the art elements lack style. I’ll still play the sequel!… Expand
  47. Spidort
    Sep 21, 2019
    7
    It's not Symphony of the Night 2; more like an unofficial mod that shuffles the game around. It's got a crap story, average graphics, terrible characters, and a whole lot of generic caverns retouched with themes. There's a ton of jank too - the running animation is completely off, making the protagonist look like she's running in place, constant loading screens, terrible animations, andIt's not Symphony of the Night 2; more like an unofficial mod that shuffles the game around. It's got a crap story, average graphics, terrible characters, and a whole lot of generic caverns retouched with themes. There's a ton of jank too - the running animation is completely off, making the protagonist look like she's running in place, constant loading screens, terrible animations, and plenty of enemies that move (and shoot) through walls. The art style is also quite generic, and it definitely fails to visually impress through and through.

    What it is a fairly rudimentary Castlevania clone. If you like those, you'll be fine. If you aren't familiar with those, play Symphony of the Night instead. Bloodstained is an okay game, but it's not the glorious return to a classic formula I had hoped it would be.    … Expand
  48. The_BlueRose
    Mar 16, 2020
    7
    Bloodstained es un metroidvania clásico, puede que demasiado clásico. Y eso afecta negativamente a varios aspectos del juego.

    - La historia es bastante floja, en un inicio te interesa el universo y los personajes pero apenas se desarrollan. - Técnicamente esta bien, resultón pero con un 2.5D que no va más allá de lo aceptable. - Jugablemente es donde más flojea, recordáis cuando    Bloodstained es un metroidvania clásico, puede que demasiado clásico. Y eso afecta negativamente a varios aspectos del juego.

    - La historia es bastante floja, en un inicio te interesa el universo y los personajes pero apenas se desarrollan.

    - Técnicamente esta bien, resultón pero con un 2.5D que no va más allá de lo aceptable.

    - Jugablemente es donde más flojea, recordáis cuando dije que el juego era demasiado clásico, pues en este apartado es donde más se nota. Ya no estamos en los 90, un sistema de combate tan tan simple como el de este juego le quita bastante calidad.

    Bosses que se basan el machacar el botón de ataque y con fases, (algunos ni eso) muy poco inspiradas.

    El que haya varios finales esta bien, pero una vez más apenas aportan nada. Y el backtracking no es nada del otro mundo.

    - En conclusión, es un metroidvania desfasado que pretende vivir de los éxitos pasados en vez de buscar una nueva formula.    … Expand
  49. mbestvina
    Jun 25, 2019
    7
    It took me about 10 minutes to determine that this was a vastly inferior successor to Castlevania than Hollow Knight. This feeling permeated every aspect of this game, as it regurgitated the Igavania games that came before with flaws intact and no meaningful change. ROTN tries its hardest to recreate SOTN's feel and structure, while its combat is a bloated emulation of Dawn of Sorrow's,It took me about 10 minutes to determine that this was a vastly inferior successor to Castlevania than Hollow Knight. This feeling permeated every aspect of this game, as it regurgitated the Igavania games that came before with flaws intact and no meaningful change. ROTN tries its hardest to recreate SOTN's feel and structure, while its combat is a bloated emulation of Dawn of Sorrow's, and its overly linear level design more closely resembles Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia, the weakest Igavanias in terms of level design. The only new thing this game does offer is 3D graphics and judging by the 5 year development span and buggy final product, it's safe to say that even that was a mistake.

    The key culprit here is the level design, it's just not very good. The first third of the game is a straight line to the double jump, and the entire thing feels like they built the levels separately and stapled them together, then elongated the entire thing. In my eyes, the "biggest castle yet" stretch goal has had a seriously negative impact. This level design is closer to Order of Ecclesia, Chasm, or Timespinner than SOTN. As the game progresses, it rarely loops back on itself in meaningful ways, it's so large that warping is always better than organically backtracking, and it has a few progress-halting Metroid-moments that will drive most to a guide. The library-card and holy-glasses moments from SOTN have always struck me as the weaker moments of MetroidVania level design in SOTN yet they're both recreated here and in an even more obtuse fashion. Props if you have the patience to get through this without a guide.

