Since this review was originally published patches have reportedly addressed or improved one or more of the issues cited. While we unfortunately cannot revisit games on an individual basis, it should still be noted that the updated game may offer an improved experience over the one detailed below.
The product of one of the most successful video game crowdfunding ventures of all time, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is – quite literally – an exercise in wish fulfilment. Following his departure from Konami in 2014, former Castlevania series producer Koji "IGA" Igarashi would have required superhuman powers of resistance to ignore the flood of fan requests that he return to the "Metroidvania" genre he made so famous with the likes of Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin, and he has duly delivered that with this grand 2.5D adventure; so much so that at times it feels little more than a facsimile of his previous work – but when you're working from a template that's this accomplished, is there reason to chastise someone for taking the safe route? Perhaps not, but Nintendo Switch owners do have a few more things to grumble about when compared to their PlayStation and Xbox-owning friends.
Bloodstained obviously isn't part of the Castlevania series, but it takes so much inspiration from Igarashi's previous efforts in the series that it almost feels like a fan-made homage rather than a stand-alone game. There are numerous points in the game where you'll instantly think back to key locations or moments in older titles; the waterfall from Symphony of the Night is recreated here for example, and many of the enemies you'll remember fighting all those years ago resurface in subtly different forms. Heck, even Alucard voice actor Robert Belgrade makes an appearance in a role that might seem oddly familiar. Despite the clear connection with his past work, Igarashi manages to tread the fine line between repetition and rediscovery, and there are enough new and unique foes to face that the recognisable ones don't outstay their welcome too much.
One thing Igarashi was keen on from the start was avoiding having Dracula as your main opponent, which, to be fair, he could easily have done as the character isn't Konami's property and sits safely in the public domain. While there is some reference to the world of vampires contained with the game, Bloodstained instead chooses to focus its gothic tale around the tragic Shardbinders; human experiments created by mysterious Alchemists' Guild so they can be sacrificed and summon forth forces from hell which would convince the world that spiritual – rather than technological – progress was mankind's true path. The main character, Miriam, is one such Shardbinder, who is spared this gristly sacrifice when she falls into a 10-year slumber. When she awakes, her fellow Shardbinder and friend Gebel has gone rogue, driven by his thirst for revenge for the wrongs done to him and his kind; he summons a massive fortress called the Hellhold and Miriam must venture inside to end his tyranny.
As a Shardbinder, Miriam's body is covered in crystals which, we are told, will ultimately cover her entirely, leading to her death. This is more than just a story beat; as you defeat enemies, they randomly release Shard Skills which unlock new attacks, demonic companions and passive abilities. The "Metroidvania" tradition of gear-gating the player's progress is also carried out by the slow and steady collection of unique shard powers, some of which allow you to open up parts of the castle. For example, when you defeat a certain boss you are gifted with a shard that offers the ability to move heavy objects, which grants access to areas of the map (and locations that lie outside of Hellhold's walls, it should be noted) that were previously off limits.
The Shard Skill system neatly mimics the Soul collection mechanic seen in Aria of Sorrow and its sequel, Dawn of Sorrow. Many of these powers are pretty basic and simply involve releasing a monster which attacks on-screen enemies, but others – such as a ray which can turn foes into stone – are more interesting. The more shards you collect the more powerful each skill becomes, and it's possible to level-up these skills to make them more potent.
In addition to your Shard Skills, you also have an inventory system which includes armour, headgear, accessories and – of course – weapons. Swords, spears, whips, axes, greatswords, daggers and even handguns are all part of Bloodstained's armoury and finding each and every one is an obsession in itself. Early on in the game you establish a headquarters of sorts which means you can buy and sell items as well as create new ones based on blueprints. A crafting system is also in place, allowing you to turn valuable item drops into powerful weapons or healing items; you can also disassemble items into their core components in order to gain access to specific ingredients.
The shards and weapons you acquire compliment each other perfectly, offering up a combat system that seems basic at first but actually rewards tactical play and experimentation. Do you release a wave of bats at an incoming foe and dive in after them to deliver the coup de grâce, or should you instead use a shard power that boosts your defence and stay well back, taking out enemies at range with your weaker (but safer) firearm? The fact that you can have multiple shards equipped at once (they're grouped into five categories: Conjure, Manipulative, Directional, Passive and Familiar) really does add immeasurably to the complexity of battle, and the ability to swap between entirely separate equipment and shard loud-outs via a shortcut system means you can have a configuration to suit every kind of encounter.
As for the core exploration experience, if you've ever played a Metroidvania in the past few years then you'll know the drill here. In theory, the entire castle is 'in play' from the moment you start the game, but portions can only be accessed once you possess a certain item or ability. Save points are dotted around the building, as are warp points which allow you to fast travel to certain sections. Despite its open nature, there are defined 'areas' on the map, and many of these showcase a boss encounter. While there's nothing quite as memorable as the horrific Granfalloon in Symphony of the Night or the nightmarish Puppet Master in Dawn of Sorrow, Bloodstained still has its fair share of unique and challenging enemies; the battle with two massive dragons on a massive tower is a highlight.
In true Metroidvania fashion, your character gains experience from each enemy encounter so even when you're having to backtrack through large portions of the castle, it never feels like a complete waste of time as you're always moving towards that health and stat boost. Alongside your health bar, there's a Mana Point gauge which is expended whenever you use a Shard Skill. This slowly recharges over time but managing it becomes a prime concern early on; luckily, smashing purple flames (another Castlevania reference) yields MP refills as well as cash, which can be spent on valuable items in your aforementioned HQ.
