FINALLY! A new 2.5D Castlevania game ! Well, essentially that is.
Koji Igarashi – the guy who invented the “Metroidvania” style with games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, and nearly every spectacular Castlevania game that came out in the last twenty years – is working on something entirely new yet refreshingly familiar. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. And within hours of it’s announcement, it’s already reached its half a million dollar funding campaign. But you can and should totally donate to snag a digital or physical copy of the game. Because if his and Michiru Yamane’s (the legendary Castlevania composer herself) track record is anything to go off of (which it is), this is gonna be awesome.
Bloodstained is “an exploration-focused, side-scrolling platformer featuring RPG and crafting elements.” Translation: it’s gonna be Castlevania in everything but name. Even what we know of the plot sounds strikingly similar to everyone’s favorite vampire slaying series. We follow Miriam, “an orphan scarred by an alchemist curse which slowly crystallizes your skin. You must battle your way through a demon-filled castle summoned by Gebel, your old friend whose body has become more crystal than flesh.” Gameplay will include all the standard “Metroidvania” elements of enemy item drops, vast castle corridor exploration and hidden areas, weapon crafting and so forth.
Inti Creates, the company behind Mighty No. 9 and Azure Gunvolt, are being guided by Igarashi. In addition, Igurashi has also assembled a plethora of Castlevania and Konami veterans to create what he claims is what fans have wanted all along. In a recent interview with IGN, he said that Bloodstained has and will continue to be a labor of love, and that he’d spent years trying to get other game companies to invest in another 2.5D platforming adventure in the same vein as his previous works, yet none saw any potential in his vision. But if the already funded Kickstarter campaign is anything to go off of, he was looking in the wrong places. As a long time Castlevania fan, this is exactly the kind of game I’ve been waiting for.
The game will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via digital release (a tentative March 2017 release date), but if you want a physical copy like me, you have to donate at least $60 to the Kickstarter campaign (I did it. No regrets whatsoever). Plus, your donation will also get you “the mighty swordwhip” weapon, a super powerful hidden boss and a special Kickstarter edition slipcase. A $28 donation nets you the digital copy on your platform of choice, which as it stands is the cheapest way to get in on the monster slaying action. Other rewards include art books, paraphernalia, autographs from Igarashi himself, a stained glass artwork from the game, the chance to design a weapon, enemy monster or secret room and even a chance to meet with Igarashi at a horror-themed restaurant in Japan and play video games with him afterwards! Since it’s already funded, the stretch goals are now more important than ever. They include a hardcover upgrade to the artbook, ($600,000), a second playable character ($700,000), the “Nightmare difficulty mode” ($800,000), and David Hayter of Metal Gear Solid fame lending his voice acting talents ($850,000).
So what are you waiting for!? Get out there and give Iga and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night the support they deserve!
EDIT: A mere day later and Bloodstained has already gotten double it’s goal, one million dollars from backers. The stretch goals were shattered, all of them!
EDIT 2: With 30 days remaining, the project has nearly reached $2 Million.