    As with the level design, the combat feels bloated. The soul system gives you so many worthless options across FIVE magic types (Aria/Dawn had 3) that it's paralyzing and I ultimately stopped using it. I legitimately struggled to find magic attacks that were more useful than my sword. Then, there's farming, cooking, soul enhancement, book rentals... It's overwhelming even as someone that's played all the Igavania games. The difficulty teeters between being laughably easy and demanding strict pattern memorization. Just like Ecclesia, a few of these bosses will kill you in 3 or 4 hits, rendering all the RPG complexity I just enumerated pointless. With a few of these bosses, you simply have to either memorize all their attacks or cheese them with healing items, neither of which is particularly enjoyable.

    Then, around hour 6, I got the 1.2 update and it makes a necessary key item unobtainable... I was able to continue by downgrading and playing offline but this is unacceptable. 5 years for this bug-ridden mess? At this point, I said "I regret kickstarting this game." I eventually cooled down as I finished the game but this game never dazzled me like SOTN or Aria of Sorrow. Even once they fix the bugs, this game will still live in the shadow of its 22 year old predecessor, and even that has since been bested. I'm really done with these underwhelming kickstarter spiritual sequels. Quit paying people to pander to your nostalgia and go buy something like Hollow Knight that actually pushes the genre forward.    … Expand
  50. kirkender
    Jul 5, 2019
    7
    Bloodvania is Fine. There I said it. It doesn't do anything particularly new, or interesting, but its far from bad. So, its fine. The gameplay is right where it should be, the shard system is the same as the souls system from older Castlevania games. The crafting system is mostly useless but a fun distraction. I don't particularly care for the art style - 2.5D has never really worked in myBloodvania is Fine. There I said it. It doesn't do anything particularly new, or interesting, but its far from bad. So, its fine. The gameplay is right where it should be, the shard system is the same as the souls system from older Castlevania games. The crafting system is mostly useless but a fun distraction. I don't particularly care for the art style - 2.5D has never really worked in my opinion, go 2D or go 3D, none of this half measure stuff. You can see a lot of work went into the game, and... its fine.… Expand
  51. Chain_Affinity
    May 22, 2020
    7
    This game should be called Bloodstained: Farming of the Night, because you'll be farming well into the night. Or Bloodstained: Ritual of the Farming, because it'll become a ritual every time you play. There's so much farming in this game, it's practically a farming simulator. I've never farmed so much in a game, and I've played some pretty intense MMO's throughout the years. You get theThis game should be called Bloodstained: Farming of the Night, because you'll be farming well into the night. Or Bloodstained: Ritual of the Farming, because it'll become a ritual every time you play. There's so much farming in this game, it's practically a farming simulator. I've never farmed so much in a game, and I've played some pretty intense MMO's throughout the years. You get the point.

    Bloodstained should be a good game. It has all the elements to make a pretty engaging Metroidvania styled game. Here's the problem if you would like to get the most out of the game: It's 1% story, 6% actual gameplay, 15% exploration, and 78% farming.    … Expand
  52. RuriGokou
    Oct 5, 2019
    7
    Bloodstained is a decent game, and not without flaws. The initial 10 hours were a lot of fun, but after that I started to notice levels were getting smaller. They also felt rushed because of their design and the different colored enemies types didn't help. The levels looked very generic and lacked any kind of connection. We got our fire stage, water stage, cathedral, even a train stage andBloodstained is a decent game, and not without flaws. The initial 10 hours were a lot of fun, but after that I started to notice levels were getting smaller. They also felt rushed because of their design and the different colored enemies types didn't help. The levels looked very generic and lacked any kind of connection. We got our fire stage, water stage, cathedral, even a train stage and Japanese-like stage.

    I liked the crafting system but many of the weapons are kinda useless and that's okay. I liked that eating food permanently boosted stats. Very cool, and made it worth finding materials for cooking.

