What is a backer, but a joyous pile of rewards?

After years of seclusion much like the Lord of Darkness Dracula, Castlevania father Koji Igarashi is back with a brand new gothic platform RPG for XboxOne, PS4 and PC.   Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is his latest offering, and is as of today, available for crowdfunding via Kickstarter.

Players play as Miriam, an amnesiac girl infused with magi-crystals as a host for the dark Alchemists’ curse.  Called to the demonic castle by her childhood friend Gebel, players must master Miriam’s powers to unlock the secrets of the magi-crystal curse.  Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night follows the stylistic gameplay of the original Castlevania series of old, with an updated 2.5D format supported by Unreal Engine 4.  Exploration is still the name of the game, with what looks to be a massive Castle to explore and secret rooms to unlock.  Newer is the crafting mechanic, which promises to allow players to customise weapons using materials from enemy drops and other sources.

After what seems like the most badass promotional video ever, fans can check out cool rewards ranging from the standard digital addition for ‘shy’ backers to a trip to Japan to meet Igarashi for the truly hardcore Castlevania addicts.  For those looking for a few nifty treats for a moderate splurge, the ‘Alchemist’s Treasure’ reward clocks in at $100 and includes a physical copy of the game, plus a keychain, lapel pin, soundtrack in digital and CD formats, a retro strategy booklet and your name in the credits.

In the video, Igarashi explains that he has gathered previous collaborators from the series to ensure a great quality game.  Most notably, Michiru Yamane, the composer from Castlevania and writer of the fan favourite ‘Vampire Killer’, has returned to write the new soundtrack.  Personally as a fan of the original Castlevania series prior to its controversial reboot, I’m super hyped to see what Igarashi will produce.  More updates including character bios and other information are available on the Kickstarter page, so check it out here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iga/bloodstained-ritual-of-the-night/