Must…resist…urge to post
about Fire Emblem: Three Houses…
Must…resist…urge to
post about Hero in Smash Ultimate…
Must…write…post…on
the story of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night…
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH! But Dedue, though! He’s the best, man! He’s just the best!
GAAAAAAAAAAAAH. Okay.
Okay, I’m good. Let’s do this for
real.
What
is a SPOILER? A miserable little pile of SPOILERS!
But
enough talk! Have at SPOILERS!
Couldn’t wrap up
without embedding this one.
So the question I
asked last
time was innocent in theory, but insensitive (at best) in practice. Does this game do enough to justify
itself? Is there more to it than just
catering to nostalgia and standing tall as a monumental middle finger to
Konami? The corollary to that question
is, of course, whether or not it even matters.
I mean, there should be no doubt that -- despite some niggling issues --
Bloodstained is a good game, and I’m personally glad I at least
played it (even if I didn’t get 100% completion, but exploring 98.2% of the map
is as good a stopping point as any).
With that said, I
don’t think I’m entirely off the mark here. Not playing the quasi-contrarian for the sake
of being that guy. I don’t have
any enduring memories of or loyalty to Castlevania. By extension, the most Metroid I’ve
played is Metroid Prime…and the first act of Metroid Prime 3 before
my disc was irreparably corrupted. So as
much as I recognize the triumphs of the past and the efforts of the present to
honor them, that’s not my sole measure of whether or not a game is good. I look at more than that. Story and gameplay pared down to the absolute
basics, but there’s more to it. How’s
the presentation? How’s the feel? How are the mechanics, the systems, the
design philosophy, characters, themes, ideas, execution? And in a lot of cases, I do that in a way
that looks forward. That focuses on how
a game is either going to exist in our current age, or push the medium toward a
future that’s still, regrettably, devoid of jetpacks.
Here's what really
gets to me about Bloodstained, if I’m being 100% personal and 0%
objective: if it released earlier this year, I probably wouldn’t be grappling
with these feelings. Devil May Cry V is
still sitting pretty in the #1 GOTY spot for me, and that won’t change anytime
soon. Bloodstained might have
made my personal list if the circumstances were right. That is, if I existed in a timeline where I
hadn’t played heavy-hitting indie titles like Katana Zero and VA-11
HALL-A, then I’d have wrapped this thing up last time. But since I have, my eyes have been opened to
the power of indie games. As if they
weren’t already; there was a time when it seemed like the only things that
justified the presence of the then-fledgling PS4 were Transistor and Resogun,
the latter of which is a free-to-play shmup.
It’s true that none
of the games I mentioned are pushing their hardware to the limit (at least
compared to AAA fare, for good or ill).
But in exchange? I think we can
all agree that there are some truly thrilling experiences out there -- a level
of maneuverability and variability that most big-budget games are too scared to
tap, what with the money behind them making their creators effectively afraid
of their own shadows. Narratively
interesting, mechanically interesting, visually interesting; the creative
vision shines through, and makes up for not having bottomless pockets. There are games out there with the perfect
blend of style and substance.
But I think I know
what the real clincher is. Katana
Zero, VA-11 HALL-A, and more have the edge in my eyes because of one simple
reason: they all managed to surprise me.
By and large, Bloodstained
doesn’t. It’s exactly what I
expected it to be -- and that, against all odds, holds it back.
It’s exactly what
it set out to be: a new, good Castlevania game. I can’t begrudge it for that, at least not
entirely. I’ve always wondered deep down
if there’s an oversaturation of Metroidvania-style games out in the wild, but
the counterargument is that I haven’t even played that many -- let alone know
them all by heart -- so the smartest thing I could do is get my mouth zipped
shut. Besides, a good game is a good
game. Why not embrace a good game by a
man with plenty of good games to his name? Well, I guess the answer to that -- for me,
at least -- is that I don’t want the same flavor of game every time. Even if the man who made that flavor
is serving it, and it’s the apex of what that flavor can be, I had my fill
years ago.
