There are few things I like more in an action platformer than amping up the pace.
When I think of games in the genre, the likes of Hollow Knight, Dead Cells, and Shovel Knight spring to mind. Now, I’m no speedrunner, but there’s something that just feels good about learning the movement and weight of your character, picking up your fundamentals, and flying through levels. Practice means skill, and skill means speed. It’s how I tend to think of the genre these days.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has changed my perspective on the subject. It’s a Castlevania spiritual successor, through-and-through: slow and deliberate platforming that encourages foresight and planning. You can push your speed to the limit, and even then, you’ll never be flying through the corridors of the Hellhold the way you can in the tunnels of Hallownest. Forcing you to take your time cultivates an atmosphere of dread even when you know where the dangers lie, and even a routine trip between safe rooms can be a trek.
The other side of the coin is combat, which feels less like a test of reflexes, and more like a test of your strategy. This, you might be quick to attribute to the RPG angle of Bloodstained; the game is punishing to those that try and rush their battles. Healing isn’t cheap, and damage resistance can only do so much. There’s not much in the way of consistent health restoration other than finding your way to a rest spot, but hordes of enemies block your way, making you think twice.
You must be willing to dance with any opponent you don’t out level, and every missed step earns punishment you can’t soon undo. That goes double for bosses; they run the gamut in terms of difficulty, but not a one has felt like a short affair. I’m using to being greedy when it comes to squeezing in extra hits, but that’s going to bleed you dry of either health or healing items in the long run. Slow and steady feels like an odd recommendation for an action platformer, but it really works.
Bloodstained pushes you into a war of attrition against the map, and I love it for that. It’s always fun to go back and experience hidden gems you’ve missed in the past, but having it recontextualize a genre is a real rarity. Maybe I’ll slow down and soak in the scenery in my next Metroidvania, but if my completion percentage has anything to say about it, I’ll be making my way through the castle corridors of Bloodstained for a while yet.
Any game-changers you’ve played? Thoughts on Bloodstained in particular? Any recommendations for slower games in the genre, or do you prefer something a little more breakneck? Let us know in the comments below or in the Boss Rush Discord.
Featured Image: 505 Games
The Boss Rush Podcast – The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of Boss Rush Media and the Boss Rush Network. Each week, Corey, Stephanie, LeRon, and their friends from around the internet come together with other creators, developers, and industry veterans to talk about games they’ve been playing, discuss video game and entertainment based topics, and answer questions solicited on social media and the community Discord.
New episodes of The Boss Rush Podcast release every Monday morning on YouTube and all major podcast applications like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Patreon supporters gain one week early access.
Listen on your favorite podcast application or watch on YouTube!
Anchor | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | Twitch | Overcast | Pocket Casts | Stitcher | Amazon Music
Follow The Boss Rush Podcast on Social Media: Twitter | Discord | Instagram | Twitch | YouTube | Facebook Group
Leave a Reply