- Publisher: 505 Games
- Release Date: Jun 25, 2019
- Also On: iPhone/iPad, PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Xbox One
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- Critic score
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Nov 6, 2019By the time the final performance update drops it will be those who snatch the game at a sale price that will ultimately benefit the most. There’s a 1.04 update that is expected by the end of November, and I would bet money that it won’t be the last. It’s a real shame because underneath the stigma of a troubled release and a lost first impression of a polished product, lies a potentially magnificent game that holds true to what it once ambitiously set out to achieve.
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Jul 1, 2019Despite the fact that this is unquestionably a very fine video game, there's no escaping the fact that the Switch version has some serious issues; assets are noticeably weaker than they are in other versions, the frame rate is halved and the loading times are maddeningly protracted at points. Fingers are crossed that the developers can remedy some of these problems with proposed updates, but for the time being, this is arguably the least impressive edition of the game – although the fact that it's portable perhaps counts for more than you'd think.
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Jul 30, 2019Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a game that many fans wanted and it does a very good job when it comes to its fan service duties. If only the game’s performance matched its level of challenge, this would be an unforgettable, indispensable title but unfortunately, Ritual of the Night’s framerate drops and strange inconsistencies make this an experience that could have been much more of a breeze. Fans of Metroidvania games will still find plenty to be happy about it, though.
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Jul 3, 2019All of Bloodstained's excellent qualities make the Nintendo Switch version even more disappointing. Though 505 Games has acknowledged its technical shortcomings and committed to issuing updates, at launch it is simply too compromised for its own good. If you have no choice but to play on Nintendo Switch, it may still be worth overlooking the weak spots and taking in the experience. If you have other options, though, play on a different platform. The portability of the Nintendo Switch could have made it the absolute best version for a retro-inspired game like Bloodstained. Instead, it’s the worst.
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Jun 28, 2019While gameplay on the Switch is poorly optimized, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is (to steal a Symphony of the Night meme) more than a “miserable pile of secrets.” In its purest form, it is worthy of Koji Igarashi’s legacy and will live on as a strong representation of the genre he helped birth. With matured mechanics with the shards system, options for varied play styles, and the edition of quests, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will join the ranks of high quality Metroidvania titles worth replaying over and over again.
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Jul 8, 2019So, what we’ve got in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a well-designed game that’s poorly developed. A championship-caliber team that needs another few months (or perhaps another year) of training camp. 505 Games has promised to fix the glaring problems, but I can’t review a game based on promises. There’s still some fun to be had here, but it shouldn’t have been released in its current state. Wait for the updates. If they don’t come, wait for a sale…and stay away from the bookshelves.
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| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
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Jun 25, 2019The Switch version...lags way behind the others in nearly every conceivable way.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 98 out of 237
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Mixed: 47 out of 237
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Negative: 92 out of 237
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Jun 25, 2019
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Jun 25, 2019
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Jun 25, 2019