bloodborne 2 when?
a game that feels severely less than the sum of its parts.
it's strange that i would feel this way about any game - games more often than not than any other piece of media are able to have fundamental flaws looked over because of how easily enjoyment can be gauged from just one aspect of the experience. whether this be the story, the gameplay loop, atmosphere, sound, or rewarding progression, it's of no surprise to anyone on this website that bloodborne excels at all of these individually.
with all of that being said, this game strangely fails to evoke any emotion from me at all. as well thought out a lot of the lovecraftian, gothic, and victorian horror ideas are to diversify the setting from prior fromsoftware games, i think this is hidetaka miyazaki's most lacking project as director to an abnormally strong degree.
i certainly wouldn't have felt this way at the start of my first playthrough. central yharnam as an introductory point is gorgeously realised and dense with captivating level design scenarios that provoke unique ways of thinking for any player regardless of their experience in the genre. this catalyst of engaging design also seamlessly allures the player to the game's subtle yet ultimately impactful slices of lore and rewards heavily in added emotional stakes for those who put in the effort to piece it together. this is capped off by two of the best initial boss encounters fromsoftware had created to that point - although i think it's been surpassed since within elden ring's opening hours, i am fully supportive in commending the opening of this game as one of the finest ways the medium has been utilised to immerse and appeal to players of any kind heading into it.
i cannot say this about the rest of the game. what followed from central yharnam felt like a shallow evolution of ideas and design that feels so intent on delivering a worldly counterpart to its small lore elements that i genuinely believe a better game could have been constructed without them.
i understand this is a confusing perspective but i'd want to justify this in probably the most understandable way first to anyone reading, i promise there's a cohesive point behind this. blood vials for example - wonderfully thought out, an idea of a healing mechanic completely in tone with the body horror elements of the game and a constant representation to the player of the negative to positive dichotomy blood holds in the lore. does this make for a better gameplay loop synonymous with the design though? absolutely not. it's ridiculous grinding for consumable healing was revisited after the initial stint with demons souls when estus flasks completely mitigated this design choice 4 years prior when dark souls was released.
odd yet understandable choices like these are at the heart of why this game fails to deliver as a project for me. the beast bosses are thematically and sonically excellent but suffer from all having the same move set because of their similarity and relation in the lore. the hunter bosses are a mechanically refreshing change of pace and encourage an aggressive style of play unlike any souls game before it but lack visual diversity or any genuinely engaging red herrings to their fights because of the lore. worst of all, the level design post central yharnam is for lack of a better word, uninteresting, to fit the condensed locale of the lore. not to be confused with underbaked, because i do believe the vision to create this world was achieved and delivered on an exceptional front to most players. however, a baffling lack of enemy variety, a weirdly intense focus on verticality and platforming, and the visual setpieces being compromised to the point of just being a different light filter because of the ps4's limited technology subverted what should have been immersive worldbuilding to me than little more than tedium. sometimes i'd find this tedium was occasionally broken up by the sudden thrill of an enemy standing by in the dark and a gatling gun positioned at you which was devastating for all the right reasons on my first encounter with them. in the 2nd half of the game these cheap jumpscare thrills exist in every room you explore and are never once implemented again in a different way.
but a lot of these viewpoints are overly sentimental and critical of the game in relation to its reception, especially when a lot of my favourite games are just as guilty of feeding the same gameplay encounters wrapped up in a slightly different visual package to you. what is the real loose end from this game that makes the various painstakingly crafted facets of this experience completely fall apart for me?
i don't like london :(
it's strange that i would feel this way about any game - games more often than not than any other piece of media are able to have fundamental flaws looked over because of how easily enjoyment can be gauged from just one aspect of the experience. whether this be the story, the gameplay loop, atmosphere, sound, or rewarding progression, it's of no surprise to anyone on this website that bloodborne excels at all of these individually.
with all of that being said, this game strangely fails to evoke any emotion from me at all. as well thought out a lot of the lovecraftian, gothic, and victorian horror ideas are to diversify the setting from prior fromsoftware games, i think this is hidetaka miyazaki's most lacking project as director to an abnormally strong degree.
i certainly wouldn't have felt this way at the start of my first playthrough. central yharnam as an introductory point is gorgeously realised and dense with captivating level design scenarios that provoke unique ways of thinking for any player regardless of their experience in the genre. this catalyst of engaging design also seamlessly allures the player to the game's subtle yet ultimately impactful slices of lore and rewards heavily in added emotional stakes for those who put in the effort to piece it together. this is capped off by two of the best initial boss encounters fromsoftware had created to that point - although i think it's been surpassed since within elden ring's opening hours, i am fully supportive in commending the opening of this game as one of the finest ways the medium has been utilised to immerse and appeal to players of any kind heading into it.
i cannot say this about the rest of the game. what followed from central yharnam felt like a shallow evolution of ideas and design that feels so intent on delivering a worldly counterpart to its small lore elements that i genuinely believe a better game could have been constructed without them.
i understand this is a confusing perspective but i'd want to justify this in probably the most understandable way first to anyone reading, i promise there's a cohesive point behind this. blood vials for example - wonderfully thought out, an idea of a healing mechanic completely in tone with the body horror elements of the game and a constant representation to the player of the negative to positive dichotomy blood holds in the lore. does this make for a better gameplay loop synonymous with the design though? absolutely not. it's ridiculous grinding for consumable healing was revisited after the initial stint with demons souls when estus flasks completely mitigated this design choice 4 years prior when dark souls was released.
odd yet understandable choices like these are at the heart of why this game fails to deliver as a project for me. the beast bosses are thematically and sonically excellent but suffer from all having the same move set because of their similarity and relation in the lore. the hunter bosses are a mechanically refreshing change of pace and encourage an aggressive style of play unlike any souls game before it but lack visual diversity or any genuinely engaging red herrings to their fights because of the lore. worst of all, the level design post central yharnam is for lack of a better word, uninteresting, to fit the condensed locale of the lore. not to be confused with underbaked, because i do believe the vision to create this world was achieved and delivered on an exceptional front to most players. however, a baffling lack of enemy variety, a weirdly intense focus on verticality and platforming, and the visual setpieces being compromised to the point of just being a different light filter because of the ps4's limited technology subverted what should have been immersive worldbuilding to me than little more than tedium. sometimes i'd find this tedium was occasionally broken up by the sudden thrill of an enemy standing by in the dark and a gatling gun positioned at you which was devastating for all the right reasons on my first encounter with them. in the 2nd half of the game these cheap jumpscare thrills exist in every room you explore and are never once implemented again in a different way.
but a lot of these viewpoints are overly sentimental and critical of the game in relation to its reception, especially when a lot of my favourite games are just as guilty of feeding the same gameplay encounters wrapped up in a slightly different visual package to you. what is the real loose end from this game that makes the various painstakingly crafted facets of this experience completely fall apart for me?
i don't like london :(
Similar to dark souls 1 I replay this game quite frequently so I won't review it every time. But this was my first and for a long time my favourite souls game, but after this playthrough I think Dark souls 1 has overtaken it and it's all because of that interconnected world that's so insanely magical that despite bloodborne and other later games being more solid, Dark souls 1 still reigns supreme. I still love bloodborne obviously, it's still on my profiles favourite games list
Bloodborne and I did not get off on the right foot. I was borrowing my friend's PS4, but instead of taking it to my own place to play, I started off by visiting his place to play the game. This meant planning out specific times in the week and trying to make as much forward progress as possible.
This external stress made the flaws of Bloodborne's beginning more apparent and exponentially more frustrating for me. The blood vial and bullet economy at the beginning is harsh, Cleric Beast is (in my opinion) a subpar boss for introducing the game's combat, the performance is inconsistent, and there are a few mechanics that the game does a terrible job of explaining, even more so than other FromSoft titles. My frustration reached a peak with Vicar Amelia, a great boss that unfortunately broke me down due to external stressors and the constant grinding for blood vials.
But I was also a fool. I took the PS4 (with my friend's permission obviously) and began playing on my own time. And as I kept playing, I learned to love this game. Holy hell, what a masterpiece. Bloodborne has one of the most inspired and fully realized settings and themes of any game I've ever played, and shit just gets more and more real the more you progress through it. Although I find Dark Souls' themes more powerful and thought-provoking, the world of Yharnam is truly unlike anything else I've seen before. There are so many tiny little details that are easy to miss, but they all add up to make the world feel as fully realized as Miyazaki possibly could.
I fell in love with the combat; I did a Skill/Bloodtinge build with Threaded Cane / Repeated Pistol and while the start of the game was rough for me, it ended up being a super fun playstyle. The bosses are consistently strong, too. I can't think of a single main one I actively disliked, save for some fucked up chalice dungeon bosses. And on the topic of chalice dungeons, they are actually pretty fun. I got burned out of them by the end because there's just so many, but it was worth it to check out all the additional bosses.
The DLC is also incredible but you've definitely heard that before. The most impressive thing about it to me is just how much content is actually in it. This thing is like three whole new, super large areas and 5 brand new bosses, some of which being the very best that FromSoft has ever created.
So yeah Bloodborne is a masterpiece and I was dumb for thinking the game was bad. Just uhhh please port it to PC and fix the blood vial economy and then the game is basically flawless đź‘Ť
This external stress made the flaws of Bloodborne's beginning more apparent and exponentially more frustrating for me. The blood vial and bullet economy at the beginning is harsh, Cleric Beast is (in my opinion) a subpar boss for introducing the game's combat, the performance is inconsistent, and there are a few mechanics that the game does a terrible job of explaining, even more so than other FromSoft titles. My frustration reached a peak with Vicar Amelia, a great boss that unfortunately broke me down due to external stressors and the constant grinding for blood vials.
