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Why so little hype about Bloodstained ritual of the moon?

BlackTron

Member
When I heard about this project it was actually one of my most anticipated games. Back when I thought I'd play it on Wii U lol. HUGE fan of GBA vanias and SOTN, in fact SOTN is the main reason I still have an old PS3 to play PS1 games.

When it FINALLY came out, I played it for about 2 hours and just never looked back. I just didn't like it. I couldn't shake the feeling that the entire game was just this lame, corny, silly Castlevania knock-off. Reminded me of when the creator of Mega Man tried to make his own clone game and everyone sneered (even though I never tried it).

Experiences like this, are why I started demoing games on PC where possible before deciding to buy. The whole internet can be in love with a game from a director with all the qualifications and you end up disliking it. Probably would have been OK if it was sprite based but the ugly garish 3D graphics just took it too far.
 
I have not.

But I did buy this on GOG and it's a great little Metroidvania.

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Go buy it.


It’s in my backlog! Hope to play it soon.

Infernax seems to be similar to Simon’s Quest & Zelda II. It might be to your taste. Check a trailer or review.
 
Curse of the Moon was great.


I recently tried to play Ritual of the Night on the Switch and bounced off of it really hard. Didn't like a bunch of the systems, performance was terrible, something felt off with the controls, and holy shit the loading times.
Same. Felt slow and painful to perform any action. This was also after playing Metroid Dread, so....Yeah. Quite different. Couldn't really force myself to continue playing it.
 
For me RoTN is a modern classic, bought it on a whim day 1 when it released and was blown away (Steam version, avoid shit Switch port at all costs.) Almost beat Curse of the Moon and after that would try Curse of the Moon 2, heres hoping RoTN2 amazes as well!
 
I agree with the OP.

Bloodstained is awesome and really feels like a comeback. There are some things I like even better than Castlevania, mainly the narrative.

My only issue is all the stupid crossovers they're doing. I don't give a fuck about Child of Light or whatever other stupid crossover they do with other games. I think it takes away from the lore and setting when you have all these other games crossing over with it.
 

DGrayson

Mod Team and Bat Team
Staff Member
I agree with the OP.

Bloodstained is awesome and really feels like a comeback. There are some things I like even better than Castlevania, mainly the narrative.

My only issue is all the stupid crossovers they're doing. I don't give a fuck about Child of Light or whatever other stupid crossover they do with other games. I think it takes away from the lore and setting when you have all these other games crossing over with it.


Agreed here. i notice this every once in a while like where is part 2?
 

Fbh

Member
The game was fun but I expected a bit more.

A lot of the shards were underwhelming, basically just the enemy showing up and doing their thing rather than getting a new power based on their abilities. And it also didn't help that it was ugly as hell even after the upgrade.
 

MiguelItUp

Member
I actually really enjoyed it, I was always surprised that people didn't really talk about it more. I thought it was one of the better and newer Metroidvanias I had played at the time.
 

Draugoth

Gold Member
This game is like a spiritual successor to Castlevania: Symphony of the night (maybe the best 2d action/rpg/platformer) ever.

I read gaming news regularly and until I purchased this game recently in a gaming sale, I have heard nothing about it. The game checks all the boxes:

-Good Graphics: Really slick art style.
-Tight Gameplay: 60fps silky smooth action
-RPG system: Level up with experience, reward players for fighting tough enemies
-Armor, weapon, magic system. Supports different build styles.
- Epic bosses and along with a rewarding since of progression.

I loved Castlevania: SOTN and always hoped for a remake. If you are like me, Bloodstained is it. Amazing game and would like to spread some love on it.





I feel bad for being so bad at this game
 

anthraticus

Banned
Not saying it's good or anything (haven't played it) but this site mostly focuses on new games and stuff that isn't even out yet....much like other mainstream sites... IGN, Gamespot, etc..
 
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Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
The game was fun but I expected a bit more.

