Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon review

Exceptional

by MeZev

Talk about bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is quite complicated in all honesty. On the one hand, the game does not lie about what it offers, from the Castlevania-like old school enjoyable to play and browse. It is difficult, to see a little too much at times, as for example. I do not know... the ultra putassière sequence with the toads of the world 8 with as only character Zangetsu... In bloodstained, you can play four characters with unique skills and powers. The goal will be to switcher according to the needs of the player. If it is necessary, for example, to cross a chasm, Gebel will be the man of the situation. It will also be necessary to save its characters as in the way of a Ninja turtle on NES. Losing a character can put the Group at risk and cost a life. The game offers clean 2D graphics of the Nintendo NES level, an interesting level-design, alternative passages, enemies and cool bosses, enjoyable music and correct sound effects. All in retro fashion. I also note that the gameplay is just retro. In the direction where the jumps can not be diriable during the jump. Like a ghosts and goblins. This can be very punitive, given the very platform game. But here I find that level-design at times is really horrible. This is seen especially during the Zangetsu run which is a feat to him all alone. How many times have I weighed against jumps, against enemies like his little toads and against his platform moments where you'll always have something that flies just to make you fall in the void. Okay, bloodstained's "retro." But I find that sometimes you are very helpless in the face of the proposed situation. Forcing me to Milker places to earn lives... Then you still have to love the 8bit trip. I'm guessing that for some, played in 2018 to a game that could come out on a 1983/1985 console maybe annoying see very mouth-toting. And finally, the game does not last more than that. In 2 hours, the game can be finished for the first time. And it's really the search for alternative endings that will push the player to go further. In short, it is a good game that will remind nostalgic the first Castlevania, now is this bloodstained is an indispensable. I don't think so.

Product received for free bonus game offered to bloodstained Kickstarters. Overall, this little game is interesting on several aspects but clearly not by its level design. It refers back to the 8bits era of the NES by largely drawing inspiration from the first Castlevanias but without correcting the problems that the 16 bit suites or other indie games in the same style have taken the trouble to integrate. Notament, rigid displacements or levels little see not original. Ideally, I would have preferred a larger detachment of the Castlevanias in the presentation of the game. There's not much to tell if it's only there for several possible purposes depending on whether you recruit other heroes in the game and other more challenging game modes as well as a boss rush mode. That said, the game is relatively short despite these extra modes and so successes are present to entice players to continue the experience with other runs. Its only positive points would ultimately be the attacks and skills of each hero who open up possibilities within the levels or clashes and the originality of the bosses who deserve the detour but which will be a priori also present in the game Main. So I can't really recommend it unless the graphic style really pleases you. This game is clearly old school but much more punitive than the games it draws on, at least, in its "difficult" mode. When I say punitive, it is mostly to evoke the loss of time when a hero dies. Indeed, rather than having you continue with the others, the developers took the party to make you start again at a checkpoint further back with the remaining heroes and their remaining lives. This simple fact makes every death frustrating since you will not only be handicapped for the sequel but will also have to redo the part already crossed with this difficulty in addition. It is therefore not uncommon to commit suicide to exchange a (continuous) life against the return of all heroes with their lives but by starting from an even more distant checkpoint. Why not have integrated the option to exchange a continuous? Fortunately, a "causual" mode compensates a little. There does not seem to be any negative points related to its use (success, unlocked options,..) but it allows at least to avoid the dead by "pushing" into a hole. In short, I did not expect a game as complete but unfortunately I can not recommend because of the frustration engended by the system of life/continuous.