Bloodstained certainly feels like a proper Igarashi-made Castlevania, and the producer's love of quirky characters is retained as well. One enemy begs you not to kill them and instead offers to cut your hair; this is the primary means of customising Miriam's appearance, and you can change everything from her skin tone to the colours used on her dress. Another character sends you on revenge missions and is barely able to contain her anger as she points out which enemy killed which of her close family and friends. Then there's the dear old lady, who sits in your HQ and wants nothing more than to be fed fine food – in exchange for rare items, of course. Racing through the main story will take you a considerable amount of time, but Bloodstained is packed side-quests which will keep completionists glued to the screen, not to mention multiple endings that reward repeat playthroughs.
Despite the fact that it was one of Kickstarter's most successful video game campaigns, the $5.5 million initially raised in 2015 is still peanuts in the world of multi-format development, and while additional funds will have been generated via the publishing deal with 505 Games, it's clear that Bloodstained was made on a tight budget – and one that will have no doubt gotten much tighter following that delay. This manifests itself in a number of ways; certain locations look empty and lifeless, while a few of the character models are almost of Wii quality. The audio also suffers from some poor-quality effects, although it should be said that the soundtrack – which is mostly composed by Castlevania series stalwart Michiru Yamane – is superb and does a lot to connect Bloodstained with Konami's famous franchise.
These issues apply to all of the versions available, but the Switch port – as you may have heard – has additional problems that impact the experience further. For starters, the frame rate halved to 30 fps, and while it does a good job of maintaining that goal, there are numerous times when it dips even lower and sometimes even pauses for a fraction of a second, giving a jerky and rather unpleasant performance. This is both predictable and erratic at the same time; during one intense sequence which involves a zoomed-out camera angle, a rotating tower and multiple enemies, the frame rate was up and down like a bride's nightie – understandable when you consider the amount happening on-screen.
However, the frame rate drops just as alarmingly whenever you read a book from one of the many shelves mysteriously dotted around the castle (including in the dank caves below, which can't be good for delicate tomes). After reading the book, the game often slows down so much it feels like it's moving in slow motion and doesn't return to normal until you exit the room and enter another; this is clearly one of the many performance issues Inti Creates and ArtPlay have said they will address in a future update, but it gives you an idea of how rough this port is. Input lag is another problem; while it's not game-breaking, there's enough of a delay between your button press and the on-screen action to make the whole thing feel a little heavy and leaden.
Elsewhere, visual effects such as the running water on the ship in the opening level and real-time shadows have been either scaled back or sacrificed entirely, while texture quality is noticeably much, much lower on Switch than on other systems, leading to a muddy and ill-defined look. We also noticed 3D models 'popping in' as we entered certain scenes; for example, when entering a warp room the frame of the stained glass picture would start off with basic geometry and then 'fill in' after a second or two – a minor but still quite jarring event which destroys immersion and reminds you that you're playing a video game.
The close-up portraits of the main characters which appear during dialogue sequences are hardly what you'd call attractive on the PS4 Pro version, but they look downright ugly on Switch thanks to reduced texture quality and a resolution drop. Speaking of which, the game appears to run in 720p docked and 540p handheld, although some dynamic scaling may be in play during certain points. Oh, and while we're here, load times vary from instant to painfully long; some seemingly minor transitions between rooms can take as long as five seconds.
A patch may well fix the majority of these problems, but it's clear that the process of porting Bloodstained to Switch (it was originally slated for Wii U, lest we forget) hasn't been plain sailing. Even if the many (admittedly quite minor) problems are ironed out, it's unlikely that Inti Creates and ArtPlay are going to be able to get the Switch version on an even standing with even the versions available on the base PS4 and Xbox One consoles, at least from a visual and performance standpoint. It should be clear by now that if you have the option to play Bloodstained on any other system, then you should probably avoid the Switch edition.
As a counterpoint to that, this is actually a game that's incredibly well-suited to portable play; in fact, Metroidvanias really do lend themselves to Nintendo's console, and handhelds in general (we got two trilogies of Castlevania games on the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS, it's worth remembering). Multiple save points and a massive, non-linear environment to explore mean Bloodstained is ideal for playing in short bursts, so in that regard, the Switch version does offer one advantage over its siblings. Whether or not you're willing to put up with this version's myriad technical shortcomings in order to live the dream of Bloodstained on the move is for you alone to answer.
Conclusion
There's no denying that Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a fantastic Metroidvania, and arguably in the same class as the likes of Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow. In that respect, it's mission accomplished for Koji Igarashi; he has fulfilled the promise he made back in 2015 to create a spiritual successor to the Castlevania games he's famous for. Bloodstained packs in hours of engaging gameplay, a complex and rewarding combat system, loads of collectables and plenty of gothic atmosphere; it's just a shame that Igarashi wasn't able to stage this revival within the Castlevania series itself, but fans should count themselves lucky – there hasn't been a full-blown Castlevania entry since 2014's divisive Lords of Shadow 2, and it would seem that the publisher is content to allow that esteemed series to fester in its grave for the time being (retro collections notwithstanding).
