Bloodstained runs like a one-legged werewolf on the Switch, but hopefully that won't last.

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Some PAX East 2019 attendees—including myself—played the Nintendo Switch version of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and came away disappointed at how choppy and unpolished the game seems to be. Since I previewed the build alongside Nintendo staff, I visited Bloodstained's publishers, 505 Games, and said "Say, folks. What gives?"

(That might be paraphrased.)

The 505 representatives I talked to said I should "assuage my fears," because the Switch port of Bloodstained they showed still has a lot of optimization to go through. The build I played is a long way from being done, and the final product should run much more closely to the optimized PC build.

I detailed my Bloodstained Switch experience earlier today. I highlight some worrisome problems like terrible input lag, slowdown, and an inconsistent frame rate. I believe I disappointed more than a few people who are supposed to get the Switch version of Bloodstained through Koji Igarashi's Kickstarter campaign.

It's good to hear reassurance that 505 Games is aware of Bloodstained's Switch problems, and it's also good to hear it's working hard to optimize the game. Still, it might've been a better idea to hold off on showing the Switch port until E3, just to give the team more time to apply a bit more spit-and-polish. Given the success of the Switch's indie scene, it makes sense the game is at PAX East, but it doesn't pay to rush things and show off a sub-par build.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is coming to the Nintendo Switch this Summer, ready or not. It's also coming to PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

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