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. lgndsgn
    Jun 18, 2019
    10
    As a Kickstarter backer, I'm happy to say Iga knocked it out of the park with this one! I've played about 5 hours so far and it's pretty frickin great. It definitely brings back that same feeling I had when playing the old metroidvanias, SotN included. In just the 5 hrs I've played I've already seen so much content that's rewarding outside of the normal gameplay. Quests, crafting,As a Kickstarter backer, I'm happy to say Iga knocked it out of the park with this one! I've played about 5 hours so far and it's pretty frickin great. It definitely brings back that same feeling I had when playing the old metroidvanias, SotN included. In just the 5 hrs I've played I've already seen so much content that's rewarding outside of the normal gameplay. Quests, crafting, shards... and what really makes me happy is the difficulty on normal is just right. Not too hard, but not that easy. The second boss was somewhat challenging even on normal, so I'm excited to beat the game and then play through on hard. The music is great as they used the same composer from SotN (one of the best game soundtracks ever made btw). There are small homages to that soundtrack sprinkled in Bloodstain's soundtrack (but not overdone). The story and voice acting are great too, with some humor thrown in, which I like. Obviously I'm still early in the game, but considering how happy I am with only having explored 15% of the castle, I'm gonna go ahead and give it a 10 :-)… Expand
  2. Legault
    Jul 30, 2019
    10
    Really amazing game with plenty to discover, collect and unlock. Very fun once you get the hang of it and hard mode is actually a challenge which is welcome.

    Soundtrack is varied, fitting and wonderful. Graphics is not the strong point but it is more the style that I disagree with otherwise the castle itself is quite beautiful with a bit humour sprinkled in there. Love the directional    Really amazing game with plenty to discover, collect and unlock. Very fun once you get the hang of it and hard mode is actually a challenge which is welcome.

    Soundtrack is varied, fitting and wonderful. Graphics is not the strong point but it is more the style that I disagree with otherwise the castle itself is quite beautiful with a bit humour sprinkled in there. Love the directional input special moves.

    Well done Iga!    … Expand
  3. whiskeyknight
    Jul 2, 2019
    10
    What a wonderful pseudo sequel to the ever brilliant Castlevania Symphony of the Night. Despite a few bugs, this is the definitive unofficial follow up to the best game of all time. Have at you!
  4. 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
  5. MEGADUDE
    Jun 23, 2019
    10
    Omg. Symphony of the night has been remade for a modern audience totally worth every penny graphics action fun factor too too amazing Igarashi has lived up to all expectations get ready for a castlevania experience that will blow your mind Maybe KONAMI will stop sitting on that gold mine and make some games again
  6. dogboy
    Jul 15, 2019
    10
    Loved this game. Finished it quite quickly then realised I had missed 2/3 of the game. Now going through and completing the rest of it and just don't want it to end. It is awesome.
  7. Lordcrabfood
    Jun 18, 2019
    10
    A true spiritual successor to symphony of the night. The metrovania genre is in good hands with this exceptional release. Sharp controls and a gorgeous soundtrack elevate this game into a podium that few ever reach. A must buy.
  8. houjo2000
    Feb 2, 2020
    10
    At least one game developer out there can hear the fan's say 'we want this' and give the fans 'this'.

    Bloodstained is this. It's amazing, it's worthy of praise, it needs a sequel. I found myself wanting to keep playing, to keep exploring. I didn't find myself thinking 'well once I get out of this slog I'll get to do the fun part of the game, maybe'- which is something I find myself    At least one game developer out there can hear the fan's say 'we want this' and give the fans 'this'.

    Bloodstained is this. It's amazing, it's worthy of praise, it needs a sequel. I found myself wanting to keep playing, to keep exploring. I didn't find myself thinking 'well once I get out of this slog I'll get to do the fun part of the game, maybe'- which is something I find myself thinking with far too many games these days.    … Expand
  9. GenXY
    Jun 18, 2019
    10
    Symphony of the Night on steroids! Fantastic presentation, smooth controls. Great old school feel with modern sensibilities. Must have for fans of the genre!
  10. Stars_Cream
    Jun 19, 2019
    10
    SotN is my favorite game of all time, and I really don't like having to say this (since I've been carrying the SotN banner for so long); but Bloodstained is the best Metroidvania game ever made. It's basically SotN with a lot more to do, and the systems more fleshed out.