Despite the fact that this is unquestionably a very fine video game, there's no escaping the fact that the Switch version has some serious issues; assets are noticeably weaker than they are in other versions, the frame rate is halved and the loading times are maddeningly protracted at points. Fingers are crossed that the developers can remedy some of these problems with proposed updates, but for the time being, this is arguably the least impressive edition of the game – although the fact that it's portable perhaps counts for more than you'd think.
Comments 137
I've been playing this on PS4 and its probably my favourite game so far this year, definitely one I'll double dip on Switch if the performance and lag are sorted. As for missing effects, that rain is by far the biggest difference and such a small area of the game plus it actually looks overdone on the other versions anyway. Great game and a true Castlevania in every sense, here's hoping the Switch version is brought up to par
This is a damn shame. I got this on PS4 and it's already become one of my top 5 games of all time. I really, truly hope they fix the Switch port, I'd love to have this on the go
Nice review. I'm loving this game on PC but would have preferred playing it on Switch. I'll probably buy this again on Switch if they're able to fix the loading times and input delay. This game is such a blast and I really hope they're able to get the Switch version in a better state because it plays wonderfully on PC.
The game is fantastic for sure! I hope for a sequel and Curse of the Moon 2 as well.
We, the Castlevania fans are happy!
Guess I’ll go for the PS4 version, then.
I'm pretty sure Inti Creates left the development of this game and currently has nothing to do with it.
If I ever did scores (I hate them), 7/10 is what I'd give the Switch version too. Personally it's a 10/10 on PC that rivals Order of Ecclesia as my favorite Igavania. Get this game on PC until patches are rolled out for other versions.
Oh wow and here I was expecting a perfect 10 and praises of perfection. A surprisingly honest review, well done NintendoLife.
The developers promised to fix the game, I hope for the fans they will deliver! Especially as the switch versions is the best seller by far, selling more the the PS4 and Xbox versions combined!
This game can easily, and should run perfectly fine on the switch!
I might pick this up but I need to keep taps on this game update status. Is there a there a news channel on switch?
Can we please start getting review revisits and updates once patches are released that address issues? I have a feeling this would climb to 9/10 or 10/10 if the performance was fixed, textures improved and lag fixed
Edit - I still got this on Switch, and bugs aside, dang fine game. Switch def seems to be an after thought or rushed via comparison footage from DF, it nothing that can’t be fixed via patch.
Just found footage of the rotating tower bit on the Switch... looks fine to me :S
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqyrmnZ-arI
Nothing arguable about it. This version of the game is the worst.
Picked it up on the 25th and am having a blast. I come from the era of slowdown so I can play through. I have confidence I the updates. Game has only crashed once in 11 hours. Might pick up the PS4 version down the line when it is on sale.
I guess it has to be pretty embarrassing for IGA and the team to have their most half assed port be their best seller.
This is going to be the first PS4 game I spend money on (outside of rentals) since getting my Switch. I really wanted it for my Nintendo handheld, but alas, the technical problems are too much to ignore.
I'll hold out hope that the Switch version will get better, and may consider double dipping when/if it does, but I don't want to wait that long to play the game.
Quite a shame. I could forgive these issues if the price point was lower, but with all the performance issues it is, I can't justify putting the money down for it. I am crossing my fingers for a good sized patch soon.
Personally, while this version's problems are hard to ignore, I'm just glad it didn't crash and burn like Mighty No. 9 did.
It's an amazingly fun game despite its technical drawbacks on the Switch. They promised a few periodical patches in order to get the game up to snuff. I'll still be enjoying it in the meantime!
I'll just wait for them to patch the Switch version. With the Switch version selling the most even in the U.K., it should be a priority. I just cant bring myself to play other versions of a game knowing there's a hybrid version. Plenty of games to play in the meantime anyway.
I honestly don't know if patches can solve all the game's problems, but I'm waiting for them (and hoping)
@WhiteTrashGuy Glad I’m not the only one that has this thought process. Lived through the NES/SNES/N64 eras eh? I’m generally happy as long as games don’t crash often and have a draw distance better than Turok 64. 😆
Edit - Or break/become unplayable like Fallout 3 on Ps3
A 7/10 seems quite generous for what the Switch version of the game currently is.
@Wavey84
The PC version is a flawless 60fps if you own a decent PC.
I was okay with the graphical downgrade until I saw the samurai character get introduced. He looked like part of his outfit was rendered on the n64. Then all of crashing and slow down kinda did it for me, so I returned the game as broken. I can take a game crashing once in a while, but when you need to find a safe room all the time before the game crashes again, I consider that game broken. Good review but I honestly think you might have been too kind.
@Wavey84 no, even the PS4 Pro version runs at 1080p. Only the XBX version runs at native 4k
I truly cannot wait to play this once they (hopefully) fix a majority of the issues mentioned above. I have so many games in my backlog I am in no hurry and will be here when it's ready..
Worst case I will play it when it inevitably gets dumped on PS+ for free sometime next year
@DoomTurtle It would make sense as their work is generally better than what is on display here.
