Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night’s Kickstarter page recently posted an update stating that the game’s promised stretch goal of a Roguelike mode has been canceled. This was one of many updates included in the post, each of which detail additional new game modes, patch notes, and news about features in progress. Although fans of roguelike gameplay will undoubtedly be disappointed by this development, Bloodstained still has exciting new content on the way that’s sure to keep fans engaged with the game for months to come.
The proposed inclusion of a roguelike mode for the game is no surprise; the genre has seen a rise in popularity in recent years. Generally characterized as dungeon crawlers that feature randomly generated levels and permanent character deaths, roguelikes (and roguelites) were inspired by games like Dungeons and Dragons and have evolved from a relatively small niche to a prominent element in many modern indie games such as Dead Cells, Risk of Rain, Spelunky, and Enter the Gungeon. Considering Bloodstained’s status as a Metroidvania-style platformer–a genre which has itself seen a resurgence–it appeared as though the game would be well-suited for roguelike gameplay.
According to Jason Ryan’s Kickstarter post, however, things were not that simple. Ryan, senior community manager at 505 Games, writes that the idea for a roguelike mode had to be scrapped because the “code that was created early in the game’s development is not currently compatible with this type of gameplay,” citing the creation of a procedurally castle being one of the biggest obstacles. However, to make up for this, the game will now feature a “Randomizer” mode, which will allow players to tweak the gameplay mechanics themselves, inspiring even more unique playthroughs. These mechanics include item drop rates and locations, rewards for completing quests, crafting ingredients, save rooms, and more. Although this does not make the game a true roguelike, Bloodstained’s developers have instead given players the tools required to create their own “random” experience with the game, which seems to be the closest it can come to being a roguelike for the time being.
The update also specifies that the upcoming “Boss Revenge” mode will not release alongside the Zangetsu DLC, but rather follow the DLC and the Randomizer releases. The Zangetsu DLC, one of thirteen free DLCs, is scheduled for release on August 2nd and will unlock Zangetsu as a playable character, giving players access to an entirely new move set and play style. Finally, Ryan explained the 1.04 update, which unified the game’s content across the PC, PS4, Xbox, and Switch. This has been the developers’ goal for quite some time as it not only makes the content easier to manage but will also shorten time between updates on various platforms.
Bloodstained got off to an uneasy start during development, primarily due to creator Koji Igarashi’s ambitious stretch goals and players being vocally concerned about the game’s visuals when it was first revealed. However, the game’s delay allowed developers to dramatically improve the game’s visual style, add even more content, and adjust its mechanics and boss fight designs. The end result was a game that was generally well received as a spiritual successor to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and it’s clear that Igarashi is dedicated to providing as positive an experience as possible for players with the release of several free DLCs. Although the roguelike mode may be impossible at the moment, the Randomizer mode is a healthy alternative that’s sure to bring some more variety to this great title.
Next: Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon Review – Castlevania in All Things But Name
Source: Kickstarter
