Rósa: De Sangre Hermosa (Rósa: Of Beautiful Blood) is a hack-and-slash action-adventure game developed by SBE Los Angeles and ACS Production Studio Tokyo (with porting duties for the Switch version being handled by Iron Galaxy Studios) and published by SBEntertainment and ACS. Released in 2020 for PlayStation 4, XBox ONE, Nintendo Switch and PC. It is the second collaboration project between the two companies following Arkane Arena, as well as the first game by ACS to use their brand-new proprietary Iono Engine.
First announced in 2018, shortly after the release of Arkane Arena, Rósa was intended as a high-budget AAA release for both companies. The game features a soundtrack by the heavy metal band Ill Niño, with it being largely composed of songs from the band's first four albums. This was the final ACS game to be directed by Yasutomo Sato, before his departure from the company in 2022, following a 30-year tenure.
Originally slated for a late 2019 release, the game's development went through several delays caused by numerous factors, from behind-the-scenes tension between the members of Ill Niño, which eventually culminated into a lawsuit and several legal battles, to the COVID-19 pandemic causing various complications near the end of the game's development. Finally, after numerous delays, the game would be released in September of 2020.
A DLC expansion for the game, "The Awakening of Lucas", was later released in 2021, which features a new campaign focused on Lucas Bélen. The game later received an updated re-release in 2023 in the form of Rósa: De Sangre Hermosa: The Definitive Edition, which includes the Awakening of Lucas DLC, introduces brand-new content, and improves the game's graphics and performance in order to accommodate for next-gen consoles. Released for PlayStation 5, XBox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2. Some of the new features would be added onto the PC, PS4 and XBox One releases as patches.
Gameplay[]
The gameplay of Rósa: De Sangre Hermosa is derived from other titles within the "character action" subgenre of hack-and-slash games, such as Capcom's Devil May Cry series and various titles developed by PlatinumGames, while also taking inspiration from various other genres. Players control Rósalinda "Rósa" Hidalgo as she traverses through the fictional Mexican town of Santa Teresa, while slaying every demon she encounters in order to avenge her fallen lover's death. By default, Rósa is armed with a rose-shaped whip, which she names "La Maldita", though she could pick up and make use of stronger weapons (often referred to in-game as "Armas") later on throughout the game.
The game's controls are fairly standard for a hack-and-slash game: Square/X/Y and Triangle/Y/X serve as basic light and heavy attack buttons, respectively, the Cross/A/B button serves as the jump button, while the Circle/B/A button is used for general actions, as well as the Whiplash, which allows Rósa to grab onto both enemies and objects using her whip. Holding down the L2/LT/ZL trigger allows players to lock onto enemies, while the R2/RT/ZR trigger is used for blocking, as well as the Blitz Dash. Meanwhile, the L1/LT/L and R1/RT/R bumpers allow players to switch between the previous and next weapons, respectively. Holding down either bumper activates the Weapon Wheel, allowing the player to freely choose which weapon to switch to with the use of the analog stick.
Each direction of the d-pad corresponds to one of Rósa's four Runes, with a single press activating the corresponding rune, while another press of the same button turns the Rune off. The left analog stick controls the player's movement, with a click of the left stick selecting between targets while in lock-on mode, while the right analog stick controls the camera, with a click of the right stick resetting the camera back to neutral. The Options/Start/+ button pauses the game and brings up the Status menu, allowing the player to check their current status, inventory, weapon abilities, etc., while the Touchpad/Back/- button serves as a taunt button.
As a "character action" game, the game features a huge emphasis on combat, with the game featuring an expansive combat system, granting the player many tools to perform combos such as chaining attack strings and special moves together, launching enemies upwards for an air combo, and cancelling attacks by switching weapons mid-combo, among others. The game features a letter-based combo ranking system that increases for every 15 subsequent hits, while also tallying individual hits performed using each weapon. A scaling system is also in place to discourage spamming and encourage variety. There are eight combo ranks in total, which are as follows: ¡Eficaz!, ¡Deslumbrante!, ¡Caliente!, ¡Bonita!, ¡Asombrosa!, ¡Salvaje!, ¡SobreSaliente! and ¡Super SenSacional!
The game's HUD is composed of four separate main components: the Health meter, the Spirit meter, which is primarily used for Rune abilities, as well as certain Arma-specific special attacks, four colored gems with glyphs on them, each representing Rósa's four Runes, and a counter which displays how many Souls the player currently has. While progressing through the game, the player can collect "Essences", which each serve different purposes: "Vital Essence" replenishes lost health, "Divine Essence" replenishes lost Spirit, and "Soul Essence" serves as in-game currency, allowing the player to upgrade their Armas and Runes, as well as unlock new combat abilities. Aside from collecting Essences, players may also encounter Fountains, which can easily replenish lost health or spirit.
One of Rósa's core mechanics is the Whiplash, which serves a purpose in both combat and exploration. While in combat, Whiplash allows the player to grab onto enemies using La Maldita (regardless of the current Arma equipped) and either reach out and pull the enemy closer to them, or to jet themselves onto the enemy, depending on the button pressed, both of which allowing for more unique combo opportunities. Meanwhile, during exploration, Whiplash can also be used to grab onto certain parts of the scenery, allowing players to scale enormous walls and swing around between buildings and platforms, opening up a further degree of exploration throughout the game.
By tapping the R2/RT/ZR button on the controller, the player can perform a block in order to defend against the opponent's attacks. A well-timed block would leave the opponent open to counterattacks, opening them up for more combo opportunities. Meanwhile, pressing the R2/RT/ZR while holding any direction on the analog stick would instead perform a Blitz Dash, allowing Rósa to perform a quick dash towards that direction. Blitz Dashing can be used both in exploration, as a way to travel faster or reach certain areas, or during combat, as a way to evade enemy attacks, close into enemies, or scoot behind enemies after a successful block. Furthermore, upgrading can also improve the effectiveness of both the block and the Blitz Dash.