    Also the voice acting is fantastic (especially the main villain).
  11. Pico619
    Jun 19, 2019
    10
    Symphony of the night updated, and with cooler bosses. I bought the Xbox version so I didn't have to hear the ps4 fan. No bugs so far. I can't put the game down. U can play as u feel. The combat is even slicker than in the past. I am so happy to support this game. Buy it on disc so u can have it forever and send them a message u want all sequels on disc too. 10/10 masterpiece
  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. nicksoulng
    Jun 22, 2019
    10
    I can't stop playing this! I love Metroidvania games! and this is the best for me!
  14. PissedOffWookie
    Jun 18, 2019
    10
    It's very good. Igavania is back baby. Can't wait for all the ("free") DLC for this game to come out.
  15. kagekirazuul
    Jun 20, 2019
    10
    phenomenally great. IGA gives what we all wanted and hoped for. Easter eggs, secrets, and now something for the new generation of gamers, backer content. It's cool to see the portraits of people who backed. I can't wait to fight someone's pet turned into an in-game enemy. ROTN is as much a work of art as SOTN, but it has been built upon. IGA has shown his dedication to giving a qualityphenomenally great. IGA gives what we all wanted and hoped for. Easter eggs, secrets, and now something for the new generation of gamers, backer content. It's cool to see the portraits of people who backed. I can't wait to fight someone's pet turned into an in-game enemy. ROTN is as much a work of art as SOTN, but it has been built upon. IGA has shown his dedication to giving a quality experience and his listening to his fans/backers. I am so happy.… Expand
  16. DPtdryste
    Jun 26, 2019
    10
    This review is long on purpose, spoiler free and meant to convey my deepest thanks to everyone that was a part of making this game possible. That includes the KickStarter backers. I was not a part of you guys, but I think this game shows something amazing that is possible in gaming. Imagine if the same amount of people that backed this game each gave MORE money, what could we fund?!This review is long on purpose, spoiler free and meant to convey my deepest thanks to everyone that was a part of making this game possible. That includes the KickStarter backers. I was not a part of you guys, but I think this game shows something amazing that is possible in gaming. Imagine if the same amount of people that backed this game each gave MORE money, what could we fund?! Anyways...

    I get it. You value your money and you're now considering whether to buy another 2D game. Maybe you bought Dead Cells or Salt & Sanctuary some time ago and didn't get into those too much, and maybe you never played SotN or any of the other Castlevanias (like myself), so the hype from the fans feels distant and perhaps irrelevant to your tastes. This review is here to assuage your fears: go ahead and buy the game, my friend.

    About the game: fighting is serviceable by itself, but when put in tandem with sheer amount of abilities, both active and passive, you will be playing this game over and over and over. No one is really here for the story, but the characters are surprisingly likeable and deep when you consider how little we interact with the story. The music... omg, the music... lovely, beautiful and rocks pretty hard all in the same game (check out Dominique's Theme, it makes me hate when I'm done shopping because I have to leave the room with beautiful music). You WILL love the art style by the middle of your playthrough, guaranteed, idc how you feel about it at the beginning. You can't play as a male (at least not that I'm aware of rn, maybe in the future, or maybe cheat codes), but Miriam is a convincing badass. Every enemy drops a move that you can potentially add to your arsenal. With hats, armor, 2 ring slots, and a cape + picking 5 magic/shard types (each with their own category) + the surprising unique passives some items you can equip give you + the fun parts of grinding with little of the downsides (you don't have to do it) + map traversal moves you procedurally get in metroidvanias + on-the-fly loadout swapping and item use... with all this you have a game that you can play ANY way YOU want.

    Wanna spam Teps Oceus and Igar Storaema, filling the screen with lighting and fire while your passive decreases the rate in which you us MP? You can do that.

    Wanna exploit the fact that the game just came out and some weapons are just completely lolbroken, and way better than some other weapons? You can do that.

    Wanna walk around in armor that damages things you touch, so you just have to double jump into the torch/fire things from all the Castlevania games that give you mana, while your pet follows you around casting holy spells at your enemies? You can do that, too.

    Wanna do all these things at once? The above examples practically describes my character that I beat the game with! And I'm leaving some stuff out! Think about the unique character YOU could create! I ran a Luck and DMG build, but you can go ultra-tanky, high-speed, more wizardly than myself or go full melee and save your mana for the techniques you can perform with weapons.

    Honestly, I never bought a crowdfunded game, but GOTDAYUM this game is good.

    I have like 2000 characters left, so to be fair, bad parts: (1.) the economy is not balanced and can be broken, but I would suggest not breaking the economy on your first playthrough on purpose, don't read any guides or tips, just go in blind! (2.) some mid-to-late game main story objectives are really hard to figure out. I can see 2-4 points in the game people maybe saying "Lol, I would have NEVER figured that out myself." (3.) The drop rates for things should be higher, and monsters should drop more than one thing more often. I don't say thing because the grinding is boring, NO, actually it's fun, I say this because the current system makes you grind more and longer than you would if things dropped more often, making it easy to overlevel without trying, just because you want some more copies of a spell to make it stronger, or you want to farm the alchemy materials to make certain things stronger. To be fair, one doesn't have to grind at all to beat the game, but idk if I'm that hardcore yet.

