OO VENATOOOR
Beatus Sanctus
Bonum fati par dia.
Domus aeternus fiat morte
Erit sanguinem opulentuuum

This is Bloodborne, the best PlayStation exclusive in my opinion.
So, it was my first FromSoftware game and man, i loved it!
FromSoftware really nailed the atmosphere in this one, a combo of Gothic ,Victorian and Lovecraftian horror.
The soundtrack.. my God what a soundtrack.. its art, nothing else.
I gotta be honest though, The Old Hunters dlc is what makes this game a complete masterpiece. Its definitely one of the best DLCs ever.
Without this DLC this would still be a great game but it wouldn't be on this level.
The game itself was very easy, the easiest in the series (alongside Demon's Souls), no boss fight took me more than 5 tries, and it was my first FromSoftware game like i said.
Personally i dont want a remaster/remake, i'd rather have Bloodborne II but maybe we can have them both at some point.

really great game and dlc. i think it has my favorite lore of any fromsoft game and it has some of my favorite boss fights and locations.
i think there are a few minor issues though. chalice dungeons, while optional, are genuinely terrible and blood vials as a whole could've used a rework with more thought put into it. the not great character creation is a bummer and clothing options also left a bit to be desired compared to other fromsoft stuff, i found myself wearing the same armor the entire game because i didn't like the full sets of other stuff as much and most of the pieces don't really work great with others which is admittedly as minor of a complaint as you can get but it still bothered me.
otherwise though i really enjoyed my time with bloodborne and while i don't think it's the best game ever made i certainly understand the praise it gets, and it's a damn shame it's locked to the ps4. i can't imagine there are that many more people buying a ps4 to get bloodborne as there would be people who would buy bloodborne on pc, but who knows.

Bloodborne may be the best work Fromsoft has ever done. Tricky weapons, guns, atmosphere, locations, lore, cool outfits, great osts and many other elements make this game great in my eyes. This game, which I had the chance to play for the first time since its release, is like Fromsoft's unwanted child in my eyes. It is also painful that there is no remaster or at least an official 60 fps patch in the game, which has not received any updates since its release year and still has many bugs that working even today. The GotY version with Old Hunters DLC takes the game to a much better place. Fromsoft's DLCs have often been better than the main game, and Old Hunters is no exception. The DLC does a tremendous job as a DLC, with much better bosses than the main game bosses, great weapons, osts, and details that close many gaps in terms of lore, and it personally closes the short structure of the main game wonderfully. I have a hard time not deducting points from the game just because of the chalice dungeons, because you may have to play as many as 26 dungeons in identical locations to get just one achievement. In terms of difficulty, there are also dungeons where you have to play with increasing difficulty and even with a very low health bar in cursed dungeons. These parts are optional for achievement, but instead of doing these parts, there could be 1-2 quality locations in the main game and better quality bosses could be made. But these dungeons are important in terms of lore, so I guess they're not exactly unnecessary. In conclusion, Bloodborne is an excellent game due to many of the elements I mentioned at the beginning and may be the most valuable game as a PS Exclusive. Fromsoft needs to show some more love to this game, which has been completely forgotten and thrown aside since its release. I think we will continue to copium for the PC port and the next generation 4K 60 FPS patch for a while.

my very first ps4 game as it came with the box, i wasn't expecting anything from this as i thought this was actually an indie game. when i played this, i thought it had really good graphics then it turns out this was a souls game made by Fromsoft. the game actually scared me, i couldn't go past the plaza for about hours cuz i was over-leveling myself. then i came to love the game after beating Father Gascoigne to which I beat the game up to NG+3. this game is very unique, it has great material with Lovecraftian references and Victorian architecture which made the experience very fun and mesmerizing.

I got to say, as someone who didn't play any Souls games properly before, I was excited to play Bloodborne.
Just like in the Dark Souls games, Bloodborne's lore is told via environmental storytelling. Environmental storytelling might not be as engaging as linear storytelling but it enriches the game's world significantly. Thankfully enough, Bloodborne's lore is compelling even if it's ambiguous for the most part.
The gameplay surprised me a lot; it's faster than I expected, it feels very satisfying, the mechanics are great, there's a nice amount of unique items and the trick weapons are so goddamn badass, they're one of the coolest things in the entire game for me.
My favorite part of the game isn't the gameplay though, it's the haunting and frightening setting; Bloodborne's world is probably the best world I've seen in a videogame. It starts out as a gothic horror and it slowly transcends into a nightmarish cosmic horror, and on top of that, the level design and the music are just perfect.
The visuals are not necessarily impressive but they're very good nonetheless.
The bosses are challenging and rewarding, however, many of the bosses in the main game are somewhat easy and underwhelming in my opinion, but fortunately, the DLC makes up for it; The Old Hunters is essential to own if you enjoy playing Bloodborne because it features the best bosses in the entire game.
Now, while the gameplay is very enjoyable, the camera and the lock-on system feel a bit awkward, and farming for Blood Vials can be tedious at times.
Also, the frame rate is pretty inconsistent for the most part.

