Bloodstained Curse of the Moon

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Gameplay

Core Mechanics

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is the quintessential side-scroller in classic style that takes cues from the greats, more specifically, the Castlevanias of yore, and so, from this reference, it may be said that the game is mostly about moving along a linear path of levels, littered with enemies that pose obstacles, traps, and hazards to reach the final test of capability and strategy: the boss fights.

Controls respond simply and directly, with all possible combination of movement and weapon attacks; such is the make-up of the suitable control aids with which players tackle problems in-game before their character and enemies. Each character possesses its own abilities and weapons, contributing to the game with good depth and variety in strategy. Zangetsu, the main protagonist, wields a katana with an immediate short-range slash; Miriam, one of his allies, uses a whip with greater range but slightly slower motion. Simple controls combined with a mixture of distinct abilities for each character keep the gameplay interesting and dynamic.

Character Switching and Strategy

One thing that makes Curse of the Moon notable is the character-switching mechanic. At various stages of the game, players can recruit up to three additional characters: Miriam, Alfred, and Gebel. Each character thus has their own skill set and their own sub-weapons, allowing for a multitude of possible ways to complete the game.

The character switching is an essential ability in distinguishing between obstacles or enemies with which to overcome. Some characters are better suited for doing certain things-Miriam’s whip, for example, is suited to hitting enemies from afar, while Alfred’s magic is better for taking out swarms of enemies or triggering certain environmental puzzles. Gebel’s turning into a bat will help him reach areas at this point inaccessible.

Thus, character-switching adds an additional strategic decision to gameplay. Players need to manage the health and resources of each character closely, for should they lose one character, their forward progression would be greatly compromised. Character switching would also allow experimentation and encourage exploration, as one character may allow multiple paths or hidden secrets within the levels.

Level Design

The level design of Curse of the Moon is both incredibly challenging and rewarding and takes cues from the best the 8-bit age has to offer. Each game level is lovingly crafted, comprising all the best in platforming challenges, encounters with enemies, and environmental puzzles. The levels have been moulded to cater to the abilities of characters, and some even have different routes and secret areas, allowing for greater diverse play styles.

Like some paths that would lead to being blocked by the obstacles, it would require only Miriam’s whip to destroy them. Others may not be revealed if Alfred doesn’t use his magic for hidden platforms. This also promotes the spirit of replayability, encouraging users to explore more levels with different characters looking to unveil all secrets.

Even the positioning of an enemy with its behavior is well studied, making players proceed cautiously and precisely regarding every encounter. This is how fair the level of difficulty is managed for the game. It is not too punishing yet fair in its way. However, players would find some cases where the challenge level spikes, particularly on all later stages.

Boss Battles

Curse of the Moon features the most exciting moments in the game, being the boss fights that offer different creativity, challenge, and nostalgia. Each boss has its different attack patters and phases to acclimatize and learn before proceeding to success. They might often have visual characteristics that could be a reference to their ancestor Castlevania enemies, but they also maintain their own identity within the Bloodstained genre.

These fights are meant to test the player on how well he understood the game mechanics, such as switching characters or using a sub-weapon. Some enemies may have their own weaknesses that can only be exploited by a certain character or strategy, thus adding another level of complexity to the fights. However, such bouts are never very frustrating, as they usually become pattern and skill-related instead of being cheap.

Plot and Narrative

Setting and Premise

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is set in a dark gothic world where demons, monsters, and supernatural forces reign. The story follows Zangetsu, a cursed swordsman, with a healthy dose of hatred-oriented emotions towards demons and anybody associated with them. His mission, however, is to hunt down and slay the demon lord that has turned his homeland into darkness. Along the way to Zangetsu’s mission, he meets other characters, Miriam, Alfred, and Gebel, with all but his own personal quests and backstories.

The narrative is divided into brief cut scenes and dialogues between different characters. Though the plot is rather simple, it serves well to lend an atmosphere and motive behind the player’s actions. The game is imbued with a dark, brooding tone that reaches out to the heart of classic gothic horror.

Character Development

Curse of the Moon doesn’t spend too much time on character development. However, it spends just enough time introducing each character to make them feel distinctive and memorable. Zangetsu feels very much like a stoic warrior and determined character who cares little for the humanity that he has assigned as a secondary responsibility to rid the world of demons. Miriam goes so far to say that she is the sweet warrior with a dark past. Alfred is wise in alchemy but morally ambiguous at best. Gebel is a dark, brooding figure associated with the dark powers somehow.