But I was also a fool. I took the PS4 (with my friend's permission obviously) and began playing on my own time. And as I kept playing, I learned to love this game. Holy hell, what a masterpiece. Bloodborne has one of the most inspired and fully realized settings and themes of any game I've ever played, and shit just gets more and more real the more you progress through it. Although I find Dark Souls' themes more powerful and thought-provoking, the world of Yharnam is truly unlike anything else I've seen before. There are so many tiny little details that are easy to miss, but they all add up to make the world feel as fully realized as Miyazaki possibly could.
I fell in love with the combat; I did a Skill/Bloodtinge build with Threaded Cane / Repeated Pistol and while the start of the game was rough for me, it ended up being a super fun playstyle. The bosses are consistently strong, too. I can't think of a single main one I actively disliked, save for some fucked up chalice dungeon bosses. And on the topic of chalice dungeons, they are actually pretty fun. I got burned out of them by the end because there's just so many, but it was worth it to check out all the additional bosses.
The DLC is also incredible but you've definitely heard that before. The most impressive thing about it to me is just how much content is actually in it. This thing is like three whole new, super large areas and 5 brand new bosses, some of which being the very best that FromSoft has ever created.
So yeah Bloodborne is a masterpiece and I was dumb for thinking the game was bad. Just uhhh please port it to PC and fix the blood vial economy and then the game is basically flawless đź‘Ť
Yes, it may be locked to 30 fps for all eternity, but the overall vibe and atmosphere are a masterclass. In my opinion, this is Miyazaki's magnum opus in terms of world-building, outfit design, and story. It doesn't get much better than this.
It's wild how, 2 years later, this game has taken over my mind in ways I could never have foretold. After my replay, it really cememted just how much I love this game, and how overtime a lot of aspects in it I've appreciated overtime such as it's level designs.
With more FromSoftware games I play, does it click just how their games even AC (still gotta finish AC4 and for answer) are genuinely my type of shit.
With more FromSoftware games I play, does it click just how their games even AC (still gotta finish AC4 and for answer) are genuinely my type of shit.
every time I hear a child behind a window
I cry
I cry
Someone pls explain how to enjoy this at 20 fps. The Victorians probably had better optimized games.
Jogo estiloso do caralho puta que pariu
Terá spoilers
Agora entendo por que gostam tanto desse jogo, Ă© facilmente um dos melhores jogos da histĂłria.
Bloodborne foi a minha entrada pro mundo do soulslike e aos poucos fui aprendendo a dificuldade desse tipo de jogo, Ă© muito difĂcil mas nada e nem um pouco injusto, se vocĂŞ morre, a culpa Ă© inteiramente sua. Os bosses tambĂ©m sĂŁo muito bons e fui aprendendo na dor como Ă© lutar com um deles, sofri muito logo na besta clĂ©rica kkkkkkk.
A exploração desse jogo é maravilhosa, diversos lugares muito bons e divertidos pra também achar lugares secretos, claro que também tem lugares ruins como o Pesadelo de Mensis e Yahar'gul, detestei esses lugares. Diria que meu favorito no geral é o Castelo de Cainhurst, um lugar com uma atmosfera muito diferente e muito vibe Castlevania.
O melhor ponto desse jogo tambĂ©m Ă© de longe as mĂşsicas, meu santo senhor. NĂŁo tem UMA mĂşsica ruim sequer nesse jogo, todas sĂŁo lindas e perfeitas. O tema do Ludwig e da Besta ClĂ©rica sĂŁo meus favoritos no geral, simplesmente magnĂficas.
TambĂ©m falando da DLC, Ă© facilmente uma das melhores DLCs de jogo que existe. O Ludwig e a Lady Maria sĂŁo facilmente um dos melhores bosses da histĂłria, coreografias Ăłtimas, te deixa muito nervoso (na questĂŁo de batimentos cardĂacos kkkk), designs incrĂveis e obviamente mĂşsicas perfeitas, eles estĂŁo fácil no meu top 5 bosses de todos os jogos. O Falhas Vivas Ă© um pouco legal mas nada surpreendente, o Laurence foi estressante e teve o cidadĂŁo, OrfĂŁo de Kos. O OrfĂŁo de Kos Ă© de longe o boss mais difĂcil que já matei na minha vida, eu passei mais de 4 horas nele, foi doloroso.
Agora sobre os finais, acho legal como cada um é bem diferente do outro. Em um nós aceitamos nossa morte e vemos o nascer do dia, no outro nós matamos o Gehrman e a caçada da noite continua, e o outro nós viramos algum tipo de alien mas também com o fim da caçada. Cada final é diferente e único, gosto de todos.
Eu poderia comentar muito mais coisa, mas ficaria cansativo de ler, esse jogo é perfeito. Virou um dos meus favoritos agora. Também pretendo jogar outros jogos como a franquia Dark Souls, Elden Ring e Sekiro.
Agora entendo por que gostam tanto desse jogo, Ă© facilmente um dos melhores jogos da histĂłria.
Bloodborne foi a minha entrada pro mundo do soulslike e aos poucos fui aprendendo a dificuldade desse tipo de jogo, Ă© muito difĂcil mas nada e nem um pouco injusto, se vocĂŞ morre, a culpa Ă© inteiramente sua. Os bosses tambĂ©m sĂŁo muito bons e fui aprendendo na dor como Ă© lutar com um deles, sofri muito logo na besta clĂ©rica kkkkkkk.
A exploração desse jogo é maravilhosa, diversos lugares muito bons e divertidos pra também achar lugares secretos, claro que também tem lugares ruins como o Pesadelo de Mensis e Yahar'gul, detestei esses lugares. Diria que meu favorito no geral é o Castelo de Cainhurst, um lugar com uma atmosfera muito diferente e muito vibe Castlevania.
O melhor ponto desse jogo tambĂ©m Ă© de longe as mĂşsicas, meu santo senhor. NĂŁo tem UMA mĂşsica ruim sequer nesse jogo, todas sĂŁo lindas e perfeitas. O tema do Ludwig e da Besta ClĂ©rica sĂŁo meus favoritos no geral, simplesmente magnĂficas.
TambĂ©m falando da DLC, Ă© facilmente uma das melhores DLCs de jogo que existe. O Ludwig e a Lady Maria sĂŁo facilmente um dos melhores bosses da histĂłria, coreografias Ăłtimas, te deixa muito nervoso (na questĂŁo de batimentos cardĂacos kkkk), designs incrĂveis e obviamente mĂşsicas perfeitas, eles estĂŁo fácil no meu top 5 bosses de todos os jogos. O Falhas Vivas Ă© um pouco legal mas nada surpreendente, o Laurence foi estressante e teve o cidadĂŁo, OrfĂŁo de Kos. O OrfĂŁo de Kos Ă© de longe o boss mais difĂcil que já matei na minha vida, eu passei mais de 4 horas nele, foi doloroso.
Agora sobre os finais, acho legal como cada um é bem diferente do outro. Em um nós aceitamos nossa morte e vemos o nascer do dia, no outro nós matamos o Gehrman e a caçada da noite continua, e o outro nós viramos algum tipo de alien mas também com o fim da caçada. Cada final é diferente e único, gosto de todos.
Eu poderia comentar muito mais coisa, mas ficaria cansativo de ler, esse jogo é perfeito. Virou um dos meus favoritos agora. Também pretendo jogar outros jogos como a franquia Dark Souls, Elden Ring e Sekiro.
An absolutely excellent action RPG, that will test your skills and reflexes. This truly wonderful and unique game is one of a kind, and has a massive thumbs up from me.
Thank you Miyazaki.
"Ludwig, the Holy Blade. Have you heard how curiously the sea churns? Like a storm, but like the rain, only gentle. Like dripping water. It bellows from deep inside of me... Here it comes, up through my insides, but gently, like little droplets." - Ludwig, the Accursed/The Holy Blade
A game where death is as common as breathing, and frustration is just part of the fun. From dodging giant axes to getting swarmed by angry mobs, every moment is a test of patience and perseverance. But let's talk about that one Achievement – 'Yharnam Sunrise.' You know, the one that had me banging my head against the wall for hours, trying to beat the final boss without breaking my controller in half. But hey, if you're into masochism and dark, twisted humor, this game's got you covered. Just remember to stock up on blood vials and maybe invest in a stress ball or two."
A game where death is as common as breathing, and frustration is just part of the fun. From dodging giant axes to getting swarmed by angry mobs, every moment is a test of patience and perseverance. But let's talk about that one Achievement – 'Yharnam Sunrise.' You know, the one that had me banging my head against the wall for hours, trying to beat the final boss without breaking my controller in half. But hey, if you're into masochism and dark, twisted humor, this game's got you covered. Just remember to stock up on blood vials and maybe invest in a stress ball or two."
Perfect game for Halloween season :) wish i never played this game because now every soulslike feels like shit after playing this lol
no mercy for malformed things
Bloodborne is a bit overrated but honestly all the praise it gets is warranted. Not my favorite game Fromsoftware has put out, but I cannot deny the quality and level of detail this game puts out. The story is intricate, the level design is tight, and the boss fights are some of the best in the series. The atmosphere is also through the roof, oozing DNA from lovecraftian tales. Great game.
