IGA’s whip gets cracking on Bloodstained level design as Ayami Kojima joins project

$3M bucks later, development gets going

What with all the excitement around Castlevania: Symphony of the Night assistant director and subsequent series producer Koji “IGA” Igarashi’s Kickstarter project, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, it’s easy to forget that the final product is nearly two years away.

IGA took to video (not as fun to watch as this, mind) to answer Twitter questions, resulting in everyone’s favorite: tidbits. The monsters are inspired by Lesser Key of Solomon, for example. And did you know IGA has made stained glass? I actually did once, too. See, not everything about a Catholic upbringing is bad.

It looks like Bloodstained will be taking place solely within the castle. “That doesn’t necessarily mean it lacks nature. I could just have trees in the garden, for example, or a vast cave beneath the castle,” he explained. “So it’ll take place in the castle, but it won’t be confined to manmade settings.”

As for the whole two years out thing, well, “Now that we’ve finally raised the funds needed, we’re only starting on all the level designs now. I want to take my time and carefully plan them now that we can finally focus on the game itself. As I come up with the new storyline and materials for the game, I’d like to incorporate a few things that catch players off guard, so I hope you like it.”

It’ll be interesting to see how IGA tries to do this in a tried and true genre of his own invention. By his own admission, he has already, “used the vast majority of area ideas…Items, too. I pretty much use all of the ideas I have, so I can’t say there’s much I’ve passed on.” Save for the idea of a Mayan setting he’s kicked around. But given that we’re staying in the castle this time, don’t expect it.

The Kickstarter campaign has also seen an update in the form of a former collaborator, character designer and illustrator on eight different IGA-led Castlevanias, Ayami Kojima. Kojima will be making a small cameo on the project, “to create special packaging artwork” for those that backed at $100 and above. She most recently worked with IGA on Harmony of Despair, as well as Aria of Sorrow and Symphony of the Night.

Kojima lamented having only a, “small amount of time to show my appreciation and excitement for IGA’s new project.”

IGA seems happy just the same.

“Honestly, I really didn’t think we could convince her to join the production, so I’m overjoyed by her participation. And really, the level of involvement isn’t really important for me. The most important thing is just being able to work closely with my old friends again.”