Game Developer Koji Igarashi Goes Indie With 'Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night' Project

Koji Igarashi

Fans of the hit game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night will appreciate the new game its Japanese game creator Koji Igarashi will be launching.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a 2.5D, side-scrolling, gothic exploration-based game classified as an "Igavania" platform Igarashi's last work belongs. It's not a "Castlevania" or an installment of it since the Belmonts are not part of the game's plot, but there may have some similarities. 

The game story focuses on the concept of alchemy brought about by science and magic and is set in the end of the 18th century. The main character in Bloodstained is a female orphan named Miriam who is cursed by an alchemist. Her goal is to battle the demons in a castle summoned by her old friend Gebel, who also bore the same curse.

One concept in the game that may appeal to games, according to Gamespot's interview with Igarashi, is the robust system in crafting weapons usually employed in role-playing games. 

In addition, players will enjoy the many enemy drops and enemy magic that can be used by Miriam to create new abilities.

And since Igarashi went to become an independent developer, after leaving Konami over a year ago, funding for the game was done through Kickstarter. The goal was to reach $500,000 to develop the game, and 30 days before project starts on June 13 it already had 21,550 backers, who had pledged $1,663,048.

The crowdfunding project itself looked somewhat a game itself. It has put up a backer stretch goals. The more goals get unlocked with enough pledges, the more features will be put into the game. As Igarashi told gamespot, there's a possibility for the game to have online modes and new systems.

With the current funding so far, Igarashi can include in the a second playable character, a nightmare difficulty mode, local co-op, mode, a new boss, and even getting David Hayter, the voice behind Snake in Metal Gear, to do voice acting in the game.

As for the rewards in the campaign, a physical copy of the game will be handed out to those who pledge $60 and above. An exclusive backer content is also included which consist of the SwrodWhip weapon for the game and a hidden boss.

Backers who will pledge $8,500 will have the opportunity to work with the game developers and create a secret room in the game. 

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam for PC, Mac and Linux platforms.