IGA’s new project is in the vein of his prior successes.
Koji Igarashi, whose co-direction of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and subsequent production work on more than a dozen Castlevania titles effectively cemented popularity of the action-platformer subgenre popularly referred to as “metroidvanias,” has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund development of a new game, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. The fundraising drive has quickly caught fire, reaching its half million dollar goal in under six hours.
Using the term “Igavania” to differentiate Bloodstained as being a genre entry from Igarashi himself, the game will be a 2D exploration game set in a world where alchemy has become the predominant philosophy. A curse has summoned demons to the planet, eventually (and perhaps even predictably) resulting in the raising of a demon castle, through which the player will guide a young alchemist, Miriam, to confront the the source of the curse.
Announced stretch goals for Bloodstained include the addition of a second playable character, an additional difficulty setting, and voice acting, with David Hayter (best known as the voice of Snake in the Metal Gear Solid series) namedropped as being on board to portray the game’s villain, Gebel. The campaign is also something of a gamification of Kickstarter. Further stretch goals will be unlocked when fans and backers successfully accomplish social media targets for the campaign, including reaching specific numbers of followers on Twitter, YouTube and other networks, as well as some more creative goals such as submitting cosplay photos and fan art.
As with many large-scale campaigns, there are also many reward levels available, ranging from $5 to $10,000. A digital version of the game can be secured for only $28, while higher priced rewards include a collector’s edition, silver rings designed by Igarashi, and opportunities to create pets, enemies, and even secret rooms with the development team.
Source: Kickstarter