When an enemy is flashing red, a prompt will appear on the screen which allows players to perform an "Execution". Pressing the prompted buttons during this sequence would allow Rósa to perform a quick yet elaborate finishing move that kills the enemy instantly, while also granting bonuses such as additional Soul Essence drops. Players can also perform Executions on all of the bosses (except for Lucas, first-phase Padre Asunción, and the Nahual twins), with boss Executions also triggering a brief quick-time event that would lead to the player taking a huge chunk of damage upon failure. Unlike in games such as the God of War series, Executions in Rósa, while still bloody and gruesome to a degree, are focused less on brutality and more toward cinematic flair and spectacle, with Rósa eliminating her foes in unique and elaborate ways.
The main campaign is split up into 25 chapters, (or "Capitulos", as they are referred to in-game), with players fighting against a boss at the end of every even-numbered chapter (the sole exception being Capitulo XXV). While the level design is open-ended and seamless with very little loading interruptions during gameplay, the game itself is mostly linear and combat-focused, but certain sections do feature searching for key items and/or puzzles, and the game also awards exploration with hidden pickups, such as Rosary Beads (see below). After each chapter, the player's performance is rated via a letter ranking system, which is based on their completion time, overall combo rank and the total amount of Soul Essence that they had collected.
Rósa: De Sangre Hermosa was the very first ACS game to use the Iono Engine, developed in-house by ACS after some of their developers expressed multiple issues while working with Unreal Engine 4. The Iono Engine's capabilities allow it to render lush, open-ended environments, as well as multiple enemies, blooming effects and fluid animations at 1080p, all while maintaining a smooth 60fps. The Switch version, which does not run on the Iono Engine, but rather a custom-made engine by Iron Galaxy, is stripped-down by comparison, only being able to run at 30fps. The Definitive Edition releases for PlayStation 5 and XBox Series X, as well as later patches for the PC release, includes support for 4K UltraHD resolutions, as well as added ray tracing.
Armas[]
Throughout the game, Rósa can pick up alternate weapons, or "Armas", as the game calls them. Each Arma has their own strengths and weaknesses, as well as a unique set of moves and abilities which serve different purposes. There are 8 Armas in the game, with all of them being obtained after a boss fight. The player could switch between Armas on the fly at any time by pressing either shoulder button, with weapon switch cancelling serving as a vital element to extend combos. A weapon wheel system is also accessible for more strategic weapon switching, done by holding down one of the shoulder buttons, and then moving the analog stick that is closely associated with it (e.g.: when holding R1/RB/R, move the right analog stick).
Each Arma possesses a universal forward attack, performed by pressing ↑+H during lock-on, and a universal launcher performed by holding down the H button for a prolonged period of time, as well as a set of special abilities which are unique to them. Each of these unique techniques serve different purposes during combat, such as projectiles (La Maldita's "Crimson Wave"), combo extenders (Garra Roja's "Thousand Shredding Kicks"), crowd control (Tlayouak Tokuatlak's "Tornado Slasher"), and other miscellaneous abilities (Teselomaitl's "Demon Possession"). Some of these attacks may also require a certain amount of Spirit in order to be performed. These abilities could be purchased and upgraded by buying them via Souls, with some abilities being able to be upgraded up to Level 3.
- La Maldita
Rósa's trusty whip, a whip modelled after the vines of a thorny rose. Its attacks cover a wide range, and can also be used to grab onto enemies and objects.
- Los Desperados
El Charro Negro's weapons of choice, a pair of sawed-off shotguns. They fire buckshot shells fused with demon energy, dealing a lot of damage.
- Cadenas de Carmesí
La Pascualita's weapons of choice, a pair of glaives tied to the wrists via red chains. They can be used in short and long range, making them verstatile.
- Tlayouak Tokuatlak
A weapon forged from Cipactli's fangs, a pair of swords with a blade made of enamel. They boast swift attacks, cutting through demons with ease.
- Garra Roja
A weapon forged from La Lechuza's talons, taking the form of a pair of grieves. They lack range, but make up for it with fast and strong kick attacks.
- Chan Paalo' K'oja'an
Xtabay's weapon of choice, a snake-shaped guitar that doubles as an axe. It can stun demons with its music, before slashing and tearing them in pieces.
- Teselomaitl
Señor Augusto's weapon of choice, an Aztec stave that he uses to control the Ahuizotl. It boasts a long range, and can also be used to manipulate demons.
- Lluvia
A weapon forged from La Llorona's tears, a katana made entirely of solid crystalline ice. It attacks with blistering speed, and leaves a trail of cold blood.
Runes[]
While in battle, Rósa can activate one of the Cuerpo de Virtud's four "Runes", which grants the player some special abilities that help give the player an advantage during combat. Each button in the D-pad corresponds to one of the four Runes: down for the Rune of Body, left for the Rune of Mind, right for the Rune of Soul and up for the Rune of Time. Pressing one of the directions in the D-pad would activates the corresponding Rune, while another press of the same direction would deactivate it.
Activating a Rune will drain Rósa's Spirit meter continuously, until either the Rune is deactivated or the player runs out of spirit. Each Rune has its own unique effects which aid the player in battle, such as powering up attacks, healing sustained damage, or slowing down time, among others. All four Runes can be upgraded using Souls, with each upgrade improving the Runes' effects and their efficiency.
- Rune of Body
- Level 1: Powers up attacks slightly.
- Level 2: Powers up attacks significantly.
- Level 3: Powers up attacks greatly.
- Rune of Mind
- Level 1: Improves Spirit abilities subtly.
- Level 2: Improves Spirit abilities gradually.
- Level 3: Improves Spirit abilities exponentially.
- Rune of Soul
- Level 1: Heals damage at a slow pace.