I've beaten Bloodstained on the Switch with 100% in every category, and am working on a 2nd playthrough right now. I don't believe it's as bad as people claim. I've had a few slow downs in a few spots. Mostly the Twin Towers areas, and another. But I've never had it crash on me. I haven't noticed any latency lag that I've heard others complain about. Yeah, it doesn't look as nice as the other versions, and a few small tweaks here and there will help out. But it's not nearly as much of a "trainwreck" as people are making it out to be. It actually runs pretty good, overall. I haven't had any major issues at all. And, on my second playthrough, I'm still not seeing anything major that would make me sway people from it. Again, it doesn't graphically look as good as the other versions, but that's not that huge of a deal. The upcoming patches will certainly help in some places and things. But overall, the Switch version isn't as bad as it's claimed to be.
@SBandy I was going to say that, but then I thought about it and the simple fact is that if you want to play portable the Switch version is the best version. Personally I wouldn’t get this knowing I can get a much better version on PS4.. portability isn’t important enough to make it worth it.
@Lawnachaun You did not have a single crash on a 100% run? Then the patches fixed that for sure.
I am at 51% and had 5 crashes. But I am still trying to complete it just from the cartridge without updating it. Like a fun little challenge. I do not care for low rez, little slowdown or loading times. All I want is for the game not to crash.
Ehhh maybe I'll pick this up soon.
@Aerona They probably dont care as long as the money keeps coming in,lol. I figured Iga would have made a statement by now. He knew the state of the game when it launched. I figure he doesn't really care since the sales numbers must be good.
This is a shame but having played this how on Earth an you score a 7? It’s almost unplayable at times.
Lazy, shoddy programming. The frame rate is halved and it’s just a total mess.
Sorry but this deserves a 4 at best. Truly atrocious conversion.
I’m so glad I got this on PC. I get portability and it looks a whole lot better.
Something I haven't seen mentioned yet is that when your health gets low, the rumble goes haywire. It's especially bad in portable mode because the rumble (in any game) causes a really annoying sound from the screen vibrating.
@Zuljaras had the patch and my version crashed about 6 times before I even made it to 20%. I wonder what causes the crashes? It mostly crashed on me when interacting with NPCs. Who knows. That other guy is quite lucky,lol.
A 7/10 in light of what I consider gamebreaking issues is incomprehensible to me.
This really does look horrible on Switch. I can't think what excuses can be made. So many games look so much better doing a lot more with the hardware... Shame, because I really would have liked to play it. As it stands, it's a mess. I'll reconsider if improved.
@whanvee Yeah. 2 or 3 of my crashes are just before turning in the "In Memory of ..." quests. Some people report crashes when reading the books. So it must be connected to cutscenes and interactions.
@nofriendo
I think there are 2 reasons for that. First the game is made on Unreal Engine 4 which is known to be quite heavy. Even the PS4 Pro version runs at 1080p. The second one is probably because the Switch port was not one of the main goals from the start. Remember the game was supposed to be on the Wii U and even on the Vita.
@Wavey84
The PS4 Pro is 1080p and closer to a locked 60.The base PS4 is dipping below 50fps in many cases and also runs at 1080p.
That's a shame. Since I have all three systems, I was debating do I want trophies/achievements or portability. Guess I will go Achievements.
@nofriendo
Completely with you. The score should reflect the quality of the game in all aspects. Sales should also reflect that. It sets a non motive for every developer if an unfinished product score good sales anyway.
7/10 ? Wow I don't know if I have to laugh or to cry ?
I thought NL will give a 5/10 because I know how generous the site is, but 7/10 for the Switch version of the game IT'S NOT PROFESSIONAL.
If I had to review the game on Switch it'll get a 3/10. I don't care that Iga is behind the project or not, I just see a broken game and a broken game deserve a bad score.
Another game with performance issues on Switch?
Gasp! Shocker.
I don't get why they couldn't get the framerate correct on Switch, I mean Castlevania: Circle of the Moon for GBA and Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow for DS both came out for much weaker systems and still plays smooth as butter. Even games that were Metrovania clones released earlier for Switch such as Chasm and The Mummy Demastered runs much smoother. They could had just delay it longer instead of giving us a broken release.
Usually trust Nintendo Life on reviews, but this is unforgivable. The game is a MESS on Switch and absolutely should have been delayed. 4/10, and that's being generous. I don't blame the Switch, I blame these incompetent developers.
@gamer95 no they didn't.
@diablo2
So time for a Switch 2.
this game must be just terribly coded. nothing i'm seeing from any videos makes me think the Switch version should be this bad. the game looks like something from the ps3.
Such a shame. Someone from management must really hate this IP..
@Wavey84 I play it on my PC 1080p + 60fps and it's enough. What I see here on Switch it looks more like 360P. An upgraded 3DS game ported to the Switch. Switch is clearly not enough for even this game. Kinda sad isn't it? Disgaea 5 Switch I read before even docked graphics are a bit blurry. ps3 did great job and nothing wrong there. Switch a newer hardware can't handle it. Well it's what it is
I only have the switch version right now, and even with those sacrifices this is definitely the best game I've played this year so far. I feel like the people giving the switch version 5's and 3's on here is hilarious. The game DEFINITELY runs worse than its counterparts, BUT I agree with nintendo life, the switch version is definitely a 7. I don't think it deserves anything lower though.
Kudos for reviewing with performance issues taken into account.
I’ll wait and see if this improves on switch, if not I’ll grab it on PS4 further down the line...
I just want it to run at 60fps. Even a very low resolution would be okay with me!
10/10 for that tagline!
Got my PS4 backer copy, I had my doubts about the Switch version the day it was announced it was handled by another party and I certainly am glad I went with my gut this time.
