Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (NS)

Today, the day of launch, I've seen gamers/reviewers hate on this port of the game saying it's bad. That it's got lag or frame rate issues. I've also seen gamers excited to get their hands on the game project they backed, as well as buy it fresh from the store. I'm sure some of you reading this now are wondering, with there being mixed reception, whether or not Koji Igarashi's vision for the game plays out the same on the Nintendo Switch as it does on the PlayStation 4 version of "Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night". The simple answer is, "Yes". With patch 1.02 applied the game plays smoothly from what I've experienced, specifically in handheld mode. As far as visuals go it's a bit darker than the PS4 version, but graphically in sync with that version. It is an improvement upon the previously hated rendering, and though I feel Koji, and his team could have gone a different route with the visual aesthetics it's still good enough for the indie project it is. I think the team did good enough to keep intact the visual art style we Castlevania fans grew up with, and though it takes on a 2.5D design it is a competent return to formula. One that is a mixture of a couple of different Castlevania experiences.

Utilizing retro map travel options, and a reminiscently large map size with plenty to do Bloodstained brings back to light the very essence of "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night". Things like portals, and save points return in a familiar way along with boss fights, and backtracking for RPG element sake. Along with the Symphony of the Night similarities comes the return of a somewhat inspired take on "Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow". The soul stealing mechanics therein. In the place of monsters' souls though Miriam, the game's female protagonist and Shardbinder, collects soul shards to create five different types of shard abilities. These include 'Conjure', 'Manipulative', 'Directional', 'Passive', and 'Familiar'. If you've played the previous Castlevania games, namely the 2D adventures, you will be somewhat familiar with each archetypes' functionality. Conjure, and Passive shard types are the metaphorical yin and yang versions of elementally charged spells that can be used on the go at will, or passively as a stat buff. The Directionals, on the other hand, are a different story. With them you can interact with environmental objects such as canon fuses or use them as trajectory based projectile spells to deal damage. Lastly the 'Familiar' returns as an aiding spirit of whatever monster it is whose soul shard you've infused. Much like the familiars of Symphony of the Night.

Utilizing Miriam's visually altering base equipment, and weapons along with her shard abilities (one equipped per type) you can dispatch the lesser, and greater foes of the castle, and environments that lie between you and the antagonist that is Gebel. As far as the story goes it basically revolves around a cult-like group of Alchemists who let loose demons upon the 1783 European world in order to maintain their relevancy. They created Shardbinders like Mirriam, and Gebel to sacrifice as the infused shards in their bodies gave said Alchemists power. For some reason Mirriam, and Gebel were spared death with Mirriam falling into an unexpected deep sleep for years before the ritual could be completed, and Gebel going away to plot his revenge on those who did him wrong. As one might guess Mirriam awakens just as another influx of demon spawn are loosed upon the world, and Gebel shows up along with a mysterious castle as if to beckon her unto him. A trope we all know too well. With Gebel's friend Johannes by your side you set off sailing the ocean blue to confront Gebel as Mirriam. Your end goal being stopping the demonic blight upon humankind, and investigating the appearance of the mysterious castle as well as Gebel's involvement in the devilish deed.

Within the game, past the intro boss battle, you'll find that Johannes and the partner you and him set off to meet for guidance have set up shop at a sort of safe haven in a nearby village not far from the castle gate. At said locale Johannes offers services in the form of Alchemy crafting allowing you to create equipment, items, and meals using found ingredients. He's also the go to guy for shard strengthening. In the game, as Mirriam collects duplicate shards, she can either sell them to the shop vendor Dominique, or use them to strengthen shards with added ingredients. The ones with abilities you feel are worth holding onto. The thing about collecting shards though is that having too many can negatively effect Mirriam's state as a Shardbinder, and in turn alter the ending of the game. Dominique, in particular, urges you to sell extra shards to her in exchange for currency to spend at the shop. Aside from Johannes, and Dominique (the traditional shop vendor) you'll also find quest providers which will ask you to complete tasks for rewards. Doing as they ask will reward you in various ways.

If lost in your quest to fulfill quests pressing the plus button on the Switch will not only let you view quests for reference sake, but will also give you access to the Equipment, Shards, Alchemy, Compendium (Terms, Places, Characters), and Bestiary (Demons, Items) menus. Alternatively pressing the minus button will bring up the traditional Castlevania map with marked locations. The Equipment menu within the game's main menu system is basically for equipping the several different stat inclusive equipment pieces along with a weapon of choice. Speaking of weapons it turns out that Mirriam is fairly much all the Castlevania protagonists rolled up into one, and can wield swords, axes, whips, and even guns as she fights off the encroaching damned. Some of which have added special attack attributes.

As with the Equipment menu the Shards menu will allow you to assign items to empty slots, in particular a single shard to each type of shard slot listed. If it's background knowledge you seek that's what the Compendium is there for with it's multiple tabs of themed information regarding everything from characters to places, and even events. When it comes to the Alchemy listing it is a menu showcasing what ingredients it takes to create whatever item you wish to craft. Lastly, the Bestiary which is divided into Demon and Item listings is where you'll find the listing of demons, bosses, and discovered items along with a list completion percentage status in regards to the shards you've collected from them. Those things, and an in-game statistics listing showcasing such things as time spent, map coverage, etc., ... exist for your reference. Additionally there's a Journal with diary entries as well as weapon specific special moves. Each of which are found by pressing "Up" in front of bookshelves with directional prompts. In accordance to the found weapon specific special attacks (Think Alucard's altar spells from SotN) there is also a menu where your usage of said attacks, and corresponding stats are tallied. Needless to say there's even some secrets to be found, and brag worthy feats to engage in as you play through the game's three increasingly difficult difficulty modes ... Normal, Hard and Master.

The Verdict ...

At this time I have not fully completed the game, but have played enough to get a proper feel for it, and understand it's features. As is I think it's a decent port, and one that definitely plays smoother than the claims regarding frame rate issues that I've seen. Do note that I've played mainly in the handheld mode, and for what it's worth it controlled well enough despite the Switch's odd control layout. Visually the game is good as well, and the soundtrack is what you'd come to expect as a diehard Castlevania fan. Filled with symphonic, metal, and Gothic melodies along with the occasional chorus to hype things up. Each area, and encounter with their own thematic mood setting music. The only complaint I do have is that I feel Koji, and his team could have done better had they had gone with the original pitched art style. That along with some character profile art by Ayami Kojima would have been preferred. A gamer's wet dream, if you will. That having been said, understanding budget restraints and considering how the game turned out I don't think it was all that bad. The quality is still very much there, and it feels like a competent return to the tried & true Castlevania format although under a new franchise's namesake. If you have an itching for a proper Igavania this is as close as you'll get to his glory days under the Konami label. Price-wise it's not bad, and to be fair Koji Igarashi did good to deliver on all his Kickstarter promises, even if he did delay things a bit. In closing I give, "Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night" the Gaming Inferno's smoldering seal of approval!