- Level 2: Heals damage at a faster pace.
- Level 3: Heals damage at a rapid pace.
- Rune of Time
- Level 1: Slows time around a small area.
- Level 2: Slows time around a larger area.
- Level 3: Slows time around the entire screen.
Upgrade System[]
Throughout certain areas within the game, players may encounter a Grotto, a man-made shrine carved in the image of the Our Lady of Lourdes. Upon interacting with a Grotto in-game, the player gains access to the Upgrades shop, which allows players to upgade their Armas and Runes, learn brand new abilities that could be utilized during combat, as well as purchase additional Rosary Beads in order to improve their overall health and Spirit as well. Grottos also serve as checkpoints, with the game automatically saving upon interacting with a Grotto. Checking upgrades can also be done within a separate menu before starting a chapter.
The Upgrades shop is split into four different sections: Armas, Runes, Abilities and Rosaries. The Armas section is where players could learn new moves and abilities that are tied to their Armas, with each Arma having three unique abilities. The Runes section, as explained above, is where players can upgrade their Runes' effects and efficiency. The Abilities section is where the player could learn new universal abilities, which include the Double Jump and the Air Dash, amongst others. Lastly, the Rosary section is where the player could gather up the Rosary Beads they had obtained in order to upgrade their total health and/or Spirit meters.
Besides upgrading Armas and Runes, the player can also learn new universal abilities through Upgrades. Players can upgrade Rósa's block and Whiplash abilities, as well as learn new traversal maneuvers such as the Double Jump (done by pressing Jump twice), the Air Dash (done by pressing Dodge + any direction while in midair) and the Wall Jump (done by pressing Jump + while jumping against a wall). Over time, the player could gain access to more powerful universal abilities such as improvements to the Double Jump and Air Dash, as well as the Hovering ability (done by holding Jump while in midair; consumes Spirit).
Upgrading Rósa's health and Spirit works differently from others, requiring the player to gather beads for the Rosary of Purity (for upgrading total health) and the Rosary of Guidance (for upgrading total Spirit). Each Rosary has twelve Beads each, with six of them being available on the Upgrades shop, while the other six hidden Beads must be found throughout the game in secret locations. Each Rosary Bead will increase Rósa's total health and/or Spirit by a certain amount. In order to distinguish them from one another, Beads from the Rosary of Purity would emit a green glow, while Beads from the Rosary of Guidance would emit a blue glow.
Difficulty Levels[]
Before starting a new game, the player is given a choice between three difficulties: Mere Mortal, Young Hunter and Demon Slayer. Finishing the game in Demon Slayer difficulty would unlock the Death Becomes You difficulty mode, the hardest difficulty setting in the entire game. Finally, the Definitive Edition introduces a brand new difficulty option, known as Sangre por Sangre mode. Each difficulty option changes up various aspects of the game in several ways, making it easier or harder.
- Mere Mortal
- Easy difficulty setting.
- Enemy AI is adjusted to be less aggressive.
- Player damage is decreased by 50%.
- Fountains replenish all Health or Spirit.
- Young Hunter
- Normal difficulty setting.
- Demon Slayer
- Hard difficulty setting.
- Enemy AI is adjusted to be more aggressive.
- Player damage is increased by 50%.
- Fountains only replenish 25% Health or Spirit.
- Death Becomes You
- Hardest difficulty setting.
- Enemies can enter Desperation state while on low health, increasing attack power and speed.
- All enemies have increased endurance; performing high-rank combos will deal more damage to enemies, killing them faster.
- All changes from Demon Slayer mode apply.
- Sangre por Sangre
- Gimmick difficulty setting.
- Everything in the game can be killed in a single hit, including both enemies and the player.
- All healing methods are disabled; all Health Fountains are changed into Soul Essence Fountains, and Rune of Soul is unavailable.
- All changes from Demon Slayer mode apply.
Story[]
Many centuries ago, a long and gruelling battle was fought between the humans, followers of Yahvé, and the forces of evil, led by the Lord of Darkness himself, Satanas. The war between the two forces raged on for millenia, claiming the lives of many, human and demon alike, until one day, a hero emerges from of the human race: the hunter known as Don Sergio Hidalgo. Don Sergio, armed with nothing but a whip and an amulet by his side, fought tirelessly for 666 days and 666 nights, against an onslaught of Hell's strongest, most omnipotent demons, until one day, he manages to defeat Satanas and seal the gateway to the demon world, a sacrifice that would end up taking his life.
While Don Sergio, tragically, never once saw the peace and liberty that he fought tooth and nail for, he did leave behind a lasting legacy, as the Hidalgo family took his mantle and continued to defend the people against remnants from the forces of Hell, with his legendary whip, La Maldita, passing over to generation after generation, along with his amulet, the Cuerpo de Virtud, which contains the key to keep the gates of Hell sealed off. As decades pass by, there have been many attempts to re-open the gates of Hell, and unleash a new age of darkness, but thanks to the efforts of the Hidalgo bloodline none of them have been fruitful. Until now...
Cut to the present day, in the town of Santa Teresa, a small but humble villa located in the heart of Mexico, and a town known for its superstitions and rich stories of folk creatures, the church of Iglesia de Salvación, led by Padre Lazaro Asunción, a new religious movement, emerges within the small town. The church promises its devouts love, prosperity, good health, fortune, spiritual healing, and protection against evil and malignant spirits. However, as this burgeoning parish gains further attention, many start to cast their doubt about the church's true nature. Little do they know, that one day, this seemingly innocuous parish would end up sparking an incident that would end up changing the lives of the residents of Santa Teresa forever.
