Tell me if you've heard this story before. Big megadungeon castle filled to the brim with monsters and demons arises. A lone monster hunter with superhuman and supernatural powers, with a wide array of weapons and spells at their disposal, goes forth to fight the lord of said castle alone. They'll have to uncover the secrets of who's really in control of the castle and its devilish plot along the way. Until then, they'll have to find different ways to navigate the stronghold, returning to older areas to progress in ways they hadn't been able to before.

If you're a fan and veteran of the Castlevania series, especially the so-called "Igavania" platformer-RPG entries, this concept should sound familiar. Thanks to the marvelous team lead under Igarashi himself, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night does more than merely give us a new Igavania with the serial numbers filed off.

In the base game you'll guide Miriam, a guinea pig of the Alchemist's Guild during the days of the Industrial Revolution, fresh out of a ten-year stasis from an unholy ritual that should have killed her. The only other survivor of the Guild's diabolist ritual and her old friend, Gebel, seems to have declared himself keeper of the castle and set forth fiends to take revenge against the world. But during the first time Gebel reveals himself as the villain, something is... amiss about the encounter. And to skirt around spoilers as much as I can: the foreshadowing for the true master of the Hellhold is a pleasant surprise to realize for repeat playthroughs, I'll say that much...

As one plays, they'll find bits and pieces of the Castlevania games Koji Igarashi led, all woven together into something new and amazing. The classic 2D platformer-RPG gameplay is there. The classic animation cancel exploit is here, and even hinted at in one of the loading screen tips.

Emulating the Souls system from Aria and Dawn of Sorrow are Shards, fragments of the demons' power that grant spells and passive powers for Miriam to equip. Much like Symphony of the Night, some of those Shards grant Miriam a familiar who can assist her when equipped, even leveling up. Much like in Curse of Darkness, you're able to transmute together different bits of loot from enemies to make most of your equipment. Let alone cook up food that heals, and also grant permanent stat boosts the first time you eat a specific dish.

Like in Order of Ecclesia, there are sidequests to fulfill for the survivors of the town, just outside the Hellhold. Similar to Portrait of Ruin, specific weapons allow Miriam to use techniques by inputting fighting game button combos... and can be mastered, allowing her to wield them with weapons of a similar type. Speaking of OoE, it's not hard to see Miriam as an evolution of Shanoa.

And a personal thrill of mine from the Igavania games -- harrowing fights against a Belmont -- returns with bouts of a reluctant frienemy, the Japanese Nipponese exorcist Zangetsu. And those are just some of the more clear references and concepts. There's more, but I'll leave you to discover them for yourself. :)

A wide range of weapons exist and feel just right for the game's style. Laterally-swung swords and maces; mighty greatswords and battleaxes swung overhead; quickly-jabbed daggers and rapiers; spears and other polearms to thrust forward.

Whips make a comeback too, but have a new circular "cracking" arc to them. Katanas also return and, while not wielded in an iaijutsu draw-cut like Soma might've done, are still swung upward in a similar fashion. Two new weapon types also help complete the arsenal. Shoes and boots replace punching weapons, and their damage boosts stack with slides (and potentially falling kicks too, but am unsure). Firearms (this *does* take place in the 1700s) are totally new and pack a serious punch, but require a wide range of diverse ammunition to shoot them.

If you think the fun stops with the main quest, you'd be quite wrong. Over the years since the release of Ritual of the Night, the dev team has been putting out update after update of new features. Only now, as of May 2024, are the last of these free additions coming forth in the near future. Ever happy to honor fellow indies, Iga's included references to other games -- Shovel Knight, Child of Light and recently Shantae come to mind. Zangetsu Mode lets you rush through and kick demon hide with the same quasi-open-world thrill of Belmont Modes before it -- Richter (with or without Maria), Julius and Trevor would be proud. As with the Child of Light crossover, an alt mode starring the protagonist Aurora is also available.

There's a Classic Mode done up in a Classicvania way, a challenging side-scroller like Rondo of Blood and all Castlevanias before it... maybe emulating the stages too well at times, but I'm all for it. There's a randomizer and a speedrun mode each, because those are some modern fun. A "Boss Revenge" mode lets you play as some of the most notorious demonic bosses from the castle, pitting their skillsets against the heroes.