This was the first soulslike game I played, and I was surprised at how sucked in I got. It's extremely satisfying to do all of the things these games are known for, and the hidden secrets you can find throughout. I don't love the aesthetic overall, but it's a bit more interesting than Demon's souls, which I finished before this one due to mainly playing this with my friend who got me into it. It has its charms and intriguing parts though. I enjoy some of the more cosmic horror parts and some of the enemy designs are pretty good.
it's hard to overstate how the, at first seemingly clunky, gameplay feels so good after you get a handle on it. I think the message I wanna broadcast about the souls games for folks like me: they are actually good, and not nearly as difficult as you expect. Still difficult, for sure, but a much more manageable form of difficulty than you would anticipate based on their reputations.
I understand people who get into the story rather deep will profess their love for it, but learning most of the details I still find them pretty uninteresting. Bloodborne definitely is more intriguing than demon's souls, though. If one of these can actually deliver a story that fully compels me personally, then I would be ecstatic.
it's hard to overstate how the, at first seemingly clunky, gameplay feels so good after you get a handle on it. I think the message I wanna broadcast about the souls games for folks like me: they are actually good, and not nearly as difficult as you expect. Still difficult, for sure, but a much more manageable form of difficulty than you would anticipate based on their reputations.
I understand people who get into the story rather deep will profess their love for it, but learning most of the details I still find them pretty uninteresting. Bloodborne definitely is more intriguing than demon's souls, though. If one of these can actually deliver a story that fully compels me personally, then I would be ecstatic.
The atmosphere of this game is my favorite from the souls games and i love the combat, especially the gun parry, but the base game has two good bosses and the dlc contains the peak boss fights like Lady Maria, Ludwig and Orphan of Kos. This game has the best world building in souls and i love looking into the lore and its always so interesting but i wish it had good boss fights to compliment its fun combat system as i loved the gun parry and the weapons, but you need the DLC to experience the best boss fights the game has to offer.
Eu acho que é uma unanimidade quando se fala em Bloodborne, que a primeira palavra a vir a mente seja "ambientação", porém eu nunca acreditei que essa parte poderia ter um peso tão grande em um jogo que o faria ser o ponto forte que se sobressai.
Até eu jogar Bloodborne.
A primorosa criação de universo, baseada em conceitos clássicos da Era Vitoriana, possui uma atmosfera escura, pesada, melancĂłlica e visceral. A noite e seus temores desfilam por entre as grandes construções de Yharnam, a cidade fictĂcia do jogo, e trazem consigo muita dor. Gritos incessantes, pedidos de ajuda (sabe-se lá de onde), choro de criança, e atĂ© de monstros, te prendem numa sensação de incĂ´modo constante. E acho que mais do que medo, o objetivo Ă© mesmo incomodar, o que te leva a querer sair desse gigantesco buraco que Ă© o desconhecido.
Combinada Ă jogabilidade, cada centĂmetro explorado te traz nuances do que um dia aquele lugar já foi. Artefatos, esculturas, construções e atĂ© roupas contam um pouco da histĂłria desse jogo.
E nĂŁo me aprofundando muito na histĂłria, por motivos de spoilers, sĂł queria dizer que esse Ă© outro ponto fortĂssimo aqui. Coisa pra Lovecraft sorrir de orelha a orelha.
Enfim, tudo que esse jogo se propõe, ele entrega com absoluto primor. Mesmo sendo um jogo de 2015 com incrĂveis 30fps com emulação pra PS5 (sem melhoria alguma, nem sequer de loading), nada disso chega perto de arranhar sua marca na histĂłria dos videogames.
Absolutely flawless.
Até eu jogar Bloodborne.
A primorosa criação de universo, baseada em conceitos clássicos da Era Vitoriana, possui uma atmosfera escura, pesada, melancĂłlica e visceral. A noite e seus temores desfilam por entre as grandes construções de Yharnam, a cidade fictĂcia do jogo, e trazem consigo muita dor. Gritos incessantes, pedidos de ajuda (sabe-se lá de onde), choro de criança, e atĂ© de monstros, te prendem numa sensação de incĂ´modo constante. E acho que mais do que medo, o objetivo Ă© mesmo incomodar, o que te leva a querer sair desse gigantesco buraco que Ă© o desconhecido.
Combinada Ă jogabilidade, cada centĂmetro explorado te traz nuances do que um dia aquele lugar já foi. Artefatos, esculturas, construções e atĂ© roupas contam um pouco da histĂłria desse jogo.
E nĂŁo me aprofundando muito na histĂłria, por motivos de spoilers, sĂł queria dizer que esse Ă© outro ponto fortĂssimo aqui. Coisa pra Lovecraft sorrir de orelha a orelha.
Enfim, tudo que esse jogo se propõe, ele entrega com absoluto primor. Mesmo sendo um jogo de 2015 com incrĂveis 30fps com emulação pra PS5 (sem melhoria alguma, nem sequer de loading), nada disso chega perto de arranhar sua marca na histĂłria dos videogames.
Absolutely flawless.
Bloodborne is many things, but to me it is primarily masterpiece of horror. This is what it means to be trapped in a nightmare; this is what it means to confront beings beyond one's comprehension. What more can I say? Bask in the madness.
That this is trapped on PS4 is utterly criminal. Sony needs to wake the fuck up and port/remaster this ASAP.
That this is trapped on PS4 is utterly criminal. Sony needs to wake the fuck up and port/remaster this ASAP.
Bloodborne is the eternal fear of getting pregnant as a teenager. It's the loneliness of being further dehumanized. It's the terror of being defined, concluded and invaded by the body you have.
But also, it's the empathy that it seems only we, these fucks, can create from all the fucking suffering that the system forces us to go through. And also about how great it is to love women. Fuck t*rfs
And also.
This was my first FromSoftware game. Like literally everyone else, I'd always heard how dense and challenging the games were, which obviously kept them out of my playlist. Until a very perceptive friend showed me a video of the fight against Lady Maria.
It's kind of comical that I bought the game literally two days after that, without even owning a PlayStation 4.
And now I'm here to shout to everyone...
THESE GAMES ARE NOT DIFFICULT. EVERY CHALLENGE CAN BE OVERCOME. EVERY BOSS YOU CAN RUN AWAY FROM. JUST RUN AWAY. THAT'S THE LESSON OF BLOODBORNE. RUN. JUST RUN. OBSERVE THE BOSS. EXPLORE THE AREAS AND FIND THINGS THAT WILL MAKE YOU STRONGER. USE WHATEVER WEAPON OR MAGIC YOU WANT. YOU HAVE OPTIONS, LOTS OF OPTIONS. HAVE FUN GODDAMMITTTTTTTTTTT AAAAAAAAAA
But also, it's the empathy that it seems only we, these fucks, can create from all the fucking suffering that the system forces us to go through. And also about how great it is to love women. Fuck t*rfs
And also.
This was my first FromSoftware game. Like literally everyone else, I'd always heard how dense and challenging the games were, which obviously kept them out of my playlist. Until a very perceptive friend showed me a video of the fight against Lady Maria.
It's kind of comical that I bought the game literally two days after that, without even owning a PlayStation 4.
And now I'm here to shout to everyone...
THESE GAMES ARE NOT DIFFICULT. EVERY CHALLENGE CAN BE OVERCOME. EVERY BOSS YOU CAN RUN AWAY FROM. JUST RUN AWAY. THAT'S THE LESSON OF BLOODBORNE. RUN. JUST RUN. OBSERVE THE BOSS. EXPLORE THE AREAS AND FIND THINGS THAT WILL MAKE YOU STRONGER. USE WHATEVER WEAPON OR MAGIC YOU WANT. YOU HAVE OPTIONS, LOTS OF OPTIONS. HAVE FUN GODDAMMITTTTTTTTTTT AAAAAAAAAA
My main qualm with this game is ultimately that the world (as with all FromSoftware worlds) tends to feel almost too bleak and exaggerated at times- resulting in a mostly hollow, albeit marvelously detailed collection of gothic horror invention.
A fun but flawed departure from the Dark Souls formula--Bloodborne patches some holes, ignores others, and creates new ones.
Every online community has its idiosyncrasies. I'm sure you know that.
But one that always sticks out to me is Backloggd's attachment to Bloodborne. Don't get me wrong, they're not the only ones to be absolutely obsessed. 4chan's /v/ board raised me when I was an impressionable teen (I've since reformed…thank you for asking), where Bloodborne was shorthand for "this generation's only good video game ."
And it's not as if it's just a fan favorite either--it comfortably sits on Metacritic in the low 90s too. Hell, all my friends seem to adore the game just as much. I've been told for years that "if I liked X , then I would love Bloodborne to tears." So then why the fuss?
Well, Backloggd's love seems to go a bit deeper than that. The game's DLC--The Old Hunters--stands as the greatest video game of all time, at least per average user rating. The base game manages to sit just a few slivers of a score below that. That means that players would, on average, give Bloodborne a perfect score…no questions asked.
Speaking of idiosyncrasies…Backloggd's lack of game version aggregation means that Bloodborne actually sits on the "best games of all time" page three times in one form or another. So, there's certainly some big shoes to fill there.
