Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is a 2D action-platformer game that was released in May 2018. It has become popular due to its nostalgic visuals and gameplay reminiscent of classic Castlevania games. The game follows the story of Zangetsu, a swordsman cursed with the power of the moon, as he sets out on a mission to defeat demons and save humanity. The game features multiple playable characters, each with unique abilities and playstyles. Players can switch between these characters at any time, adding a layer of strategy to the gameplay. The levels are filled with challenging enemies and obstacles, and players must use their skills and powers to progress.
Finally, an answer to having your hands full. This will of course be fantastic for Wizards who manage to learn to use Heavy Armor and Shields, as they can now wield a weapon in the other hand (if they’re hurt). Blood mages gain this power from a feature called Blood Channeling which is the 2nd level class feature.
That is, you can reroll a number of the damage dice on a spell up to your intelligence modifier but you ll take damage equal to the spell s level if you do so. This will of course be fantastic for Wizards who manage to learn to use Heavy Armor and Shields, as they can now wield a weapon in the other hand if they re hurt.
The levels are filled with challenging enemies and obstacles, and players must use their skills and powers to progress. The game also offers multiple difficulty levels, ensuring that both casual and hardcore gamers can enjoy it. One of the standout features of Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is its retro-style pixel art graphics.
Blood Magic | New Spells for Fifth Edition
The following spell lists show which spells can be cast by characters of each class. A spell’s school of magic is noted in parentheses. If a spell can be cast a ritual, the ritual attack also appears in the parentheses.
Blood Sense
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: M (a drop of the target’s blood)
Duration: Instantaneous
You taste the blood of a creature. The blood must have been spilled or drawn within the last 1 minute or the effect fails. Once you taste the blood, you can learn certain information about the creature. The GM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regard to two of the following characteristics of your choice:
- Strength score
- Dexterity score
- Constitution score
- Current hit points
At the GM’s option, you might also realize you know a physical weakness the creature has, if any, such as vulnerability to fire damage or weakness against silver weapons.
Blood Thirst
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
One creature of your choice that you can see within range must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by you for the duration. The creature must have a mouth. While the target is charmed in this way, its eyes bleed. The charmed target must use its action before moving on each of its turns to make a bite attack against a creature other than itself that you mentally choose. If the creature does not have a bite attack, it can make one in place of its unarmed strike. The attack uses the creature’s Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls, and on a hit, it deals piercing damage according to its size.
Small or Medium 1d4
If the creature hits with its bite attack, it can attach itself to the target and start to drain its blood. While attached, the creature doesn’t attack. Instead, at the start of each of the creature’s turns, the target loses hit points equal to the creature’s bite damage. The creature can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement. Another creature, including the target, can use its action to detach the creature.
Control Blood
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 round (see below)
You target a living creature within range. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, you cause one of the following effects to occur:
- The creature bleeds from its eyes, ears, and nose until the end of its next turn. While bleeding, the creature has disadvantage on its Wisdom (Perception) checks.
- Until the end of the creature’s next turn, each time it takes damage from an attack that deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, it takes an additional 1d4 necrotic damage from the attack.
- You increase the temperature of the creature’s blood. The creature takes 1d8 fire damage and it has disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes so long as the attack is made before the end of the creature’s next turn.
- You decrease the temperature of the creature’s blood. The creature takes 1d8 cold damage and its movement speed is halved until the end of the creature’s next turn.
If you cast this spell multiple times, you can have no more than two of its non-instantaneous effects active at a time, and you can dismiss such an effect as an action.
Exsanguinate
1st-level necromancy spell
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You target one living creature that you can see within range. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, you draw blood from the body of the creature; the creature takes 1d6 necrotic damage and one level of exhaustion. On a successful saving throw, the creature takes half as much necrotic damage and no exhaustion. On each subsequent turn, you can use your action to maintain the effect, forcing the creature to make another Constitution saving throw suffering the same results. The spell ends if you use your action to do anything else. The spell also ends if the target is ever outside the spell’s range or it has total cover from you.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the initial damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.
The developers successfully captured the essence of classic 8-bit and 16-bit games, creating a visually appealing and nostalgic experience. The game's soundtrack also contributes to the nostalgic atmosphere, with catchy tunes that perfectly complement the action on-screen. In addition to the main story mode, the game offers a Boss Rush mode and a Nightmare mode for those seeking extra challenges. These additional modes provide more gameplay options and extend the game's replayability. Overall, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is a must-play for fans of retro-style action-platformer games. With its engaging gameplay, charming retro visuals, and memorable soundtrack, it successfully delivers a nostalgic gaming experience. Whether you are a fan of the genre or looking to try something new, this game is worth checking out..
Reviews for "The Evolution of the Bloodstained Series on Nintendo Switch"
1. John - 2 stars: I was really excited to play "Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon" on my Nintendo Switch, but I was ultimately disappointed with the experience. The graphics and gameplay felt outdated, and the controls were clunky and unresponsive. The levels were repetitive and lacked any real challenge. Overall, I found the game to be quite underwhelming and not worth the price tag.
2. Sarah - 1 star: I have played a variety of platforming games, but "Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon" on the Nintendo Switch left me extremely frustrated. The difficulty level was ridiculously high, making it impossible to progress without constant death and repetition. The lack of checkpoints and punishing mechanics made the game feel incredibly unfair. Additionally, the story and characters failed to engage me, making the overall experience boring and uninspiring. I would not recommend this game to anyone looking for an enjoyable platforming experience.
3. Michael - 2.5 stars: As a fan of the Castlevania series, I had high hopes for "Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon" on the Nintendo Switch. However, I found the game to be a letdown. The graphics and visuals were lackluster, and the controls felt clunky and unresponsive. The overall gameplay lacked depth, and the levels felt repetitive and uninspired. While the game had potential, it failed to deliver on many fronts and left me feeling disappointed.
4. Emily - 1 star: "Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon" on the Nintendo Switch was a massive disappointment for me. The game lacked any real innovation or unique features, feeling like a poor imitation of other platforming titles. The level design was uninteresting, the enemies were generic, and the overall gameplay lacked excitement. Additionally, the audio and sound effects were forgettable, failing to create any sort of immersive atmosphere. I would not recommend this game to anyone seeking an enjoyable and memorable gaming experience.
5. David - 2 stars: While I acknowledge that "Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon" on the Nintendo Switch had potential, I ultimately found it to be a mediocre game. The controls were clunky and took away from the overall experience. The level design and enemy AI were lackluster, and the difficulty curve felt unbalanced. Though the game had its moments, it failed to live up to the hype and left me wanting more. Overall, I was left feeling underwhelmed and unsatisfied with this title.