Pros:
+ Intriguing lore
+ Aggressive & diverse gameplay
+ Superb setting
+ Threatening and challenging bosses
+ Incredible level design and music
+ Amazing DLC

Cons:
- Flawed camera and lock-on system
- Blood Vial system
- Performance issues

Gameplay: 9/10
Content: 9/10
Music: 10/10
Graphics/Audio: 8/10

Final Rating: 10/10
- Masterpiece -
Bloodborne is fascinating, gorgeous and enjoyable yet terrifying, and that's why I fell in love with it!

Do I recommend it?:
Yes, but keep in mind, the DLC is must-own in my opinion.

So, I like the Dark Souls games. However, I've also always been more of an aggro player in action games. I play anime fighters rather than Street Fighter. Dark Souls, for all of its strength, rewards a certain type of tactical carefulness in every encounter. If you see a new type of enemy then you generally want to keep your distance, circle strafe and hold up a shield to see what they can do first. None of this is bad, mind you, but it doesn't necessarily align with how I like to play these games.

In comes Bloodborne and says "Hey, that carefulness that you had before? SCREW THAT! RUN IN THERE AND KILL THEM! IF YOU GET HIT, HIT THEM BACK!" This is a style of play that I fundamentally enjoy more. Bloodborne encourages you to see a new kind of threat and respond to it by running in there immediately to start cutting them up. Right up in your opponent's face is often the safest place to be and this makes the game feel so dang good when you are doing well.

So, this was the purely subjective aspect of my love for the game. Some people prefer the slower, more deliberate, more careful style of play from Dark Souls but that isn't me!

On top of this, the worldbuilding continues the meta-narratives of Dark Souls by leaning fully into these themes of inversion. Where Dark Souls has its hero's journey, Bloodborne follows the steps but each step has its meaning inverted. The story makes it clear from the start that you are no hero. "Don't think too hard about all of this. Just get out there and kill some monsters. It's for your own good!"

The cosmic horror theming makes perfect sense for this conceit, meaning that even when you start to feel like you understand your role in it all, you are never completely sure. There's absolutely consistent elements and plot resolutions in there but they're rarely quite what you'd think that they'd be.

Overall, love it or hate it, Bloodborne is a game that sticks with you. Often times I'll find myself thinking back to some aspect of the game and find myself realising some new insight about that makes me like it even more, How appropriate...

Bloodborne is one of those games where you feel the urge to replay probably like twice a year. Its atmosphere and combat is just so singular in many ways, I've yet to find something that scratches the itch quite like this one.

Elden Ring is FromSoftware's magnum opus, but this is probably their most perfect game. It basically has no frills or bullshit, just straight up spellbinding for its entire runthrough.

Everyone knows the performance kinda sucks these days as it can really chug sometimes, but its not nearly enough where it sways me.

Goes on sale all the time, pick up the GOTY edition and it will be some of the best money you'll ever spend on games.

Pro:
-The soundtrack is perfection
-Lady Maria
-The First Hunter
-Atmosphere
-i think i died on ludwig the most in all of souls (second phase)

Cons:
-i prefer humanoid bosses and most bosses are beast
-30fps
-can't buy the dlc soundtrack

Yes I finally played Bloodborne, after all these years. I wanted to play this game for years but for some reason I never did. I always liked the art style whenever I watched my friend play it or when I watched a video of it. Now that I played it , I can say for sure that I absolutely adore the aesthetics and the art style even more.
But about the gameplay? It's great, I like the different type of weapons and how you play them. On top of that you get the satisfying soulslike formular which is only interrupted by a few problems that stop Bloodborne from becoming a masterpiece. The first thing is the technical aspect of the game. You clearly feel that it's locked on 30 FPS and that was a problem in the beginning 'cause the gameplay and movement is so fast. But I got used to it after playing for few hours and at the end it wasn't that big of a issue anymore. The bigger problem for me was the design of a few bosses, namely every boss which used fodder enemies. I absolutely hate that kind of boss fights, doesn't matter which game, it's such a lazy way to make a boss fight harder. The other thing was Micolash, I mean really? A boss that runs away and also has fodder enemies. Whoever thought that this was an interesting or cool idea, please just stop. It was just boring, not fun and wasn't even difficult. But the hardest enemy was by far the camera. The amount of times that I died in the beginning due to the camera doing a 180 was hilarious. My dual sense controller also started drifting, so that means the camera flipped to one direction because of Bloodborne and then in the other direction due to Sony saving money on the controller, yea that was fun...I also didn't like the health potion system and the fact that you have to farm health potions. I enjoyed the flask system in Elden Ring a lot more. Oh and chalic dungeons are annonying as hell, Yharnam Pthumerian Queen will be fun... Other than that, I really liked the enemy design and the story was subtle but captivating. World & leveldesign are expertly executed. I love running down the dark, abandoned alleys and that I never knew if there was a beast lurking around the next corner which created a great atmosphere. Overall I'm really glad that I finally played it because Bloodborne is now my favorite game from Fromsoftware. As a big fan of anything horror related the aesthetics and the art style are right up my alley and I'm already on my way to unlock the platinum trophy. I will probably remember this experience for a while because Bloodborne is a freaking bloody good game.