The odd thing is, although Bloodborne is universally beloved…it doesn't usually get the top spot anywhere else. IGN slotted it comfortably at 19th on their list (above fucking Super Mario Bros. and right below…BioShock??), while Polygon placed it at 259 on their list of the best 500 games. Comparing to a sister site like RateYourMusic further illuminates the difference. The unquestioned rock-music heavyweight champ OK Computer (although my 4th favorite Radiohead album) comfortably sat at number one for closer to two decades…until some algorithm (and general userbase) changes placed the already canonized To Pimp A Butterfly above it. These albums wouldn't make a music enthusiast blink--although some might roll their eyes at how predictable the choices are. But hey, that's what averages are all about.
None of this means deviating from the canonized list of "greatest games" is a bad thing. I just think it's an interesting point about Backloggd and its community.
Which naturally raises an interesting question: why?
Why is Bloodborne the undisputed king of gaming? Or, why is it king for people who like to rate/organize their games online? Why not something more predictable for a #1 pick? An Ocarina of Time or Half Life 2 or Mario 64 or what have you?
At some point speculation becomes pointless…but we'll consider this question at the end of the review for fun.
Reasons
For now we'll answer an easier question: why did *I start playing Bloodborne?
Well, for one, I really enjoy Dark Souls… Yes, Dark Souls* with italics--that means the game and not the franchise. Frankly, I gave up on Dark Souls II and III within a few hours while I slowly came to hate Elden Ring during my playthrough. The only other game in this (loosely defined) franchise that captured my imagination was Sekiro for reasons that'll be clear later.
I always thought Dark Souls, more than any other game in the series, had an incredibly strong sense of direction and (more importantly) intent. Sure, there were obviously a metric ton of flaws with the game (namely its botched final quarter), but almost all of it could be overlooked just because of how intensely brilliant the total package felt. Playing with fresh eyes is like watching the reinvention of gaming in real-time. More than that, it feels like Miyazaki successfully synthesized the most crucial elements of classic game design into a genuinely fresh package that boldly defines new horizons for gaming's future. It was a design philosophy built upon commitment--where every swing of the sword, every sip of a potion, every roll away from an enemy attack…it all mattered. And I understand why it captivated fans, inspired designers, and transformed fans into designers instantly.
But you already know that. Presuming you're not a totally blind fan though, you also recognize its many….many flaws.
As I said, I could forgive most of the problems because the game is just such a lightning-in-a-bottle moment. More than that, I think you should be willing to give early 2010s Fromsoft a bit of slack. They were a far smaller studio lacking the time, budget, or general affordances that most devs get today. And so, I let the problems slide.
But…I can't go so easy on the rest of the franchise. For one thing, they're no longer trailblazing a new destiny for gaming. Dark Souls is probably older than some of your family members now. Moreover, Fromsoft has transformed from the scrappy underdog of the gaming industry to one of its most inescapable titans. Perhaps they haven't scaled up to become a massive studio (although I do live just a few minutes from their secondary office here in Fukuoka), but they absolutely have the time, budget, and potential to do whatever the hell they damn well please.
This evolution is well evidenced by Bloodborne's own development--which was initiated and supported by Sony's veteran (and sadly now defunct) Japan Studio. And believe me, if you have the guys who made Ape Escape on your side, you can fucking do anything.
But beyond enjoying Dark Souls, I also mentioned Sekiro, which brings us to my second reason for seeking out Bloodborne: my love for aggressive, fast, and in-your-face Souls-ian combat.
My first love in Dark Souls was the Uchigatana…and things were never the same after I found it. I know there were entire magic, armor, and shield systems for me to explore…but I just didn't give a damn. I'm a simple man at heart--and all I wanted to do was dodge roll like a madman while slicing motherfuckers in half.
But that was the beauty of Dark Souls--it actually let me do just that. And man…did I have the time of my life. No single run of Dark Souls is complete--you'll always miss out on some build styles or gameplay systems. But what matters most is giving you the sense of a complete experience, no matter how you play. In that sense, Dark Souls was a game par excellence. Well, except maybe for you poor archers out there.
So it should be no surprise that, after trying (and failing) to enjoy Dark Souls II and III, I went immediately to Sekiro. It was clearly a game after my own heart. One katana-filled, hyper-aggressive parry-fest later and I was convinced of one fact:
I enjoy playing my Souls games quick, aggressive, and light-on-my-feet.
So naturally my friends all begged me to play Bloodborne for years. But having just played Dark Souls and Sekiro…I was pretty damn Souls'd out--or at least my poor hands were. The next time I'd get an itch FromSoft's usual bag of tricks, Elden Ring was just around the corner, so I ended up waiting for that instead.
But if that's the case, why did I play Bloodborne in the here and now?
Well that one's simple: my boyfriend of nearly five years asked me to play it.
It seems he's recently joined the league of Backloggd players who obsess over the game. The usual greatest of all time crowd. And so, if the mere ask from my boyfriend is "would you please play Bloodborne?"…then I'm sure you'd agree that's a pretty damn easy ask. Although I will admit it did take quite a few asks before I capitulated...
Cut Souls Time
And so, with reasons and expectations in hand, I played Bloodborne.
How did it treat me? Pretty well, all things considered.
I noticed a litany of deviations from the Dark Souls formula right off the bat--some of which have become series staples since. The most obvious (and consequential) change was the game's speed--which can feel more like a speedhack at times. A Ms. Pac-Man, if you will. For some, this was a welcome change compared to the slower and far heavier combat pacing of Dark Souls.
Since I’m mister "swing a cool katana and dodge roll like a madman," you'd probably guess that I'd be in love with the speedup--but that's not quite the case. For although speed brings greater viscerality and challenge, it also dramatically impacts design legibility. If things move too fast…and the designers aren't clever enough to account for it…you get some real head scratching moments. The ones where you're just trying to figure out "what the fuck is going on?" And, unfortunately, Bloodborne veered into this camp (like many future Souls games) far too many times for comfort.
Don't get me wrong, sometimes the sense of chaos is great! Battles against massive and horrific beasts feel all the more impactful when they enter a frenzy--as their backs pushed against the wall. But, at the same time, I'd be lying if I said every bit of Bloodborne's boss design was perfectly metered out. Quite the opposite, actually. I felt that many bosses were either too messy--with an ungodly amount of limbs and hurtboxes. Other times they were too crazy--having movement abilities fast enough to knock my poor camera lock-on into the same frenzy the boss was in.
And that stinks…because when the bosses work, they work really well. There's a great thematic quality that interweaves them with the mood and narrative perfectly. But for nearly every boss that worked, I felt there was just another one (or sometimes two) that were either total crapshoots (my poor…poor camera). I often didn't feel like I actually conquered the boss with my skills…It instead felt like I got some lucky AI patterns and less camera jank than usual. And I don't know about you, but I hate that feeling of a hollow half-victory.
Beyond that, I do have to credit Bloodborne's litany of gimmicky boss fights. People use 'gimmick' in a derogatory sense…but my favorite game is Metal Gear Solid 2 for Christ sake. I live for the gimmicks. They let designers to think outside of the box--throwing new challenges at you that don't overstay their welcome…At least, when they're done well.
This was another reason I adored Dark Souls. There's certainly plenty of standard fights…but there were also a metric ton of random kooky ideas ranging from fantastically memorable (Four Kings, Nito, Ornstein and Smough etc.) to fine (Moonlight Butterfly) to…not so fine (Bed of Chaos). Despite the sometimes mixed execution, it made the game all-the-more memorable. As bad as Bed of Chaos is, it's certainly not another "big guy with a sword" fight. And man, am I gonna remember it, if nothing else.
I know these gimmick fights are contentious, so color me surprised when Bloodborne managed to pack itself with a similar amount of 'em. The highlights--Rom, Micolash, and Shadow of Yharnam--remind me of why these battles are so successful in the first place. They break up the tedium of regular battle and allow narrative moments to sink in with greater depth. These fights, in a sense, feel more directed and have greater impact than other battles. Of course, the absolute best of the regular bosses shine above (Ludwig, Lady Maria,, Vicar Amelia), but the gimmicky fights always hold a special place in my heart.
Blood, Guns, and Regret
But enough boss talk…let's talk about Bloodborne's unique features.
The most obvious deviation from the tried-and-true Souls formula is the blood vial system. Instead of using your trusty sippy cup for a set of respawning and reliable heals, Bloodborne makes healing a scarcity coming in item form. On one hand, that means you can hold up to twenty blood vials at once. On the other hand, once you run out…you're out.
Now, I respect the attempt at reinventing the formula--which was still fairly new at the time. But I think nearly everyone--developers included--agree: this was a fucking terrible idea. For one, it can make plenty of boss fights trivial--you can walk in with twenty heals for crying out loud. It inadvertently encourages a less aggressive, more turtle-y behavior. Get hit once? Back the fuck off and heal. You've got nineteen more where that's coming from. I found myself first (or second) timing a lot of fights purely on this feature alone.
For another thing, it makes the most core part of the Souls experience--getting stuck on a boss and retrying it--a fucking chore. Why? Well, if you run out of blood vials…your ass needs to go grind for more. And believe me, the random enemy drops aren't nearly as generous as they should be for the stuff. You can certainly trade souls in for vials, but that requires a constant loop of: "grind for souls, return to hub, purchase vials, return to battle." Just imagine all the time you'll be spending in slow-ass hard drive based loading screens!
You'd be forgiven for thinking the flask was invented after Bloodborne. But, much to your surprise, it turns out that FromSoft just decided to revert back to Demon's Souls' more primitive design concepts for no good reason. This one is a real headscratcher. Although, to be fair, just about every From game following Dark Souls is filled with bizarre design decisions like this…which really make me question Miyazaki's status in the industry as "brilliant auteur."