Completed it about a week ago, it had some technical difficulties and I found the tone a bit too silly and "anime" to my liking but overall it was a very solid game and definitely worthy successor to the Metroidvania titles, It's not the best one of the bunch, but it's certainly not the worst either.
bad porting still bad after 10000 patches. i'll buy it when it's on sale at 50% or more
@TheLightSpirit Pro has a good few games running native 4K. Skyrim and Wipeout come to mind.
Nice advertising for the PS4 version. I'll be getting that instead.
I have a Switch and PS4 but got the Switch version as it came out on the first day of my week-long vacation and portability trumps most factors for me. While I've certainly noticed the performance problems, they have far from ruined the experience for me and are completely tolerable. I've loved all my time with it so far and once the updates patch it up, I'll be happy to play through it again. Honestly, the janky nature of this "broken" version adds a fun flavor of ps1 nostalgia that I kinda like. Haha
"it's unlikely that Inti Creates and ArtPlay are going to be able to get the Switch version on an even standing with even the versions available on the base PS4 and Xbox One consoles, at least from a visual and performance standpoint. It should be clear by now that if you have the option to play Bloodstained on any other system, then you should probably avoid the Switch edition."
And people still don't believe a Switch Pro is around the corner. If it isn't, it would be extremely foolish on Nintendo's part.
@retro_player_22 You're comparing apples and oranges in every possible way.
The input lag is game-breaking for this kind of game!
@Wavey84 If you want the superior version you should get the PC version.
Weird. Maybe it's my old man reflexes or just the fact that I've not been more than 20% or so through the Switch version but I'm not seeing all of the issues other people are when I compared to PS4, which I completed the day after it came out. Granted, I've been playing undocked and have yet to put it on the big screen but hiccups to date, of which I've counted only two, have been so brief that I don't think I'd have noticed them had I not been looking for them.
For me, being a backer was a big disappointment. To cancel the version of the game for which I backed so late into development and to not offer refunds was unacceptable, along with other decisions made in the months following the announcement. I consider myself lucky that I was able to sell my key for roughly what I paid, coming out ahead thanks to already receiving Curse of the Moon a year ago. But I come out of the experience with a negative opinion of Iga, Artplay, and especially 505 games.
There was really no excuse for this version to be this bad. I feel for any of the Switch version backers.
Looks like it'll be PC or PS4 version to me. Planning to grab a copy later on tonight!
The Switch version of Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon sold the most by far and they are treating us like this? I dont want to sound entitled but the Switch version might as well be played on Vita. Such a shame but I wont be supporting this company. If you dont care to put enough effort in one version of your game dont release it at all.
You meant, I guess it has to be pretty embarrassing for Switch owners and the games buyers to have the most half assed port be the best seller right @Aerona?
1) While Inticreates did work on Ritual of the Night, they got pulled off of this title years ago. WAYFORWARD got brought on some time ago, and is promising fixes. Do your research.
2) With all these issues, how can this possibly be a 7? Did you actually play thru the full game, or do you just NEED us to click that Amazon link still?
3) "the frame rate was up and down like a bride's nightie" wtf is this comment? Some context: this author personally troll moderates these comment sections hardcore for anything remotely inappropriate - a real stretch sometimes what he warns people about...then writes that? Also, here's a newsflash, you can totally have sex before you get married. Not sure if you're familiar with the idea of someone wanting to have sex with you before you get them "locked down." Lame.
I still intend to buy the Switch version over the PS4, just because I plan to play this game on vacation. Hopefully it gets patched up before August.
Now I've played it a little bit (up to the first boss) and while it looks a little rough, I wouldn't call it a "trainwreck" as implied in the headline (but I guess you wanted to get som extra clicks out of it).
@Tantani where do you get this idea that it should run perfectly on switch when it doesn't on machines that are far more powerful.
Yes the port should be better but running perfectly is just plain silly
I know I’m only like 5 hours in, but the switch version runs fine. I’ve played worse games and I’m sure they will smooth out some of the issues. Its a shame too since it took them so long to make this game anyways.
If Konami had any sense they'd have announced Castlevania Collection II with the GBA and DS hames in the wake of this debacle, but that, of course, would make far too much sense/money.
I'm playing the Switch version and the complaints really seem overblown. I'm having a blast with it. Sure, it's not the most technically impressive game I've played on Switch, but it's totally playable. The loading time can be a little annoying but hopefully it will get patched out.
Haven’t seen the other versions so I’m not comparing but I can tell, despite this being an amazing game, it is the worst version of the 3. That being said, I’m like 45% map completion, 10+ hours in, and loving it. It’s playable but it needs some love from the developers. I have faith- surely a studio capable of such a great game can get this smoothed over.
Just 100% it on Switch. It's nowhere near as bad as I read on the internet. Zero crashes, it has frozen a couple of times and I think it's crashed, but then regains after a few seconds. A little bit of slow down on the towers and final boss. There is zero noticeable input lag. Feels a bit slow at first (just like SOTN) but once you unlock double jump and a speed amplifier it feels spot on. Hugely enjoyable, I'm having a blast.
I'm sure the PS4 and Xbox versions do look and run better, they are more powerful. If you grew up playing SNES, N64 etc this looks and plays great on Switch.
@Donutman All the people complaining must have never played Wasteland 2 on Switch!!
