Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is now available on Xbox Game Pass. This arrival brings the number of February 2024 additions to Xbox Game Pass up to six, with several more titles already being confirmed to be launching on the service before the end of the month.

Developed by Tokyo-based studio ArtPlay, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a content-packed metroidvania that was originally released for PC and consoles in mid-2019. The similarities between Bloodstained and Castlevania are not merely an homage, as ArtPlay was actually co-founded by Koji Igarashi, the long-time producer of Konami's celebrated series. The game thus enjoys a reputation as a spiritual successor to Castlevania.

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The critically acclaimed title has now been added to Microsoft's subscription catalog on Valentine's Day 2024, which is actually the second time it has appeared on the service since its commercial debut. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night's original Xbox Game Pass stint was just under 18 months long, running from September 2019 to March 2021. Assuming publisher 505 Games and Microsoft agreed to similar licensing terms this time around, the metroidvania should remain on the subscription service until the second half of 2025.

New Xbox Game Pass Games for February 2024 List

• Persona 3 Reload (Cloud, Console, and PC) - February 2
  • Day-one release

• Anuchard (Cloud, Console, and PC) - February 6
• Train Sim World (Cloud, Console, and PC) - February 7
• Madden NFL 24 (Console and PC) - February 8
  • PC Game Pass and Ultimate tiers only

• Resident Evil 3 (Cloud, Console, and PC) - February 13
• Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (Cloud, Console, and PC) - February 14
• A Little To The Left (Cloud, Console, and PC) - February 15
• PlateUp! (Cloud, Console, and PC) - February 15
• Return to Grace (Cloud, Console, and PC) - February 20

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night was met with extremely positive reviews from both gamers and critics alike. Half a decade since its release, its Metacritic Metascore ranges between 83 and 84, depending on the platform, whereas its Steam user ratings have cleared the "Very Positive" threshold, based on over 26,000 opinions. Numerous players have complimented its tight gameplay loop and high production values, on top of singing praises to its enemy variety and exploration-rewarding level design.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night DLC Is Currently Discounted

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night's return to Xbox Game Pass coincides with its time-limited sale that allows Steam users to grab it for $9.99. That's a 75% discount that matches the metroidvania's lowest-ever price on Valve's storefront. The Iga's Back bundle comprising the eponymous DLC that's not included in the Xbox Game Pass subscription has also been treated to a comparable price cut on Steam, with both of those offers being set to end on February 15. The expansion has been discounted on the Xbox Store as well, where it's currently available at $4.99, or 50% off, until February 26.

In terms of aggregate review scores, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is an immediate lock-in for the list of the best Xbox Game Pass titles that are currently available on the service. Microsoft's subscription offering is confirmed to be adding three more games before the end of February: A Little To The Left, PlateUp, and Return to Grace.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft's flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you can play with a single purchase, making it one of the most outstanding value propositions of the Xbox ecosystem to date.

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