Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (IGA's Castlevania Successor) [PC/PS4/XBO]

[BlueFlare]

I believe in IGA and the game is in good hands. I don't mind the delay, I'm sure it will do good things for the final product. I also have high expectations since every title I played from IGA have been super enjoyable, Sotn and Aria being personal favorites. 

[BlueFlare]

Bloodstained's development seems to be stumbling.

I hope they'll get this as good condition as possible for 2018 release. Or they plan for another delay. I want this to success, so I don't mind them to take their time but at the same time don't want it be delayed till eternity.

[Balding Spider]

Heads up guys, the Bloodstained crew has sent out a feedback survey for the backers

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To every member of the Army of the Night who has not been buried under several unseasonable feet of snow in the last week or two: happy spring! 

We're passing along a quick between-updates note from 505 about a new way to leave your mark on Bloodstained—the feedback survey. Here's Roberto with more information: 

Hello everyone, the Bloodstained Feedback Survey is up and running! We really want to do everything we can to give our fans a voice and listen to you as much as possible, so don’t miss your chance to tell us what you think and shape our future decisions on everything from release dates, how we’re doing with the community and how we can improve, to DLC, what (if anything) we should do about the exclusive in-game content, pricing for the game and more! And just in case you’re thinking “man what a lame Kickstarter update this month”, fret not, this is a separate effort from our usual updates, and the main April Kickstarter update is still on its way. Thank you to everyone for your time and  passion, can’t wait to read your answers. 

Roberto Piraino (a.k.a. Angel-Corlux) 
Bloodstained Brand Manager, 505 Games

Yeah, if you anybody here still thinks they're handling their Kickstarter like Might No.9 I'll drag you to the hill I'm prepared to die on and fight you.

[Balding Spider]

Just a heads up backers. If you backed Bloodstained then check your mail/Kickstarter updates! May 18th is the last day if you want to change your gaming platform for both the main game and the retro spin-off title.

This can be done through your backer survey.

And if you still wanted to back the game May 14th is the last day you can do that
 

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Hey everybody, I’m absolutely blasted away at the overwhelming response we got from the Bloodstained Feedback Survey; it’s barely been a week and we’ve already received tens of thousands of submissions, with every question coming in at a 95% completion rate or above! Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to fill it out! The survey will be open until the end of the month so if you haven’t had a chance to fill it out don’t miss your opportunity to be heard on lots of different subjects.

I’ve already seen plenty of discussion surrounding the survey questions, and I’m sure everyone is anxious to know what the survey revealed and what we’ll do with the results. We plan on releasing much more of the gathered data in the near future, but for now I’d like to share with you an important announcement:

We will officially be closing all Kickstarter / Fangamer related fundraising after May 14th at 1pm Pacific Time US. This means that after Monday, May 14th, 2018, backing Bloodstained on the Fangamer portal will no longer be possible.

After Friday, May 18th, 2018 existing backers will also no longer be able to change the platform for which you have ordered/pledged your copy of Bloodstained or the side-story mini-game, so please finalize your platform selection soon! (The reward survey previously didn't contain a platform-selection option for the side-story mini-game, so even if you're all set with your reward survey you haven't filled one out yet!)

You will still be able to update basic information like your shipping address. If you need to edit your reward survey for any reason, click on the link in your original order confirmation e-mail; if you don’t have your reward survey link handy, click here to get it sent to you again or ask any other questions you might have.

Everyone at ArtPlay and 505 Games wants to thank each and every one of you who have backed Bloodstained and helped make this game a reality. All your support has truly been astounding!

 

And courtesy of Resetera we now know that the spin-off game won't be available for GOG

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"We were recently informed that the Bloodstained Retro spin-off game will not be available on GOG. Please select a different platform (Steam, PS4, XB1, PS Vita, or Nintendo Switch) for your Retro spin-off game before the May 18th 2018 platform-selection deadline by clicking the "Access Your Backer Survey" button below, then clicking the "Change Your Survey Answers" link.

By default, your Retro spin-off game platform has been changed to Steam.

Keep in mind that this does not affect your choice of platform for the main game Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, which will still be available on GOG. We apologize for the trouble."