    To conclude... I was pleasantly surprised by Bloodstained. I can't think of my Top 20 video games of all time all right now, but I'm pretty sure Bloodstained's gonna be there and stay there. I LOVE this game, and I thank everyone that was a part of it for making this for longtime fans and new fans (like myself). I can't believe that in the same year as DMC5 I get THIS too. I'm gonna be swapping between Bloodstained and DMC5 until the first price drop for next-gen consoles lol, and as someone in the military I want to say that these gaming experiences are much appreciated for emotional moral, insane fun and to get away from the real world of hard work every once in a while.

    Using my final ~60 or so characters to say thank you:

    THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!    … Expand
  17. SWERY_51
    Jul 1, 2019
    10
    If you're looking for a new Igavania game like Symphony of the Night, Order of Ecclesia or Aria/Dawn of Sorrow, then this is a must have! It's very addictive, and it's easily one of the very best Metroidvania i've played since 15 years.

    The game is not flawless, i have encounter few glitches, but nothing one or two updates can't resolve. Pros : + It's like a sequel of the fabulous    If you're looking for a new Igavania game like Symphony of the Night, Order of Ecclesia or Aria/Dawn of Sorrow, then this is a must have! It's very addictive, and it's easily one of the very best Metroidvania i've played since 15 years.

    The game is not flawless, i have encounter few glitches, but nothing one or two updates can't resolve.

    Pros :
    + It's like a sequel of the fabulous Castlevania SOTN!
    + OST is a blast
    + Alucard's back-step AND Richter's slide!
    + Lots of gears, magic and weapons to craft or loot (hello powerful rare drops)
    + You can customize Miriam's look quite early in the game
    + Gameplay is satisfying and becomes deeper after few hours by adding new mechanics
    + Plenty of things to do (side quests, collecting shards, many secrets to find...)
    + Good replay value with 3 difficulty settings, boss rush, speedrun and more to come
    + Interesting story introducing many characters
    + Technical part is strong with smooth 60-fps on PS4 PRO (except for very few areas)
    + A bunch of free DLC to come

    Cons :
    - Still few glitches
    - Crouching do not lower the camera so you can see what's below you
    - Some animations are a little clumsy    … Expand
  18. hanksta13
    Jun 18, 2019
    10
    Just what I was hoping for, SOTN type game updated for current Generation. Great game.
  19. TOKUKAN
    Jun 20, 2019
    10
    Thanks Mr. Igarashi.
    Took over 10 years to get that feeling again (Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia).
    Mr. Igarashi has done what Mr. Inafune was not able to fulfill with Mighty No.9 ;)
  20. hugos
    Jun 20, 2019
    10
    Grande jogo! Varias referências a sotn. Visualmente muito bonito e trilha sonora agradável. Levei design muito semelhante à qualquer metroidvania.
  21. nismo10
    Jun 18, 2019
    10
    The best work seen on Kickstarter, really!!!

    The game is awesome, i am a big fan of Igavania games, this is not the exception
  22. Wimpher
    Jun 21, 2019
    10
    SotN was a true masterpiece for its time. A critically-acclaimed game and heralded as one of the greatest games ever crafted. Stunning musical composition, awesome 2D sprite-based graphics, amazing level design and addictive game mechanics. It's just one of those games that doesn't shy away from being, well...a GAME! It's basically a gamers wet dream. And people have been waiting for AGESSotN was a true masterpiece for its time. A critically-acclaimed game and heralded as one of the greatest games ever crafted. Stunning musical composition, awesome 2D sprite-based graphics, amazing level design and addictive game mechanics. It's just one of those games that doesn't shy away from being, well...a GAME! It's basically a gamers wet dream. And people have been waiting for AGES on a sequel.
    Well, here it is! In spirit. This is EVERYTHING SotN was and maybe more with some top-notch voice talent even. This is a beautiful, beautiful looking game with a gorgeously orchestrated soundtrack and stunning to look at backdrops. I don't think a 2D side-scroller has impressed me THIS much since, you got it - SotN! And dammit that says a lot for me. I was very skeptical that they were going to pull this off but it is even SUPERIOR to what I could have ever imagined. This is one of those games I enjoy so damn much that I want to take my time with it. It is seriously just that good.

