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. 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
  2. kaioser
    Jun 19, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great game, if you like Castlevania and SoTN in particular, you will love Blood Stained Ritual.
    Great music, familiar moves controls from SoTN, great atmosphere. 10/10 it on Stean PS4 and Switch Xbox, grab a copy best 35$ I spent on steam. They are still making dlc for this game in 2023… this game is key to the continuation of 2d side scrollers on handheld and future generations.    … Expand
  3. 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.
  4. 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!!!
  5. 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.
  6. 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
  7. 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.
  8. The_Follower
    Aug 20, 2022
    10
    One of the most fun games I've played in the last couple years. Extremely satisfying crafting/upgrading systems alongside interesting maps made this game a gem. The combat was one of the weakest portions of the game, being fairly repetitive, but given how short the game is it didn't feel overly repetitive for me. I will say the flying sword and its upgrade were utterly broken, makingOne of the most fun games I've played in the last couple years. Extremely satisfying crafting/upgrading systems alongside interesting maps made this game a gem. The combat was one of the weakest portions of the game, being fairly repetitive, but given how short the game is it didn't feel overly repetitive for me. I will say the flying sword and its upgrade were utterly broken, making combat far easier than it should've been due to their range and flight path. This was a great thing for grinding areas for shard ranks but that it did trivialize most maps.… Expand
  9. 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
  10. 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.
  11. Bartson
    Oct 26, 2021
    10
    Nahe an der Perfektion. Das beste Spiel das ich seit langem durchgezockt habe.
  12. Steyraus
    Feb 3, 2021
    10
    What a treat for Castlemaine and Metroid fans. This game is gorgeous, massive, fun as heck and true to form. There is so many weapons, spells familiars , that this game will entertain for ages. Since releae this game has got a bunch of free content including an amazing classic mode, which could have sold as a stand alone game its so good. Classic mode is the 2D Castlevania game I haveWhat a treat for Castlemaine and Metroid fans. This game is gorgeous, massive, fun as heck and true to form. There is so many weapons, spells familiars , that this game will entertain for ages. Since releae this game has got a bunch of free content including an amazing classic mode, which could have sold as a stand alone game its so good. Classic mode is the 2D Castlevania game I have dreamed about for decades. It gorgeous and smitth , full 3D and feels like the best of the 2D games, most of all the main weopen is the legendary wip.… Expand
  13. 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
  14. 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.
  15. BelcrowHD
    Jul 13, 2021
    10
    Increíble juego, sin duda es lo mejor y supero a Casttlevania SOTN… me duele admitirlo
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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!
  20. bear00766
    Feb 6, 2021
    10
    The best game is a metrolvania very very good is grand history and gameplay good
  21. 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.
  22. 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
  23. MantisMind
    Nov 24, 2020
    10
    Beautiful game with beautiful music. I got the platinum trophy (is not very hard to get)
  24. 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
  25. 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
  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. 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.
  28. 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
  29. moothemagiccow
    Aug 13, 2020
    9
    This is an amazing game. It hooked me from the start and I put in 29 hours to beat it in under a week. Rarely does a game hold my attention so well. I finished it and I still want more.

    Some will call it a follow-up to Symphony of the Night, but it is far closer to Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow for the DS. That means there is a lot of collecting items and abilities from monsters. There is    This is an amazing game. It hooked me from the start and I put in 29 hours to beat it in under a week. Rarely does a game hold my attention so well. I finished it and I still want more.

    Some will call it a follow-up to Symphony of the Night, but it is far closer to Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow for the DS. That means there is a lot of collecting items and abilities from monsters. There is also a 'crafting' mini-game where you cook food. I was addicted to this instead of the main game for a while. There is a lot to do other than just exploring the castle.

    It would have gotten a 10 if it didn't inexplicably crash so much. Save regularly.    … Expand
  30. 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
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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.
    Read full review
  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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