Games I finished 2023 ranked

Sony's first party games ranked

I recall getting my PS4 Pro on a frigid winter evening. I was attending my grad school introductory course when I received a notification that my recent Black Friday purchase has arrived. The problem was that my apartment was located at an open courtyard rather than a covered building and Game Stop just so happened to ship the package without a box, meaning anyone could come and see a fresh expensive piece of hardware just hanging out unattended. I got permission to leave class, place the box into my apartment, and return. This only took about 10 minutes as I lived across from the campus, but it was an unsettling feeling to have a commodity I yearned for just left out as if it was nothing. I do not remember anything about the console's setup or my first impressions of the Sony interface. However, I do remember my first trip into the PS4 library and perhaps played its best offering. My first game was Bloodborne.

Bloodborne is a peculiar game. Like my PS4 abandoned in the cold, Bloodborne has seemingly been forgotten by its publisher. Fans want, if not demand, a PC port that has not even been teased while other Sony exclusives have graced the platform (with mixed performance, but extending a series to a new audience is always a good move). It is a shame because Bloodborne is one of the best games on the console. It is one of the best games on any console, maybe even the best game I have played. It is, as far as I recall, the only game I played to "completion" as I have a platinum trophy sitting on my digital mantle. I completed at least two complete playthroughs, one utilizing strength and another focused on dexterity and blood lust. I think I even completed a New Game Plus cycle, but my memory is too hazy to trust. What I can trust is the memories of playing a truly amazing game.

FIrst, Bloodborne perfected the Souls model. I have been with the series since I bought Demon's Souls used as an impromptu birthday gift and I have since played every game except for Sekiro (which will be topping my post-thesis-completed gaming list). I do not think Bloodborne is as revolutionary as Demon's or even Dark Souls, but I do believe Bloodborne is at the peak the FromSoftware design for two key reasons: its fantastic combat and the sheer vitriol of its bleak setting and atmosphere.

Bloodborne wants the player to attack first and think second, at least at first. I remember having to adapt to the speed of the game which sprints past the slower pace of previous "Souls" games. Bloodborne is not as fast as games like Bayonetta or Devil May Cry, but the game has a momentum that works perfectly for its intended goal. Fore I lied; the game does not want you to attack first, it wants you to be methodical in movement. It just wants you to be quick with your theories. Some bosses are tight races between two opposing health bars, where a well-planned pistol shot can be the sole factor of your unlikely survival. Other fights are dances with danger; waltz that reward delicate steps that circle past the swing of a club or the blaze of a kindled sword. Bloodborne does not want you to button mash, but it also does not want you to wait too long between attacks. Its unique style switching mechanic mixed with the projectile parry work together to keep you agile and strategic. I fondly remember ringing my bell to support fellow hunters fight foes for hours even against my least favorite enemies. Now, I would be lying if I said all bosses and combat encounters are perfect; I have my issues with the moonlight monster housed in the DLC for example. However, the game truly feels fair throughout as you have everything you need to succeed. And you will need every hunter tool available to survive this eternal night.

Bloodborne's world has a strong presence from the moment you are introduced to the infamous hunt. The darkness of the story fills out an already dire world. The influence of plagues are as relevant as the twisted horrors which hide behind the cursed curtain of madness and together they craft a realm that you want to explore just as much as you want to escape. Souls lore is hit or miss for me; the dark fantasy tropes are not as compelling as those of the cosmic. I am enamored with the intense imagery of the incomprehensible . The insight mechanic is an ingenious way to present information to the player. Just as your sense of security dwindles as each fog gate and boss arena leads to a new place of challenge, your hunter gains bits of knowledge that intrigues the player to move forward and see what new monstrosity lures atop a snowy castle or trapped in an endless nightmare. I also appreciate the experimentation of subtle femininity seen within the narrative, as YouTuber Honey Bat notes in her video essay "Viscerally Feminine." Concepts related to birth are not often touched upon in games, and it is rare to see otherwise non-feminist stories handle the discourse in a manner grotesque yet gentle. Overall, Bloodborne presents a macabre masterpiece worth pushing through.