Seriously, this alone is enough to knock an entire star off the game's rating. Many players, myself included, eventually acquiesce by abusing the game's (equally underthought) procedurally generated chalice dungeons. One coincidentally funny seed discovery later (shout outs to the CUM dungeon), and we're off to the races. Now with several billion souls and enough blood vials to last us the rest of the game. And while that certainly helped my enjoyment…it's hard to ignore the massive design flaw here.
Speaking of headscratchers, let's talk about the many guns of Bloodborne while we're at it.
The gun--which serves as your parry tool--is limited by the bullets you carry. Much like the blood vial system, this opens up a lot of headaches…so you can copy-paste those same grievances here.
I mean, think about it: could you fucking imagine if they pulled this shit in Sekiro? It'd be patently absurd. Some combination of soul-grinding, good RNG on item drops, and CUM dungeon abuse is required if you actually want to use (and gain skill in) the parry system.
Which is crazy, right? Parrying is often one of the most difficult…if not the most difficult system in a game…and they're gonna fucking limit your ability to use it? Even just practicing the system requires grinding? Seriously? It's not only anti-fun, it's frankly anti-user too.
Adding insult to injury is just how situational the guns of Bloodborne are.
You're forced to swallow a bitter pill right as you start the game: guns are mind-numbingly slow. How slow? Well, I couldn't find frame data that was as well researched as I would like…but it seems the regular guns of Bloodborne give you parry potential at speeds twice as slow as in Elden Ring (roughly one-third of a second versus one-sixth). Meanwhile, Skeiro gives you parry potential starting at frame two of the animation, compared to the roughly twenty frames it takes in Bloodborne.
Well, the 'twenty' is a bit of a lie. I converted to a higher framerate (technically its 10-13 frames at 30 FPS vs 20-26 at 60 FPS) because Bloodborne sadly runs at a mere 30 FPS, which significantly detracts from the game's better moments. These days, it's possible to enjoy the rest of the souls franchise (presuming some PC mods) at a clean 60 FPS--which is crucial for a series so based around responsive combat. At least Dark Souls was far slower--which made the sting of the 30 FPS version less harsh. Bloodborne was instead being touted as a taste of what gaming's next generation had to offer. And yet it only managed to match its predecessors performance…despite far faster combat and an entire veteran studio backing development. Perhaps one day this'll be a non-issue, but it's hard to not dock points--especially when the game is designed around a speed that the game's engine just can't offer.
But anyways back to the guns. The speed might be slower, and the ammunition scarce…but the real coup de grace is the jank of using a projectile as a means of parrying. If you haven't played the game, think about it for a second: how exactly does this work out?
Well, not very well.
I had countless fights where bullets either failed to land (for reasons still beyond my comprehension--maybe elevation discrepancies?), or the distance between me and the boss was just a little too steep to be reconciled at a good pace. Which means I'd successfully parry an enemy…only to be too far away to actually make use of the game's short punishment window.
But on top of that, distance discrepancies often saw me successfully parrying a boss' attack…only to get hit by that same attack anyways.
That's right: you can (and very easily will) tie with an enemy during battle. Meaning you'll knock them down with a successful parry…while also being smacked into the ground by one of their giant limbs…the one you managed to parry.
This is befuddling to say the least. It makes parrying the steepest wager you can stake in battle--one that's often not worth it.
To make matters worse, a sizable chunk of enemies in Bloodborne--as well as many bosses--can't even be parried at all.
So you've got a parry that's
1) Rather slow
2) A limited resource
3) Loaded with jank
4) Often unusable
In a game that has parrying as one of its main mechanics.
I just don't know what to say.
Remember: this isn't some Dark Souls-styled combat potpourri. Bloodborne was built from the ground up to focus on a few specific combat ideas. And in this sense, I think they failed horribly. It certainly doesn't help that Sekiro would come around a few years later and completely dumpster Bloodborne. It feels like comparing a game that's thoughtfully built around its mechanics (Sekiro) to a game that just sorta threw them in (Bloodborne).
That isn't to say the parrying mechanic is entirely useless…far from it. Some bosses are made way easier if you're able to parry specific attacks. And man, does it feel oh-so-satisfying when you manage to pull it off consistently. But between all the problems listed, parrying feels way more like a chore and an afterthought than it should have been. Especially when we're supposed to be considering "greatest game of all time" material.
The game's rally mechanic also occupies a similar place in my mind. On paper, it's supposed to encourage more aggressive gameplay--granting players a short grace period for lifesteal after being attacked. When it works, it definitely works. But I felt the game's design often made rallying a non-viable option. It's very common to be knocked down during a boss battle--which means players need a few moments to 'wake up.' Meanwhile, the game's frenetic bosses have already moved on to their next five-string attack combo--leaving very little space to successfully rally.
If this feels like a smaller gripe than my other two points--that's because it is.
But I can't help but feel rallying failed overall. I think the recent Bloodborne-inspired (read: Bloodborne knockoff) Lies of P took a more thoughtful approach to solving the same design challenge.
Instead of requiring attacks register in a specific, short-term time frame, the game slowly builds flask charges when you attack enemies, period. Meaning aggression on average equals more healing as a reward.
This also opens up options for enemy designs--bosses don't have to be based around rallying. Although considering the way FromSoft designed their rally system…I question if they were thinking about that problem at all.
Who Said the Healing Church were all Bad Folks?
All in all, my ranting makes me out to be a Bloodborne hater--but that's not the case. I did holistically enjoy my experience. The pacing was brisk, the bosses generally memorable, and the overall experience was fun enough to compel me (although I'm sure my boyfriend had a hand in that).
Speaking of my boyfriend, I'd hate to not credit their favorite aspect of the game: its world, lore, and atmosphere. If nothing else, Bloodborne is a fun and unique trip through a hyper-surreal Victorian gothic world underpinned with cosmic horror elements. The game's heel turn--when the Victorian elements are stripped away to reveal the goofy aliens and Lovecraftian horrors underneath--is a genuinely good time. I can see why, for this alone, Bloodborne has earned a larger share of dedicated fans than the admittedly more bland Sekiro.
Moreover, Bloodborne's influences are blended together in very interesting and inventive ways. Miyazaki's knack for these familiar-yet-foreign pastiches is arguably his greatest strength as a director. The visuals and theming surrounding the healing church, the school of Mensis, the hunters, etc. make for some very fun and compelling moments. As is the game's blending of the realities, 'dreams,' and 'nightmares' found in the likes of Poe and Lovecraft's work.
Like with Elden Ring, there's plenty of compelling ideas to dissect, debate, and just generally chew on here. So in that sense, Bloodborne earns some additional respect. Although, to be honest, lore analysis and fan theory deliberation has never been my sort of thing. I can respect the work on display…but I'll always prefer a game that presents its narrative directly.
Unlike Elden Ring, Bloodborne also earns respect for its brisk runtime--illustrating a sense of restraint that has seemingly vanished from the triple-A industry since the PS4's launch. Areas are varied, reasonably short, and easy to traverse--some jank lantern placements and hub-world bullshit aside. I didn't find Bloodborne's zones as captivating as their Dark Souls equivalents (who could possibly forget their first run through Blighttown?)…but I felt there were still many fun, tricky, or bizarro moments keeping the minute-to-minute gameplay fresh.
Terrible Night For a Curse, Ain't it?
But despite my praises (remember: Souls games by the actual Souls guys can only be so bad) I still feel the negative points resonate clearly.
Although more obvious in Elden Ring, Miyazaki and Co. have developed a serious power creep problem over the years. Players spent so long cutting their teeth in Dark Souls that they could play the damn game blindfolded with one arm behind their backs. And these games are supposed to be hard…right?
So what do we do to increase the challenge? We limit player's build potential (to cut down on player cheese strats) and encourage one of the hardest gameplay styles: aggression. How do we do it? We remove shields and turn the game's speed the fuck up. But we don't just speed up the player…enemies will have to get their powers scaled up too.
There's certainly a logic here…and probably a good balance to be found. But I feel Bloodborne doesn't strike it well enough. Be it bosses that jump so high and fast that they constantly break camera lock…to projectile attacks that have so many elements they become difficult to parse…to bosses covered in enough materials/effects/fabrics/hairs (a problem with lots of early PS4 titles) that you can barely tell their top from their bottom--and which end is about to thwack you. It’s a lot of design failures that feel basic (and frankly inexcusable) for a team with this budget and experience.
So--although it's also far from perfect--I can't help but feel that Bloodborne is just a more unrefined version of Sekiro. It's got better theming, visual design, and lore…sure…but it's still a worse game overall. It's in an awkward middle ground: lacking the customization/expression of a proper souls game while also missing the razor sharp focus of Sekiro's excellent design. Instead, Bloodborne is mainly held together by its solid foundation and its great theming.
Wolf Fucker
Which brings me back to the original question: Why, oh why, is this game just so popular on backloggd?
There's obviously no real answer--this is all conjecture, obviously--but I think I have a few leads.
1) Release window
I'm going to guess the average Backloggd user is around my age (22-25)…which means they would have come of age roughly around Bloodborne's release. If there was ever a game to help form someone's tastes…it would sure as hell be this one. Plus, what else were you going to play on the PS4? The Order: 1886??
