Before we know it Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will be celebrating two years of gaming goodness, but the teams at 505 Games and ArtPlay show no signs of putting it to bed. Nope, instead they are looking to continue evolving Bloodstained, ensuring that it is able to stay fresh for the foreseeable future. Today they look to kick on with those ideas with a new game mode and a bit of an in-game crossover.
After first releasing on Xbox One back in mid-2019, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has today seen a new free update hit home, and not only does this add in a new Classic Mode which will sort out those looking for an old-school fix, but also provides access to a crossover with Kingdom: Two Crowns.
Available today for Ritual of the Night on Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC, the Classic Mode brings nothing less than new stages, new sub-bosses, additional difficulty modes and a retro 8-bit world, whilst the Kingdom crossover provides access to another new area all mixed up with the pixel art visuals of Kingdom: Two Crowns. Full details of each are as follows:
- Classic Mode: Announced during Bloodstained’s Kickstarter campaign, Classic Mode sends Miriam into an 8-bit aesthetic world armed only with a Sword-whip. Miriam must once again enter the demonic castle to confront Gebel and survive five harrowing stages and five sub-bosses that stand in her way. Upon finishing Classic Mode, players are graded on time, score and number of deaths across three difficulty modes – be sure to efficiently use Miriam’s special moves including slide, backstep and backflip. Users can activate Classic Mode from the EXTRA MODES option on the main menu screen.
- Kingdom Crossover: Publishers Raw Fury and 505 Games partnered last year by transporting Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night’s beloved characters – Miriam, Zangetsu, Gebel and Alfred – to Kingdom: Two Crowns. Both publishers are teaming up again, but this time, bringing the world of Kingdom: Two Crowns into Bloodstained. The aptly named Kingdom Crossover content includes a new area that captures the beautiful, modern pixel art aesthetic of Kingdom. Players will encounter a new boss, the Archer Familiar Shard and can find a new piece of equipment: the Crown Head Gear, which reduces damage at the cost of gold.
“For me, it was a dream come true to collaborate with Koji Igarashi, a design influence of mine for years. So, it goes without saying working with the Bloodstained universe was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up, and we can’t wait to play Dead Lands in Bloodstained” said Gordon Van Dyke, co-founder of Raw Fury and now the founder of Stumpy Squid.
“We remain dedicated to giving our fans new ways to experience Bloodstained, and our collaboration with Raw Fury spanning the last two years has opened both of our worlds,” said Koji Igarashi, founder, Artplay. “In addition to the Kingdom: Two Crowns crossover, we’re also now opening Classic Mode, a new gameplay experience that will deliver a rush of nostalgia that many of our fans crave.”
Should you have a copy of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night to hand then you should find access to this new update right about now. If you don’t own the game, get over to the digital store of your choice, with us preferring the Xbox Store. It’s currently available on Xbox Game Pass too.
Make sure you check out the latest trailer below too.
