What is a man? (Breaks glass) A miserable little pile of secrets! But enough talk, let’s review BLOODSTAINED: Ritual of the Night by developer ArtPlay and publisher 505 Games. This is the latest metroidvania title to release, and for those of you who don’t know what that is (like me), it is essentially a cross between 3D and 2D characters and stages. Movement from area to area is limited to horizontal and vertical pathways. You can think of it like Mario Brothers, Castlevania, Shovel Knight, Ori and the Blind Forest, or any other platformer you can think of.
At first glance I would say this is a spiritual successor to Castlevania given its gothic design, early industrialized period, and fascination with the occult. In fact, Koji Igarashi was the producer of Castlevania while working at Konami. So, if it looks like a duck, quacks likes a duck, and unleashes forces from an eldritch plain like a duck, then I think we can safely call it what it is: a demon duck. While unrelated to our favorite Belmont hero, we can still see traces of that archetype in Miriam, our protagonist. She is a well-meaning prodigy, experimented on by alchemists, but struggles with her newly found powers that continuously estrange her from her human side. She collects shards as you play the game, but we are constantly reminded that enough of these will transform us into some sort of monster. Collecting shards itself looks painful, as they appear instantaneously, impale Miriam, and are then absorbed. Such is the price for power. Not your average splinter.
Miriam is not the only homunculus, however. She must confront her one-time friend and confidant, Gebel, who is hellbent on changing the world over in his image because of the wrongs committed against him at the hands of the alchemists. At face value, it appears Gebel is our main antagonist. He is raising demons and washing away the closest town in a torrent of fire and blood. I don’t think he’s a vampire, but he has a phantom of the opera type of vibe with his face half covered by a mask. He first appears to us during a maelstrom as we quest to put an end to his villainy. As for who we’re meant to be … we are an errant warrior of the Church, accompanied by Johannes, a scientist/alchemist. Along the way we encounter Dominique, who serves as a provisioner on behalf of the Church. But we still have to buy things with money. The town is gone, its people slaughtered, but the economy is still going strong. Not to worry though, there are scattered survivors from Gebel’s onslaught. One woman, Lyndsay, asks us to take revenge on the monsters that killed her friends and husband. Another survivor, Harry, looks for seeds to sow his crops with. While we have this grand mission to eradicate heresy, we can still help the locals out with their problems.
The gameplay is amazing, and I think it steals the show no matter how interested I am in Miriam’s struggle with her humanity and desire to find it again in her friend. When the developers said there were a lot of weapons, they were not kidding. The replayability comes from the various ways you can fight, whether you are using killer shoes, musketoons, claymores, knives, whips, just to name a few. I personally liked the musketoon. As you fight enemies, you’ll notice that while there is a chance to get item drops, sometimes it seems like its dependent on where you hit them. I recall getting a helmet from killing a broader monster by finishing him with a claymore chop to the head. These items also appear on Miriam as you equip them, and they are present in cutscenes.
Combat is not difficult, but it can get frustrating given the stage you’re on. I personally struggled when I made it to the entrance of the castle because of the enemy types. Ghosts coming up from the floor and bats swooping from the ceiling make for a bad time. This is where shards can prove to be handy. Dominique, our friend from earlier, explains that while having too many shards can prove detrimental to our health, we can use multiples of the same shard to increase the effectiveness of that ability. The rest you can sell to her. We start with a fireball and a water blast, and they can just as easily take out and enemy in a single casting than you can handle with three or four slashes. Just like I mentioned before, the shards drop like items, but you immediately get them in that painful display. There are difficult battles, like boss fights, mini boss fights, and several annoying enemy types. You can maneuver with a side step or even slide to evade harm. You do that in combination with your regular attacks and you find your winning strategy. Along the way you can find notes that teach you moves with certain weapons. Some moves cost mana points. There is a lot of room for experimenting, especially since enemies respawn as soon as you leave a room.
There are some smaller things, like enhancing your shards and crafting. Johannes can make items and equipment with the right reagents and ingredients. He can even make food that will buff your stats. It’s not very complicated. You just need to bring him the goods that you find in chests or enemy drops. Newer items require blueprints. I’d also like to take this opportunity to say that the soundtrack is good, but it can get repetitive. I had the thought “Yes … I am the hero” many times while platforming across the stage. The voice acting is pretty good as well, but I’ve heard Gebel pronounced two different ways and it was like my ears did a double-take.
Overall, I am impressed with the art design, the animations, the level design, and the level of experimentality (no skill trees required for any weapon) the game has to offer. While playing on console, we were warned about an issue with player progression, but we have not run into that issue. The save points come up as safe rooms with giant statues. You can save, quit, and resume at your pleasure. I think a fair rating for this game should be a 9.5 out of 10. It’s a good time whether you’re a casual fan of rogue-like games, adventures, or are interested in trying something new.
Check Out the BLOODSTAINED: Ritual of the Night Trailer:
BLOODSTAINED: Ritual of the Night is available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam. The Nintendo Switch release begins today.
Xbox One Review
I like to think of myself as the average Joe who grew up alongside video games. I have fun playing strategy games, RPGs, shooters, sandboxes, the whole shebang! Every game provides an experience whether it strikes you as profound, mundane, or someplace in between. I'd like to weigh in my two cents before you spend a single penny.
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