Full Disclosure: I have financially backed Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night on Kickstarter.
Publisher 505 Games and developer ArtPlay have shared the launch trailer for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
Featured above, the new trailer shows off more of the game – as well as a clear tease that Shovel Knight is a secret playable character.
Here’s a rundown on the game’s launch, versions, contents, downloadable content, and so on:
Conceived by the legendary Koji Igarashi, the renowned godfather of the beloved Igavania genre, and featuring music by Mirichu Yamane (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night) and Ippo Yamada (Resident Evil), Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a modern, side-scrolling action RPG experience that will satisfy long-time fans of Iga’s previous work, as well as entice players new to his legacy. Everything in Bloodstained is rendered in loving 3D detail on a 2D side-scrolling environment that evolves as players progress through the biggest game map of his career, giving them more to explore and enjoy.
Set in 18th century England, where a paranormal force has summoned a demon-infested castle, revealing crystal shards infused with tremendous magical power, players of Bloodstained take on the role of Miriam, an orphan scarred by an alchemist curse which slowly crystallizes her body, enabling her to use spells, weapons, special items, and abilities to tailor the game to their playstyle. To save humanity and herself, Miriam must fight through the castle while collecting, crafting, and unlocking a vast array of weapons, equipment and loot to defeat the summoner Gebel and the countless minions and bosses of hell that await.
Bloodstained will be available for purchase at the following dates and times:
Digital Releases
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC:
- Tuesday, June 18
- 7 a.m. UTC (GMT) / 12:01 a.m. PDT on PlayStation Network (Europe, Korea)
- 7 a.m. UTC (GMT) / 12:01 a.m. PDT on Xbox Games Store (North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand)
- 13:00 UTC (GMT) / 6 a.m. PDT on Steam and GOG (North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand; Steam only in all Asian territories)
- 17:00 UTC (GMT) / 10 a.m. PDT on PlayStation Network (North America)
- Wednesday, June 19 on PS4 in Southeast Asia including Hong Kong and Taiwan
Switch
- Tuesday, June 25 on Nintendo Game Store (North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, and Southeast Asia including Hong Kong and Taiwan)
Physical Releases
PlayStation 4 and Xbox One:
- Tuesday, June 18 on both consoles at participating North American and Korean retailers
- Wednesday, June 19 on PS4 in Southeast Asia including Hong Kong and Taiwan
- Thursday, June 20 on both consoles at participating retailers in Spain, Portugal, Australia, and New Zealand
- Friday, June 21 on both consoles at participating retailers in U.K., France, Italy, Germany, and other European territories
Switch
- Tuesday, June 25 at participating retailers in North America, Korea, and Southeast Asia including Hong Kong and Taiwan
- Thursday, June 27 at participating retailers in Spain, Portugal, Australia and New Zealand
- Friday, June 28 at participating retailers in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, and other European territories
All standard versions of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night are priced at $39.99.
In addition to the sprawling single-player story experience with alternate endings, more than a dozen DLCs will be released post-launch as free updates, including Online and Local Co-op and VS. mode, Roguelike mode, Boss Rush, Chaos mode, and Nightmare Difficulty. Secret playable characters are also awaiting discovery, increasing the replay value even further.
The Speed Demon Update, which adds optimized graphics, visuals and balance, in addition to Speed Run Mode, Boss Rush Mode, and the Pure Miriam Outfit, will be available at launch for PC and is expected later next week for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
Also available today for PC is the “Iga’s Back Pack” DLC, priced at $9.99. Players who opt in will be able to fight Koji Igarashi himself as a boss in-game and once defeated, earn the powerful Swordwhip weapon. The “Iga’s Back Pack” DLC will be available for Nintendo Switch on Friday, June 28. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One players will be able to purchase the “Iga’s Back Pack” DLC beginning Tuesday, July 2.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is available today for Windows PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with a Switch version coming on June 25th in North America and on June 28th in Europe.