A lot of the shards were underwhelming, basically just the enemy showing up and doing their thing rather than getting a new power based on their abilities. And it also didn't help that it was ugly as hell even after the upgrade.

Yeah, it was just a really good game that never really approaches greatness.

SOTN always felt more epic than its graphics, whereas Bloodstained as a game is sorta overshadowed by them.
 
Yeah, it was just a really good game that never really approaches greatness.

SOTN always felt more epic than its graphics, whereas Bloodstained as a game is sorta overshadowed by them.
I'm actually kind of hoping the sequel to Ritual of the Night goes to more of a 16 or 32 bit look like Symphony of the Night.

I'm not saying the graphics were bad but they looked kind of cluttered for lack of a better term. I think more of a retro look would have been better.

I also really liked the Curse of the Moon series and I hope they go back and do more of those type of games.

I would shit my pants in happiness if they would do a Metroidvania but with curse of the Moon type of graphics.

As for what I really would like to see is a Bloodstained game with gameplay like Simon's Quest.

In other words, this sort of labyrinthine outdoor overworld with different towns and dungeons scattered around that you have to find.

That would be utterly amazing.
 
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CamHostage

Member
Well, I probably wouldn't have posted anything to just be a downer, but since there's a LOT of positive notice on this thread and so that side is fully represented, maybe over-represented even, and maybe that'd lead to people rushing right out to pick up a 3-year-old gem that they missed, I kind of do want to share my counter-opinion...

I didn't really love Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.

I wanted to love it, and was looking forward to it from the moment it was announced through Kickstarter. I had miss Castlevania SOTN in its day (I have it on PSN and played some but never gave it full attention,) so having a spiritual successor seemed like it was finally my moment. But I ended up feeling disconnected and disinterested for huge portions of the game, although it did pick up later on, but then it let me down again. I did pick it up on Switch, which was problem #1: the graphics were blurry and the framerate could be pretty tough. (However, I'm used to Switch portdowns, and was originally planning to get Bloodstained for Vita, which likely would have really suffered.) Graphics, I could put up with, but the game progression itself was very grindy and arbitrary rather than balanced IMO. The one city in the game was just a field of potatoes and a few nobodys to talk to with the game's one hub shop/dealer/crafter, and then the rest of the maps didn't always have enough distinction to them for large swaths of gameplay. Basically, I felt I was always underpowered to get far in the game to make much progress, until the time where I got a significant upgrade, and then I was ridiculously OP and everything in my way was a nuisance to grind out until I got the crafting piece I needed. I rarely felt like I was playing for skill and challenge and progression; it was more like an RPG with button-presses, and if I had the right numbers, then I mostly won battles. So then I finished the game, and it was a fart of a big moment... so then I looked up and found out how to really finish the game, and that required tons of additional grinding hours (although these later stages were fun, but then the final-final boss really suffered under the framerate.) And then that ending was pretty milquetoast as well, and I don't know if I ever grew to care about the characters enough anyway to find out what lies in their road ahead. It was all fine enough I guess, but I don't remember it very well other than just in-and-out-door grinding certain stages, and though there's free DLC out there, I've yet to plug it back in even though I might enjoy some playthroughs.

Ultimately, it didn't click for me. I don't consider my experience to be typical of this game, and maybe some hinderances I put in my own way kept me from really connecting to it. But it didn't feel though-out enough for my tastes, and it sort of felt like a budget/indie game with competent game design but amateurish padding imbalance, not the AAA masterpiece I was hoping for.

...HOWEVER, the two Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon games, those I recommend highly. They're very faithful to Castlevania traditions and gameplay systems, they have a nice 8-bit look and sound to them, they can be quite challenging but are very upfront with their tough parts, and they have unique mechanics which make them stand out even if you've played every traditional Castlevania and clone.