    The story was pretty generic, but so was Castlevania Sotn's story. It's the gameplay and that is fun. I only played on the normal difficulty and that was all. The normal game campaign did offer some challenge. I did have to grind to beat some bosses toward the end, but generally it wasn't too bad. It's a lot of fun to mow down enemies once you are stronger and trying to collect everything for 100%

    The music was most disappointing. I mean, it's good for the game, but nothing I would listen to on my music player. I'm still listening to tracks from Castlevania Sotn.

    There were a number of bugs I encountered as well. Mostly dealing with the sound. For example, I would be playing and a sound effect would occur. Only the sound effect wouldn't end, but instead it would just keep repeating until I restarted the game. I did encounter one error where the game completely crashed. I was grinding for materials, and luckily the error was after I had made a save. Sometimes the game would freeze for a second, and that bothered me.

    Overall, I'd say it's worth a buy. Bloodstained isn't a perfect game, but they tried. I'd love to see what they have in store next. Hopefully something with even more polish.    … Expand
  53. Burattix54
    Jun 26, 2020
    7
    A pretty cool game and spiritual successor to the castlevania series. Unfortunately, it feels clunky and dated, and the metroidvania genre has made massive steps forward in the last years. Both Ori and HK do everything this game does and do it waaaay better.
  54. RedDragon1240
    May 5, 2021
    7
    I was very much hyped about this game. Castlevania SOTN is in my top 3 favorite games ever so I had a very high standard and tbh, Bloodstained ROTH didn't meet my expectations.

    My major concern is that this game is extremely influenced by Castlevania SOTN, so much that it seems "forced" at times. We have a castle that has so much of SOTH in it. We have a library, we have a "clock"    I was very much hyped about this game. Castlevania SOTN is in my top 3 favorite games ever so I had a very high standard and tbh, Bloodstained ROTH didn't meet my expectations.

    My major concern is that this game is extremely influenced by Castlevania SOTN, so much that it seems "forced" at times. We have a castle that has so much of SOTH in it. We have a library, we have a "clock" tower, we have underground lakes. We have different endings, which is good, but the antagonist is controlled by a demon (just as in SOTH). Even the castle is destroyed the same way as in SOTN! They could've done something completely different but no, we have a very similar castle, the story has some things that are very similar to SOTN and even the music is very similar at times!

    The game is just...good. You will have fun and good action but not so much of a very good story. The graphics are really good (but I can't belive my PS4 can't handle a game like this and I have constant fps drops), the music is great, the amont of enemies and types of magic is huge but I would've been happier with a remake of Castlevania SOTN than this game.    … Expand
  55. curzon_dax
    Sep 13, 2019
    6
    meh, overrated; the gameplay has very clunky animations for the physics of the player, the maps are chaotic and generally not rewarding to explore and very repetitive.
  56. pongkrit03
    Nov 17, 2019
    6
    I beated this game first time on hard difficulty with true ending. This game has some merits and problems. First of all, the normal difficulty is too easy for me to continue so I decided to play on hard, (you could unlock hard difficulty with some secret code). The thing is, HARD DIFFICULTY is very MASOCHISTIC for the first and second bosses. I almost gave up but was to tough it up toI beated this game first time on hard difficulty with true ending. This game has some merits and problems. First of all, the normal difficulty is too easy for me to continue so I decided to play on hard, (you could unlock hard difficulty with some secret code). The thing is, HARD DIFFICULTY is very MASOCHISTIC for the first and second bosses. I almost gave up but was to tough it up to somehow beating them. Some of their movesets are too difficult to react. Enemies along the way also hit very hard and if you die, you will lose all progress you accumulated after your last checkpoint. Nevertheless, once I got pass the first few bosses, I have come to realize the power of upgrading shards (skill), which SOME SHARDS are SUPER OP if you max their lv. They break the game actually. I switched from melee to mage build and nuked everything on my way. However, in order to do that, you will have to GRIND A LOT, because you need to kill same monster to obtain materials and shards for specific upgrade. It was a bad design from dev part. The game, though look complicated in map, is surprisingly linear. You have to go from area A to area B, it was heavily scripted. There were also few times FPS DROP issue. I played with PS4PRO, game is clearly not optimized. I also got one crash, but that cost me 30 mins progession because this game does not have autosave at all. Bosses are not much memorable. Loading time takes a little too long for 2D game.

