<s>
Bloodstained	B-Application
:	I-Application
Ritual	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
is	O
a	O
Metroidvania-styled	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Japanese	O
indie	O
studio	O
ArtPlay	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
505	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
development	O
was	O
led	O
by	O
former	O
Castlevania	B-Application
series	O
producer	O
Koji	O
Igarashi	O
and	O
is	O
considered	O
a	O
spiritual	O
successor	O
to	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Windows	O
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
in	O
June	O
2019	O
,	O
for	O
Amazon	B-Operating_System
Luna	I-Operating_System
in	O
October	O
2020	O
,	O
for	O
Android	B-Application
and	O
iOS	B-Application
in	O
December	O
2020	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
Stadia	B-Application
in	O
July	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Igarashi	O
conceived	O
the	O
game	O
after	O
his	O
departure	O
from	O
Konami	O
in	O
2014	O
,	O
prompted	O
by	O
numerous	O
fan	O
requests	O
to	O
continue	O
making	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
style	O
of	O
Castlevania	B-Application
:	I-Application
Symphony	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ritual	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
received	O
generally	O
positive	O
reviews	O
upon	O
release	O
,	O
with	O
many	O
describing	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
worthy	O
successor	O
to	O
the	O
Castlevania	B-Application
games	O
that	O
inspired	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ritual	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
was	O
the	O
second	O
game	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
in	O
the	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
series	O
;	O
a	O
retro-style	O
companion	O
game	O
,	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
:	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
,	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Inti	O
Creates	O
as	O
a	O
stretch	O
goal	O
and	O
released	O
earlier	O
in	O
May	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
received	O
a	O
sequel	B-Application
,	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
:	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
in	O
July	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	B-Application
to	O
Ritual	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
to	O
be	O
in	O
early	O
development	O
in	O
June	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bloodstained	B-Application
takes	O
place	O
in	O
18th	O
century	O
England	O
during	O
the	O
Industrial	O
Revolution	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fearing	O
the	O
loss	O
of	O
their	O
influence	O
over	O
their	O
wealthy	O
patrons	O
,	O
the	O
Alchemy	B-Language
Guild	O
researched	O
methods	O
to	O
summon	O
demons	O
and	O
created	O
Shardbinders	O
,	O
humans	O
forcibly	O
fused	O
with	O
demonically	O
charged	O
crystals	O
that	O
attuned	O
them	O
to	O
their	O
powers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Accompanied	O
by	O
Johannes	O
,	O
a	O
former	O
member	O
of	O
the	O
Alchemy	B-Language
Guild	O
,	O
they	O
sail	O
across	O
the	O
ocean	O
to	O
Arvantville	O
,	O
a	O
destroyed	O
village	O
on	O
the	O
outskirts	O
of	O
Gebel	O
's	O
castle	O
,	O
the	O
Hellhold	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Miriam	O
begins	O
her	O
journey	O
into	O
the	O
Hellhold	O
,	O
she	O
confronts	O
Alfred	O
,	O
a	O
surviving	O
member	O
of	O
the	O
Alchemy	B-Language
Guild	O
and	O
the	O
former	O
mentor	O
to	O
Johannes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
follows	O
the	O
Metroidvania-style	O
gameplay	O
of	O
the	O
post-Symphony	O
of	O
the	O
Night	O
games	O
of	O
the	O
Castlevania	B-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Igarashi	O
stated	O
the	O
choice	O
for	O
2.5D	O
was	O
to	O
follow	O
the	O
style	O
of	O
previous	O
Castlevania	B-Application
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
The	B-Application
Dracula	I-Application
X	I-Application
Chronicles	I-Application
and	O
Mirror	B-Application
of	I-Application
Fate	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bloodstained	B-Application
is	O
a	O
spiritual	O
successor	O
to	O
the	O
Castlevania	B-Application
series	O
by	O
Konami	O
,	O
of	O
which	O
Koji	O
Igarashi	O
had	O
been	O
the	O
series	O
producer	O
from	O
2001	O
to	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Igarashi	O