It should be noted that the other consoles have crashing issues as well. I have this on Both PC and Physical on Switch. I don't think I've experienced a single crash on PC. This is entirely different on the switch as I've crashed SEVERAL times in the beginning area and after picking up a book from the book case. To the point where it just angered me and I never touched the switch version ever.
Sadly it looks like the PC version is the most stable. At least from my experience. The toned down graphics and 30 FPS was somewhat expected, but the Input delay is unacceptable. I'll be watching the console versions closely to see how they fix it.
Every version had all the same issues as the switch exceppt for the graphics being dim downed. The graphics are actually just a little darker which doesnt bother me. Its a castlevania type of game it is not suppose to be all bright and happy go lucky. This article and all otheers do nothing for this game. I seriously wouldnt hold my breath on any of these reviews. It is a great game for any system you play it on period.
What a shame. I'm definitely not getting this on Switch and hoping they sort it out. 30fps is one thing (though not great for an action game) if it can remain constant, but stutter and slow down? And the other reported issues of pop in graphics, input delay and crashing.....what a mess.
I was so looking forward to this on Switch, but there's no way I'm paying for a game in this state. I'll grab the PC version as it's reportedly the best and most stable version.
We’ve had kickstarters that were delayed, broken, downgraded, cancelled for certain consoles, abandoned entirely, made to insult fans, had their backing used for other projects, and made storefront exclusives. Not to mention just disappointing.
Remind me why anyone is backing these things any more?
@SuperRetroArt "There is zero noticeable input lag." I agree with the rest of what you wrote, but this is plainly not true, there is very much a noticeable input lag at play. If you have Symphony of the Night (or the Dracula X collection on a PSP/Vita) close by, press the jump button and watch Alucard jump instantly. Press attack and he attacks instantly. Compare that with Bloodstained, where you press attack and there's a slight delay before Miriam attacks, even with fast weapons like knives or boots. Same thing for the jump, which is really frustrating if, like me and probably many others, you use your 1337 platforming skills and always wait until you're at the very edge of a platform before you press jump. In Bloodstained, you often just fall off the platform because Miriam doesn't jump at the exact moment you press the button.
Switch port is going to be fix anyway. They are working on it. It will be fantastic.
If they fix a lot of the issues and update the cartridges then I’ll buy. Otherwise I’ve got enough to play that I don’t need to go and seek out a playable version of this.
This is why I keep saying from the damn get go Nintendo should have given the switch some decent power! I keep getting people say it’s “strong enough”
Don’t make me laugh, nearly every game is marred with bad resolution, frame drops or just ugly textures, apart from Nintendo’s own stuff..yet your all happy to play along and call it a marvel because you can take it on the go? Yes that’s great and all but after so much crap like this it’s just getting boring and stale now. One could say it’s the devs not porting right, but with such lack of power in this day and age to boot! I can’t blame the devs it must be taking so much work just to port the games to switch because so MANY games have this problem and I’m realising this is not all down to poor ports. It Is not going to cut it if they want games like this.
Even playing xb2, such a great game but so ugly due to resolution even docked, they would squeeze so much more impact out that game if it could look as good as they intended it too.
if the issues get fixed will nintendolife redo the review thats the big question.
@Deathwalka switch power had nothing to do with bloodstained being poorly optimized for switch the dev 505 knew very well switch version had issues that needs to be worked out including graphics of the game needed more polished and they did nothing after delaying it for a week so the blame goes on them for screwing it up.
Well this is unfortunate. I'm currently not close to having my chance to play Bloodstained on Switch as I'm playing other stuff, so hopefully by the time I am able to play it, they will have it patched up. For now I will just wait.
I'll wait a few months, and then buy it when fixed and on sale. Easy.
@MeloMan thats wat im doing ill hold off playing it till the whole game is fixed.
I usually don’t take offense at poor ports as If they are a deserving enough game I play them on the best platform. Ark Survival is a good example. The game performs like poo on anything but a proper gaming pc, but on a Pc its where it performs right it is a joy.
What honks me about this port is how much it was hyped, how they jumped on the Switch train, how Nintendo pushed the game in directs, and how much we want s good modern vania game on a cutting edge portable. Add to that Switch has outsold ps4/xb1 so they essentially give Switch the crapyist version while making the most money off it. I will wait to see if they improve it but meanwhile enjoying on the PC.
@QuickSilver88 i dont think nintendo knew how bad the switch version was cause of 505 dev kept the issues to themselves after wasting the one week delay for nothing and im hoping iga doesnt considered using them again for future series of bloodstained.
That's a shame. I was hoping the Switch version would be on par with the other versions. Might just grab it for xbox then.
@Dm9982
Absolutely. When I was a kid I always thought of slowdown as the game's way of saying things were getting so hardcore even the system can't handle it!
It sucks that the Switch version is terrible compared to other versions. I ended up buying the game for PS4 and it's fantastic. There's no excuse to why this game runs so poorly on Switch.
@Zuljaras Yeah. I haven't had a single crash yet. Not one. I'm in the middle of a full 2nd playthrough, and still, not a single crash.
Got my first crash at ~25%. And I was progressing through a new area where I hadn’t found a safe room yet... I think I need to take a several-week break and give them time for patches.
I wanted this game but now I don't. Refunds on preorders should be offered when this kind of thing happens.