All the while, a young maiden by the name of Rosalinda Hidalgo, known amongst her peers as "Rósa" is preparing for her wedding day, having been engaged to her long-time sweetheart Luca. However, that day, as she was preparing to ride the bridal car, she was suddenly ambushed by an onslaught of demons, killing her driver in the process. The demons proceeded to attack Rósa on the spot and steal the amulet on her neck from her. Enraged, she slips away from her wedding dress, pulls out La Maldita and start fighting off the demons, revealing herself to be a descendant of Don Sergio Hidalgo himself, making short work of the demons before then running off onto the cathedral in order to retrieve the Cuerpo de Virtud and, rescue her fiancé Luca before it's too late.
However, by the time Rósa arrives at the cathedral, it was far too late, as Luca, along with most of the wedding guests, had been slain by the black-furred abomination that is El Cucuy. Roaring in a fit of sheer rage and anguish, she proceeds to vanquish El Cucuy on the spot, slashing her whip around violently and mercilessly, not stopping until the beast is dead, and retrieving a piece of the Cuerpo de Virtud from its ashes, with the rest having been shattered into pieces. She then hurriedly checks on Luca, only to find him dying, lying in a pool of his own blood. Before succumbing to his wounds, he utters Padre Asunción's name as his last words. From there, Rósa swore revenge against the demons, and especially Padre Asunción, stopping at nothing until she annihilates every demon alive.
As she continues with her journey, she faces off against a gauntlet of the Iglesia's followers, all of whom are demons themselves or chose to align with the demons. Along the way, she also forges an uneasy alliance with a demon hunter named Lucas Bélen, whose face and name bore a striking resemblance to her late fiancé. As the story progresses, Lucas keeps appearing from out of nowhere, usually in an attempt to help Rósa out. At one point, Lucas comes across a shard of the Cuerpo de Virtud, prompting a brief scuffle between the two, which Rósa eventually wins, returning the shard back to her as he had promised.
Eventually, after slaying many demons throughout Santa Teresa, and retrieving the other pieces of the Cuerpo de Virtud, she arrives at the monestary of the Iglesia de Salvación. Without hesitation, she decides to enter the Monastery. While inside the monastery, she gets into a brief encounter with Alfredo and Alicia Luna, a pair of twins who turn out to be malevolent Nahuals. However their fight was interrupted by Lucas, who proceeds to slaughter the twins with no qualms. Shocked and appaled by what Lucas did, Rósa confronts him, sparking a brief but bitter argument between the two that ends with both separating in arcimonious terms. By the end, both Rósa and Lucas can only look at each other in regret, with each other's parting words lingering into their minds over and over again.
Ever since her encounter with the Nahual twins, Rósa begins to question her true motives, and whether or not she has been doing the right thing all this time, and thinking whether or not those she had slain were victims as well, much like her. The thoughts continued to linger within her mind, but she paid no attention to it, as she trudged on throughout the labyrinthine halls of the monastery. Eventually, as soon as she reaches the top floor of the monastery, Rósa encounters Lucas once again, but immediately noticed something was off about him. It was there that he would eventually reveal his true identity. Sprouting his wings, he reveals that he was, in fact, the fallen angel, Luzbel, who had made it his goal to eliminate Rósa the entire time.
The two then proceeded to engage in a lengthy battle, Rósa pushing through in spite of the betrayal, while Luzbel showed regret in his actions, but couldn't back down at that point. However, their gruelling battle would soon be interrupted by Padre Asunción. Enraged, Rósa immediately shifts her attention to Padre Asunción, confronting them there and then, to which he retorts by questioning Rósa's morality, revealing to Rósa the hard-hitting truth: that the followers that she had slain actually were innocent people searching for their own salvation. In a moment, the cold words of Padre Asunción proceed to completely shatter Rósa's entire worldview, breaking her and making her question if she had been no different from the very same monsters she had claimed to loathe so much.
That is, until Luzbel interrupts the two, telling Padre Asunción to shut up and questioning his so-called "truth", before announcing he refuses to be Luzbel anymore, abandoning his quest and setting his targets toward him. This enrages Padre Asunción, prompting him to unleash the power he had obtained then and there: the power of the Devil himself, Satanas. The sheer overwhelming power unleashed by Padre Asunción soon causes the entire monastery to crumble, and opening a chasm in the ground that sends him and Rósa plummeting down to Hell, with Luzbel, now going by Lucas again, being left behind. Inside Hell, Satanas fully takes over the body of Padre Asunción, as he and Rósa engage in their ultimate battle, with the fate of the entire mortal realm laying on the line.
During the fight, Padre Asunción's body starts to rip and tear itself apart, being unable to handle the sheer power of Satanas flowing directly onto his veins. Eventually, his transformation goes unstable, turning the unholy priest into an abominable mess of flesh and bone, but this didn't faze Rósa, as she continued to fight on. She fought and fought until her body couldn't keep up anymore, which Satanas proceeded to take advantage of, overpowering her as he was close to finishing him off. However, before he could do such a thing, Lucas descends onto Hell in his full Fallen Angel form, and attacks Satanas. He then proceeds to sprint toward Rósa, apologizes for his actions earlier, before offering to assist her, to which she reluctantly accepts.
The long battle eventually ends with Satanas being defeated once and for all. Rosa remains standing, while Lucas suddenly falls down on the ground. As Rósa rushes to his aid, Lucas reveals to him one last secret: that he was, in fact, the last remaining vestige of Satanas' true, angelic form, which he has split from when Padre Asunción assimilated all of his demonic spirit, and with Satanas' demise, Lucas, too, will die alongside him. As the weeping Rósa tends to him, he whispers to her ears: "I love you...", before fading away into dust, leaving a weeping Rósa behind for good. The last scene of the game is that of Rósa in the cemetery, visiting Luca's grave, when she finds a stray black feather on his grave, picks it up and looks at the sky. One last remembrance from the fallen angel himself.