Recently a Versus Mode has been added, pitting you against other players to see who survives the longest in an arena against an endless onslaught of monsters. But of course, messing with your opponent is key to survival. Chaos Mode is a favorite of mine that came with it -- whether by yourself or co-op, you'll fight through various challenges set in different rooms from the main game, sandwiched between boss fights, while trying to get upgraded equips and Shards to survive as long as you can.

Few bits of paid DLC exist, but all are optional fun. Iga's Back, originally a Kickstarter reward, unlocks a later-game boss fight against the madlad himself to obtain a very Castlevanian weapon. The gorgeous soundtrack, composed by none other than Iga's old 'Vania flame Michiru Yamane, is also available for sale. Cosmetic outfit packs come with new equipment that can be upgraded via Transmuting to scale with different points in the game, and even have a Shard and a weapon or two to go with it. Shantae's pack, much to my joy, is a free update.

Lastly, while the final update will be a paid DLC, it's one I'm very interested in. Classic Mode 2: Dominique's Curse, is an expanded side-story adventure that is canon to the main story. And I mention canon because, as a Kickstarter stretch goal with a sequel after RotN was released, there is another Bloodstained game that seems to be within its own canon: Curse of the Moon. This one imitates the style of the Classicvanias, complete with 8-bit graphics and chiptune music... but that's a review for another game.

As in-depth as my review is, there are also plenty more secrets to be found. ;)

All in all? I adore this game. It absolutely scratches an Igavania itch left after Konami all but retired the Castlevania series. We'd seen the flop that happened with a certain other NES classic's spiritual successor, also by its director. Even then, I'm hoping the unnamed dev is able to make his idea work after all, and perhaps fittingly so -- the sequel to his original game with Capcom, after all, is legendary.

Still waiting for your turn, Kojima.

Igarashi and his team, however, are not that sort. They've proven, again and again, that a jilted developer kicked out of his role and whose game series was all but killed off, can make something amazing. The sheer devotion of all involved with Ritual of the Night goes above and beyond the call of duty. And without the fans, whether having backed the game on Kickstarter, adding their own touches to the experience with builder rewards, or purchasing and adoring the game after the fact? All of this wouldn't have been possible.

The elements of the inspiring game series I love, combined with new innovations and the dev team's astounding labor of love, all make the perfect formula for something much greater than the sum of its parts.

