by Vladimir Vega 👾
◆ Hell yeah, the moment I saw Bloodstone I knew it was something special, as the game immediately stood out for its sheer brilliance. Yes, it’s a true masterpiece that I can rightfully call GAME OF THE YEAR right now <at least when it comes to the Spectrum platform>, and I doubt many would disagree with me.
Our story begins with Kamran The Furious, the youngest son of Istvan Bassar, Grand Master of the Lightbearers of the Rift Guardians. Kamran and his father fight against a dreadful darkness that comes from a living, magic-shrouded castle named Bloodstone, whose unspeakable evil is backed by monsters such as the living dead, armed skeletons, and all sorts of goblins — in short, everything you’d expect in an epic fantasy world. Anyway, one day, in a fateful conflict, when darkness nearly consumed them both, Istvan managed to cast a unique magic on his son “saving” him from death, even though his heart had actually stopped beating and his soul was gone. Driven by agony, Kamran has only one goal – to avenge his father, destroy the evil of Bloodstone castle, and bring peace to Eshvara Island.
In this fun hack’n’slash platformer, you move through a dark forest with the goal of reaching the castle and slaying everything that stands in your way. Yep, in that sense the game is reminiscent of classics like Ghosts’N’Goblins, but it also captures the spirit of titles like Castlevania, Rastan, and heck, even Dizzy: Magic Land.
What sets Bloodstone apart from generic action-platformers is its surprisingly methodical gameplay. Kamran’s sword attack is tied to an “Attack Indicator” that automatically charges while standing still, letting you choose between quick, light strikes and a devastating full swing. Additionally, your stamina is crucial for survival, as it directly affects your shield’s power and the type of jump you can perform. In addition to the raw power of steel, Kamran also relies on Bassara’s magic, a gift from his father that protects him from the darkness, as well as on devastating fire spells that require collecting special elements while your inventory is strictly limited to just four slots.
One of the standout features is “scanner” skill <Item Scanner> which gives Kamran the ability to uncover secrets hidden by the enemy or in the castle’s architecture. What makes Bloodstone special are its brilliant, colorful graphics, beautiful animation, and impressive sprites worthy of the Sega Master System, as well as its vibrant atmosphere and fluid gameplay. The pixel art is very detailed, and the limited color palette itself is used quite cleverly and ingeniously here, which places the game at the very top of game design. You can simply tell from every aspect how much love and effort the Russian developers Red Triangle <El Bigotudo, White Jaguar> put into their amazing creation.
Bloodstone is a masterclass in turning a dark fantasy atmosphere into a challenging, mechanically rich game. Gems like this don’t come around often, and it might be a while before we see another release this good.
◆ The game is available as a digital download <TAP and TRD files> for €5.00 on the publisher ZXOnline website. The guys literally hit the jackpot with this incredible title and I hope we’ll get the chance to hold a physical copy in our hands, as it would be a shame if it didn’t come out.
◆ There’s also a well-designed and fairly comprehensive game manual where you can find more info about everything, so all that’s left is to settle into your favorite chair and enjoy this gem!
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