Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a spiritual successor to the PlayStation classic Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and in fact it was created by former Konami developer Koji Igarashi via a Kickstarter that broke the platform's crowdfunding record in 2015. Today, a new update pays further homage to its Castlevania roots by adding a Classic Mode to Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
Classic Mode redesigns the Metroidvania to be more like an old-school Castlevania game, including new level layouts turning it into a five-stage gauntlet with sub-bosses, a limited-use ability system, and retro-inspired menus with unique UI elements. This mode is available to all players in the Extra Mode menu whether or not they've beaten the core game, according to a Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night news post today.
Also included in this update is a crossover with the world of Kingdom Two Crowns, which incorporated content based on Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night last year. The game has a new hidden area that can be accessed using the "Crown of Creation" item, and those who beat its boss will receive an Archer Familiar Shard. Kingdom Two Crowns is published by Raw Fury, which also recently put out the first-person puzzle game Call of the Sea.
The 2019 release has been successful well beyond its Kickstarter half a decade ago, and new content updates will only further cement its status as a beloved Metroidvania. However, the new Classic Mode should not be confused with the series' NES-styled side-scrolling platformer BloodStained: Curse of the Moon, which received a sequel in July 2020.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is available for Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Source: Bloodstained News