 
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Rickyiez

Member
Gameplay is fine , but I don't remember anything about the characters and story after stopping at around 70-80% mark . Just don't feel like continuing on . The areas aren't exactly the most interesting thing to traverse , especially the mining cave .
Also , bosses have weak design and doesn't look as grotesque as CV bosses . In fact , they looks generic
 

Zannegan

Member
Played it. Enjoyed it a lot. Still, as a spiritual successor to Castlevania, it could be better.

Putting performance issues aside, there were a few things that didn't click for me.
  • For starters, I found the art fairly ugly. 2.5D did the game no favors. And freeing the series from the Dracula mythos pushed the enemy selection and design from eclectic to completely random. The main character looks like an absolute joke, running around the castle dressed like a someone's French maid fetish come to life.
  • The story is absolute nonsense, so I wish they'd stop pretending it's impactful or important.
  • Gameplay and exploration wise, the bonus areas are limited in scope and imagination.
Don't get me wrong. I really liked the shards system as a callback to Aria and Dawn of Sorrow's soul capturing, and I was waiting for a game in that vein for years, so I don't want to complain too much. I just think the game's handful of niggling and nonsensical design decisions hold it back from being an all-time classic.
 
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PhaseJump

Banned
I ran the whole game when it was new, got 100% on Xbox, bought it for friends. Bought it again on Steam. For a few months I knew everything about the game inside and out, where everything was hidden, could talk about or describe it off the top of my head. It was the new SOTN. I bought SOTN on every platform it was available on and last played it on Saturn. Bloodstained DLC shit that came out, balance changes and new modes or whatever? I don't care at all. I am burnt out and I won't go back to it any time soon. I don't care about the 8-bit spinoff games.

Now I can't even remember the names of the side characters. Igarashi needs to make a proper sequel.
 
Well, I probably wouldn't have posted anything to just be a downer, but since there's a LOT of positive notice on this thread and so that side is fully represented, maybe over-represented even, and maybe that'd lead to people rushing right out to pick up a 3-year-old gem that they missed, I kind of do want to share my counter-opinion...

I didn't really love Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.

I wanted to love it, and was looking forward to it from the moment it was announced through Kickstarter. I had miss Castlevania SOTN in its day (I have it on PSN and played some but never gave it full attention,) so having a spiritual successor seemed like it was finally my moment. But I ended up feeling disconnected and disinterested for huge portions of the game, although it did pick up later on, but then it let me down again. I did pick it up on Switch, which was problem #1: the graphics were blurry and the framerate could be pretty tough. (However, I'm used to Switch portdowns, and was originally planning to get Bloodstained for Vita, which likely would have really suffered.) Graphics, I could put up with, but the game progression itself was very grindy and arbitrary rather than balanced IMO. The one city in the game was just a field of potatoes and a few nobodys to talk to with the game's one hub shop/dealer/crafter, and then the rest of the maps didn't always have enough distinction to them for large swaths of gameplay. Basically, I felt I was always underpowered to get far in the game to make much progress, until the time where I got a significant upgrade, and then I was ridiculously OP and everything in my way was a nuisance to grind out until I got the crafting piece I needed. I rarely felt like I was playing for skill and challenge and progression; it was more like an RPG with button-presses, and if I had the right numbers, then I mostly won battles. So then I finished the game, and it was a fart of a big moment... so then I looked up and found out how to really finish the game, and that required tons of additional grinding hours (although these later stages were fun, but then the final-final boss really suffered under the framerate.) And then that ending was pretty milquetoast as well, and I don't know if I ever grew to care about the characters enough anyway to find out what lies in their road ahead. It was all fine enough I guess, but I don't remember it very well other than just in-and-out-door grinding certain stages, and though there's free DLC out there, I've yet to plug it back in even though I might enjoy some playthroughs.

Ultimately, it didn't click for me. I don't consider my experience to be typical of this game, and maybe some hinderances I put in my own way kept me from really connecting to it. But it didn't feel though-out enough for my tastes, and it sort of felt like a budget/indie game with competent game design but amateurish padding imbalance, not the AAA masterpiece I was hoping for.