It’s like
this. I like Michael Jackson’s music;
say what you will about his…legacy…but he put out songs I don’t mind bobbing
my head to when they come on the radio. “Beat
It”, “Man in the Mirror”, and “Smooth Criminal” are all aces in my book. But in contrast? I can’t handle “Billie Jean”. It’s not even that it’s a bad song; it’s just
that I’ve heard it so many times that I don’t want to hear it anymore --
and compared to some of MJ’s other tracks, “Billie Jean” is a decisive step
down for me. You know the feeling too,
don’t you? How you’ve had your fill of
something, and resent it just for showing up in your presence? (Side note: don’t even talk to me about “Eye
of the Tiger”. From here on out, I refuse
it. I reject it.)
But to get back on
topic? Given how far into the century we
are (we’ve never been further in the future, boys!), it’s going to take
something special to elevate a game to the next level. To make it memorable, striking, endearing
beyond its basic mission statement or role.
For some people, Bloodstained in its current state might have
done that. I won’t take that away from
anyone who feels that way. But for
me? Even if there’s plenty of game in
this game -- 10-15 hours, ballpark -- there’s something missing. By and large, that something is its story.
Let’s start with
the good. I like Miriam, and think she’s
a solid main character. Though she’s
been out of the loop for a decade, she marches through a cursed castle for the
sake of saving an old friend who’s fallen from grace. Determined though she may be to end this
horrible night, that doesn’t make her a soulless automaton. She carries herself with enough poise and
decorum to mourn the dead, able to offer both sympathy and kindness to the
survivors throughout Arvantville’s remains.
That said, there’s
also a pinch of pizzazz to her, so she’s not 100% dour all the time. The girl likes her food; whether she’s
lamenting not getting anything from old Susie or doing a little dance when she
cooks something herself, there’s clearly more to her than just a victim of
circumstance. Makes you wonder what her
life would be like without all that Shardbinder nonsense. Maybe she’d be a chef? Or a baker?
I mean, given her skill with weapons -- up to and including boots with
hidden blades -- she clearly knows how to handle a knife. And a teacup.
Something else I
like about the game’s story is…uh…
Well, what really
sticks out to me is…er…
What sets Bloodstained
apart from the rest (besides its pedigree) is…mmmmmmmmmmmm…
…Can I get a rain
check? Or the script? The script would help.
After Miriam, the
most remarkable thing about Bloodstained is that it has David Hayter as
a samurai, and not even trying to do anything besides “Snake, but he’s got a
katana now”. I mean, character-wise, who
have you got? Johannes is there as a
supporter/mission control, but he’s just kind of…fine. Old man Alfred’s bumping around the castle
with schemes and probably-not-street-legal magic, but he’s just kind of…there. Anna, the girl in the shop, offers next to
nothing. OD gives you books that boost
your stats (and the ID card you need to ride the train), but…eh.
I can’t even blame Bloodstained
that much for its middle-of-the-road cast.
It’s the nature of the beast, plunging its fangs into the code and
shaking it every which way. Because you
spend INSANE amounts of time exploring the castle by yourself (with no natural,
easy way for anyone on your side to reach you), there’s no time and no chance
to develop the story any further than the basic context and a few plot beats
along the way.
Is that true of other
Castlevania games? Given my time with
and (vague) memories of Dawn of Sorrow, I’d say so. But it doesn’t make for compelling
storytelling -- motivation to see the tale through to the end. That would be a fair trade if the gameplay
held up, but like I said last time, the lack of difficulty after a certain
point makes what should be a harrowing adventure and clash against hellish
denizens into a formality. Going through
the motions, instead of steadily building up the plot and escalating toward a
fierce finale.
To be fair, I kind
of have to grade on a curve. Even if
this game made a ton of money via Kickstarter, it still had limits to what it
could do. Expecting it to be able to do
everything with S-tier results is just plain unreasonable. Full-on cutscenes are sparse, irrespective of
the gameplay loop. There’s very little
room for excess characters, because that would mean excess models and voice
acting. And of course, it’s not hard to
imagine that gameplay was king for the dev team. Trying to go purely cinematic kneecapped
plenty of AAA games before, so it’s nice to know this one dodged those
self-inflicted wounds.