Tell me if you've heard this story before. Big megadungeon castle filled to the brim with monsters and demons arises. A lone monster hunter with superhuman and supernatural powers, with a wide array of weapons and spells at their disposal, goes forth to fight the lord of said castle alone. They'll have to uncover the secrets of who's really in control of the castle and its devilish plot along the way. Until then, they'll have to find different ways to navigate the stronghold, returning to older areas to progress in ways they hadn't been able to before. If you're a fan and veteran of the Castlevania series, especially the so-called "Igavania" platformer-RPG entries, this concept should sound familiar. Thanks to the marvelous team lead under Igarashi himself, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night does more than merely give us a new Igavania with the serial numbers filed off. In the base game you'll guide Miriam, a guinea pig of the Alchemist's Guild during the days of the Industrial Revolution, fresh out of a ten-year stasis from an unholy ritual that should have killed her. The only other survivor of the Guild's diabolist ritual and her old friend, Gebel, seems to have declared himself keeper of the castle and set forth fiends to take revenge against the world. But during the first time Gebel reveals himself as the villain, something is... amiss about the encounter. And to skirt around spoilers as much as I can: [spoiler]the foreshadowing for the true master of the Hellhold is a pleasant surprise to realize for repeat playthroughs, I'll say that much...[/spoiler] As one plays, they'll find bits and pieces of the Castlevania games Koji Igarashi led, all woven together into something new and amazing. The classic 2D platformer-RPG gameplay is there. The classic animation cancel exploit is here, and even hinted at in one of the loading screen tips. Emulating the Souls system from Aria and Dawn of Sorrow are Shards, fragments of the demons' power that grant spells and passive powers for Miriam to equip. Much like Symphony of the Night, some of those Shards grant Miriam a familiar who can assist her when equipped, even leveling up. Much like in Curse of Darkness, you're able to transmute together different bits of loot from enemies to make most of your equipment. Let alone cook up food that heals, and also grant permanent stat boosts the first time you eat a specific dish. Like in Order of Ecclesia, there are sidequests to fulfill for the survivors of the town, just outside the Hellhold. Similar to Portrait of Ruin, specific weapons allow Miriam to use techniques by inputting fighting game button combos... and can be mastered, allowing her to wield them with weapons of a similar type. Speaking of OoE, it's not hard to see Miriam as an evolution of Shanoa. And a personal thrill of mine from the Igavania games -- harrowing fights against a Belmont -- returns with bouts of a reluctant frienemy, the [strike]Japanese[/strike] Nipponese exorcist Zangetsu. And those are just some of the more clear references and concepts. There's more, but I'll leave you to discover them for yourself. :) A wide range of weapons exist and feel just right for the game's style. Laterally-swung swords and maces; mighty greatswords and battleaxes swung overhead; quickly-jabbed daggers and rapiers; spears and other polearms to thrust forward. Whips make a comeback too, but have a new circular "cracking" arc to them. Katanas also return and, while not wielded in an iaijutsu draw-cut like Soma might've done, are still swung upward in a similar fashion. Two new weapon types also help complete the arsenal. Shoes and boots replace punching weapons, and their damage boosts stack with slides (and potentially falling kicks too, but am unsure). Firearms (this *does* take place in the 1700s) are totally new and pack a serious punch, but require a wide range of diverse ammunition to shoot them. If you think the fun stops with the main quest, you'd be quite wrong. Over the years since the release of Ritual of the Night, the dev team has been putting out update after update of new features. Only now, as of May 2024, are the last of these free additions coming forth in the near future. Ever happy to honor fellow indies, Iga's included references to other games -- Shovel Knight, Child of Light and recently Shantae come to mind. Zangetsu Mode lets you rush through and kick demon hide with the same quasi-open-world thrill of Belmont Modes before it -- Richter (with or without Maria), Julius and Trevor would be proud. As with the Child of Light crossover, an alt mode starring the protagonist Aurora is also available. There's a Classic Mode done up in a Classicvania way, a challenging side-scroller like Rondo of Blood and all Castlevanias before it... maybe emulating the stages too well at times, but I'm all for it. There's a randomizer and a speedrun mode each, because those are some modern fun. A "Boss Revenge" mode lets you play as some of the most notorious demonic bosses from the castle, pitting their skillsets against the heroes. Recently a Versus Mode has been added, pitting you against other players to see who survives the longest in an arena against an endless onslaught of monsters. But of course, messing with your opponent is key to survival. Chaos Mode is a favorite of mine that came with it -- whether by yourself or co-op, you'll fight through various challenges set in different rooms from the main game, sandwiched between boss fights, while trying to get upgraded equips and Shards to survive as long as you can. Few bits of paid DLC exist, but all are optional fun. Iga's Back, originally a Kickstarter reward, unlocks a later-game boss fight against the madlad himself to obtain a very Castlevanian weapon. The gorgeous soundtrack, composed by none other than Iga's old 'Vania flame Michiru Yamane, is also available for sale. Cosmetic outfit packs come with new equipment that can be upgraded via Transmuting to scale with different points in the game, and even have a Shard and a weapon or two to go with it. Shantae's pack, much to my joy, is a free update. Lastly, while the final update will be a paid DLC, it's one I'm very interested in. Classic Mode 2: Dominique's Curse, is an expanded side-story adventure that is canon to the main story. And I mention canon because, as a Kickstarter stretch goal with a sequel after RotN was released, there is another Bloodstained game that seems to be within its own canon: Curse of the Moon. This one imitates the style of the Classicvanias, complete with 8-bit graphics and chiptune music... but that's a review for another game. As in-depth as my review is, there are also plenty more secrets to be found. ;) All in all? I adore this game. It absolutely scratches an Igavania itch left after Konami all but retired the Castlevania series. We'd seen the flop that happened with a certain other NES classic's spiritual successor, also by its director. Even then, I'm hoping the unnamed dev is able to make his idea work after all, and perhaps fittingly so -- the sequel to his original game with Capcom, after all, is legendary. Still waiting for your turn, Kojima. Igarashi and his team, however, are not that sort. They've proven, again and again, that a jilted developer kicked out of his role and whose game series was all but killed off, can make something amazing. The sheer devotion of all involved with Ritual of the Night goes above and beyond the call of duty. And without the fans, whether having backed the game on Kickstarter, adding their own touches to the experience with builder rewards, or purchasing and adoring the game after the fact? All of this wouldn't have been possible. The elements of the inspiring game series I love, combined with new innovations and the dev team's astounding labor of love, all make the perfect formula for something much greater than the sum of its parts.