Bloodstained Could End the Kickstarter Curse

While at E3 this afternoon, we had the chance to swing by 505 Games to attend a presentation for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, and after playing the game, I can say with confidence that the Kickstarter curse could very well be broken. The curse I speak of refers to the somewhat tumultuous track record that Kickstarter-funded games have had upon release. While there are definite highs, such as Shovel Knight and Hyper Light Drifter, games like Mighty No. 9 have somewhat soured the romanticism behind the idea of crowdfunded game development.

But thankfully, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, the spiritual successor to the Metroid-vania genre, is looking to change this spotty track record. Created by Koji Igarashi himself, the man behind Castlevania: Symphony of the Night among other titles, Bloodstained takes full advantage of the genre it emerged from and, if the playable demonstration was anything to go off of, could save the reputation of crowdfunded games once more.

One major thing Bloodstained does right is how it uses its atmosphere and setting. Bloodstained gleefully embraces the gothic horror-themed aesthetic that its spiritual forefathers specialized in, from the Cathedral settings, to the dark and ghoulish characters and beasts, often covered in blood or ooze to further elevate the sense of eerie interest. The haunting organ tones from the score only add to the setting, rounding out the harrowing but fascinating environment.

The gameplay of Bloodstained is an even better example of how the game seems intent to deliver a classic Metroid-vania experience. Using a variety of different obtainable weapons, such as a whip or a katana, players guide Miriam through the halls of a vertical church-like area filled to the brim with ghosts and ghouls. Alongside the variety of weapons, souls can be collected, seemingly randomly, from enemies upon their defeat. These souls let Miriam use new abilities and powers, which vary between summoning familiars to fight alongside you, to throwing spears that bounce off of walls. It’s a system that’s very reminiscent of Aria of Sorrow’s Soul system, which is an exciting premise thanks to the sheer amount of different abilities that could be at our disposal.

While the demo was only ten minutes in length, these features stood out in a way that any Castlevania fan will be able to appreciate. For those who have never played a Metroid-vania title, Bloodstained could prove to be an ideal jumping-off point due to its more modern appearance when compared to older entries. Either way, Bloodstained is shaping up to be a game well worth your time. Despite feeling somewhat cynical in regards to crowdfunded games after recent titles, I’m excited to say that Bloodstained has made me cautiously optimistic. It shows a great deal of promise, and I can only hope that it will inspire other crowdfunding projects to do even better.