Check out Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement, Koji Igarashi’s latest and upcoming metroidvania project. For years, the Castlevania video game series has dominated the metroidvania genre with its unbeatable side-scrolling gameplay, gothic depiction, and most importantly, its masterful aesthetics.
Remember how fun it used to be when clashing against the centuries-old Dracula and its evil forces? Well, guess what? The franchise has found its long-lost spiritual successor after being dormant for a while.
The Scarlet Engagement is basically a prequel to Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. However, from the looks of it, we can say that it carries the essence of the old school Castlevania under its Bloodstained sleeves.
Everything we know about Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement so far
The Scarlet Engagement is an upcoming game in the Bloodstained franchise that just got its announcement trailer released. It was in the works for several years and blessed the players with its first glimpse only a few hours ago. This title looks great and promising, even when other Vampire-centric games like the Blood of the Dawnwalker are in the hype.
In The Scarlet Engagement, you can play as two protagonists – Leonard Brandon and Alexander Kyteler. Both protagonists will work as a team in order to defeat Demon Lord Elias for the betterment of humanity. Alex and Leonard will have unique abilities and skills that can be used depending on the situation. You can even play them simultaneously to explore combos, effective against bigger foes.
Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement rewinds the clock back to Castlevania days
At first glance, we can see that The Scarlet Engagement gives out the classic Castlevania experience. While the new Castlevania games like the Lord of Shadows have taken a 3D approach, it feels refreshing to see its spiritual successor bringing back the side-scrolling gameplay style.
In The Scarlet Engagement‘s trailer itself, we can find so many similarities between this game and the old Castlevania titles like Castlevania: Rondo of Blood and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. From its eerie atmosphere to the strategic gameplay progression, everything seems similar, but with a mix of modernity in it.
There’s no denying that Koji Igarashi has done some fine work in the past. Being the mastermind behind several classics like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, he knew what was needed to revive the genre. In short, he managed to give the old-time players a spark to get back to gaming by presenting The Scarlet Engagement with a pinch of Castlevania in it.
While the exact release date of The Scarlet Engagement isn’t revealed yet, it’s going to be out sometime in 2026. It will be available to play on all major platforms like the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam and Epic Games. You can head over to the respective platform’s online store and wishlist it now.
It feels refreshing to witness titles like The Scarlet Engagement, Blood of Dawnwalker, etc, especially in an era where AAA titles rule. The developers put everything from head to toe to entertain the fans. From Bloodstained bringing back metroidvania to Blood of Dawnwalker testing superhero duality, the genre of supernatural games is back!
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
