Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 is a platform video game developed and published by Inti Creates. It was released for Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on July 10, 2020. It is the sequel to Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon and a spin-off of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. The game's graphics and gameplay are done in an 8-bit retro style meant to mimic the early Castlevania games. The game received largely positive reviews from critics praising the game's visuals and gameplay, although some criticism was directed towards the game for overly restrictive design stemming from its retro inspirations.

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2
Developer(s)Inti Creates
Publisher(s)Inti Creates
SeriesBloodstained
Platform(s)
ReleaseJuly 10, 2020
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Single-player, Local Co-Op

Plot

The game follows the swordsman and demon hunter Zangetsu as he teams up with several other characters to stop a demon invasion. They include the spear wielder and exorcist Dominique, who also features in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night; the rifle-wielding Robert, and Hachi, a corgi piloting a steampunk mech.[1]

Gameplay

The player must traverse various levels using Zangetsu, and later, a selection of other characters, each with their own abilities and subweapons. The game consists of multiple chapters, each of which requires the player to replay the stages in different ways. The game has two difficulty levels. In Veteran, players have a limited number of continues if they are defeated, and enemy damage can knock a character back (potentially into more damage, or worse, an instant death pit), similar to classic NES games. In Casual, the player can retry from the last checkpoint endlessly if required, enemies do not knockback the character, and the characters take less damage and have more skill points to use.[1]

Reception

The game received mostly positive reviews of 80/100 on Metacritic for the Windows version[2] and 81/100 for the Switch version.[3]

Zachary Miller of Nintendo World Report rated the game 8/10, praising the game's level design, new characters, and how the game changes depending on the act, but criticizing it for having overly frustrating boss fights.[1] Steve Watts of GameSpot also rated the game 8/10, calling it a "classic Castlevania homage" and praising its fusion of "goofy humor" with "macabre imagery", but criticizing how it forces players to replay stages to achieve the true ending.[4] Bob Richardson of RPGFan rated the game 65/100, criticizing the game as a "huge step down" from its predecessor and having "stiff controls" that make the game "feel like a puzzle, not a platformer", ultimately concluding that, unlike games like Shovel Knight which drew inspiration from retro games, its developers "decided to make as authentic an experience as possible", which "serves only to frustrate".[5]

References
  1. Zachary Miller (2020-07-10). "Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 Review - Review". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  2. "Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 (PC)". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  3. "Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 (Switch)". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  4. Watts, Steve (2020-07-27). "Bloodstained: Curse Of The Moon 2 Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
  5. Richardson, Bob (2020-07-22). "Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2". RPGFan. Emerald Shield Media. Archived from the original on 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
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