Reminiscing over this game has developed a desire to replay, yet the strength of title's place in the PS4 library is also its major weakness; the game struggles to meet its full potential on the console at its current iteration. The game simply runs bad. Not unplayable, and I do not remember the game suffering as much of PS3 Blight town did, but we cannot pretend the game is not hindered by its inconsistent frame rate and choppy visuals. Which leads to a question previously mentioned; why is there no updated port of this game? It is not inaccessible, so I am not worried as a preservationist about the game's future. But I am worried that this game won't receive the love it deserves through performance patches. I do not understand the PS4's technology, but I am sure the PS5 and most modern PCs can better handle the game. If not, fan modders will easily develop their own fixes as they have with other From titles (there is already an 60 fps fan patch for those brave enough to homebrew their system, so think of the possibilities of a PC community for the game). Microsoft struggles to be as relevant as Sony in terms of sales, but the company does take care to faithfully update and upscale older titles for their current hardware. I do not see why Sony is so opposed to doing so, as the existence of Dark Souls Remastered and other ports indicate From is fine with expanding their player base. I doubt this game will become obscure or forgotten, but time will tell if the game is treated as royally as some of Sony's other titles.

Bloodborne is a game I will revisit and I hope any readers are willing to attempt the game despite its difficulty which I recognize can be a deterrent. The game is not perfect: some encounters are not as well thought out as others, the game has an interesting but rough bonus dungeon system which underwhelms more than it excites, and mechanics like the blood gem system feel out of place with the otherwise solid weapon system. However, these are minor mistakes to me. The game, at its heart, hits every goal of a Souls game. It challenges but does not feel unfair. It presents lore strange enough to pursue. Finally, despite technical flaws the game just plays well. Bloodborne is a triumph of gaming. I hope Sony realizes that sooner than later.

The Game of the Year Edition offers the definitive Bloodborne experience, The Old Hunters Expansion is a must-play if you own Bloodborne, and it elevates the game to new heights.

Bloodborne was my very first FromSoftware game, and having no prior experience from their past games I expected to have a hard time with it.

So did it live up to the hype? Yeah, I really enjoyed it, in fact at times I wanted it to be more difficult, but overall I think that it's fairly challenging, it knows when to punish you and it knows when to reward you.

I loved the gameplay, it's extremely fun with some creative mechanics, and the amazing trick weapons. The first area is quite rough but once you manage to understand how some of the mechanics work, then it's just a joy to play.

The worldbuilding is breathtaking, and the way the world changes when you have more insight is absolutely genius. There's a lot of content, exploring the different areas, uncovering secrets, finding shortcuts, interacting with the characters, completing side stories and taking your time with the game feels very rewarding.

The atmosphere is unrivaled, it's scary and haunting but also beautiful in a very dark way. I absolutely adore the Gothic-Cosmic Horror theme and the Victorian-era inspired architecture, possibly my favorite setting in any videogame.

The monsters look terrifying, some very interesting designs and nice symbolisms, I personally got to kill every single boss - even the optional bosses - and I really liked most of them, they require strategy and quick reflexes.

The Blood Vial farming is very obnoxious in the beginning, but it's not a big issue once you progress halfway through the game. Having to manage your resources becomes more of a secondary distraction, and the rally mechanic allows you to heal while playing aggressively.

Now, where the game disappointed me is the second half of the main campaign, the boss fights not only get progressively easier, but the quality of the game falls a little bit.

Also I want to point out that the lore is very intriguing and rich, full of mini stories, the way everything connects together is what makes it truly special.

Overall I genuinely enjoyed this game, it really is an exceptional experience, especially if you're a fan of the genre, it's pretty close to perfection.

Final Rating: "Excellent" ~ 9.5/10.

When people talk about video games as an art form, and as a general storytelling medium, Bloodborne is the shining example of the potential for video games to exceed even the most critically acclaimed works of art in other mediums. In all the things I've ever seen, played, read or watched, I don't think I've ever felt so strongly about something that so heavily emphasises a "show, don't tell" angle. Not only one of the best games ever purely mechanically, but possibly the best world ever created in the medium. So dense, richly atmospheric and endlessly captivating that it becomes intoxicating. Years since I've beat this and it still never leaves my mind, Bloodborne is the thoughts of a genius stylised with Miyazaki's blood, sweat and tears. Perfection.