    Aside from things that I have complained, the GAME looks very BEAUTIFUL and STYLISH. MUSIC is also BRILLIANT crafted. STORY is also GOOD and understandable. Morevoer, there are so so many skills availible in the game but sadly, in order to effectively use them, you need to upgrade (grind) for each one and it takes a lot of time to do so. In the end player will only use few skills that they like. It was a waste of skill designs here. Anyway, its action gameplay is fine, fast, accurate. Enemies are vary, some has interesting concept. Level designs are good. Eating food for permanent stat is creative.

    In sum, in my 17 hrs of play, afrer some enjoyable and frustrating moments, Bloodstained gets 6/10 score from me. Poor difficulty and imblanced skill play big negative roles here. If you are casual player who just want to relax by playing normal difficulty, don't care abount min/max your power, then the score could be 8/10 for you. If you are hardcore gamer like me, I am warning you, hard difficulty on early game is just ****** (very unacceptable), some boss's moveset are cheap/ unreactable, but normal difficulty is too much easy. Tough it up, or not play it at all.    … Expand
  57. chesaro
    Jun 27, 2019
    6
    This game really hurt me, they canceled the vita version, when I played the demo i thought it just needed some polish, but after playing it for 3 or 4 hours i just see wasted potential, the right ideas are there, you even feel you are playing a castlevania game, but the execution of almost everything feels really incomplete, the graphics (it really shows they don't have much 3dThis game really hurt me, they canceled the vita version, when I played the demo i thought it just needed some polish, but after playing it for 3 or 4 hours i just see wasted potential, the right ideas are there, you even feel you are playing a castlevania game, but the execution of almost everything feels really incomplete, the graphics (it really shows they don't have much 3d experience), the music, the animations, the menus, the loading times, the bugs (i got stuck like 3 times on the starting loading screen), i think the fact that they forced it to be 3d was the doom of this game… Expand
  58. egoBorder
    Jun 13, 2020
    6
    This game will scratch your "metroidvania" itch in a good way, however be warned that it's not completely polished and despite some nice touches keeps greatness at arm's length. Some of the flaws may result in deep frustration. It's sad to say but if you stick with the game through bad pacing early on and a "twist" about 40% into the experience, you'll be rewarded with good action andThis game will scratch your "metroidvania" itch in a good way, however be warned that it's not completely polished and despite some nice touches keeps greatness at arm's length. Some of the flaws may result in deep frustration. It's sad to say but if you stick with the game through bad pacing early on and a "twist" about 40% into the experience, you'll be rewarded with good action and spectacle but never a good story. Luckily this game is more modern and complex than Symphony of the Night, so you can expect more than a simple homage to the older games. Priced at $40 on release, I think it's worth the time but some initial frustration may turn players off before the good stuff.… Expand
  59. Axcalay
    Jul 28, 2019
    6
    I was looking forward to this game, but unfortunately after completing it 100% with the real ending, my conclusions are that I didn't have much fun with it overall. It is too easy, level design is boring, and instead of all areas of the castle having exclusive enemies, most are just reskins. The boss fights are an absolute joke, and most can be beat using the same strategy, apart from theI was looking forward to this game, but unfortunately after completing it 100% with the real ending, my conclusions are that I didn't have much fun with it overall. It is too easy, level design is boring, and instead of all areas of the castle having exclusive enemies, most are just reskins. The boss fights are an absolute joke, and most can be beat using the same strategy, apart from the two secret bosses which were the only ones who posed a challenge. There are way too many shards to collect in the game, and although quantity may not seem a bad thing, I found myself sticking to one or two throughout because the rest just didn't seem any better or worse even. The graphics aren't bad I suppose, but some of the animations and poses that the characters do, especially the main character stand out as a bit strange and unnatural. The voice acting is fine, with voice actors such as David Hayter lending their voice to Zamatsu, but other NPC's are quite repetitive. The music is mostly forgettable.
    Unfortunately I found some parts of the game frustrating, having to resort to a guide, but then upon completing said frustrating part, the NPC who is supposed to give me information on the very subject decided to give it to me way after. Little inconsistencies like this are rampant, as is the polish of the game. Loading times can be lengthy and stutters are common, especially when collecting new shards. A certain boss fight brought the whole game down to a crawl, the likes I hadn't seen since the old 8-bit and 16-bit days.
    All in all I don't hate the game, but I can't say I'd rush to play it again either. I wish I'd have waited to get it on sale. This is coming from a Castlevania fan since the NES days, SCVIV, Rondo of Blood and SOTN being my favourites. If you haven't played the previous bloodstained, curse of the moon, I recommend that over this.    … Expand
  60. Ithxsmir
    Jun 26, 2019
    6
    Bloodstained: RotN tries very hard to be Castlevania SotN, but falls short in many ways. The music is not quite the memorable experience, the graphics need some work (especially anything that is supposed to be liquid or reflective as it just makes everything look like plastic), there is some pretty significant slowdown in some situations (using the oracle blade which shoots out combinedBloodstained: RotN tries very hard to be Castlevania SotN, but falls short in many ways. The music is not quite the memorable experience, the graphics need some work (especially anything that is supposed to be liquid or reflective as it just makes everything look like plastic), there is some pretty significant slowdown in some situations (using the oracle blade which shoots out combined with the shard that creates shadow duplicates against any boss with projectiles for instance), and an insane amount of recoloring of enemies despite having far more room than SotN did to work with.