2) Aesthetics/Theming
Like I said before, if there's one thing you can't take away from Bloodborne, it's the uniqueness of its world. Seeing as half the top reviews for the game are people wanting to fuck any sort of Bloodborne's creatures/characters, this is definitely a lead contender. Certainly a pull for my boyfriend at least.
3) Dark Souls…But FAST!
When I've questioned my friends about their love for Bloodborne, this seems to be the main appeal. They like their games faster and more aggressive…so here we are. I'm going to assume some amount of 1. is also at play here, considering Sekiro also exists.
4) Hip Gamer Cred
This is a repeat of three. But instead of "But Fast!" it's more, "but harder!" People seem to give a lot of importance towards the idea that
"you can't hide behind your shields, magic, or armor here!!!!!"
like its some sort of virtue. Or maybe some sort of cred.
I mean, everyone played Dark Souls…but you played it wrong because you didn't use the right build! You cheesed the game!
Bloodborne is perhaps a greater "filter" for some, due to its restrained playstyle. It's the 'deeper cut,' of the franchise if you will.
Lotta quotes needed there.
But it is an exclusive locked to a last-gen console now. Your ass can't play it unless you seek it out. No PC for you!
4) Random Bullshit
I mean, something's gotta be number one…right? Perhaps it says more about the specific people that Backloggd has managed to pull over the years.
Where did you bastards come from anyways?
Did a youtuber send you here? A random tweet? God forbid…your own volition?
I've been an RYMer since I started high school, so my backloggd jump was inevitable. There was never any saving me.
But how did you get here?
Anyways…there's not much point analyzing things any further. Especially when we can only speculate. Every website's gonna have its winners and losers--and that's A-OK.
Although I could do with less of you Kingdom Hearts II fuckers. You're seriously crampin' my style over here.
Every online community has its idiosyncrasies. I'm sure you know that.
But one that always sticks out to me is Backloggd's attachment to Bloodborne. Don't get me wrong, they're not the only ones to be absolutely obsessed. 4chan's /v/ board raised me when I was an impressionable teen (I've since reformed…thank you for asking), where Bloodborne was shorthand for "this generation's only good video game ."
And it's not as if it's just a fan favorite either--it comfortably sits on Metacritic in the low 90s too. Hell, all my friends seem to adore the game just as much. I've been told for years that "if I liked X , then I would love Bloodborne to tears." So then why the fuss?
Well, Backloggd's love seems to go a bit deeper than that. The game's DLC--The Old Hunters--stands as the greatest video game of all time, at least per average user rating. The base game manages to sit just a few slivers of a score below that. That means that players would, on average, give Bloodborne a perfect score…no questions asked.
Speaking of idiosyncrasies…Backloggd's lack of game version aggregation means that Bloodborne actually sits on the "best games of all time" page three times in one form or another. So, there's certainly some big shoes to fill there.
The odd thing is, although Bloodborne is universally beloved…it doesn't usually get the top spot anywhere else. IGN slotted it comfortably at 19th on their list (above fucking Super Mario Bros. and right below…BioShock??), while Polygon placed it at 259 on their list of the best 500 games. Comparing to a sister site like RateYourMusic further illuminates the difference. The unquestioned rock-music heavyweight champ OK Computer (although my 4th favorite Radiohead album) comfortably sat at number one for closer to two decades…until some algorithm (and general userbase) changes placed the already canonized To Pimp A Butterfly above it. These albums wouldn't make a music enthusiast blink--although some might roll their eyes at how predictable the choices are. But hey, that's what averages are all about.
None of this means deviating from the canonized list of "greatest games" is a bad thing. I just think it's an interesting point about Backloggd and its community.
Which naturally raises an interesting question: why?
Why is Bloodborne the undisputed king of gaming? Or, why is it king for people who like to rate/organize their games online? Why not something more predictable for a #1 pick? An Ocarina of Time or Half Life 2 or Mario 64 or what have you?
At some point speculation becomes pointless…but we'll consider this question at the end of the review for fun.
Reasons
For now we'll answer an easier question: why did *I start playing Bloodborne?
Well, for one, I really enjoy Dark Souls… Yes, Dark Souls* with italics--that means the game and not the franchise. Frankly, I gave up on Dark Souls II and III within a few hours while I slowly came to hate Elden Ring during my playthrough. The only other game in this (loosely defined) franchise that captured my imagination was Sekiro for reasons that'll be clear later.
I always thought Dark Souls, more than any other game in the series, had an incredibly strong sense of direction and (more importantly) intent. Sure, there were obviously a metric ton of flaws with the game (namely its botched final quarter), but almost all of it could be overlooked just because of how intensely brilliant the total package felt. Playing with fresh eyes is like watching the reinvention of gaming in real-time. More than that, it feels like Miyazaki successfully synthesized the most crucial elements of classic game design into a genuinely fresh package that boldly defines new horizons for gaming's future. It was a design philosophy built upon commitment--where every swing of the sword, every sip of a potion, every roll away from an enemy attack…it all mattered. And I understand why it captivated fans, inspired designers, and transformed fans into designers instantly.
But you already know that. Presuming you're not a totally blind fan though, you also recognize its many….many flaws.
As I said, I could forgive most of the problems because the game is just such a lightning-in-a-bottle moment. More than that, I think you should be willing to give early 2010s Fromsoft a bit of slack. They were a far smaller studio lacking the time, budget, or general affordances that most devs get today. And so, I let the problems slide.
But…I can't go so easy on the rest of the franchise. For one thing, they're no longer trailblazing a new destiny for gaming. Dark Souls is probably older than some of your family members now. Moreover, Fromsoft has transformed from the scrappy underdog of the gaming industry to one of its most inescapable titans. Perhaps they haven't scaled up to become a massive studio (although I do live just a few minutes from their secondary office here in Fukuoka), but they absolutely have the time, budget, and potential to do whatever the hell they damn well please.
This evolution is well evidenced by Bloodborne's own development--which was initiated and supported by Sony's veteran (and sadly now defunct) Japan Studio. And believe me, if you have the guys who made Ape Escape on your side, you can fucking do anything.
But beyond enjoying Dark Souls, I also mentioned Sekiro, which brings us to my second reason for seeking out Bloodborne: my love for aggressive, fast, and in-your-face Souls-ian combat.
My first love in Dark Souls was the Uchigatana…and things were never the same after I found it. I know there were entire magic, armor, and shield systems for me to explore…but I just didn't give a damn. I'm a simple man at heart--and all I wanted to do was dodge roll like a madman while slicing motherfuckers in half.
But that was the beauty of Dark Souls--it actually let me do just that. And man…did I have the time of my life. No single run of Dark Souls is complete--you'll always miss out on some build styles or gameplay systems. But what matters most is giving you the sense of a complete experience, no matter how you play. In that sense, Dark Souls was a game par excellence. Well, except maybe for you poor archers out there.
So it should be no surprise that, after trying (and failing) to enjoy Dark Souls II and III, I went immediately to Sekiro. It was clearly a game after my own heart. One katana-filled, hyper-aggressive parry-fest later and I was convinced of one fact:
I enjoy playing my Souls games quick, aggressive, and light-on-my-feet.
So naturally my friends all begged me to play Bloodborne for years. But having just played Dark Souls and Sekiro…I was pretty damn Souls'd out--or at least my poor hands were. The next time I'd get an itch FromSoft's usual bag of tricks, Elden Ring was just around the corner, so I ended up waiting for that instead.
But if that's the case, why did I play Bloodborne in the here and now?
Well that one's simple: my boyfriend of nearly five years asked me to play it.
It seems he's recently joined the league of Backloggd players who obsess over the game. The usual greatest of all time crowd. And so, if the mere ask from my boyfriend is "would you please play Bloodborne?"…then I'm sure you'd agree that's a pretty damn easy ask. Although I will admit it did take quite a few asks before I capitulated...
Cut Souls Time
And so, with reasons and expectations in hand, I played Bloodborne.
How did it treat me? Pretty well, all things considered.
I noticed a litany of deviations from the Dark Souls formula right off the bat--some of which have become series staples since. The most obvious (and consequential) change was the game's speed--which can feel more like a speedhack at times. A Ms. Pac-Man, if you will. For some, this was a welcome change compared to the slower and far heavier combat pacing of Dark Souls.
Since I’m mister "swing a cool katana and dodge roll like a madman," you'd probably guess that I'd be in love with the speedup--but that's not quite the case. For although speed brings greater viscerality and challenge, it also dramatically impacts design legibility. If things move too fast…and the designers aren't clever enough to account for it…you get some real head scratching moments. The ones where you're just trying to figure out "what the fuck is going on?" And, unfortunately, Bloodborne veered into this camp (like many future Souls games) far too many times for comfort.
Don't get me wrong, sometimes the sense of chaos is great! Battles against massive and horrific beasts feel all the more impactful when they enter a frenzy--as their backs pushed against the wall. But, at the same time, I'd be lying if I said every bit of Bloodborne's boss design was perfectly metered out. Quite the opposite, actually. I felt that many bosses were either too messy--with an ungodly amount of limbs and hurtboxes. Other times they were too crazy--having movement abilities fast enough to knock my poor camera lock-on into the same frenzy the boss was in.
And that stinks…because when the bosses work, they work really well. There's a great thematic quality that interweaves them with the mood and narrative perfectly. But for nearly every boss that worked, I felt there was just another one (or sometimes two) that were either total crapshoots (my poor…poor camera). I often didn't feel like I actually conquered the boss with my skills…It instead felt like I got some lucky AI patterns and less camera jank than usual. And I don't know about you, but I hate that feeling of a hollow half-victory.
