SACRAMENTO (CBS13) Kyle Buis, June 12, 2015
A project backed by the mind behind Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night has set a new record on Kickstarter after drawing more than $5.5 million in donations.
Nearly 65,000 people backed Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night, a project from Koji Igarashi set for a March 2017 release.
The game has been billed as a spiritual successor to a genre Igarashi himself said hasn’t been a big focus of major developers—the 2-D action-adventure side-scroller. The genre reached its peak nearly two decades ago in the first PlayStation era, but has been left behind by bigger-budget titles.
The project met its $500,000 goal easily on its first day after the release of its introduction video, which featured Igarashi sharing his vision as he toured a castle with the occasional stop in the torture room.
The game follows another passion project revival from Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune, Mighty No. 9. That funding finished in October of 2013 with a projected April 2015 release for backers. The final release is slated for Sept. 15.
Now the focus turns to whether Bloodstained can deliver on its promises and many stretch goals.
You are Miriam, an orphan scarred by an alchemist curse which slowly crystallizes your skin. You must battle your way through a demon-filled castle summoned by Gebel, your old friend whose body has become more crystal than flesh.
An exploration-focused, side-scrolling platformer featuring RPG and crafting elements. Koji Igarashi, the namesake of “Igavania”-style games, is leading the project, with Michiru Yamane composing the music and Inti Creates leading the development.