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Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Passes Torment: Tides of Numenera For Most Funded Game On Kickstarter
With eight hours remaining, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has raised more than $4.8 million, making it the most funded game in the history of Kickstarter.
Series creator Koji Igarashi intends Ritual of the Night to serve as a spiritual successor to Castlevania. Players take the role of Miriam, a cursed woman who must fight her way through a castle before her skin transforms into crystal. According to the Kickstarter page, Ritual of the Night will maintain the elements that keep the Castlevania franchise so engaging: the game will feature 2D Metroidvania, action platforming, and a gothic art style.
As a result of the record level of funding, Ritual of the Night reached all of its original stretch goals with ease. An updated list of achieved stretch goals lies below:
$600,000: Artbook upgraded to hardcover
$700,000: 2nd Playable Character
$800,000: Nightmare Difficulty Mode
$850,000: David Hayter joins the team as a voice actor
$1,000,000: Cheat Codes
$1,500,000: New Boss
$1,750,000: Speed Run Mode
$2,000,000: Boss Rush Mode
$2,250,000: Retro Level
$2,500,000: Classic Mode
$2,540,000: 8bit track by Michiru Yamane
$2,580,000: 8bit track by Ippo Yamada
$2,620,000: 8bit track by Virt (Jake Kaufman)
$2,660,000: Another 8bit track by Michiru Yamane
$2,700,000: Another 8bit track by Ippo Yamada
$2,740,000: Another 8bit track by Virt
$2,750,000: IGA’s Biggest Castle
$3,000,000: Wii U Port
$3,250,000: Asynchronous Online Multiplayer
$3,500,000: Vita Port
$3,750,000: Orchestrated Tracks
$4,000,000 Online Challenge Mode
$4,250,000: Third Playable Character
$4,500,000: Prequel mini-game for PC/consoles
Despite receiving 950% more funding than expected, two stretch goals remain. At $4.7 million, the prequel mini-game will release on Vita and 3DS. If backers raise more than $5 million, developer Inti Creates will implement a roguelike dungeon mode.
Prior to the emergence of Ritual of the Night, Torment: Tides of Numenera held the top spot with donations amounting to a little more than $4.1 million. Third place belongs to Mighty Number 9, a spiritual successor to Mega Man. All three used live-action trailers and depended on concept art to express their early vision.
Although no release date has been announced, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night will be available on PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Wii U, and Vita. For those interested in the game’s backstory, check out our interview with Koji Igarashi.
Our Take:
I'm very excited about this title, especially considering Igarashi helped produce the universally acclaimed Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Here’s hoping the overwhelming support allows Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night to meet that lofty standard.
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