Characters[]
Main Characters[]
- Rosalinda "Rósa" Hidalgo
- Boss Themes: "All I Ask For" (1st; Lucas DLC), "March Against Me" (2nd; Lucas DLC)
- Voice Actresses: Rina Sato (JP), Cristina Valenzuela (EN), Xóchitl Ugarte (ES)
Rósalinda Hidalgo, better known by her nickname "Rósa", is a demon hunter, and a descendant of the legendary Don Sergio Hidalgo. She is the current inheritor of his signature whip, La Maldita, the rose whip, as well as his amulet, the Cuerpo de Virtud.
Descending from a clan of demon hunters, Rósa was trained to hunt and slay demons at a very young age, developing an affinity with the whip. Over time, Rósa's immense talent proved to surpass that of any other descendant of Don Sergio, leading to her becoming the sole inheritor of his legendary weapon, the La Maldita, as well as his amulet, the Cuerpo de Virtud, which grants the user immense power and protection. All the while, she continued to balance her life as a demon hunter and as a college student, eventually leading to her meeting her sweetheart Luca, whom she would later be engaged to. Unfortunately, on the exact day of her wedding, the gates of Hell were opened and an onslaught of demons was unleashed upon the town, killing many people, including her fiancé Luca, prompting her to fight back against the demons out of fury, stopping at nothing until she gets her revenge against those who killed Luca.
In the beginning, Rósa claims to be a strong-willed woman with a righteous sense of justice, but as the game progresses, she starts to second-guess her actions, as her desire for revenge slowly takes over within her, slowly pushing her into a dark and bloody path. Rósa fights primarily using her whip, the La Maldita, a weapon modelled after a rose's vines, with a bladed hilt at the end, which she uses alongside a multitude of other weapons she obtains throughout the game, eliminating demons with her graceful and refined, yet brutal, style of fighting.
- Lucas Bélen
- Boss Themes: "Finger Painting (With the Enemy)" (1st), "All the Right Words" (2nd)
- Voice Actors: Yoshimasa Hosoya (JP), Troy Baker (EN), Alan Bravo (ES)
Lucas Bélen is a mysterious demon hunter who follows Rósa throughout her journey, often lending a helping hand in tight situations. His true identity is that of Luzbel, the repressed angelic side of the Lord of Darkness, Satanas, finally given form.
Before his fall from grace, Luzbel was among Yahvé's strongest angels, before his pride and ego caused him to rebel against the Heavens, leading to his eventual fall from grace. After his fall, Luzbel slowly shed his angelic facade after his fall, morphing into a demon as he took the name of Satanas, establishing his own army of demons in order to exact his revenge against Yahvé and all of his followers, proclaiming himself as the Lord of Darkness. Satanas' war against the humans raged on for centuries, until a brave hunter by the name of Don Sergio Hidalgo vanquished him, sacrificing his own life in order to seal the gate of Hell and trap him within his own realm forever. That is, until a priest by the name of Padre Asunción sought the power of Satanas, opening the gates of Hell and absorbing his demonic power onto himself, leaving his remaining angelic half to manifest itself into the mortal realm, guising himself in the appearance of a dead man and taking the name of Lucas Bélen.
Lucas appears to be more laid-back and playful compared to the serious Rósa, but deep inside, he is a man whose heart is in conflict, torn between carrying out his sworn mission, borne by his own hatred, and his blossoming feelings toward Rósa. Lucas fights using Claro and Oscuro, a pair of twin swords which are actually the concentrated forms of two Biblical artifacts: the angelic Espada de San Miguel and the demonic Tridente, vanquishing his foes with combined divine and corrupted power.
- Padre Lazaro Asunción
- Boss Themes: "God Save Us" (1st), "Violent Saint" (2nd; Phase 1), "My Resurrection" (2nd; Phase 2), "Revolution/Revolución" (2nd; Final Phase)
- Voice Actors: Joji Nakata (JP), Darin de Paul (EN), Juan Carlos Tinoco (ES)
Padre Lazaro Asunción is a self-proclaimed priest, and the founder of the Iglesia de Salvación. He is responsible for opening the gates of Hell in Santa Teresa, which is part of a plan for him to harness the power of the Lord of Darkness, Satanas.
Ever since he had first joined the church as a young pastor, Padre Asunción had always been interested in the story of the fall of Luzbel, and his corruption into Satanas, entranced by the prospect of his immense power, and what he deemed to be his wrongful exile from the heavens. From there, he enacted a long, elaborate plan to reincarnate the Lord of Darkness onto the human realm, starting from attempting to open the gates of Hell that were sealed by Don Sergio, to eventually forming the Iglesia de Salvación, a parish of his own, along the way, in order to attain more followers of his own, and with that, more hands that could help him overpower the seal, allowing him to finally re-open the gates of Hell and unleash every demon onto the town. Ultimately, his end goal was to reincarnate the Satanas, onto the realm of humans, and have the Lord of Darkness offer his power to him, either by convincing him to do so, or by sheer force.
At first, Padre Asunción appears to be a soft-spoken, amiable priest who dislikes conflict, but as his facade eventually slips later on throughout the story, he starts to show his true colors: that of a selfish, power-hungry cult leader who would stop at achieving his one true goal, all while calmly calling out the hypocrisy of his own enemies with a cold, chilling tone in his voice. Near the end, he succeeds in merging his own soul with the darker half of Satanas, causing the latter to fully take over his body, disfuguring and transforming him into a manifestation of the Lord of Darkness himself, cruel, all-powerful, and bereft of any humanity.
Bosses[]
- El Cucuy
- Boss Theme: "Corazon of Mine"
- Voice Actors: N/A
The El Cucuy is one of the many demons that were summoned by Padre Asunción upon opening the gates of Hell upon Santa Teresa. It is a demonic abomination that takes the form of a humanoid beast, with a hairy body and a freakish appearance.