    This being said, if you liked SotN, you will find some sort of enjoyment with this game. For the price-point of $40 it's not a bad deal.    … Expand
  61. tomvs123
    Feb 3, 2020
    5
    A competent Metroidvania game, but with no amazing or stand-out points.

    I'm primarily into story and atmosphere. Both are serviceable, but not great. Much of the story and character actions are questionable, but are acceptable because of the story's vagueness. The best way to avoid plot holes is to not explain certain things, and the writers here know that. But there are a few points    A competent Metroidvania game, but with no amazing or stand-out points.

    I'm primarily into story and atmosphere. Both are serviceable, but not great. Much of the story and character actions are questionable, but are acceptable because of the story's vagueness. The best way to avoid plot holes is to not explain certain things, and the writers here know that. But there are a few points here and there where it slips up.

    For example, many of the people you meet could simply explain their goals to you to prevent conflict, but they don't. And at one point, you need to show an ID to an automated system to board a train. Someone will let you borrow their ID, but you'll need your own photograph to paste to the ID. You'll need some silver bromide from a particular boss to take a photo. Why does the boss have silver bromide? And does this automated train system really scan your ID photo and compare it to the person holding it? It's getting close to logic plot hole territory here. But anyhow, it's obvious that the story takes a back seat to the gameplay systems.

    The exploration is good. Uncovering parts of the map, finding treasure, finding secret breakable walls, and finding new skills that allow you to progress further are what the game is primarily about. The world does seem a little small though, with me being able to complete the map (and game) in about 17 hours.

    Dealing with the enemies in the game is difficult. Unlike 3D action games that have several options for dodging, blocking, or parrying, you're much more limited here. Sometimes spamming your attack while the enemy is hitting you is the most efficient way to get through an area. Bosses are more complex though, with it being necessary to learn their patterns before you can effectively defeat them. Healing is also very difficult, requiring expensive and limited healing potions, and a few spells that heal you only tiny amounts. There are no hearts or generic healing items to pick up, so your main limitation to exploration will be your health bar.

    Melee combat is good, given the genre limitations, with several weapon types and loads of weapons to find, craft, or buy. But most effort appears to have been spent on magic combat. For just about every enemy in the game, there's a magic type you can obtain. The options are overwhelming. The amount of time that it would take to farm the magic and items needed to upgrade all magic, so that you can see which one you like best, simply isn't worth anyone's time. Because of that, I stuck with only a few magics that I got early game, which were not the optimal ones to choose.

    Post-game play is limited. There's a boss rush mode, speed run mode, and that's about it. Unless you want to farm to get the best weapons and armor, or finish clearing the map or mundane fetch quests (given by a few people in town), there's nothing to keep most people coming back.

