Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is getting a new crossover with… err… Journey?
The award-winning 2012 adventure game has inspired a new boss area in Bloodstained which will be added in Update 1.4 on August 23, 2022.
“This new section of the castle, The Tunnels, is inspired by the imagery and level design of Journey, but with a Bloodstained twist,” reads an official announcement. “Hidden behind a secret entrance, the Tunnels are large and will require exploration and shard abilities to navigate.”
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night was launched in 2019 – a Metroidvania that tells the story of Miriam, a Shardbinder who was forcibly fused with demonically charged crystals to attune her to the demon’s powers.
And it’s not the first time we’ve seen Bloodstained crossover with other popular games.
Earlier this year, Aurora from Child of Light made her debut in Bloodstained as a playable character, and now it looks as though the epic, sprawling adventure of Journey has made its way into the side-scrolling RPG.
After finding the new area and fighting your way through it, you’ll be confronted by the level’s Guardian. Besting it will reward you with a special, Journey-inspired equippable item… but there’s currently no word on what that actually is.
It’s obviously a must-have for Journey fans, whatever it is. But you’ll have to find The Tunnels first.
The new boss area will appear after you have freed Gebel and unlocked the Den of Behemoths. According to the Bloodstained team, the room with the doorway leading to The Tunnels will be marked on the castle map. Just head to the highlighted area to begin your Journey.
Of course, there are a few bug fixes in Update 1.4 too – you can find them all here.
Want to read more about Bloodstained? Check out where it lands in our top 10 Metroidvanias, and find out how to unlock the hidden 1986 mode.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.