Playing Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night to the Ending: Demon Hunting by Brute-Forcing with Shards, and the Promise Between Miriam and Gebel

According to the opening narration, the shift in values brought about by the Industrial Revolution led to a decline in spiritual culture. The alchemists, fearing the loss of their privileges, went rogue. In 1783, while all of Europe was shrouded in darkness by a volcanic eruption, they summoned a horde of demons in parts of England. The sacrifices were "Shardbinders," humans implanted with crystals that resonate with demonic power. The chaos was quelled by the power of the Church, but at a great cost.

All the Shardbinders were thought to have died, but two survived: Gebel, a young man who miraculously lived through the ritual, and Miriam, a girl who fell into a mysterious sleep just before the ritual and was spared from it. Ten years later, the demons reappear along with a castle, and Miriam awakens from her slumber. Learning that the ritual was Gebel's doing, Miriam heads to the cursed castle with the alchemist Johannes.

On the ship, Miriam says she can't believe Gebel summoned the demons. She is only alive today because of him. Johannes replies that the information is reliable and that the incident ten years ago was more than enough to change him. He then apologizes for what his fellow alchemists did. Miriam tells him there's no need to apologize, and resolves that if this is Gebel's doing, she will stop him—that was her promise to him. Even Johannes doesn't know why she slept for ten years. All he knows is that it was a special spell, something like stopping time, and that by observing the weakening of its power, he was able to predict she would wake in ten years.

After defeating the first demon in the tutorial, Miriam absorbs a shard. As Johannes explains, the crystal embedded in Miriam's body resonates with solidified demonic power called shards. That power is immense, but it gradually erodes the living body. The spell Johannes discovered should have halted the erosion, but there's no guarantee it's safe to absorb large amounts from outside sources. Miriam says she still needs this power for now, and counts on Johannes to help her when she's in a pinch. Johannes calls it "a convenient way to rely on someone," but says he'll live up to her expectations.

As she clears out the demons that have invaded the ship, Miriam reunites with Gebel. But Gebel vanishes, and a giant demon, Vepar, blocks her path. This is the first boss fight.

The player's strategy is as follows. First, move to the bow of the ship and attack the enemy's belly. Backstep when it spits projectiles, and jump when its tentacles come at you. Damage varies by body part, and hitting the head deals heavy damage. There are moments when the head stays out for a while, so that's the time to spend MP and fire the shards absorbed along the way to finish it off in one go. The player explains that you can also absorb shards after defeating bosses, steadily expanding your available abilities. After the battle, Miriam feels that for just a moment, Gebel's face returned to the one she knew, and she vows that she will stop him no matter what.

As Miriam begins exploring the castle, a demon hunter named Zangetsu sees right through her—"You're a binder, aren't you"—and attacks her. The player notes that the Straight Arrow shard learned along the way is powerful, and that it is very effective when used like a shotgun. Zangetsu doesn't seem to be a bad guy, and after fighting for a while, a companion steps in to mediate. The companion admonishes him: "Our enemies are the demons and those who bring them forth." Zangetsu replies that, to him, the alchemists who summoned the demons and the Shardbinders who triggered it are all the same.

From here on, the player explores the castle while defeating bosses. Trying out swords and guns they pick up and summoning demons with shards, they defeat Craftwork and Andrealphus. The player remarks that as their max MP gradually increased, they used weapons less and less. This shows the shift in strategy from weapons to shards.

In a spiraling tower, the player fights Valac, which they call a "cute creature." They attack with the usual shard, and say that the recovery after using a shard can be canceled by landing, allowing you to fire it repeatedly. The barrage depletes the boss's health, but the boss is designed not to go down until it has moved twice. So you have to kill some time. When it moves, the left-side part carries Miriam along, so there's no need to move yourself. The player jokingly calls this "thoughtful design," and says that if you jump out into the middle once the movement is over, you can create the feeling that you're actually fighting.

Upon boarding the train, Zangetsu ends up riding along as things play out. Zangetsu slashes and deflects enemy projectiles, so when the enemy gets ready to fire, you wait behind him. The weak point of the train demon, Glutton Train, is the lower section at the back, and the player explains that all you have to do is fire the usual shard into it.

After getting off the train and reaching the laboratory area, the fast-moving Bathin appears. The player's approach was to stand on a convenient high ledge and keep attacking with shards.

In the cathedral, the player fights Bloodless. They explain that after burning her away with a breath-spewing shard, all you need to do is swing your weapon and watch. Next, they encounter Abyssal Guardian, a large black dragon. According to the player, this enemy appears as an ordinary mob in the late game, but for some reason appears here as a boss.

Afterward, Miriam meets the alchemist Alfred. Alfred had been telling Miriam to leave, but Miriam replies that she can't, because she has a promise to stop Gebel. Using a magic circle he had set for someone else, Alfred challenges her to a fight, intending to end it here. The player attacks with "Let's just try burning him for now" and wins. Alfred says, "So you truly are in a class of your own," and flees, leaving behind the words that he must obtain the Book of Logaeus after all, and that this is his last chance.

Pressing on with the exploration, the player fights Doppelganger, which mimics its opponent's appearance. The player remarks that it's just like Miriam, right down to the aggressiveness. In the scorching cavern, Orobas appears, a decidedly fire-type enemy, but surprisingly, fire seems to be its weakness, so the player burns it away as usual.

In a wind-themed building, Zangetsu lies in wait. When Miriam asks whether he can't forgive Shardbinders, Zangetsu answers that it's not that right now—he just wants to see her power—and declares he will go all out. The player wins by hitting him from behind with a water shard.

