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As part of Tokyo Game Show 2026, publisher 505 Games has released a new gameplay trailer for its upcoming adventure Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement - the long-awaited prequel to the acclaimed 2019 release Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
Once again developed by indie studio ArtPlay and produced by former Castlevania lead Koji "IGA" Igarashi, Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement follows the exploits of two young adventurers - Leonard Brandon of the Chapel's Black Wolves, and Alexander Kyteler of the kingdom's White Stage Knights - as Church and State unite in a last-ditch effort to infiltrate the castle of the Demon Lord, Elias, and rid the land of his miserable plague of demonic forces.
The new trailer offers our most detailed look at The Scarlet Engagement's gameplay to date, spotlighting a variety of features for the first time. Amidst a typically melodramatic tale of monsters and misery, we see several new boss characters, a day/night switching spell, a dizzying battle taking place mid-flight on dragonback, environmental attacks, juggle combos (!) and a closer look at the "buddy" combat system, allowing the player to fight as our doe-eyed pretty boys simultaneously.
Ritual of the Night, as expected from IGA, was a wonderful successor to the producer's Castlevania work, offering an engaging, meaty, and compelling adventure that captured the exploratory, completionist nature of hit games such as Symphony of the Night while imbuing it with its own personality and character - as well as an irritatingly compulsive cooking mechanic (which will also return in The Scarlet Engagement)
If there are trepidations at this stage, they come in the form of a visual style that looks mostly unchanged from Ritual of the Night, with an aesthetic matching that of its seven-year-old predecessor. Additionally, there was quiet confirmation that legendary composer Michuru Yamane will not be returning for the prequel. While the trailer music is suitably series-fitting, Yamane's exquisite tone will certainly be missed.
Regardless, Artplay looks set to have another hit on its hands, ready to drain long evenings out of Metroidvania lovers the world over. Already delayed from its initial 2026 release date, The Scarlet Engagement is yet to receive a new date outside of the nebulous "2027". But IGA insists that development is nearing completion, and so hopefully we'll be able to walk the night soon.
Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement launches in 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series, and PC.