Bloodstained - Ritual of the Night will currently be the first IGAvania that will go through massive bug- and glitch testing by both Castlevania fans, speed runners and gamers alike. IGA was very surprised by the amount of feedback he got just from the E3 2016 Demo, which helped the developers easier to fix and expand ideas upon. This is one of the reasons the theory of Early Access might be just around the corner.
IGAVANIA (n): A gothic, exploration-focused action platformer, designed by one of the godfathers of the genre! Unlike Metroidvania, the IGAvania are more based of the concept of rpg-elements, grinding and exploration rather than blasting enemies into bits. Also, the name IGAvania were picked not to step into Nintendo license territory.
In early planning documents, the protagonist was male, but after some discussions about what would fit the needs of the American market, and what the prevailing social climate was like there currently, they went for a tough female character. "A game with both genders are interesting" and IGA stated "I think having a female hero is more motivating to male gamers, and I think women would like to control a female avatar, too." and "Also, in those early drafts when the hero was male, we were thinking to add a rival character who would butt heads and get into heated clashes with the hero, due to differences in the way they saw things. Now that we've changed to a female protagonist, and that enemy rival is male, the mood of those scenes will have to change too."
During November - December 2016, DICO took over the production of 2.5D development, this under mutual agreement with Inti Creates. Inti Creates Bloodstained crew shifted their work towards making the prequel, which were great news. This would allow for greater time and value for production.
The setting for Bloodstained starts is England around the late 1700's, about two decades into the Industrial Revolution. A group of alchemists, fearing its waning relevancy as science captures the 18th century setting, try to warn against the world losing faith. The alchemists then decide to summon demons to earth. Miriam, an orphan, is infused with magical crystals that attract these demons. However, Miriam falls into a comatose state, rendering her unable to be used as the sacrifice. However, using Gebel, the Alchemists are successful in summoning the demons. Having miraculously survived the ritual, Gebel decides to take revenge. Using his powers to summon demons, he destroys the Alchemist's Guild. After 10 years, Miriam awakens, while at the same time a demonic castle emerges from the remains of the Alchemist Guild.