Beyond that, I do have to credit Bloodborne's litany of gimmicky boss fights. People use 'gimmick' in a derogatory sense…but my favorite game is Metal Gear Solid 2 for Christ sake. I live for the gimmicks. They let designers to think outside of the box--throwing new challenges at you that don't overstay their welcome…At least, when they're done well.
This was another reason I adored Dark Souls. There's certainly plenty of standard fights…but there were also a metric ton of random kooky ideas ranging from fantastically memorable (Four Kings, Nito, Ornstein and Smough etc.) to fine (Moonlight Butterfly) to…not so fine (Bed of Chaos). Despite the sometimes mixed execution, it made the game all-the-more memorable. As bad as Bed of Chaos is, it's certainly not another "big guy with a sword" fight. And man, am I gonna remember it, if nothing else.
I know these gimmick fights are contentious, so color me surprised when Bloodborne managed to pack itself with a similar amount of 'em. The highlights--Rom, Micolash, and Shadow of Yharnam--remind me of why these battles are so successful in the first place. They break up the tedium of regular battle and allow narrative moments to sink in with greater depth. These fights, in a sense, feel more directed and have greater impact than other battles. Of course, the absolute best of the regular bosses shine above (Ludwig, Lady Maria,, Vicar Amelia), but the gimmicky fights always hold a special place in my heart.
Blood, Guns, and Regret
But enough boss talk…let's talk about Bloodborne's unique features.
The most obvious deviation from the tried-and-true Souls formula is the blood vial system. Instead of using your trusty sippy cup for a set of respawning and reliable heals, Bloodborne makes healing a scarcity coming in item form. On one hand, that means you can hold up to twenty blood vials at once. On the other hand, once you run out…you're out.
Now, I respect the attempt at reinventing the formula--which was still fairly new at the time. But I think nearly everyone--developers included--agree: this was a fucking terrible idea. For one, it can make plenty of boss fights trivial--you can walk in with twenty heals for crying out loud. It inadvertently encourages a less aggressive, more turtle-y behavior. Get hit once? Back the fuck off and heal. You've got nineteen more where that's coming from. I found myself first (or second) timing a lot of fights purely on this feature alone.
For another thing, it makes the most core part of the Souls experience--getting stuck on a boss and retrying it--a fucking chore. Why? Well, if you run out of blood vials…your ass needs to go grind for more. And believe me, the random enemy drops aren't nearly as generous as they should be for the stuff. You can certainly trade souls in for vials, but that requires a constant loop of: "grind for souls, return to hub, purchase vials, return to battle." Just imagine all the time you'll be spending in slow-ass hard drive based loading screens!
You'd be forgiven for thinking the flask was invented after Bloodborne. But, much to your surprise, it turns out that FromSoft just decided to revert back to Demon's Souls' more primitive design concepts for no good reason. This one is a real headscratcher. Although, to be fair, just about every From game following Dark Souls is filled with bizarre design decisions like this…which really make me question Miyazaki's status in the industry as "brilliant auteur."
Seriously, this alone is enough to knock an entire star off the game's rating. Many players, myself included, eventually acquiesce by abusing the game's (equally underthought) procedurally generated chalice dungeons. One coincidentally funny seed discovery later (shout outs to the CUM dungeon), and we're off to the races. Now with several billion souls and enough blood vials to last us the rest of the game. And while that certainly helped my enjoyment…it's hard to ignore the massive design flaw here.
Speaking of headscratchers, let's talk about the many guns of Bloodborne while we're at it.
The gun--which serves as your parry tool--is limited by the bullets you carry. Much like the blood vial system, this opens up a lot of headaches…so you can copy-paste those same grievances here.
I mean, think about it: could you fucking imagine if they pulled this shit in Sekiro? It'd be patently absurd. Some combination of soul-grinding, good RNG on item drops, and CUM dungeon abuse is required if you actually want to use (and gain skill in) the parry system.
Which is crazy, right? Parrying is often one of the most difficult…if not the most difficult system in a game…and they're gonna fucking limit your ability to use it? Even just practicing the system requires grinding? Seriously? It's not only anti-fun, it's frankly anti-user too.
Adding insult to injury is just how situational the guns of Bloodborne are.
You're forced to swallow a bitter pill right as you start the game: guns are mind-numbingly slow. How slow? Well, I couldn't find frame data that was as well researched as I would like…but it seems the regular guns of Bloodborne give you parry potential at speeds twice as slow as in Elden Ring (roughly one-third of a second versus one-sixth). Meanwhile, Skeiro gives you parry potential starting at frame two of the animation, compared to the roughly twenty frames it takes in Bloodborne.
Well, the 'twenty' is a bit of a lie. I converted to a higher framerate (technically its 10-13 frames at 30 FPS vs 20-26 at 60 FPS) because Bloodborne sadly runs at a mere 30 FPS, which significantly detracts from the game's better moments. These days, it's possible to enjoy the rest of the souls franchise (presuming some PC mods) at a clean 60 FPS--which is crucial for a series so based around responsive combat. At least Dark Souls was far slower--which made the sting of the 30 FPS version less harsh. Bloodborne was instead being touted as a taste of what gaming's next generation had to offer. And yet it only managed to match its predecessors performance…despite far faster combat and an entire veteran studio backing development. Perhaps one day this'll be a non-issue, but it's hard to not dock points--especially when the game is designed around a speed that the game's engine just can't offer.
But anyways back to the guns. The speed might be slower, and the ammunition scarce…but the real coup de grace is the jank of using a projectile as a means of parrying. If you haven't played the game, think about it for a second: how exactly does this work out?
Well, not very well.
I had countless fights where bullets either failed to land (for reasons still beyond my comprehension--maybe elevation discrepancies?), or the distance between me and the boss was just a little too steep to be reconciled at a good pace. Which means I'd successfully parry an enemy…only to be too far away to actually make use of the game's short punishment window.
But on top of that, distance discrepancies often saw me successfully parrying a boss' attack…only to get hit by that same attack anyways.
That's right: you can (and very easily will) tie with an enemy during battle. Meaning you'll knock them down with a successful parry…while also being smacked into the ground by one of their giant limbs…the one you managed to parry.
This is befuddling to say the least. It makes parrying the steepest wager you can stake in battle--one that's often not worth it.
To make matters worse, a sizable chunk of enemies in Bloodborne--as well as many bosses--can't even be parried at all.
So you've got a parry that's
1) Rather slow
2) A limited resource
3) Loaded with jank
4) Often unusable
In a game that has parrying as one of its main mechanics.
I just don't know what to say.
Remember: this isn't some Dark Souls-styled combat potpourri. Bloodborne was built from the ground up to focus on a few specific combat ideas. And in this sense, I think they failed horribly. It certainly doesn't help that Sekiro would come around a few years later and completely dumpster Bloodborne. It feels like comparing a game that's thoughtfully built around its mechanics (Sekiro) to a game that just sorta threw them in (Bloodborne).
That isn't to say the parrying mechanic is entirely useless…far from it. Some bosses are made way easier if you're able to parry specific attacks. And man, does it feel oh-so-satisfying when you manage to pull it off consistently. But between all the problems listed, parrying feels way more like a chore and an afterthought than it should have been. Especially when we're supposed to be considering "greatest game of all time" material.
The game's rally mechanic also occupies a similar place in my mind. On paper, it's supposed to encourage more aggressive gameplay--granting players a short grace period for lifesteal after being attacked. When it works, it definitely works. But I felt the game's design often made rallying a non-viable option. It's very common to be knocked down during a boss battle--which means players need a few moments to 'wake up.' Meanwhile, the game's frenetic bosses have already moved on to their next five-string attack combo--leaving very little space to successfully rally.
If this feels like a smaller gripe than my other two points--that's because it is.
But I can't help but feel rallying failed overall. I think the recent Bloodborne-inspired (read: Bloodborne knockoff) Lies of P took a more thoughtful approach to solving the same design challenge.
Instead of requiring attacks register in a specific, short-term time frame, the game slowly builds flask charges when you attack enemies, period. Meaning aggression on average equals more healing as a reward.
This also opens up options for enemy designs--bosses don't have to be based around rallying. Although considering the way FromSoft designed their rally system…I question if they were thinking about that problem at all.
Who Said the Healing Church were all Bad Folks?
All in all, my ranting makes me out to be a Bloodborne hater--but that's not the case. I did holistically enjoy my experience. The pacing was brisk, the bosses generally memorable, and the overall experience was fun enough to compel me (although I'm sure my boyfriend had a hand in that).
Speaking of my boyfriend, I'd hate to not credit their favorite aspect of the game: its world, lore, and atmosphere. If nothing else, Bloodborne is a fun and unique trip through a hyper-surreal Victorian gothic world underpinned with cosmic horror elements. The game's heel turn--when the Victorian elements are stripped away to reveal the goofy aliens and Lovecraftian horrors underneath--is a genuinely good time. I can see why, for this alone, Bloodborne has earned a larger share of dedicated fans than the admittedly more bland Sekiro.
Moreover, Bloodborne's influences are blended together in very interesting and inventive ways. Miyazaki's knack for these familiar-yet-foreign pastiches is arguably his greatest strength as a director. The visuals and theming surrounding the healing church, the school of Mensis, the hunters, etc. make for some very fun and compelling moments. As is the game's blending of the realities, 'dreams,' and 'nightmares' found in the likes of Poe and Lovecraft's work.