After the battle, Miriam tells him she can't keep fighting someone who isn't serious, and Zangetsu admits she saw through him. Zangetsu entrusts Miriam with the "Zangetsuto." Zangetsu came to this land pursuing a demon called Gremory, and this sword is meant to cut down Gremory. Gremory is the demon who is with Gebel. According to Zangetsu, Gremory never shows herself to him, and it's almost certain she is avoiding him. Zangetsu further points out that Gebel is under Gremory's control, but that control isn't perfect. The "face that returned to normal for just a moment" Miriam saw on the ship is proof of that, and the bond between the two of them surpasses Gremory's control. So when the two face each other, Gremory is bound to be at Gebel's side, and that's where Miriam should strike her down. Miriam asks him to come with her. But Zangetsu declines, saying that if he goes, Gremory may not appear; that he wants to exact his revenge by any means necessary; and that he also has something else on his mind.

Gebel is waiting for Miriam and asks whether, even after gathering so many shards, she still has no intention of coming with him. Miriam answers that she has come because of their promise. The two had sworn to each other that if either was consumed by the power against their will, the other would stop them. Gebel laughs at this and asks whether she thinks it's against his will. When Miriam tells him that when they met on the ship, for just a moment he went back to the Gebel she knew, Gebel declares that negotiations have broken down. Miriam responds that she will stop him by force and set him free, and they fight.

Just as Miriam weakens Gebel and readies the Zangetsuto, Alfred bursts in. Restored to his senses, Gebel thanks Miriam and says she kept her promise. But right after that, Gebel's crystallization rapidly progresses. Gebel says he can no longer be saved, but the castle can't be left as it is. When Miriam pleads with him not to say he can't be saved because she will do something about it, Gebel says that he's truly glad he got to see her face one last time, and passes away.

Though grieving, Miriam looks ahead, saying she has a new promise now, so she has to go. Johannes says the Book of Logaeus should be absolutely necessary to make the castle disappear. He advises that Gremory should also be pursuing Alfred, so it might be faster to look for traces of Gremory.

While searching for Gremory, the player fights Valefar, the demon of greed. Valefar steals all of your money, but the player shrugs it off: "I'm flat broke anyway, so it's fine." In fact, Valefar is surprised, saying, "Could it be you're penniless?"

When Miriam finally corners Gremory, Zangetsu, who went on ahead, creates an opening and leaves the rest to Miriam. Gremory looks down on her, saying that if that man won't use it, the Zangetsuto is no threat at all. She then reveals that she needs the power of Miriam's crystal to summon Bael, the first pillar. Miriam fights her as the demon who manipulated Gebel, carrying the feelings Zangetsu entrusted to her. The player says, "Seems like there are all kinds of gimmicks, but I'll just try splashing water on her as usual," and defeats her just like that.

Just when it seems everything has been settled with Gremory's defeat, the true mastermind appears. It's Dominique, the exorcist the player had thought was a friendly ally. Dominique hated the ways of the Church that had driven the alchemists, and was pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Dominique carried the same crystal as Miriam within her body. She says that thanks to Miriam and Johannes, she has obtained all the knowledge of alchemy and control of the crystal. Her motive is hatred of God. Even when demons appear, God does not show himself, and God's agents are mercilessly slaughtered by demons. It's absurd to make people worship some unknowable thing in God's name and make them use its power. That's why she sought the power to kill God. When Miriam condemns the sacrifices, Dominique replies that the powerless deserve to die.

Dominique goes on to reveal the full extent of her plan. Gebel's crystal couldn't summon the demon she needed, so she needed Miriam's crystal. But Miriam's crystal was "too pure." So the plan was to have her obtain shards to accustom her to demonic power, and then have Gremory take control of her once she was exhausted from the fight with Gebel. Dominique says it would have succeeded if only Zangetsu hadn't betrayed her, but Miriam counters that Zangetsu simply did what was right. Cornered, Dominique declares that she will summon the most powerful demon, Bael, using her own crystal and the power of the Book of Logaeus. Dominique also reveals why Gebel survived ten years ago. The same exorcist blood as Dominique's flowed in Gebel's veins, and that blood had been suppressing the crystal's erosion. Miriam responds that she can't lose to someone who drowns in power without thinking about how to use it.

The first half of the final battle is against Dominique herself. After she is defeated, Dominique completes the summoning of Bael. According to the player, in legend Bael is a demon said to take various forms resembling a toad, a cat, and a human. Dominique possesses one of the three faces, so you attack that face. After the defeat, Johannes murmurs, "Dominique, I trusted you. What a shame."

Johannes says he will carry out in his place what his master Alfred had been trying to do. Alfred had carved Enochian letters into the key parts of the castle in advance. The plan is to perform a ritual with the Book of Logaeus at the heart of the castle, linking it with the carved letters to send the demons back where they came from. The ritual succeeds. Miriam laments the many sacrifices: Gebel, Alfred, and Zangetsu. Johannes consoles her, saying Gebel had been eroded by the crystal to the point that nothing could be done. He adds that his master and Zangetsu fought to the end by their own convictions, and that the way they lived deserves praise. Johannes also reveals that his master gave him a hint after seeing the technique used to suppress the erosion of Miriam's crystal. He goes on to say that they might find a way to completely stop the crystal, though he can't promise anything. Miriam replies that she's counting on him, and the two head home.

The player calls the game "a grand masterpiece, worthy of being the true heir to the Metroidvania." They felt that both the action and the exploration are carefully crafted and deep, making it a highly polished work that refines the genre's roots to the fullest. They note that the main story alone is satisfying, and on top of that there's a wealth of content that could fill several games, including a mode with a different character and a stage-clear-style mode.