Bloodstained Curse of the Moon 2

🎮 Steam ⏳ 10 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Expanded Retro Tribute #

The second Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon entry is a love letter to classic NES-era Castlevania, expanding on the first game with more characters, longer stages, and local co-op. Each playable character brings unique abilities, from traditional whip-like attacks to Hachi the adorable corgi piloting a steam-powered mech, adding both charm and variety to the gameplay. This might sound like there are few to no additions compared to the first title, but this one tries to push even further, each element that the first game did very well, being practically a totally improved game in comparison.

Old-School Challenge Embraced #

The pixel art, chiptune-inspired soundtrack, and creative boss designs reinforce its retro appeal, while the multiple episodes and branching paths encourage replayability. The game embraces old-school difficulty, with stiff controls, punishing checkpoints, and enemy placements that often feel designed to test patience as much as skill. Some may find this limitation to be a downside, but personally speaking I like the challenge of these less fluid and more clunky controls, I find it to be a good change of pace when compared to the smooth and twitch-like perfect controls of titles, which is considered the more “modern” approach.

For Retro Enthusiasts #

For people who enjoy tough but fair platforming challenges, this difficulty adds to the satisfaction of overcoming each stage. However, those less accustomed to retro design may find the repetition and rigid mechanics frustrating. Overall, the sequel improves on its predecessor with richer content and more personality, making it a rewarding experience for fans of classic action-platformers. It may not win over everyone with its uncompromising design, but for those who appreciate the challenge, it delivers a nostalgic yet fresh adventure. There is no excuse to skip this one if you liked the first entry, but if you don’t, than this sequel won’t win you over.