also	O
stated	O
that	O
he	O
had	O
received	O
a	O
large	O
number	O
of	O
requests	O
from	O
fans	O
to	O
continue	O
to	O
develop	O
Castlevania	B-Application
games	O
,	O
giving	O
him	O
another	O
reason	O
to	O
leave	O
Konami	O
and	O
aim	O
to	O
start	O
his	O
own	O
studio	O
to	O
develop	O
these	O
fan-requested	O
games	O
,	O
including	O
a	O
Metroidvania-styled	O
game	O
with	O
similar	O
themes	O
to	O
Castlevania	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Japanese	O
publishers	O
wanted	O
to	O
make	O
sure	O
that	O
the	O
American	O
and	O
European	O
markets	O
would	O
want	O
the	O
title	O
,	O
and	O
Castlevania	B-Application
games	O
historically	O
were	O
not	O
as	O
well	O
received	O
in	O
European	O
markets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additional	O
stretch	O
goals	O
included	O
hiring	O
Robert	O
Belgrade	O
,	O
the	O
voice	O
of	O
Alucard	O
in	O
Symphony	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
to	O
have	O
a	O
voice	O
role	O
,	O
and	O
allowing	O
artist	O
Ayami	O
Kojima	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
packaging	O
artwork	O
for	O
physical	O
copies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
stretch	O
goals	O
included	O
a	O
retro-style	O
companion	O
game	O
titled	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
:	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
,	O
support	O
for	O
local	O
co-operative	O
play	O
,	O
a	O
boss	O
rush	O
mode	O
,	O
a	O
"	O
classic	O
mode	O
"	O
which	O
reworks	O
some	O
portions	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
maps	O
into	O
strictly-linear	O
levels	O
akin	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
Castlevania	B-Application
games	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
roguelike	O
dungeon	O
mode	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
challenge	O
a	O
procedurally-generated	O
dungeon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
monetary	O
stretch	O
goals	O
,	O
Igarashi	O
offered	O
additional	O
bonuses	O
for	O
all	O
backers	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
amount	O
of	O
social	O
media	O
content	O
the	O
Kickstarter	O
generates	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
followers	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
Twitter	B-Application
or	O
Facebook	B-Application
or	O
number	O
of	O
pieces	O
of	O
fan	O
artwork	O
submitted	O
to	O
its	O
site	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
Kickstarter	O
was	O
successfully	O
funded	O
with	O
more	O
than	O
$5.5	O
M	O
in	O
pledges	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
highest	O
value	O
video	O
game	O
Kickstarter	O
project	O
,	O
exceeding	O
the	O
previous	O
amount	O
set	O
by	O
Torment	B-Application
:	I-Application
Tides	I-Application
of	I-Application
Numenera	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
about	O
two	O
months	O
afterwards	O
,	O
the	O
Kickstarter	O
for	O
Shenmue	B-Application
III	I-Application
broke	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
record	O
,	O
raising	O
over	O
$6.3	O
million	O
in	O
a	O
similar	O
period	O
as	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developer	O
Inti	O
Creates	O
,	O
whose	O
name	O
had	O
been	O
associated	O
with	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
earlier	O
in	O
the	O
project	O
,	O
had	O
been	O
involved	O
in	O
developing	O
a	O
mini-game	O
that	O
was	O
released	O
alongside	O
the	O
main	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bloodstained	B-Application
was	O
developed	O
for	O
Unreal	O
Engine	O
4	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Igarashi	O
had	O
been	O
impressed	O
by	O
WayForward	O
's	O
skill	O
in	O
2D	O
platform	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
their	O
Shantae	B-Device
series	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
excited	O
for	O
them	O
to	O
be	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
name	O
is	O
based	O
around	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
a	O
magi-crystal	O
curse	O
that	O
inflicts	O
the	O
main	O
characters	O
:	O
they	O
grow	O
across	O
the	O
person	O
's	O
body	O
with	O
the	O
appearance	O
of	O
stained	O
glass	O
,	O
and	O
Igarashi	O
felt	O
that	O
"	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
"	O
was	O
a	O
good	O
play	O
on	O
words	O
to	O
reflect	O
that	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
title	O
is	O
thematically	O
based	O
around	O
the	O
Gothic	O
