Igarashi has now launched a Kickstarter campaign for his new project, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, a spiritual successor to the same style of Castlevania. The project was funded within just a few hours of its opening. Other members behind the project include Yamane Michiru, who is a Japanese video game composer and musician. She is primiarily known for her work in the Castlevania series as well as other Konami games such as Suikoden and Nemesis. She left Konmai in 2008 and became an independent music composer, who now has her work in popular titles such as Skull Girls and Super Smash Bros. Ippo Yamada is another talent added to the team; with a background in Megaman and many Capcom titles, Yamada has a ton of experience in delivering great composition.
So what is Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night you may ask? It’s an exploration-based side scrolling platform game that features crafting and other RPG elements. The game will also be developed for the Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC; which includes the option for backers to get a physical disc copy. Although the physical copy will be a bit more than the digital at a cost of $100, people with the physical version will have access to exclusive content such as a Swordwhip, a super powerful boss and a Kickstarter-Edition cover slip.
Meet the Characters
Miriam was picked up as an orphan. At a young age she became a host for the dark Alchemists’ curse. With magi-crystals being fused into her body while she was young, she laid dormant, sleeping while the curse grew into its full form. It was during this time that demons had arrived. As she awoke to this new world, she was confused, not fully understanding what had happened to both her and the world. She may be of few words, but she is of great purpose. She is always evaluating the best course of action and the pain she felt as an orphan has guided her with the compassion she needs to protect her friends and loved ones.
Gebel was originally a host for the magi-crystal curse that summons demons to the world. He was the only one to survive the effects at such a high level. He destroyed the guild that had created him, leaving nothing in its wake but the hell spawn he was now able to summon, leading his demon castle from hell to appear. Now no longer human, Gebel seeks the downfall of man and to manipulate Miriam to his own dark will. Oh and also he’ll be voiced by David Hayter…no big deal.
Johannes the Alchemist of the guild and Gebel’s best friend. He was the only one who disagreed with the plan to call demons to the earth to cement Alchemy as the most prominent philosophy. As such, he was the only one to survive the events that soon followed. He has come to realize that Miriam’s awakening and the demon castle’s appearance is no mere coincidence.
Bloodstained still has a few more weeks left before it’s off of Kickstarter, but you shouldn’t wait to check it out. Currently they are over $2 million, so it’s evident that this is a title that a lot of people are excited for.
