Bloodborne is a punishing game. No, Bloodborne is a forgiving game. No, Bloodborne is an unfair, obviously artificially difficult game. All of these phrases, and more, are what you’ll most likely see said about the PS4 exclusive that came out last month, giving people familiar with the Souls games series something familiar, yet simultaneously different and exciting. What does this quasi-Souls game vet think of Bloodborne? Hit the jump to read on!
You are cast as a hunter, thrown out into the nightly hunt after being injected with the blood of beasts (or menstruation as it apparently is now being rumored to be). A strange old man leans over at you, cackles about the Church and how crazy the world has gone, and off you go, into the world of Bloodborne. This in reality is very similar to how old Souls’ games begin – however none of them before have had the same level of dread and fear that Bloodborne manages to instill. From the very beginning of the game, it feels different than any game that has come before because of the haunting atmosphere that follows you. And honestly, the beginning of the game is almost like a walk in a sunny park filled with rainbows compared to the latter half of the game.
I won’t go into too much detail regarding that half of the game – I believe if you truly want to enjoy the game then going into it blind is your best option. It’s always been the best option, because the fun of playing a Souls game, and especially Bloodborne, is knowing nothing. It’s about talking about it with your friends late at night, like you used to when games were around that didn’t have detailed strategy guides and straightforward progression; constantly raving over this neat new thing you found, cheering each other on as you reach towards the next checkpoint or level, and warning each other of the dangers that lie ahead. And boy does this game have danger, with enemies lurking around every corner waiting to jump out at you, and Bosses that will punish you for even the smallest mistake.
Of course Bosses still vary like any other Souls series game, from the ridiculously hard (I’m looking at you, crazy Octopus-Demon Lady in the last chunk of the game – you know who you are) to the insanely easy, like a couple of weird little hunched over ladies who just kind of teleport around and yell at you. Outside enemies who you deem to be “weaker” than bosses will most likely cause more deaths than any bosses ever will. At one point you’ll run into an enemy who will stick a giant tongue in your brain, and kill you the moment they do that; you literally can just put the controller down, because you might as well give up. And that is one of the biggest pluses about Bloodborne, that no matter how much you feel like giving up, you still want to keep going. You want to end the nightmare your hunter is in, and uncover the mysteries of why everything went so wrong in the first place.
If I could summarize my feelings for Bloodborne it’d be this: it’s a tight, fast-paced action game that demands a lot from the player, but will reward them in kind for their trials. The storyline may make no sense on the surface (though what is under that is so very good), but I have to say it makes more sense than any game prior. The world has so much love put into it that you’ll feel truly immersed and horrified at all the things it throws at you. Trust me – the moment you hear a baby crying in the background, or weird echoing singing, you’ll know what fear is. And the Chalice Dungeons, while I’ve not spent much time in them, add a unique twist to the game that allows you to get lost in giant tomb-like areas and feels a little closer to a classic Dungeon Crawler. You will hunt down monsters, find treasure, and vanquish the horrible boss at the end of each tier. And it just adds to the level of content and attention to detail that From Software has obviously put into this game – a game I consider their best yet.