The tale of El Cucuy dates all the way back to the times of the Spanish Inquisition, and tells the story of a bogeyman, a mythical apparition that is said to lurk at night on the rooftops of small barrios not too dissimilar to Santa Teresa, hunting and preying on obstinate children, before devouring them or spiriting them away into the darkness. Many years later, Padre Asunción would end up opening the gateway to the demon real within Santa Teresa, unleashing all sorts of demons and into the small town, up to and including the El Cucuy, who, upon being summoned to the human world, immediately unleashed mayhem onto the town before arriving in the cathedral. From there, it immediately started attacking and devouring all the guests, up to and including an unsuspecting Luca, who tried to defend a child that was about to be eaten, only to be eaten himself, but the El Cucuy did not know that devouring Luca would end up sealing its fate.
- Sebastian Hernandez/El Charro Negro
- Boss Theme: "Rumba"
- Voice Actors: Kazuya Nakai (JP), Philip Anthony-Rodriguez (EN), Irwin Daayán (ES)
Sebastian Hernandez is a follower of the Iglesia de Salvación, who serves as the bodyguard of Padre Asunción. His demon form is that of El Charro Negro, a skeletal horseman riding on his steed, whilst armed with a pair of demonic shotguns.
Sebastian was once a police officer, driven by his desire to take down the Mexican drug cartel, after his own parents were killed by drug kingpins. Sebastian's obsession with taking down the cartel soon consumed him, turning him into a tireless workaholic, being unable to sustain a healthy relationship with his girlfriend, who left him behind in favor of another man. This potent obsession soon led to his downfall when, in a chance encounter with the same kingpins who killed his parents, he was left mortally wounded. As Sebastian was dying, he was found by Padre Asunción, who healed him of his wounds and introduced him to his religion, with the promise of granting him enough strength to exact his revenge against everyone involved.
- Clara de la Cruz/La Pascualita
- Boss Theme: "Everything Beautiful"
- Voice Actresses: Sayaka Ohara (JP), Krizia Bajos (EN), Karina Altamirano (ES)
Clara de la Cruz is a wedding planner and one of the followers of the Iglesia de Salvación, handling bridal services for the church. Her demon form is La Pascualita, an undead bride which possesses doll-like appendages, tied by chains made of crimson.
Despite her success as a wedding planner, Clara's love life had been nothing but a constant cycle of misery, having married several men throughout her life, with all of her relationships ending in disaster. Over time, Clara blamed her "ugly" appearance for her constant heartbreaks, developing an unhealthy obsession with beauty, often trying to look as pretty as she can be. As she approaches her mid-40s, she desperately clings onto the last remaining vestiges of her youth, trying hard to finally find someone who would love her, and yet failing constantly every single time. In her desperation, Clara turned to the only person that she could: Padre Asunción, who promised to grant her eternal beauty in exchange for her own faith to his religion.
- Cipactli
- Boss Theme: "Rip Out Your Eyes"
- Voice Actors: N/A
The Cipactli is a monster that roams the murky waters of the Chipauaatl River, which separates the East and West halves of Santa Teresa. It is a gigantic and voracious aquatic creature described as being part-crocodile, part-fish, and part-toad.
Apocryphal stories of the Cipactli date all the way back to the Aztec times, where the gods known as Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl sacrificed a foot in order to lure the monster out of the water, defeat it, and create the Earth from its body. During the time of the Spanish Inquisition, a significant portion of the Aztec and Mayan populace were massacred by the Spaniards and thrown down onto the gates of Hell, eventually leading to the Lord of Darkness himself, Satanas, taking some of the damned natives under his wing, understanding their blight, and helping them reclaim their land from the Spaniards. The gates of Hell were eventually sealed shut by Don Sergio, only for Padre Asunción to re-open them once again, causing the return of the Cipactli, among many others, into the mortal realm.
- Yolanda Vidal/La Lechuza
- Boss Theme: "Pieces of the Sun"
- Voice Actresses: Kujira (JP), Debra Wilson (EN), Magda Gener (ES)
Yolanda Vidal is a healer who is a follower of the Iglesia de Salvación, offering healing services to the religion's many devouts. Her demon form is that of La Lechuza, a witch who can transform into an owl-like creature in order to prey on her victims.
Knowledgeable in the lost art of traditional herbal medicine, Yolanda comes from a long bloodline of healers, inheriting many ancient recipes from her ancestors and using her knowledge to serve the people of Santa Teresa for most of her 84 years of existence. Despite her reputation as an excellent healer, however, she herself, in a tragic irony, suffers from a debilitating terminal illness of her own, one that her brewed herbs and sacred oils alone cannot heal, and one that is killing her slowly as she continues to age. Out of sheer desperation, Yolanda turns to Padre Asunción for guidance, who, in turns, offers her the promise of eternal life, but at a cost; she must now use her newfound power in order to exterminate the enemies of the religion.
- Juliana Villegas/Xtabay
- Boss Theme: "Lifeless...Life"
- Voice Actresses: Yoshino Nanjo (JP), Erica Mendez (EN), Carla Castañeda (ES)
Juliana Villegas is an acoustic singer who is a follower of the Iglesia de Salvación, often singing songs about her faith. Her demon form is Xtabay, a temptress who lures her victims with her beautiful appearance and alluring voice, before killing them.
As a young girl, Juliana had a dream: to become a successful musician, much like her father, which prompted her to learn how to play the guitar and start practicing singing and writing songs, just like him. However, despite her lofty aspirations, Juliana could never make it big in the music industry, as her soft, acoustic ballads were largely ignored by the masses in favor of more mainstream pop music. Internally, she began to struggle with depression, anxiety and impostor syndrome, constantly feeling inadequate or not good enough to anyone, be it her family, or anyone willing to listen to her. That is, until Juliana met Padre Asunción, who moved by her immense talent and tragic beginnings, offered her to join his religion, with the promise of gathering more people who could listen to her.