And to its credit,
there was at least an attempt. You’ll
find bookcases randomly scattered throughout the castle that fill you in on the
backstory behind the Shardbinders, alchemists, and the tragedy from ten years
ago -- chronicles of a group pushed to the edge by an evolving society, and
their slipping grip on the power they once commanded. If you read through them all, you’ll get a
good picture of the universe the devs tried to build. But, at the same time, it’s still basically a
bunch of datalogs. A cheap and easy way
to tell players about what happened in the past instead of showing it. Not the most exciting method of story
delivery, and even then, it’s delivering a story that’s not that compelling
overall. Guys, I have eyes. I can basically infer that it’s all gone
belly-up.
Pretty much the
only card Bloodstained’s story has to play is making you figure out who’s
the good guy and who’s the bad guy -- revelations and betrayals that should leave
an impact, but…well, don’t. Alfred’s an
ornery old fogey obsessed with getting back a mystic book, yet despite his role
in past tragedies, he still scrapes for redemption before he bites the dust
(partially because he became a good guy at some point). But he’s not enough of a presence to justify
any strong feelings one way or the other.
Same goes for David
Hayter’s Zangetsu. Sometimes it felt
like the work put into him started and stopped with the character design; he
fares better than others thanks to being two boss fights and helping you rush a
train, but when he seemingly kicks the bucket near the end -- and vocally
entrusts Miriam to save the day -- I couldn’t sum up feelings any stronger than
“Yeah, okay, bye.” Well, at least he
helped me get one step closer to the true ending.
…
…Along with a
walkthrough I found online, but whatever.
I feel like it’s
not even worth getting too deep into Gebel and Gremory -- and for two of the
game’s main villains, that’s a problem.
Turns out Miriam’s old, kindhearted pal Gebel didn’t start the ritual of
the night of his own will; he’s still a good guy, while Gremory is the true
mastermind whose goal is to claim Miriam’s body (and superior Shardbinder
powers) as her own. Guess what? Didn’t work.
I wouldn’t worry about it too much, though, because the real villain,
and the truer true mastermind is Dominique, AKA the exorcist and
improbably-costumed nun who runs the shop in Arvantville.
It is impossible to
not sniff out Dominique as a traitor.
Even if you look past her character design, she has a bad habit of
appearing in places no normal human should be able to access (and even if she
has combat prowess, she’s still popping up in diabolical secret laboratories
before Miriam reaches/unlocks them in the first place). So between that, her looks, and the fact that
I’ve been trained to expect a betrayal by seemingly innocuous allies -- with a
probability multiplier by way of her being a member of the church, and thus two
steps short of being an evil pope -- I called it way early. The saving grace would have been her motivation,
which in this case is a lust for power born from the sense that God has
abandoned her; unfortunately, just like everyone else, she doesn’t have the
time needed to fully establish herself as a villain, threat, or character. She’s just filling out a role.
Also, she’s responsible
for summoning the final boss, Bael, who -- no joke -- almost made me burst into
laughter. Compared to the last Castlevania
boss I beat, this one is way sillier.
I don’t care if that’s
how he’s classically represented; like, guys, don’t make your demonic
overlord and cap to your Gothic horror adventure have a spinning cat head.
*sigh*
You know what? This is a new feeling.
I’m a guy that
doesn’t really suffer from writer’s block.
It’s rarely, if ever, a matter of me not knowing what to write. How to write it, maybe. Overcoming the limitations of my mortal flesh
and writing even when I’m due for a coffin, certainly. But I usually have a clear vision of how to
get from Word A to Word B. The route may
change along the way, but I can get there.
Crucially, my greatest strength (and weakness) is that I can flood that
route with as many words as I can imagine.
Word count limits were made to be broken.
But with Bloodstained? This is a rare occurrence when I’m struggling
to find more to say about it. Something
more substantial than “it’s good” or “it has problems”. Depending on how you look at it, that’s either
a blessing or a curse. It’s good, so
there’s no reason to go on and on about it (which is more than I can say about certain other games). Or, the dark variant: there’s nothing to
really talk about besides thoughtless ranting.
There are grounds for both, I think.
Yet, despite everything I’ve said, thought, and implied, I think I know
exactly how I want to finish this post.
In the wake of a game that doesn’t need five thousand words to describe
it, I’ll pare down all of my thoughts into a single sentence.
I hope this game
gets a sequel -- because I want to see it build up from the foundation it
already has.
…
…
…
…That wasn’t the
sentence I want to end on. This is.
Here’s “Thriller”
for no reason besides “’cause I wanna”.
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