Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night more than lived up to its Castlevania: Symphony of the Night spiritual successor promise when it released back in 2019. With veteran designer Koji Igarashi at the helm it proved that it was a style of game that could still pull off some exciting new things. That said today's 'Classic Mode' update is a look at the past, in a new retro-inspired mode featuring the classic Castlevania chain-whip as the weapon of choice.



As per above it's a brand-new mode with five levels to play through and plenty of retro touches. Even though it still features the modern 3D graphics of Bloodstained, the presentation and movement and action is pure classic Castlevania. This is a free update to Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, including for those playing on Xbox Game Pass.