- Señor Augusto de los Reyes & Ahuizotl
- Boss Theme: "The Alibi of Tyrants"
- Voice Actors: Takaya Hashi (JP), Jesse Corti (EN), Jesse Conde (ES)
Señor Augusto de los Reyes is the alcalde of Santa Teresa, and a close ally of Padre Asunción. He himself does not have a demon form, but instead he possesses the Teselomaitl, which allows him to control the cryptid known as the "Ahuizotl".
The De los Reyes clan are one of the most powerful and affluent clans within Santa Teresa, with their far-reaching influence in the realm of politics, with Augusto serving as the clan's current patriarch. His family had ruled over the land of Santa Teresa for centuries, Augusto himself serving as alcalde for 4 terms, stemming all the way back in the 1980s, but as time went on, the growing opposition rallying against his rule made him somewhat paranoid. Out of sheer desperation, he then turns to an old colleague of his, Padre Asunción, who offers him his help in maintaining his rule over Santa Teresa, thus eventually sparking the chain events that would end up triggering the events of today.
- Alfredo & Alicia Peña/Nahual
- Boss Theme: "Two (Vaya Con Dios)"
- Voice Actors: Mutsumi Tamura (JP; Alfredo), Maria Naganawa (JP; Alicia), Casey Mongillo (EN; Alfredo), Jeannie Tirado (EN; Alicia), Victor Ugarte (ES; Alfredo), Circe Luna (ES; Alicia)
Alfredo and Alicia Peña are a pair of young twins who were born into Iglesia de Salvación, by way of their parents. Their demon forms are that of the Nahual, zoanthropes who possess the ability to shapeshift into their monstrous animal forms.
Born from parents who were devout followers of the Iglesia de Salvación, the twin siblings Alfredo and Alicia had been serving Padre Asunción and his parish at an early age, often at their parents' behest. Inheriting the faith of their parents, neither Alfredo nor Alicia never once questioned the teachings of Padre Asunción, and both of them had even gotten into trouble in school for insulting and attacking other kids, and even adult teachers, who even dared to utter a bad word about the Iglesia, causing many people to think the twins were deluded, not that they minded. With the opening of the Gates of Hell, the twins willing offered themselves to Padre Asunción, who had them undergo the ritualistic process known as "soul merging" combining their souls to that of a demon, in this case, the Nahual, granting them the ability to shapeshift into their new, monstrous forms.
- Sis. Josefina de Soledad/La Llorona
- Boss Theme: "La Liberacion of Our Awakening"
- Voice Actresses: Sumi Shimamoto (JP), Salli Saffioti (EN), Cony Madera (ES)
Sis. Josefina de Soledad is a nun, and one of the most ardent followers of the Iglesia de Salvación. Her demon form is that of La Llorona, the weeping lady of Mexican folklore who possesses ear-piercing shrieks and the ability to control ice.
The tragic, sordid life of Josefina is one full of nothing but pain, deceit and regret: once a happily married woman, her world was then shattered when she realized her own husband was cheating on her. In her rage, she aborted her unborn child and murdered her own husband, throwing both of their bodies in the Chipauaatl River, only for her to realize what she had just done once it was too late, causing her to spiral into a cold, depressive state, up until one day, she confesses her sins to Padre Asunción, who, moved by her story and realizing her shattered mental state, decided to take her in his parish as a nun, in order to help her repent for the sins of her dark past. As Padre Asunción's most devout follower, she was the very first follower of his to undergo the soul merging process, willingly volunteering herself and fearing nothing, for in her own broken mind, she has nothing left to lose.
Others[]
- Luca
- Voice Actors: Yoshimasa Hosoya (JP), Troy Baker (EN), Alan Bravo (ES)
Luca is Rósa's long-time boyfriend/fiancé, who was killed before they were meant to exchange their vows. After his untimely death, the fallen angel, Luzbel, assimilates the appearance of Luca in order to guise himself under the alias of "Lucas Bélen".
- Don Sergio Hidalgo
- Voice Actors: N/A
Don Sergio Hidalgo is the legendary demon hunter who sacrficed everything to liberate the humans from the clutches of Satanas. He is only shown in-game through flashbacks, though the game delves deep into his legacy, and how it affects the present.
Chapters[]
- Capitulo I: Preludio
- Capitulo II: Tragedia
- Capitulo III: Pena
- Capitulo IV: Gatillo
- Capitulo V: Extranjero
- Capitulo VI: Belleza
- Capitulo VII: Forcejeo
- Capitulo VIII: Rabia
- Capitulo IX: Reunión
- Capitulo X: Aumento
- Capitulo XI: Despertar
- Capitulo XII: Presa
- Capitulo XIII: Inquietud
- Capitulo XIV: Encuentro
- Capitulo XV: Fanatismo
- Capitulo XVI: Himno
- Capitulo XVII: Conspiración
- Capitulo XVIII: Sacrificio
- Capitulo XIX: Llegada
- Capitulo XX: Espejo
- Capitulo XXI: Tradimento
- Capitulo XXII: Fe
- Capitulo XXIII: Melancolía
- Capitulo XXIV: Verdad
- Capitulo XXV: Venganza
Bonus Modes[]
Abyss Mode[]
First unlocked upon beating the main campaign once, Abyss Mode is an additional mode that pits the player in a 1,000-circle gauntlet against an endless onslaught of enemies and bosses, starting from circle 0 all the way up to circle 999. The mode is intended for players to master their skills and abilities as well as gain a large sum of Souls for Upgrades. All fights take place in an enclosed space, known as "circles", where the player gets to fight against an infinite swarm of enemies.
Upon eliminating all enemies in a given circle, the player is given a choice to enter one of three portals, which would descend the player down 1, 10, or 100 circles. Descending 1 circle grants the player a full health refill, descending 10 circles grants the player a full spirit refill, while descending 100 circles grants no reward. The difficulty of the enemies increases as the player descends deeper into the abyss, with Circles 0-299 using Young Hunter difficulty values, Circles 300-599 using Demon Slayer values, and Circles 600 onwards using Death Becomes You values. Every 20 circles, the player gets to face a boss from the main campaign.