I'm loving it on the Switch. Had to travel for vacay and it has been a blast to carry everywhere we went, including the plane and family's beach house. The gripes are so minor that I hardly noticed after the prologue. If a proper update is released, it's just icing on the cake.
Disappointing to hear the rumours be true. It was one of the rare games I pre-ordered, along with Mario Maker 2, because I was overseas at the time of release and both would be a nice present waiting upon return. As a fan of Metroid and Castlevania, this Metvania (or Castleroid) would have been one of the highlights of the year. I was loathe to go PS4 with it too, as I like the handheld option of the Switch. Anyway, I have it, I'll play it, and simply accept the slowdown like I did in the SNES days.
He said they were committed to making this version good, so I’ll hold off until they do. It’s on my wishlist.
“What is a port?!” shatter
I backed the game and opted for the Switch edition. Then immediately regretted it. I played the two PC demos, so I knew something was very wrong. Forgive my disloyalty, but I went with the PS4 version and never looked back.
@Herman187 I know it is idiotic but I guess I love the CV series so much and the whole metroidvania genre as well that I am able to enjoy (for the most part) all of them.
People did not enjoy Lords of Shadow 2 or Mirror of Fate, yet I absolutely loved them and replayed them many times. Same with Harmony of Dissonance!
I guess I am a CV fan like thise Call of Duty fanboys
Game itself is great its close to perfection!
Technical the game lacks a lot true, 7/10 is reasonable
What exactly is this game doing on PS4/XBO/PC that makes the Switch version have to be downgraded? It doesnt look anything special in the videos I've seen, in fact it looks like it would have been achievable on the Wii U. It seems that a few indie games have these problems so I'm assuming that it's just poor coding. I'll wait until its patched/on sale for the Switch or free on Xbox Gold/Gamepass.
@CaPPa Unreal Engine 4. It is heavy and do not know why they use it for a 2.5D platformer. But it might be the cheapest option for them, who knows. I bet they could achieve the same game on Unity 3D and make it run smoother.
@JayJ the game runs so slowly on switch it makes every other version go 3 times faster like Char. But surprised no mention of that first boss lol get in mah belly.

And games like this tell me that an endeavor like Witcher 3 is almost pointless. If they can’t even get this game up and running properly, what hope does Witcher 3 have?
I just started playing this last night on the Switch and i'm actually having fun, it is a good game. The visuals are obviously not great but i quickly accepted the aesthetics and just got on with playing it. I'm unsure as to whether or not to stop and do it all properly on another system so as to get the best experience.
NL is fine in general but I do find some of the reviews baffling. A game with no input lag scored a 4 and a game with ridiculously high levels of input lag scores a 7! It’s just so inconsistent and it does smack of preferential scoring to certain publishers.
This game is just a poor, poor conversion and I have said this so many times - ports to Switch can be fabulous. We have seen it with Doom, Wolfenstein, Rocket League etc and Witcher so far looks like it may well be good too despite some compensations being made- but when a developer simply cannot be arsed to put in the time and effort, that’s is when we are left with shambolic games like this.
As a Nintendo Switch owner, I don’t expect ports to be like for like the originals on more powerful machines. I am a realist. I have no issue with certain compensatory changes being made as long as the game runs and plays well.
This game does neither!
Nintendo Life as an independent site should be taking developers and publishers to task over such poor conversions, yet by giving a score of 7 are simply letting them off Scot free.
The 7 is like saying to gamers the game is worthwhile even though at times is completely unplayable and you’d need eyes of steel to not get a headache with such poor frame rate and visuals.
If games like this were to get a realistic score - 3 or 4 wouldn’t be wide of the mark - companies might just get the message that gamers will not accept such utter drivel being released. We, as Switch gamers should accept a much higher standard of release and Nintendo Life should surely be reflecting the poor quality of this game in its reviews. Yes there is acknowledgment that there are ‘sacrifices’ but then it just seems it is a case ‘but it’s still really good.’
It isn’t really good. It’s awful.
I do also understand that reviews are based on personal opinion but this review almost reads as if the publishers were stood over NL with a pistol to make sure they gave the game more than the 3 or 4 it truly deserves. I and many others put our trust in NL being independent in their reviews and this is sadly another example that suggests otherwise and I for one am extremely disappointed.
@nintendoknife I totally agree that our experiences with all games is subjective. I don't feel any noticeable lag, whereas some others will. I think we all (me!) Get a bit stimulated when we read something that differs to our own experience, it feels like I'm lying or am inexplicably talking about something else, but it's totally normal to have different experiences of the exact same thing.
For me this plays exactly like all the other Castlevanias I've played, and I've played all of them! I'm probably getting old and my senses are dulling. But if that means I get to enjoy this great game on Switch I suppose it's a good thing! I've found the positive to getting old!!
If I compare this game to, say, super meat boy which is renowned as being super tight. I can say that they feel "different" but neither better or worse. Meat boy feels more slippery and quick while bloodstained is more weighty and slower paced. But like I say it's all subjective and I hope that the issues are resolved soon so everyone can play and enjoy.
While I understand that there's a lot of stuff going on under the hood of Bloodstain, the visual looks is that of a polished HD PS2-game and the fact that the Switch version has the textures of a midlife PS1 game is just embarrassing :/
However, my biggest gripe is something that seems to be present in all version of the games. The fact that no character model has any animation for any surfaces that aren't perfectly flat. Both Miriam and the enemies constantly clip into the ground or hover above it. And if they're standing on a slope, they're balancing on one leg with the other is just resting in mid air. That just makes it look.. really cheap.
