Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night

I've been playing Ritual Of The Night off-and-on for weeks now. I got it the day it was released. It was one of my most anticipated games of 2019. But, my gaming time has changed quite a bit since the new addition in our family. And I've found that the brief windows of gaming time that I'm able to sneak in tend to favor shorter more immediate games right now.

Which is not to say I'm not enjoying Ritual Of The Night. Quite the contrary. I absolutely adore this game. I just haven't had a whole lot of time to actually play it. As I type this, I've probably sunk five or so hours in total, but this has all been accomplished through 15-30 minute chunks. And for a game so dependent on exploration and trial and error, this isn't exactly an optimal approach. Not to mention the reliance on save rooms. (Thank goodness for the ability to suspend the Switch!)

But as for the game itself: it's awesome. There's been a lot of talk about how poorly it runs on the Switch. I can't help but think that this is a bit overstated. Then again, I've only played it on Switch, so I have no points of reference to compare. But the only question I'm asking myself is IS THIS GAME PLAYABLE SO THAT I'M HAVING FUN? and my answer is wholeheartedly yes. Sure the loading screens are long and sure there are some blurry visuals in the backgrounds. But none of this is stopping me from playing it. And truthfully, if it weren't on a portable system I probably wouldn't have time to play it AT ALL right now.

It's probably too early to call it, but I'm pretty sure I love this even more than Curse Of The Moon. Maybe.

And this is a real deal Symphony Of The Night sequel in everything but name. (I'm purposely trying not to call it a 'Metroidvania,' except I just did). The map system, the RPG stats, the loot drops, the unexpectedly brutal battles when you stumble into a new area. It all feels so accurate. And I love that.

The upgrade system with its "shards" reminds me of um... I guess Order Of Ecclesia? I think that's the one I'm thinking of. But it's awesome to play around with different augments and powers and familiars. All this customization really opens up the game to play it however you feel most comfortable.

I wish I had something more interesting to say than "man, I love this game! It's surely one of my favorite games of 2019 right now!" but I just haven't had the time to put into playing it ENOUGH to say something super interesting. But, it's a great game and I'll be playing it for a while to come, most likely in 15-30 chunks.