Bloodstained for Switch Has Problems, but it's Not as Bad as You Might Think

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the spiritual successor to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night we've wanted for years. It's a great game, and it's clear developer Koji Igarashi poured everything he had into the 2.5D adventure. There's just one lingering problem: The Nintendo Switch port of the game is not as well put-together as its cousins on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

The main complaints surrounding Bloodstained on the Switch are "it doesn't look as good as the other versions," and "the input lag is terrible." The Switch port had notable problems before it launched, and 505 Games says it's putting everything it has into fixing the game now that it's out. But how "bad" is Bloodstained on Switch in its current state, exactly?

Digital Foundry is on-hand with a thorough breakdown of how Bloodstained runs on each of the consoles it's available for (Xbox One, Xbox One X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, and Switch), though most of its focus is on the Switch iteration for obvious reasons. At least some of the issues stem from the fact that Bloodstained on Switch started life as a Wii U game; it wasn't built for the Switch from the ground-up. Pile that on top of the fact that many Switch games take a graphical hit to begin with, and you've got your answer to "Why does my version of Bloodstained look so darn muddy?"

That said, Digital Foundry emphasizes Bloodstained on Switch's worst problem by far is its input lag, with long load times coming at a close second. While the graphical downgrade is a bummer, it's only glaringly obvious in the first stage because the Switch version lacks the intense rain effects that make the other versions pop. Other missing effects are harder to notice unless you're looking for them. Moreover, even though Bloodstained on Switch is locked at 30 FPS, its performance stays there, even in highly detailed stages like the Tower of Twin Dragons. Not even the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game can't boast a steady frame rate in the visually-busy area.

Warm up a cup of blood (or coffee, whichever your preference) and watch Digital Foundry's analysis for yourself. Don't forget to read our own review for Bloodstained on the PlayStation 4, too.