Upon obtaining the Awakening of Lucas DLC, the player can unlock an additional local co-op mode for Abyss Mode. This feature allows two players to challenge the mode together on one console, with one player playing as Rosa, while the other plays as Lucas. Both players each have different resources, but share the same combo counter. On normal circles, players share the screen with camera zooming in and out to keep the characters in view. For boss fights, however, split screen is used, with Player 1 on the left side of the screen, while Player 2 occupies the right side. If a player character dies on the current circle, they can still be revived on the next one, provided the other player survives.
Boss Endurance Mode[]
First unlocked upon beating the main campaign twice, Boss Endurance Mode is, for all intents and purposes, a boss rush mode, with the player having to fight against all of the bosses in the game, all within one sitting. Players start off in a circular hall with 10 portals, and a pair of Heath and Spirit Fountains in the middle that they can use to replenish lost health or spirit. By entering one of the portals, they are then teleported onto that boss fight, which they must defeat in order to progress.
Each time they defeat a boss, they are sent back to the circular hall again. Players can choose to take on any of the first 10 bosses at their own pace, as there is no order that dictates which boss they need to face first. Beating all 10 bosses would unlock the final portal, which leads to a 3-phase endurance round against Padre Asunción and all of his forms. Depending on the chosen difficulty, the player could be given a bunch of Vital and Divine Essence after each fight, or none at all whatsoever.
This mode can be played in four difficulty modes: Mere Mortal, Young Hunter, Demon Slayer and Death Becomes You, with the changes from each difficulty affecting the mechanics of the mode as well (i.e. less Vital Essence pickups when playing in Demon Slayer mode). Players can also play as either Rósa or Lucas in this mode (provided that they had bought the Awakening of Lucas DLC). Notably, playing as Lucas in this mode would replace his own boss fight with the one in his DLC campaign against Rósa. The Definitive Edition adds a co-op Boss Endurance mode, which operates in much the same way as co-op boss fights in Abyss Mode.
Downloadable Content[]
In 2021, the DLC expansion, The Awakening of Lucas, was released. The expansion adds a new section in the main game, giving players a new, more concise 15-chapter single-player campaign featuring Lucas Bélen as the main character, with the story being told from his perspective. The DLC expansion has its own leaderboard, stats and a brand new set of achievements and trophies.
Gameplay-wise, Lucas plays somewhat similarly to Rósa, albeit with a few minor changes. Instead of Rósa's Runes, Lucas can instead imbue his attacks with light or dark power with a quick press on left and right on the D-pad, respectively, dealing more damage to enemies of certain attributes. He also lacks Rósa's Whiplash, instead possessing a grab attack for combat, and a limited flight mode for exploration, which consumes his Spirit gradually.
Armas[]
- Claro & Oscuro
Lucas' weapon of choice, a pair of longswords that can manipulate light and darkness. They boast swift attacks, imbued with great elemental power.
- Espada de San Miguel
Claro's true form, a great sword that once belonged to his archnemesis Miguel de Arcángel. Its blade is made of light, and can vanquish its foes with ease.
- Tridente
Oscuro's true form, a three-pronged trident that he had used as "Satanas". It is a weapon forged from darkness, overwhelming its foes with its evil power.
Trivia[]
- The song featured in the game's intro is "De Sangre Hermosa" by American heavy metal band Ill Niño. It was included as the final track off their 2008 album Enigma. The subtitle of the game was also taken directly from this very song.
- In the Awakening of Lucas DLC, Lucas' story campaign includes a unique intro which features the song "What Comes Around (Day of the Dead Mix)", also performed by Ill Niño. Originally the fifth track and second single off their 2001 album Revolution Revolución, the Day of the Dead Mix was made for the 2002 science fiction horror film Resident Evil, and was featured on the film's soundtrack.
- The song featured in the game's end credits is "How Can I Live", also performed by Ill Niño. It was included as the second track, as well as the lead single off their 2003 album Confession.
- The game includes an easter egg, where finishing the game while its voice settings are set to Español would replace the default credits song with its Spanish version.
- This is the first ACS game to feature a Latin American Spanish dub. However, some of the company's previous releases, such as Half*Dead II, did feature dubs in European Spanish.
- Included in the pre-order editions of Rósa: De Sangre Hermosa was an alternate costume for Rósa, modeled after Ysabella de Leon from Arkane Arena. The costume would later be released as DLC, and, later on, was added to the Definitive Edition, with Lucas also receiving his own costume, which is based on Takuma Asahara from the game's sequel, Arkane Ascension.
- The sudden and controversial departure of Cristian Machado, Ahrue Luster and Diego Verduzco from Ill Niño (plus the ensuing lawsuit), as well as the COVID-19 pandemic occuring near the end of development, caused the game to be delayed various times, as well as certain elements to be cut from the final release.
- Rosa was meant to pick up a ninth weapon, Claro & Oscuro. Its leftovers remain in the base game, but are incredibly buggy, lack any upgradeable abilities, and using the Weapon Wheel with it causes the game to crash. These assets would later be repurposes and fleshed out with the release of the Lucas DLC.
- The Teselomaitl's Demon Possession ability went through various changes in development, up to and including summoning a Nahual that copies Rósa's abilities (a la Devil May Cry 3's Doppelganger style), to having the ability to possess multiple demons at a time. Eventually, the mechanic was simplified into only allowing the player to possess one demon at a time.
- Originally, Ill Niño was meant to record a completely original song with Rósa's voice actress, Cristina Valenzuela, that would've served as the game's main theme song. However, the aforementioned exodus of Machado, Luster and Verduzco caused the song to be shelved. A demo version of the song is said to have existed, but it remains lost.