Created by gaming legend Koji “Iga” Igarashi, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a gothic horror action side-scrolling RPG set in an 18th-century demon-infested castle. Before you journey into this “Igavania” platformer, there are a few things you should know.
1. Zangetsu DLC character is voiced by David Hayter
Zangetsu, a vengeful, demon-hunting samurai, has been revealed as the first of two playable characters that will be available as a free post-launch DLC for Bloodstained.
Brought to life by veteran voice actor David Hayter, best known as the voice for Solid Snake in the Metal Gear franchise, Zangetsu will will offer players who complete the game new ways to fight and explore. Using a deadly katana and his own unique abilities, Zangetsu will be able to slash his way through demon hordes with steel and elemental talisman magic.
2. Pre-order now to get a Dynamic Theme
Pre-order the game through Playstation Store and you’ll receive and exclusive Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Dynamic Theme! It’s only available for pre-order, so make sure you get yours before the game launches on 18th June.
3. Alternative game modes offer different ways to play
A hallmark of Igavania games is playing various ‘modes’ that drastically change the game. On day one, the modes will include:
- New Game+
- Nightmare Mode
- Speedrun Mode
- Boss Rush Mode
- Retro-level
4. Free post-launch DLC is coming
Bloodstained has an extensive post-launch development plan that includes plenty of free content.
- Online and local co-op and vs. modes
- Roguelike mode
- Chaos Mode
- Classic Mode
- Boss Revenge Mode
- Two extra playable characters: Zangetsu and an as yet unnamed third character.
5. It’s the biggest Igavania ever
Iga had a goal to make Ritual of the Night his largest game ever. He hit that goal and then kept going. Ritual of the Night is roughly twice as big as previous Igavanias.
As you make your way through the castle, an automated map will show you where you’ve been and where you still need to explore, among other useful information.
6. Play with either Japanese or English VO
In addition to David Hayter, Ritual of the Night includes a full cast of voice-over artists who bring the characters to life in both Japanese and English.
Subtitles and menus will be available in Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Korean.
7. Enjoy a live orchestral score
The soundtrack for Bloodstained includes tracks by well-known composers including Michiru Yamane, veteran of multiple classic Igavania games, Ryusuke Fujioka, composer for World of Final Fantasy, and Keisuke Ito, who wrote his tracks near midnight to stay true to the game.
Once written, an orchestra was assembled to record the music resulting in a vibrant and exciting score to accompany your adventures.
8. Find & upgrade ‘Shards’ to expand your arsenal
Miriam is a Shardbinder, scared by an alchemist’s curse that allows her to absorb the ability of her vanquished foes. These abilities come in the shape of crystal shards that mark her body. Using these shards, Miriam is able to bring an array of deadly abilities and effects against her enemies. From balls of flame or sheets of ice to familiars that will defend her, collecting, upgrading and using the shards you find is an important part of the game.
9. Get crafting and cooking for stat boosts
Not just a hack and slash game, you can collect ingredients as you explore and defeat various demons. Use your ingredients to create new or upgrade existing food items, weapons, armor, potions and shards.
Cooking can grant permanent stat boosts while weapons can become more and more powerful as you collect rare ingredients. And there’s also health potions. You’ll probably need a lot of those.
10. Customise Miriam with powerful gear
It isn’t enough to simply fight for the future of humanity, you should look good while doing it. Miriam will have customisable hair, eyes, skin and outfit color choices. Slots for helmets/hats, scarves and boots will allow you to upgrade your gear in power as well as visually.
Fight, explore, collect, craft and unlock an array of weapons, equipment and loot to defeat the countless minions and bosses of hell that await.
Pre-order now so you can experience the world of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and collect your exclusive dynamic Theme!