So the Switch version is a disaster, the PS4 Pro has the ‘best’ Console version but only at 1080p for a 2D game and somehow XB1X is worse than that?
Bizarre. Doesn’t sound like it’s been very well coded at all.
@BanjoPickles
Straight comparisons like that don’t work though. They don’t take into account the engine the game is running on or the Skill level, time and resources available to the developers.
@BanjoPickles @TheLightSpirit
Fairly good hopes seeing as there's games with much more going on than this game doing pretty admirably on the Switch. Let's not lose faith in others because of these guys piss poor programming & efforts.
@jarvismp
Agree with all them points. There’s no excuse for the Switch version being so bad. While regarding the site itself I like their news coverage and the community but not necessarily the reviews.
@YANDMAN
Well the best version will probably be on PC honestly. However, if it's really that important you should certainly do as best ya can since it sounda like they royally reamed the Switch version. As for myself, it doesn't look to be that great a game or interesting enough that I would double dip personally.
The technical performance is a dealbreaker for me, sadly. I'll be picking it up on PS4.
@Timsworld2
It's a major mistake to do what NL did.
From a publisher stand point :
"Wow that's great ! We don't have to take care about our games on Switch because the review will be good, whatever we work seriously on it or not !"
From a gamer stand point :
"Wow, I thought that game was a disgrace but NL says that it's a good game so I'm going to listen and buy that good game !"
When you discover your $40 game at home, in this state, broken, buggy, with crappy visuals, input lag, compressed sound quality, crashes etc... You can't be confident for the future reviews anymore...
@RiasGremory if that’s your logic then everything can run on anything as long as the dev takes their time to work out all the kinks in the port, right? How can you even say it’s not a question of how weak the switch is!? I love my switch but it’s plagued with games with these problems. Why do pc, and the other consoles not have this problem? All formats, get optimised for and yes some game need tweaks but nothing compared to what the switch ports have suffered. Sorry but this is a direct reflection of the lack of power the switch has, devs wouldn’t need to put in half as much work to optimise their games ( which is obviously causing these problems)
Skipping the game on Switch for the moment, waiting for the optimizations in the coming months.
@WhiteTrashGuy Same here about that era. But tbf, I thought the same about MN9, until it started causing deaths that were not my fault and freezing the screen. Still, I fully intend to pick this up once the patches are out and I expect we'll have a blast playing it.
@Zuljaras Ugh what a pain that must be. I don't mind a bit of slowdown, or graphics that aren't so pretty you swear you must be there, but I don't like crashes.
The Switch keeps struggling with most Unreal Engine games. Wouldn't be surprised if it's also the reason why we still haven't seen any Shin Megami Tensei V gameplay.
@Wavey84 I would guess PC has less slowdown/frame rate drops.
@Nooks inverse kinematics are nice. I always appreciate seeing it, like in Breath of the Wild.
Nice of you to cut the game some slack, NintendoLife. I expect nothing less from you guys.
@Wavey84 Yeah, the best thing about PS4 Pro is getting 60fps in games like that and Shadow of the Colossus
Switch version can be very frustrating but still enjoyable, play it mostly on PC but hopefully the fact the switch version outsold the other versions combined gives it priority to be fixed.
@VoodooTrumpet they're too lazzzzzy to reconfigure how the stylus 2 screen stuff might work. Man I'd love to play Aria thru Order again, NOT on a screen that hurts my eyes.
Backer here, still waiting for my physical copy may be someday I could play the game on my switch. I don't have anyway to track my package but tomorrow is the last day of the estimated time for delivery. The game is sent from the netherlands, I'm near paris in france, the warehouse shipping the game is less than 6 hours from my house but still no game. Backers are pissed another exemple is the iga's back pack dlc was supposed to be available for backers on the 28th but they never send them and we're still waiting to here from them about it. Don't use kickstarter it's always the same thing. Last game i backed was shenmue 3 but I learn my lesson years ago with other games.
From these comments I'm expecting the switch version to look like Spectrum jet set willy running at 6 frames per second, with a 2 second input lag and displayed in monochrome. The left direction on the controller doesn't work so you can only go right, and the Japanese translator got it wrong so your character says "I smell of poo" every time you hit an enemy.
Is that a fair summation?
Before reading the review: Ok, you guys finally reviewed it. In my recent post I mentioned that you guys still hadn't reviewed it. But now you guys have, that's very nice!
After reading: Sounds like a nice and fair review. Would probably have gotten a 8 or 9 on this site if it was technical better.
Can see why they canned the vita version. If they can't get it running properly on the switch...
@Dualmask I hear that. I haven't spent a cent on ps vita or ps4 since I got my switch. I let my ps plus lapse as well. An algorithm somewhere would probably tell them I am dead if not for my regular runs on binding of isaac.
How is this "arguably" the least impressive version? It's without question, the least impressive by far.
@DayOfLavos I bought the Switch version and I haven't encountered any of the technical problems I've read. I started playing it after downloading the patch. Yes, the graphics are weaker than in the PS4 and Xbox versions, but still is good to look at. This game has become one of my favorite games so far.
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