theme	O
like	O
Castlevania	B-Application
,	O
Igarashi	O
did	O
not	O
want	O
to	O
incorporate	O
the	O
public	O
domain	O
character	O
of	O
Dracula	B-Application
into	O
it	O
,	O
feeling	O
it	O
would	O
make	O
the	O
game	O
too	O
close	O
to	O
previous	O
Castlevania	B-Application
titles	O
and	O
did	O
not	O
want	O
to	O
make	O
his	O
new	O
game	O
feel	O
like	O
a	O
"	O
half-baked	O
copy	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
music	O
was	O
written	O
primarily	O
by	O
Michiru	O
Yamane	O
,	O
a	O
former	O
Konami	O
composer	O
who	O
worked	O
on	O
the	O
music	O
for	O
several	O
Castlevania	B-Application
games	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
musical	O
group	O
Noisycroak	O
and	O
a	O
single	O
track	O
by	O
Ippo	O
Yamada	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shutaro	O
Iida	O
,	O
who	O
worked	O
on	O
previous	O
Castlevania	B-Application
games	O
as	O
a	O
programmer	O
,	O
director	O
and	O
designer	O
,	O
returned	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
a	O
planner	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
Kickstarter	O
in	O
June	O
2015	O
,	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
was	O
planned	O
for	O
release	O
in	O
2017	O
on	O
Linux	B-Application
,	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
,	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
,	O
Windows	O
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
through	O
the	O
campaign	O
's	O
stretch	O
goals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
this	O
point	O
in	O
time	O
,	O
the	O
Unreal	O
Engine	O
4	O
was	O
not	O
yet	O
ported	O
to	O
either	O
the	O
Vita	O
or	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
.	O
Armature	O
Studio	O
was	O
set	O
to	O
do	O
these	O
ports	O
,	O
with	O
plans	O
to	O
release	O
the	O
code	O
base	O
for	O
both	O
the	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
and	O
Vita	O
ports	O
for	O
free	O
to	O
any	O
studio	O
licensed	O
to	O
work	O
on	O
it	O
once	O
they	O
had	O
overcome	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
Unreal	O
on	O
these	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
development	O
process	O
,	O
Nintendo	O
discontinued	O
the	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
and	O
released	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
in	O
March	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Igarashi	O
opted	O
to	O
transfer	O
development	O
from	O
the	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
to	O
the	O
Switch	O
,	O
offering	O
backers	O
who	O
had	O
selected	O
the	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
version	O
a	O
refund	O
or	O
a	O
choice	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
a	O
different	O
platform	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
Switch	O
being	O
the	O
default	O
option	O
for	O
backers	O
who	O
had	O
previously	O
chosen	O
the	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
.	O
Igarashi	O
had	O
started	O
the	O
Kickstarter	O
when	O
the	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
was	O
the	O
dominant	O
Nintendo	O
platform	O
,	O
but	O
with	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
the	O
Switch	O
since	O
that	O
point	O
,	O
he	O
found	O
it	O
difficult	O
to	O
support	O
the	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
,	O
and	O
called	O
for	O
the	O
transition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
cancelled	O
in	O
August	O
2018	O
due	O
to	O
Sony	O
dropping	O
support	O
for	O
the	O
handheld	O
;	O
backers	O
that	O
desired	O
the	O
Vita	O
release	O
were	O
given	O
the	O
option	O
of	O
selecting	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
a	O
different	O
platform	O
for	O
free	O
or	O
assorted	O
refund	O
options	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2018	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
planned	O
Linux	B-Application
and	O
macOS	B-Application
versions	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
also	O
been	O
cancelled	O
and	O
would	O
not	O
be	O
offering	O
refunds	O
,	O
citing	O
challenges	O
of	O
supporting	O
middleware	O
and	O
online	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
single-level	O
demonstration	O
of	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
was	O
made	O
available	O
to	O
play	O
for	O
attendees	O
of	O
Electronic	O
Entertainment	O
Expo	O
2016	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
to	O
Kickstarter	O
backers	O
a	O
week	O
