Watch IGA play Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Creator shows off debut gameplay footage

Well, here's something you don't see too often.

Koji Igarashi and Inti Creates have let us peer into their world, sharing the first (albeit very early and off-screen) footage of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night in action. What's the kicker? The famed producer is providing commentary and giving feedback to the onlooking development team.

The video depicts Igarashi play-testing an "incredibly early animation sample" while discussing his initial impressions with character designer and artist Yuji Natsume. The pair exchange thoughts on everything from protagonist Miriam's moment and the camera positioning to how programmers and designers bounce ideas off one another.

That might be my favorite part of the clip, actually. It really illustrates that even though Igarashi is the name people associate with this project (and many Castlevania titles before it), a lot of the flourishes that make our favorite games so memorable are actually the brainchildren of unsung heroes.

No, wait, never mind. I just love the bit where Igarashi expresses contempt for precision jumping.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night - Update 19 [Kickstarter, YouTube]