    I cannot stress this enough. If you like SotN or Castlevania games in general, this is something you simply cannot miss. This is probably the best Castlevania game that isn't called "Castlevania." And I think simply for that reason people will dismiss it and reviews may not be as high as SotN's. If this had the "Castlevania" name, it would probably get like 95/100 across the boards.

    Guys, IGA did it! Castlevania has basically returned in spiritual form. I'm actually not finished with the game yet but played enough to know when I see a masterpiece. This is already one of the best gaming experiences I've had in a very, very long time.    … Expand
  23. 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
  24. Si3g
    Aug 1, 2019
    10
    Excelente jogo. Honrou em muito o legado deixado por Castlevania Symphony of The night.Quem dera todo jogo de Kickstarter tivesse essa qualidade
  25. blasron
    Sep 1, 2019
    10
    IGA did not disappoint. Damn that mad man. I hope has hell he sell enough to make other project.

    The game is EXACTLY what it was suppose to do. Castlevania symphonies of the night V2.

    If you liked that one you will love bloodstain.
  26. Arma15
    Aug 13, 2019
    10
    An amazing game. it's a mixture between Sypmhony of the night and the DS games, simply amazing and entertaining, if things continue like this being the indies listening to what people want and the big developpers ignoring them, indies will take the lead. Same with hollow knight, even better than most of the plataformers of the big companies. The game is full of easter eggs (the nameAn amazing game. it's a mixture between Sypmhony of the night and the DS games, simply amazing and entertaining, if things continue like this being the indies listening to what people want and the big developpers ignoring them, indies will take the lead. Same with hollow knight, even better than most of the plataformers of the big companies. The game is full of easter eggs (the name itself) from symphony of the night. A must play.… Expand
  27. jpacor
    Jun 27, 2020
    10
    I would give this game a 9.5 out of 10, so will round up. This is an exceptional game, and everything us Igavania fans wanted. I was very nervous when this came out after the disaster that was Mighty No 9, but this exceeded expectations.

    This game is Castlevania/Igavania at it's purest, along with some new modern gameplay touches. A wide range of weapons, including guns with several    I would give this game a 9.5 out of 10, so will round up. This is an exceptional game, and everything us Igavania fans wanted. I was very nervous when this came out after the disaster that was Mighty No 9, but this exceeded expectations.

    This game is Castlevania/Igavania at it's purest, along with some new modern gameplay touches. A wide range of weapons, including guns with several types of bullets, many different spells absorbed from enemies, a huge castle and hub that is satisfying to explore and find upgrades/items in, and fun boss fights. There is also a new upgrade system for your magic abilities, and a fun, cute new addition is being able to cook meals that restore your health with ingredients that you find.

    I played on Normal, and found the difficulty level to be perfect. The boss fights were not too hard, yet still demanded focus and frequent use of potions. I did find the final boss fight to be ridiculously hard, but other than that no frustration.

    My only minor gripe is that it can be very hard to know what to do next, and I was stuck often. I had to use a guide several times, and the solutions on where to go next were sometimes unreasonable.

    I had a ton of fun with this game, if you are a Metroidvania fan, you are a mortal lock to love this game. Give it a try!    … Expand
  28. SnakeLeon
    Jul 2, 2019
    10
    Es el sucesor de Symphony of The Night, con eso digo todo, no tengo nada más que decir.

    El juego es una joya, todos sus aspectos están bien cuidados, si van a comprar una versión solo no compren la de Switch ya que no lo levanta, pero en PC y PS4 fluye demasiado bien. Uno de los mejores juegos de toda la generación.
  29. Zisis151
    Jun 19, 2019
    10
    Among the constant kickstarter clusterf*cks that have been releasing in the past years, comes a game so good I'd even pay full price for it. Graphically great, fluid gameplay, AMAZING soundtrack (and by that i mean actual melodic music, not the orchestral ear r*** Westerners like to call "music") and great content (weapon variety, crafting, customization, also free DLC playable charactersAmong the constant kickstarter clusterf*cks that have been releasing in the past years, comes a game so good I'd even pay full price for it. Graphically great, fluid gameplay, AMAZING soundtrack (and by that i mean actual melodic music, not the orchestral ear r*** Westerners like to call "music") and great content (weapon variety, crafting, customization, also free DLC playable characters are on the way). All this for a 40$ indie game. Do yourself a favor and support the creators for doing such a great job and also listening to the feedback people gave them back almost a year ago.

    P.S. F*cKonami    … Expand
  30. Darth_Dias007
    Jun 18, 2019
    10
    A masterpiece made by a genius who practically reenlightened the style since the Castlevania SOTN, congratulations Iga-san !!! Big game!!!
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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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