Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night finally gets a release date, includes graphical overhaul

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is an upcoming gothic horror game set in the ninth century. Unlike traditional side-scrolling adventures, Bloodstained features role-playing mechanics and takes a lot of inspirations from Castlevania. The story revolves around a mysterious paranormal force summoning a demon-infested castle.

The game places you in the shoes of Miriam, an orphan scarred by an alchemist's curse which slowly crystallizes her body. However, it's more than just about your immediate needs. She has to save humanity, and herself, by fighting through the castle and defeating the summoner Gebel. Even though the traversal and combat seem trivial due to its flat presentation, you have to collect, craft, and unlock a number of weapons to succeed.

Bloodstained is being developed by Koji Igarashi. You may recognize the name from the Castlevania series. According to Igarashi, Bloodstained is the biggest game of his entire career, with a map almost twice as large as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was an expansive experience so this bodes well for Bloodstained. What's even more significant is that Castlevania and Capcom veterans Michiru Yamane and Ippo Yamada are providing the music.

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Bloodstained has been in development for a while, and recently, a lot of gamers criticized the experience for its rough visuals. The art style didn't click with a number of gamers, and as a result, the team has completely overhauled the visuals. Usually when we read the words "visual overhaul," it pertains to an increase in resolution. However, in the case of Bloodstained, it's a night-and-day difference. It's as if the developers completely revamped the assets! A post on the game's official Twitter account highlighted the differences.

Luckily, we won't have to wait too long to play Bloodstained. The title is coming to Steam, GOG, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on June 18. The Nintendo Switch version will release on June 25. Given the scope of the experience, it also costs $40. The high price point is probably the most significant barrier to entry at the moment.

Are you interested in Bloodstained? Did you back the game on Kickstarter all those years ago? Let us know. If you're an Xbox One X owner, you'll be delight to know that it runs at 4K resolution on the system.

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Asher Madan

Asher Madan handles gaming news for Windows Central. Before joining Windows Central in 2017, Asher worked for a number of different gaming outlets. He has a background in medical science and is passionate about all forms of entertainment, cooking, and antiquing.