Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Reviews
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is exactly what fans expect from a Koji Igarashi-produced Metroidvania, though the Switch port definitely has its issues.
Bloodstained has some mighty big shoes to fill but does so admirably. It delivers a classic, yet satisfying experience that fans have been wanting for years.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night shows that Koji Igarashi's genius with the invention of the modern Metrovania genre wasn't just a singular event. Through numerous teams working together to bring his vision to life, Bloodstained has become a modern classic for the evergrowing genre.The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Wccftech.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Koji Igarashi's first proper effort since 2008's Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, is a Rococo masterwork.
Despite this score appearing low. I freaking love this game. But I would be remiss if I didn't point out the flaws that felt more common than the shard drops in the game's early going. I'm really hopeful for the future of this title, because I don't think Iga would be willing to let this game (Blood)stain his legacy.
Other than these small issues (and the aforementioned larger technical issues on other consoles) Bloodstained is great. More content is promised for the future. I sunk way too much time into it when I had other games to review. It’s addictive and likely making my top 10 this year. I hope it does well enough that this isn’t the last we see of Bloodstained.
A game like Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night deserves a second opinion, and here it is on PS4: Iga gave Castlevania classics fans exactly what they wanted; we can find weaknesses, but the substance is a love letter to Symphony of the Night.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the game that Castlevania series' fans have been waiting for so long - with an interesting world to explore, well-developed locations, great and very atmospheric music, thoughtful progression and a diverse combat system. Small bugs and some design mistakes may disappoint, but if you have long dreamed of getting the spiritual heir to Symphony of the Night, just buy this game. But on on Switch. This version as of now is absolutely unplayable.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a wonderful love letter to Castlevania fans. It's gothy, camp, and unabashedly old school. But it's also a meticulously crafted game that constantly rewards players for exploration and offers unbridled options in combat. For long-time Metroidvania fans, Ritual of the Night is an unmissable celebration of the genre from the mind of one if its chief architects, while for newcomers it's an accessible entry-point that's easy to pick up and oh so difficult to put down. Let's hope the next one doesn't take quite as long.
I’ll be exploring this weird world for quite a while yet, and I suspect that many of you will be doing the same.
A sprawling and beautifully executed monument to the Castlevania titles of old, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night feels like a promise delivered for fans of not just the series, but intricately structured action adventures too. The king has returned.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is not a bad game but it is disappointing, a metroidvania all too anchored in the past that doesn't really add anything new to the genre that Koji Igarashi himself contributed to create. Beyond the bland execution and the continuous plagiarism of Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow, Bloodstained is plagued by too many problems, especially in terms of combat and the hitbox system, preventing an enjoyable gaming experience. It hurts to say this, but there are too many better alternatives to Bloodstained on the market. We expected a lot more than this from Igarashi-san.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a Castlevania game in every aspect except name, and will satisfy anyone looking to revisit Symphony of the Night and other Metroidvania-era games.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a Metroidvania title that features many of the ideas that could make one of the finest games in this genre, with its challenging structure and gameplay mechanics. Where Ritual of the Night falls short is mostly on its technical performance, with long loading times, inconsistencies and formatting problems and some incomprehensible framerate drops. This game might be a fan service effort but it still needs to have its flaws addressed.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Miriam and her adventure are a must if you have a Nintendo Switch. Playing Bloodstained has become my ritual of the night.
Igarashi has done it again, has created a new complete game that breathes on all four sides the classic essence of the Castlevania, but at the same time provides its own and novel elements that make it an essential.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Despite 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
Although certainly rough around the edges, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a solid adventure that will please Castlevania fans who have been longing for a new game to sink their teeth into.
As varied and intriguing as the game can get on a conceptual level, it outdoes itself in the minutiae of traversal and combat.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is as close to perfect as fans of metroidvania games could hope for.