Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Reviews

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is ranked in the 91st percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
88%
Jun 21, 2019

At the outset of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night I could see the castle that would be the major setting for the game. In the distance, even just the sight, I knew there would be an immensity to this game. The quest that Miriam, our protagonist, was on would be daunting and hard fought. Most of all, I could tell a great amount of passion and care went into the creation of Bloodstained.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jun 23, 2019

After four years of development time, Koji Igarashi has created the game that fans have craved for years. It’s a love letter, not so much to Castlevania itself but to the fans that helped him distance from publisher Konami. Ritual of the Night is not a perfect game, but it’s a bloody good game. If you’re craving for a new Metoridvania, or IGA-Vania, then this is definitely a title to put on your shelf… or digital library.

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7.9 / 10.0
Jun 22, 2019

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a trip down memory lane. While it doesn't revolutionize the genre, it is a great adventure from the legendary Igarashi.

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80 / 100
Jun 27, 2019

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night may have shipped with a nasty bug, and it definitely has some rage inducing boss battles, but in the end its challenges and homages to the Metroidvania genre keep it feeling rewarding and very fun to play. Just prepare to be flustered.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 24, 2019

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night shows how the Metroidvania genre can appeal to both purists and more modern players, offering something new while giving hearty nods at its roots.

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Jun 24, 2019

Four years ago in 2015 when Koji Igarashi took to Kickstarter, he wanted to prove to the suits of the games industry that people still loved Castlevania. If they wouldn’t give him the series name, he and the fans would make sure it lived on in spirit. Now, in 2019, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is finally here, and it’s everything we hoped it to be. I might be late to the Igavania party, but it made me nostalgic for a bygone era of gaming all the same. As it turns out, the notion that this kind of game is antiquated turned out to be just a strange illusion.

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7.9 / 10.0
Jun 29, 2019

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a well-made kickstarterproject, which manages to redeem his promises in terms of gameplay, but don`t go any new ways and has a few technical issues. Even with its problems, the game makes a lot of fun thanks to its good flow. Fans of Metroidvania and especially Castlevania should set this title on their list.

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9 / 10.0
Jul 2, 2019

As stated, this is the intellectual continuation of classic Castlevania games, in which the fun factor is doubled due to the addition of some updated and brand new gameplay mechanics. A proper storyline, engaging gameplay, lovely graphics and high replaybility value make a great game out of this title which also serves as a nostlagic trip. about the launch state of the game, however everything went contrary to this expectation and now we are experiencing one of the best 2D games of 2019! Owing to this, this may be a good opportunity to thank Kuchi Igarashi for this great gift to the fans. In conclusion, if you are an old fan and you are craving an older game experience, do not think twice about buying this game, especially considering that a plethora of free DLC are on their way.

Review in Persian | Read full review

B
Jul 7, 2019

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night’s excels with its art and design, and once it’s up to speed, offers some wonderfully enjoyable platforming action. But its slow start will inevitably push some players away.

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Jul 8, 2019

Aside from technical issues, Bloodstained remains an excellent title. It's Castlevania in everything but name and fans of Igarachi's earlier work will find a lot to love between excellent combat and rewarding traversal. The Switch port is harder to recommend at present, but the game is likely to be among the console's best after a patch or two. Grab your pitchfork and torches, there's huntin' to do.

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9.5 / 10.0
Jul 11, 2019

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night captures the essence of the Castlevania series, perfecting the formula that made Symphony of the Night a classic, and even surpassing its spiritual predecessor in many aspects.

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Liked-a-lot
Jun 27, 2019

Simply put, Bloodstained is brilliant. It’s hard as nails, but refreshingly fun at the same time, and it absolutely celebrates the qualities of a very special talent in this industry. If you were ever a Castlevania fan or if you quite enjoy a good old action adventure, then this one cannot be missed. Best game of its type since Symphony of the Night for my money.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jul 8, 2019

GREAT - The wait for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night was completely worth it. The Switch version is still plenty of fun to play but is marred with some technical issues at the time of this writing, which holds back its overall score from being even higher. Those that can overlook these issues will find a compelling adventure game filled with secrets and content that should give most gamers over 20 hours of playtime.

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6.5 / 10.0
Jun 26, 2019

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the outstanding game that Iga promised us, currently blighted with several game-breaking bugs.

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8.9 / 10.0
Jul 8, 2019

BloodStained is the Castlevania that the gamer were waiting for a long time

Review in Spanish | Read full review

9 / 10
Jun 25, 2019

While it ain’t trully perfect, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is an excelente action game that mixes classic and nostalgic action with RPG mechanics, while focusing heavily on exploration.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

9.2 / 10.0
Jul 14, 2019

This is the Metroidvania we’ve all been waiting for. If you’ve never played Metroidvanias, this is an easy entry point (example: me). If you have, you’ll adore its mechanics, absurdities, and inexplicable moments.

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Jul 17, 2019

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is an excellent game in so many ways. It delivers on its promises and sets the stage for what I hope is more content to come in this new incarnation of Igarashi’s masterpiece formula. There has been a lot of outcry about the Switch version of the game, and it definitely isn’t perfect, but it’s playable for the most part. Would I recommend it over other platforms? Probably not, unless being able to play on the go is a priority for you. If Switch is your only system, then you should still absolutely play Bloodstained, but set your expectations accordingly. If anything, Bloodstained is a strong enough game that it is still worthwhile despite the technical issues it has on Switch, which is a testament to the highs it can achieve.

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86 / 100
Jul 17, 2019

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the spiritual successor of the Castlevania games. It gives a new approach at visuals and storytelling while keeping the beloved core mechanics the same. A troughout worthy representant of the Metroidvania genre.

Review in German | Read full review

8.6 / 10.0
Jul 31, 2019

Whilst Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a terrific game and will keep you entertained for a number of hours, I don’t think the game is worth the £34.99 price tag and I would recommend waiting for a price drop before you buy. When you think that you can purchase Hollow Knight for half that price, it’s more impressive visually and you can easily plough 60+ hours into the game, then I feel that Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, with its lack of polish, should have therefore been priced much more reasonably at no more than £25. I’m minded to say that you are paying more for the fact that the game is produced by Igarashi than its true worth. I’ll conclude by saying that, quite simply, for fans of the Castlevania series or classic Metroidvania games, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is an essential purchase.

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