 

[Balding Spider]

Heads up, like Mighty Gunvolt Inti has created an 8-bit spin-off for Bloodstained:ROTN

 

[Salamander]

Looks a considerable step up on Mighty Gunvolt, which was squarely in the realms of "just for fun"; like Mighty Gunvolt Burst, CotM looks dangerously legit.

[BlueFlare]

Okay nice, CotM really got me pumped! Now please, IGA, I wanna see a GBA graphical style inspired Metroidvania game like AoS. 

[Balding Spider]

Heads up backers.

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon - Backer Distribution and Details Posted by Koji Igarashi (Creator)

Curse of the Moon is on its way! The retro side-story game set in the Bloodstained universe comes out May 24, and since the announcement we've been working with Inti and ArtPlay to prepare it for distribution to Kickstarter backers. First, here's a message from IGA:  The spin-off game of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, is here! This is the 8-bit mini-game stretch goal that we promised during our Kickstarter campaign. The demo of this game was actually playable at BitSummit in Kyoto, where I had a chance to watch people play. They really enjoyed it!  This title is infused with nostalgic feeling. Download codes will be given to backers who backed over $28. In regards to the distribution timing, Steam keys will be distributed on the same day as the release date, but other platforms will, unfortunately, be distributed at a later timing. We physically cannot resolve this issue and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Please have fun with this retro side-story as you look forward to the main game! - IGA  Backer Distribution Schedule Steam keys are available now! All Curse of the Moon codes will be distributed through your backer survey, so if you chose Steam for your side-story platform you can go to your survey now to find your code. (If you don't have your survey link, no need to worry! Go to our survey resender and we'll send it to you again.)  Unfortunately, as IGA mentioned above, we still haven't received the codes we need to distribute the game to backers who chose a console platform for their game—we'll be distributing them as soon as we receive them, but they aren't available yet.   We're sorry for the delay. But we've been working overtime with Inti Creates and ArtPlay to find a solution that allows backers to play the game when it comes out, since we couldn't have made it without your original support.  It took us a while to hammer out the details, but here's what we were able to do: We've given backers who do not already have a Steam key for Curse of the Moon in their order a temporary Steam key that allows them to play the game on PC until their console key(s) arrive. These temporary keys are available now on your backer survey and will expire on June 8, by which time Inti Creates expects to have received the download codes we requested for every platform. (And just to be clear, we'll be making the codes for each different platform available as soon as they arrive.)  We know this isn't the same as playing the game on the platform you chose, but we hope it gives you a chance to discover Curse of the Moon alongside everyone else.  Other Distribution Notes Inti Creates announced early this morning that logistical issues mean the game will launch on May 31 for the Nintendo 3DS in Europe and June 6 for the Xbox One in all regions. While the game won't be playable on those platforms/regions until then, this should not affect when we receive or distribute download codes for backers who chose those platforms. (EU 3DS backers and Xbox One backers without a permanent Steam key in their order, like other console backers, will still receive a temporary Steam key.) In Short: When and how do I get my game? Steam keys are available now for all $28+ backers who chose Steam as a platform for Curse of the Moon. (These codes can be activated on Steam now, but might not be playable until the game's official release date of 5/24.)  Console codes are not yet available—we'll be distributing them to backers as soon as they arrive.  We're giving backers who only chose console versions a temporary Steam key that will allow them to play Curse of the Moon on PC from now until June 8.  All download codes—including the temporary Steam keys—can be found on your survey page! If you don't have your survey link, use our survey support page to have it e-mailed to you automatically. Click Download Codes on your survey page. As soon as console download codes are available, you'll be able to find them on your survey page, too.  (If you did not choose a platform, you'll receive a Steam key soon.)  Thanks for making Curse of the Moon possible! We hope you enjoy it.

[Salamander]

I've been playing Curse Of The Moon a lot lately, and just completed what I think will be my final (sixth) run of the game tonight.  It really is quite good.

I've never played Castlevania III (though I know enough about it to know that Curse is referencing it pretty heavily), so this was a game which had to stand on its own for me, and to start with I was actually quite surprised by how much more explicitly retro it was than the likes of Mighty Gunvolt Burst; unorthodox use of pixel art, fixed jump arcs, and so on.  Was it too strict a homage, I wondered?  But as I got used to it, I realised that all of these retro nods were quite carefully considered.  The retro visuals and music manage to contribute to the game's stylish gothic aesthetic, moody and blurred and just the faintest bit rough on the senses, while the gameplay is incredibly tightly designed and the fixed jumps eventually feel natural.

