Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Many a franchise has fallen by the wayside in Konami‘s transition away from traditional game development and releases, not the least of which being Castlevania.
Once an integral half of an entire genre, the series has become little more than a cash cow for the publisher and developer. It’s lucky to see a re-release of the 2D style games fans hold near and dear in their hearts, and even its 3D titles haven’t seen many releases in recent years.
Luckily, the series’ creator, Koji Igarashi, wasn’t content to let the spirit of his creations die in such a way. With the help of backers on Patreon, he funded the development of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, a spiritual successor if there ever was one.
Host to the 2D exploration, item collecting and gothic style Castlevania was known for in its heyday, the game enticed and enthralled Metroidvania fans new and old alike upon release.
Players could spend hours uncovering every secret and reference the game had to offer, and although it had some notable glitches, they heralded it as a triumph of developers sticking to the styles they believed in.
It was everything they’d wanted from the Castlevania franchise for years, and gave them hope that what the series was known for would be carried on in some way, shape or form.