...HOWEVER, the two Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon games, those I recommend highly. They're very faithful to Castlevania traditions and gameplay systems, they have a nice 8-bit look and sound to them, they can be quite challenging but are very upfront with their tough parts, and they have unique mechanics which make them stand out even if you've played every traditional Castlevania and clone.



In a way here I agree with you about Curse of the Moon being better.

It's absolutely insane how many endings and paths you can take.

They really did an impressive job here.

My only problem with them would be there that they are Nintendo hard and I'm kind of getting too old for that lol 😂

I think a game with the same graphics in gameplay as Curse of the Moon but as a metroidvania or Simon's Quest type of gameplay would be beyond awesome.
 

skit_data

Member
Sorry for the bump but I recently started playing this and it’s just so damn good!

Bought it quite a while back because I love the Metroid games and after finishing Hollow Knight I wanted more, but for some reason I fell off before even leaving the ship that makes up the tutorial area.

It’s simply great and mechanically probably more up my alley than Hollow Knight and Metroid (I generally like stats, leveling and more customizable character builds in games than what Metroid offers). I just aquired the double jump and it gives that good old ”oh, I remember where I could use that”-feeling that is so satisfying in these kind of games. I don’t know how much I have left but seeing there is NG+(which is fucking great and unexpected!) it will be a while before I put this game down. Simply awesome!

Edit: Wait, I’m playing Ritual of the Night? Are they completely different games? Isn’t it called Curse of the Moon? I’m confused.
 
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Sorry for the bump but I recently started playing this and it’s just so damn good!

Bought it quite a while back because I love the Metroid games and after finishing Hollow Knight I wanted more, but for some reason I fell off before even leaving the ship that makes up the tutorial area.

It’s simply great and mechanically probably more up my alley than Hollow Knight and Metroid (I generally like stats, leveling and more customizable character builds in games than what Metroid offers). I just aquired the double jump and it gives that good old ”oh, I remember where I could use that”-feeling that is so satisfying in these kind of games. I don’t know how much I have left but seeing there is NG+(which is fucking great and unexpected!) it will be a while before I put this game down. Simply awesome!

Edit: Wait, I’m playing Ritual of the Night? Are they completely different games? Isn’t it called Curse of the Moon? I’m confused.
Ritual of the Night is the 2.5D with Dreamcast graphics (lol) that plays similar to what you expect if you were looking for a game similar to Hollow Knight, Metroid or Symphony of the Night.

Curse of the Moon and CotM 2 are 2D with 8-but graphics and play more closely to Castlevania 1 and Castlevania 3. Meaning, they are more linear and less exploration/ability focused.
 

skit_data

Member
Ritual of the Night is the 2.5D with Dreamcast graphics (lol) that plays similar to what you expect if you were looking for a game similar to Hollow Knight, Metroid or Symphony of the Night.

Curse of the Moon and CotM 2 are 2D with 8-but graphics and play more closely to Castlevania 1 and Castlevania 3. Meaning, they are more linear and less exploration/ability focused.
Ok, got even more confused because of the thread title, googled Ritual of the Moon and it’s a completely different game from an entirely different developer so I was just about to delete my post xD
 
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TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
Can't say I enjoyed this one. Not bad but also not great either.
 

cireza

Banned
It was okay, but both Curse of the Moon games were much better as far as I am concerned. Super tight gameplay and level-design. Really worth the investment.
 
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It was okay, but both Curse of the Moon games were much better as far as I am concerned. Super tight gameplay and level-design. Really worth the investment.
Yeah those games were win, in particular getting the solo ending in 2 was the most hype gaming moment of whatever year that game came out. Inti FTW

Ritual of the Night was ok but I'll admit I'm fairly over Metroidvanias the same way I'm over open world games. I just want to do a series of tight levels and not have to faff about. Symphony of the Night is still probably the only one I've played that really manages to sell the setting as an actual location instead of a series of discrete areas grafted together at random
 
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