It's a surprisingly fair game, too, with a lot of ways to ease the burden on the player.  You can switch between Veteran and Casual modes any time you start or load a file; I only ever used Veteran, and it never felt like too much.  Sub-weapons compensate for character weaknesses and shouldn't be underestimated.  Recruiting additional characters effectively gives you free extra lives and more frequent checkpoints, as dying with an extra character only causes you to reload the room without that character rather than losing a life and being set far back.  Even if you choose to strike your potential allies down, you'll gain new powers to increase Zangetsu's flexibility.  And while the Recruit/Ally/Ignore system seems basic, they manage to squeeze a good number of endings out of it (what's with the Nightmare Mode stinger, though?), along with added difficulty modes which give you extra advantages from the start while ramping up the boss challenge.  By the time I was drawing to a close, I was taking on runs I'd previously never considered reasonable - and still finding new routes through the game, for the allies and powers unlock a surprising number of alternative ways through the game in a way that's almost more reminiscent of the Metroidvania titles.

Overall result?  A thoughtful, well-designed game which nods to its retro roots and brings the best out of them.  I'm looking forward to the main event.

[BlueFlare]

Thanks for the little review @FFWF. I have not yet tried the game myself but definitely will one day when I have extra time. Did you play it on PC or console?

What's up with RotN, though? It seems to be slowly getting together, but are they really going to release it this year? The last footage I saw from E3, I thought the game looks really dull. It will have hard time catching that Sotn and GBA/DS Vania feeling. 

[Salamander]

I played the Switch version; no technical problems, and it's a great game to play handheld.  I would have appreciated some kind of gallery screen to keep track of the endings, which are listed as achievements in other versions.

[BlueFlare]

Apparently, RotN has been delayed till 2019 which I was starting to suspect a while ago. Also, the PS Vita version has been cancelled.

[BlueFlare]

We finally have an official release window for summer 2019. There's also official box art  (Aria Of Sorrow vibes!) and a new trailer for the game.

 

 

[Teoskaven]

Release date is June 18.

 

Also, talk about taking criticism into account, damn.

[Balding Spider]

That has to be one of the saltiest trailers I've ever seen.

[Meta77]

I'm glad they had fun with the critsism  the poop comment was great

[BlueFlare]

It looking pretty! Not too long to play this gem (I hope it turns out to be one!)

[Balding Spider]

Playing this right now, and its early but I feel more than confident saying this is the anti-Mighty No 9, but that's not to say it doesn't have its share of issues.

[BlueFlare]

3 hours ago, Balding Spider said:

Playing this right now, and its early but I feel more than confident saying this is the anti-Mighty No 9, but that's not to say it doesn't have its share of issues.

I would appreciate to hear more once you've played further. I can't afford this game right now but I will when it is possible. 

[Balding Spider]

1 hour ago, BlueFlare said:

I would appreciate to hear more once you've played further. I can't afford this game right now but I will when it is possible. 

Okay, so the issues being that it has trouble maintaining 60fps, this is noticeable especially in two separate areas, and there are noticeable clipping issues like when enemies travel from the background to the foreground. Also I just came across a glitch that cheated me out of a boss Shard, and had to redo the fight.

[KHCast]

How’s the difficulty? I was watching Jim play it, and it looked pretty...easy. Are there difficulty modes?

[Lord-Dreamerz]

Looks like it turned out to be a great game! That is always nice to hear. Been seeing tons of people on twitter among other places along with even professional reviewers praising it. It seems like a good game to me also! Thinking I'll buy & pick it up later on when I get in the mood... I'm in no rush however. I've never played any Castlevania before I think, but this exact game is especially drawing me into it enough.

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

Oh hey there Shovel Knight. We meet again.

[KHCast]

The fucking shade thrown at Konami haha I love it 

[Meta77]

There are three difficulty levels.  But 2 are locked at first. It's not to hard right away but some bosses especially the first can melt you if you go in swinging.  Combat can be a bit slow many times most hits on me come from attack delay

Atm there was a progress breaking bug on ps4