Interactions between these characters are minimal but achieve their goal and add an interesting layer to the narrative. The game features multiple endings that vary depending on the player’s choices concerning the characters, shedding a little more light on their personalities and fates. They are indeed tragic and bittersweet, and serve to heighten the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the game.

Themes

The primary theme of Curse of the Moon involves light fighting darkness, with exterior manifestations of demons and interior manifestations on the characters themselves. Zangetsu’s journey symbolizes a quest for vengeance and redemption, fighting against evil while facing his own demons. Sacrifice, loyalty, and the cost to gain power issue forth as themes that speak especially through Alfred, whose greed in pursuance of evil knowledge led him astray.

The themes and story development may not be headily complex, but the weight with which they are presented elevates the story above that of a simple action-platformer. While finely entwined with the game, the themes culminate in a unified experience enjoyed by those who appreciate gothic horror.

Moonlight casts a gloomy sheen to the forests, grim prisons of death, castles engulfed by frightening night … every aspect of darkness is depicted in-game with 8-bit graphics. Nestled within those eerie locales are many polymorphic monsters, like something the mind of Werewolf, Dracula, or Frankenstein would conjure. It is when all these graphics blend with classical, simple-but-familiar tunes that the wonder of being in a game like Castlevania unfolds.

Beautifully framed with retro graphics, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is not so much about exploration, instead lavishing the glory on combat. The “star” of the game, Zangetsu, while on his mission to rid the world of demons, will occasionally save three other companions. Then you slowly get more characters to play with, instantly switching from one to another’s weapons, abilities, and strength. Experience the special features of all of them at the right time to score some game secrets. Every character gives you an extra life, though; if one dies, the rest can keep going. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon increases the awareness of all the characters and makes the game a bit easy-going in counting your life; it only counts when all your characters are dead.

You can then pour salt into Zangetsu’s wound instead of saving them; but win Zangetsu further powers along the way; but that means Zangetsu enters a lonesome dark road…

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon boasts simple yet unforgettable bosses. A build-up of the most primitive things; the “fools” do not attack you to “heal” you; rather, in order to survive their attacks, one needs not only quick reflexes but also thoughtful analysis and calculations to find a strategy for attacking and dodging. Keeping the simple mainstream ancient tone of this game, the bosses have their unique potential that grabs your attention-well, from their style, shape of appearance to the nature of attacks, especially the way they will haunt your spirit one last time before you succumb.

If Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is all about entering the castle with the aid of Castlevania for the first time for new players, at the same time, it will toss all sorts of challenges and special modes that past players want to showcase their abilities on.

As a side project, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon counts as inherently being a “promotional” game; hence, its small content was foreseeable. The number of stages could be counted on fingers and considering each screen’s playing time the game would say very little. After all, those looking for a fast-paced casual run (speedrun) would finish a stage in about 1 to 2 minutes. Good news, audiences familiar with this game genre will find half Zangetsu’s journey not too exciting.

If you are having second thoughts on buying this game because of its short duration, you might as well forget about getting it in the first place. The worth of Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon does not lie in the longevity of its playtime but rather what that short playtime brings within: An open door toward Castlevania? Some childhood memories? A “breakfast” game that acts as an appetizer for the soon-to-come banquet called Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night? Or simply to offset with different challenging directions the void left by the latter?

where can you get a Bloodstained Curse of the Moon online

Bloodstained Curse of the Moon – Playstation 4: Buy it now

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon PSV: Buy it now

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Switch) – Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]: Buy it now

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon Classic Edition (Limited Run #236) – PlayStation Vita: Buy it now

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (3DS) – 3DS [Digital Code]: Buy it now

Conclusion

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon embodies a delightful union of the old and the new-a rich, challenging homage to the classics but still carving its own niche. Tight yet thrilling gameplay, balanced character-switching, atmospheric design, and an alluring soundtrack characterize modern reinterpretation of retro games exemplified by Curse of the Moon.

A must-play for Castlevania fans and fans of retro platformers alike. It contains the essence of what made those games great while throwing in new twists to keep things fresh and engaging. Old-school or not, whoever plays this will not forget the journey through darkness that is Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon.