There’s a lot going on in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Between exploring the castle, fighting dangerous enemies, dealing with bosses, and collecting ingredients and shards, there are a lot of moving pieces to keep track of. In order to get the most out of the game, you’ll want to be aware of the ins-and-outs of what it has to offer. Here are some quick tips in regards to its inner workings to get you started.
Don’t forget about sidequests
There are multiple NPCs that give sidequests that can be easy to miss if you don’t talk to the people at your base. The most obvious one is the woman who tasks you with killing monsters. There’s also the old woman in Dominique’s store that has you bring her food and a woman who has you bring her items. In exchange, you’ll receive various useful items.
Remember to eat
The first time Miriam eats a food item, she gets permanent stat bonuses. Therefore, you should routinely check to see if you have any food you haven’t eaten yet. If it has a knife and fork icon next to it, that means you’ve already received the bonuses and can’t get any more. It’s also a good idea to check Johannes’s shop to see if you have most of the ingredients to make even more. You can get additional items by giving seeds to the man right outside your base to the left or by buying ingredients from Dominique.
A useful map
The map in Bloodstained has a few functions that can really come in handy. If you’re doing monster-hunting sidequests, an area with a monster you need to complete will be marked with a green icon. It’s worth noting, however, that these icons remain if you’ve killed enough of the monsters but haven’t turned in the corresponding quest. If you’re trying to complete these, you should turn quests in whenever you get the chance.
You can also leave blue icons all over your map for any points of interest. You can have as many of these as you want, so don’t be afraid to use them to make notes of important areas you want to remember for later.
Experiment with shards
Shards are one of your greatest tools in Bloodstained and can give very clear advantages when used. Certain shards are great for doing large amounts of damage to bosses, such as the inferno breath, which releases a steady stream of damaging fire as long as you have the MP to support it. The true arrow that archers drop can also do a lot of damage.
Other really helpful shards are the ones you get from werewolves which allows Miriam to block certain types of damage. Demons drop a passive shard that gives you an increase to your INT, so having that active when you plan on doing some shard-based damage is a great way to get a boost. Having a familiar active can also be helpful. The fairie can even heal you, which can be a lifesaver if you haven’t brought any potions with you.
Moonwalker
Miriam’s backstep isn’t quite as handy as the dodges we’re used to seeing in most games, but it can still get you out of danger in certain situations. However, it doesn’t cover much ground, but an accessory in the waterfall section can be equipped that increases how far she moves when she uses the backstep, enhancing its usefulness. If you want to get more mileage out of it, grab it next time you’re down there. Remember, sitting in the chair further down the waterfall will take you back to the top without requiring you to take the long way around.
Upgrade your shards
All shards can be upgraded by using items, even the passive ones, such as the double jump. Upgrading that one gives you a brief window of invulnerability during your second jump, which can be used to dodge some pesky attacks if timed properly. The upgrades don’t typically require a big investment either, so they’re definitely worth the effort.
Use your shortcuts
You’ll find additional shortcut powerups hidden in braziers from time to time. These allow you to save presets for your equipment and weapons that you can switch to on the fly. Different weapons and gear are obviously more useful in various circumstances, so it pays to have at least a couple of these. For instance, bladed weapons do reduced damage against armored opponents, so you should have a shortcut with a blunt weapon ready if you don’t typically use one. Other weapons, such as greatswords have a slower wind-up, so they’re not as useful against quicker enemies, such as the flying heads. Setting a shortcut to a quicker weapon can be beneficial in these scenarios.
Use the reflector ray to get extra height
Even with the double jump in your possession, there will still be many places you seem to almost be able to reach, but not quite. When I initially obtained the reflector ray, I thought it would only work when aimed at mirrors. However, Miriam can use it to launch herself in the desired direction. What’s more, she can double jump a bit while coming out of this animation, which you can use to gain a bit of extra height.
Hit blue chests when you can
Bloodstained’s areas have a lot of chests, but the blue ones are unique in the fact that they refill themselves. After a certain amount of time passes, these chests will restock themselves, which makes them function as harvest points. These chests contain crafting ingredients that can be very helpful, so having lots of those on hand is generally a good idea.
That’s it for our tips. With these in mind, you’ll be well-prepared for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night‘s gameplay systems. The game has a lot to offer so keep your eyes peeled. Do you have any other tips in mind? If so, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
