Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, the first game in the Bloodstained series from ArtPlay and 505 Games, is a fantastic Metroidvania game, but its post-release co-op mode was a complete afterthought. Thankfully, co-op seems to be a more integral feature in the upcoming sequel/prequel, Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement. The new game's campaign will feature two playable protagonists and (seemingly) 2-player local co-op right out of the gate, not unlike the Gal Guardians series. It's due out on Xbox Series, PlayStation 5, and PC in 2026.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night will always be remembered as the game that popularized the Metroidvania genre, and one of its key contributors is Koji Igarashi. Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, Igarashi and his studio, ArtPlay, along with 505 Games, released Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night in 2019. Bloodstained is a 2.5D ...

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night from 505 Games finally made good on its promise of a co-op mode last month. That hasn't stopped the popular Metroidvania from growing, however; it has just received a new DLC. The "Classic II: Dominique's Curse' DLC adds a new retro-style campaign that makes place after the main game. The game's existing Classic mode is based on the first Castlevania, whereas this new DLC seems to take inspiration from Castlevania II.

With all these new console specs floating around, it's easy to get swept up in a flurry of new, high-definition graphics, but legendary game producer Koji Igarashi has once again reminded us that the 8-bit aesthetic isn't quite dead.  His latest title, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2, is out on July 10th, and it'll give you all the retro Castlevania vibes you need to get you through the summer.

Koji Igarashi himself has returned from atop his otherworldly spire to bless us, the pitiful gaming rabble, with a brand new "Igavania" title.  Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has been hotly anticipated since its massive Kickstarter run back in 2015, and while companion title Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon satiated that hunger for a time, it was still considered an (extremely competent) appetizer.

It's been a weird road for legendary developer Koji Igarashi. He made some genre-defining classics back in the PS1 days before getting trapped into a perpetual development cycle. Then he spent the last few years locked in a broom closet at Konami, toiling away on cell phone games until he broke free, only to pitch an ultra-successful Kickstarter oozing with nostalgia. 

Do you ache for the days of sidescrolling Castlevania games where you can get lost in a sea of flying medusa heads because you got lost on your way to find that one stupid piece of armor you wanted? Designer and former Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi does, too, which is why he kicked off a crowdfunding campaign for the frighteningly similar Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.