    Not a bad game at all, but it does seem basic. Before buying future games in the genre, I'll research to make sure there's substantial improvements over this game.    … Expand
  62. MrNorth
    Jan 21, 2023
    5
    Personagens sem carisma e história confusa, porém a gameplay é agradável apesar de alguns bugs, no entanto se você busca os 100% você só fica farmando pra pegar itens e craftar outros itens que você nunca vai usar o que é muito chato e demanda muito tempo, game superestimado pelos fãs.
  63. Sgtpoliteness
    Jun 18, 2019
    4
    It's like sotn and Aria of sorrow without the charm:
    • the 3d really feels bad and poorly done, not to mention the animations, • the room layout design is more crash bandicoot with hidden walls than Castlevania • the story is atrocious (to be fair the story to pretty much all of these games are bad, but it doesn't feel on purpose) • the music is like a great value brand version of the    It's like sotn and Aria of sorrow without the charm:
    • the 3d really feels bad and poorly done, not to mention the animations, • the room layout design is more crash bandicoot with hidden walls than Castlevania • the story is atrocious (to be fair the story to pretty much all of these games are bad, but it doesn't feel on purpose) • the music is like a great value brand version of the prior igavanias I'll likely finish it because there just aren't enough good Metroid Vania games so we kinda have to deal so I think a 4 is fair, worse than average, but not atrocious

    Get it if you, like me, are obsessed with these kinds of Metroid Vania games because it will definitely scratch the itch, but if you're not a fan of them in general I'd definitely recommend like, hollow Knight over this    … Expand
  64. FelipeReis
    Aug 23, 2023
    4
    Depois de jogar jogos como Hollow knight, Blasphemous e Ori, não consegui jogar 30min desse jogo. Se o game tivesse um estilo artístico bonito, assim como os jogos que eu citei acima, os gráficos não seriam um problema, mas como a arte do jogo é horrível, isso torna os gráficos péssimos. A personagem é muito nada a ver, com essas tatuagens horríveis no corpo todo, nem tive vontade deDepois de jogar jogos como Hollow knight, Blasphemous e Ori, não consegui jogar 30min desse jogo. Se o game tivesse um estilo artístico bonito, assim como os jogos que eu citei acima, os gráficos não seriam um problema, mas como a arte do jogo é horrível, isso torna os gráficos péssimos. A personagem é muito nada a ver, com essas tatuagens horríveis no corpo todo, nem tive vontade de aprofundar na jogabilidade, de tão ruim que achei todo o entorno. Não recomendo.… Expand
  65. Sniper_Frog
    Mar 24, 2022
    1
    A bland, lifeless, and boring game.

    It started good. However, it became boring and bland a couple of hours in. It is very easy, uninteresting and uninspired too.

    I had a blast playing Hollow knight, Dead cells, Blasphemous, and Hades. This one is a joke compared to them.
  66. Itzakadoozee
    Aug 13, 2019
    0
    I’ve never been so frustrated playing a game in my life! Trying to get to hard to reach areas by using the Kung fu boots is pissing me off! Literally want to break this game in half! Also cannot chose a higher difficulty out the gate is awful. You have to beat the game basically be bored a whole playthru to get to a higher difficulty to be challenged sucks!
  67. eugeneel
    Dec 5, 2019
    0
    Created an account just to review this terrible gaming experience.

    + Great start to a game, first few hours are enjoyable. + HUGE variety of moves, both spells and weapons and a great system for leveling them all up. + Better graphics than most metroidvania games - GAMES BECOMES INSANELY EASY after the first boss. Even when playing the game on hard difficulty for the first time,    Created an account just to review this terrible gaming experience.

    + Great start to a game, first few hours are enjoyable.
    + HUGE variety of moves, both spells and weapons and a great system for leveling them all up.
    + Better graphics than most metroidvania games

    - GAMES BECOMES INSANELY EASY after the first boss. Even when playing the game on hard difficulty for the first time, I would beat every boss (besides the first one) on the first time. With all the moves available, it is possible to tank through every boss losing less than half HP by mashing the attack button. I just can't believe people who give this game favorable reviews don't have a problem with this. It must me a younger generational thing...

    Hollow knight is the game you want if you're looking for something similar which offers a challenge.    … Expand
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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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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