‘Bloodstained’ goes old school with new classic mode

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is taking its Castlevania inspirations to another level with its new Classic Mode. You’ll only have a Sword-whip with which to fend off enemies as you guide Miriam though a castle, including five stages and sub-bosses, on her way to battle the big bad, Gebel. If you manage to complete Classic Mode, which has three difficulty settings, the game will grade you on your time, score and death count.

Classic Mode doesn’t adopt a full 8-bit aesthetic — the graphics shown off in the trailer aren’t exactly pixelated. However, the interface certainly has an old-school vibe and the core weapon is clearly a take on Castlevania’s Whip Sword.