later	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bloodstained	B-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
18	O
June	O
2019	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Windows	O
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
versions	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
a	O
week	O
later	O
on	O
25	O
June	O
2019	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
approach	O
used	O
by	O
Shovel	B-Application
Knight	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
used	O
a	O
post-release	O
content	O
model	O
so	O
that	O
they	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
bring	O
additional	O
content	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
game	O
modes	O
from	O
the	O
additional	O
Kickstarter	O
stretch	O
goals	O
,	O
over	O
time	O
to	O
avoid	O
release	O
delays	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Kickstarter	O
's	O
stretch	O
goals	O
,	O
Inti	O
Creates	O
also	O
developed	O
a	O
companion	O
game	O
,	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
:	I-Application
Curse	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
,	O
a	O
NES-stylized	O
platform	O
game	O
with	O
Miriam	O
and	O
Gebel	O
playable	O
alongside	O
the	O
swordsman	O
exorcist	O
Zangetsu	O
and	O
the	O
alchemist	O
Alfred	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
Nintendo	O
3DS	O
,	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Windows	O
,	O
on	O
24	O
May	O
2018	O
,	O
with	O
an	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
port	O
to	O
follow	O
in	O
June	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	B-Application
to	O
Curse	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Moon	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
in	O
June	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mobile	O
ports	O
for	O
Android	B-Application
and	O
iOS	B-Application
devices	O
,	O
developed	O
by	O
NetEase	O
and	O
ArtPlay	O
,	O
were	O
announced	O
in	O
October	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Versions	O
for	O
cloud-based	B-Application
streaming	I-Application
services	I-Application
were	O
released	O
for	O
Amazon	B-Operating_System
Luna	I-Operating_System
and	O
Google	B-Application
Stadia	I-Application
on	O
20	O
October	O
2020	O
and	O
6	O
July	O
2021	O
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Igarashi	O
had	O
stated	O
that	O
given	O
the	O
amount	O
of	O
time	O
he	O
has	O
spent	O
in	O
developing	O
the	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
intellectual	O
property	O
,	O
he	O
sees	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
"	O
a	O
starting	O
ground	O
"	O
for	O
future	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	B-Application
was	O
confirmed	O
to	O
be	O
in	O
early	O
development	O
in	O
June	O
2021	O
,	O
with	O
more	O
development	O
resources	O
to	O
be	O
moved	O
to	O
the	O
project	O
after	O
the	O
completion	O
of	O
the	O
additional	O
content	O
planned	O
for	O
Ritual	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
,	O
Bloodstained	B-Application
:	I-Application
Ritual	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Night	I-Application
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
on	O
PC	O
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
and	O
"	O
mixed	O
or	O
average	O
"	O
reviews	O
on	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
launch	O
,	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
version	O
was	O
seen	O
as	O
inferior	O
to	O
the	O
other	O
versions	O
,	O
with	O
critics	O
citing	O
input	O
lag	O
,	O
washed-out	O
visuals	O
,	O
and	O
stuttering	O
frame	O
rates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
shifted	O
their	O
resources	O
to	O
optimizing	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
version	O
with	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
smaller	O
patches	O
instead	O
of	O
having	O
players	O
wait	O
for	O
a	O
single	O
large	O
update	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PC	O
version	O
was	O
among	O
the	O
best-selling	O
new	O
releases	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
when	O
it	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Miriam	O
,	O
Zangetsu	O
,	O
Gebel	O
,	O
and	O
Alfred	O
appeared	O
in	O
the	O
2018	O
strategy	O
RPG	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Two	I-Application
Crowns	I-Application
as	O
part	O
of	O
a	O
crossover	O
event	O
in	O
April	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