Like with Elden Ring, there's plenty of compelling ideas to dissect, debate, and just generally chew on here. So in that sense, Bloodborne earns some additional respect. Although, to be honest, lore analysis and fan theory deliberation has never been my sort of thing. I can respect the work on display…but I'll always prefer a game that presents its narrative directly.
Unlike Elden Ring, Bloodborne also earns respect for its brisk runtime--illustrating a sense of restraint that has seemingly vanished from the triple-A industry since the PS4's launch. Areas are varied, reasonably short, and easy to traverse--some jank lantern placements and hub-world bullshit aside. I didn't find Bloodborne's zones as captivating as their Dark Souls equivalents (who could possibly forget their first run through Blighttown?)…but I felt there were still many fun, tricky, or bizarro moments keeping the minute-to-minute gameplay fresh.
Terrible Night For a Curse, Ain't it?
But despite my praises (remember: Souls games by the actual Souls guys can only be so bad) I still feel the negative points resonate clearly.
Although more obvious in Elden Ring, Miyazaki and Co. have developed a serious power creep problem over the years. Players spent so long cutting their teeth in Dark Souls that they could play the damn game blindfolded with one arm behind their backs. And these games are supposed to be hard…right?
So what do we do to increase the challenge? We limit player's build potential (to cut down on player cheese strats) and encourage one of the hardest gameplay styles: aggression. How do we do it? We remove shields and turn the game's speed the fuck up. But we don't just speed up the player…enemies will have to get their powers scaled up too.
There's certainly a logic here…and probably a good balance to be found. But I feel Bloodborne doesn't strike it well enough. Be it bosses that jump so high and fast that they constantly break camera lock…to projectile attacks that have so many elements they become difficult to parse…to bosses covered in enough materials/effects/fabrics/hairs (a problem with lots of early PS4 titles) that you can barely tell their top from their bottom--and which end is about to thwack you. It’s a lot of design failures that feel basic (and frankly inexcusable) for a team with this budget and experience.
So--although it's also far from perfect--I can't help but feel that Bloodborne is just a more unrefined version of Sekiro. It's got better theming, visual design, and lore…sure…but it's still a worse game overall. It's in an awkward middle ground: lacking the customization/expression of a proper souls game while also missing the razor sharp focus of Sekiro's excellent design. Instead, Bloodborne is mainly held together by its solid foundation and its great theming.
Wolf Fucker
Which brings me back to the original question: Why, oh why, is this game just so popular on backloggd?
There's obviously no real answer--this is all conjecture, obviously--but I think I have a few leads.
1) Release window
I'm going to guess the average Backloggd user is around my age (22-25)…which means they would have come of age roughly around Bloodborne's release. If there was ever a game to help form someone's tastes…it would sure as hell be this one. Plus, what else were you going to play on the PS4? The Order: 1886??
2) Aesthetics/Theming
Like I said before, if there's one thing you can't take away from Bloodborne, it's the uniqueness of its world. Seeing as half the top reviews for the game are people wanting to fuck any sort of Bloodborne's creatures/characters, this is definitely a lead contender. Certainly a pull for my boyfriend at least.
3) Dark Souls…But FAST!
When I've questioned my friends about their love for Bloodborne, this seems to be the main appeal. They like their games faster and more aggressive…so here we are. I'm going to assume some amount of 1. is also at play here, considering Sekiro also exists.
4) Hip Gamer Cred
This is a repeat of three. But instead of "But Fast!" it's more, "but harder!" People seem to give a lot of importance towards the idea that
"you can't hide behind your shields, magic, or armor here!!!!!"
like its some sort of virtue. Or maybe some sort of cred.
I mean, everyone played Dark Souls…but you played it wrong because you didn't use the right build! You cheesed the game!
Bloodborne is perhaps a greater "filter" for some, due to its restrained playstyle. It's the 'deeper cut,' of the franchise if you will.
Lotta quotes needed there.
But it is an exclusive locked to a last-gen console now. Your ass can't play it unless you seek it out. No PC for you!
4) Random Bullshit
I mean, something's gotta be number one…right? Perhaps it says more about the specific people that Backloggd has managed to pull over the years.
Where did you bastards come from anyways?
Did a youtuber send you here? A random tweet? God forbid…your own volition?
I've been an RYMer since I started high school, so my backloggd jump was inevitable. There was never any saving me.
But how did you get here?
Anyways…there's not much point analyzing things any further. Especially when we can only speculate. Every website's gonna have its winners and losers--and that's A-OK.
Although I could do with less of you Kingdom Hearts II fuckers. You're seriously crampin' my style over here.
esse jogo me deu uma sensação extremamente única que fazia tempo que eu não sentia. a minha paixão por esse jogo já era enorme desde o momento em que eu comecei a jogar ele, e depois de ter finalmente zerado eu posso dizer com toda a certeza que eu tô COMPLETAMENTE apaixonado
é bizarro como esse jogo consegue te surpreender do começo ao fim. toda a atmosfera sombria de Yharnam misturado com os bosses épicos e, sem sombra de dúvidas assustadores te traz um sentimento único que você só vai sentir nesse jogo e em mais lugar algum
vale ressaltar que a lore Ă© extremamente interessante e impressionante, e prova mais uma vez que a FromSoftware nĂŁo tem medo algum de deixar de te mostrar com clareza uma narrativa extremamente Ă©pica pra que vocĂŞ curta o jogo da sua maneira
outra coisa importantĂssima tambĂ©m nesse jogo Ă© a direção de arte, que Ă© simplesmente genial. se eu fizesse um top 10 lugares fodas dos games, bloodborne ficaria em pelo menos 10 lugares no ranking. o campo de flores do sonho do caçador, a arena da batalha contra o Rom, o Micolash, todos os lugares desse jogo sĂŁo memoráveis (e lindos, diga-se de passagem)
eu fico até meio triste que eu terminei esse jogo por que eu realmente não queria que a minha experiência com ele acabasse. com certeza ele vai ficar no meu pódio de jogos favoritos definitivamente por um bom tempo, um sólido 10/10 extremamente fácil
é bizarro como esse jogo consegue te surpreender do começo ao fim. toda a atmosfera sombria de Yharnam misturado com os bosses épicos e, sem sombra de dúvidas assustadores te traz um sentimento único que você só vai sentir nesse jogo e em mais lugar algum
vale ressaltar que a lore Ă© extremamente interessante e impressionante, e prova mais uma vez que a FromSoftware nĂŁo tem medo algum de deixar de te mostrar com clareza uma narrativa extremamente Ă©pica pra que vocĂŞ curta o jogo da sua maneira
outra coisa importantĂssima tambĂ©m nesse jogo Ă© a direção de arte, que Ă© simplesmente genial. se eu fizesse um top 10 lugares fodas dos games, bloodborne ficaria em pelo menos 10 lugares no ranking. o campo de flores do sonho do caçador, a arena da batalha contra o Rom, o Micolash, todos os lugares desse jogo sĂŁo memoráveis (e lindos, diga-se de passagem)
eu fico até meio triste que eu terminei esse jogo por que eu realmente não queria que a minha experiência com ele acabasse. com certeza ele vai ficar no meu pódio de jogos favoritos definitivamente por um bom tempo, um sólido 10/10 extremamente fácil
Perfection
holy shit
------- Esse Ă© o JOGO q todo mundo deveria jogar---------------------
Bloodborne Ă© simplesmente sensacional , o combate , a histĂłria , a dublagem tudo Ă© incrĂvel , Bloodborne e Dark souls 3 , sĂŁo simplesmente os melhores projetos da from software (minha opiniĂŁo). A Ăşnica coisa q eu acho q o jogo base fica atrás de DS3 sĂŁo os bosses , acho os bosses do DS3 mais marcantes , sinto q eles podiam ter feito um trabalho melhor nas trilhas sonoras ou atĂ© mesmo nas lutas (em alguns bosses uma grande parte Ă© muito boa) , assim como fizeram na dlc tendo os bosses mais marcantes da sĂ©rie.
A ambientação e o design pra mim é desparrado a melhor parte , tendo um estilo gótico meio renascentista e meio vitoriano. O detalhe das armas serem usadas de formas diferentes quando estão sendo usadas em 2 mãos é outra coisa q me faz gostar ainda mais desse jogo .
O Sonho do caçador é uma das melhores ''Firelinks shrine '' , a história da boneca e as filosofias q ela propõe com uma dublagem extremamente bem feita , com certeza faz ela ser minha personagem favorita do game .
Bloodborne Ă© simplesmente sensacional , o combate , a histĂłria , a dublagem tudo Ă© incrĂvel , Bloodborne e Dark souls 3 , sĂŁo simplesmente os melhores projetos da from software (minha opiniĂŁo). A Ăşnica coisa q eu acho q o jogo base fica atrás de DS3 sĂŁo os bosses , acho os bosses do DS3 mais marcantes , sinto q eles podiam ter feito um trabalho melhor nas trilhas sonoras ou atĂ© mesmo nas lutas (em alguns bosses uma grande parte Ă© muito boa) , assim como fizeram na dlc tendo os bosses mais marcantes da sĂ©rie.
A ambientação e o design pra mim é desparrado a melhor parte , tendo um estilo gótico meio renascentista e meio vitoriano. O detalhe das armas serem usadas de formas diferentes quando estão sendo usadas em 2 mãos é outra coisa q me faz gostar ainda mais desse jogo .
O Sonho do caçador é uma das melhores ''Firelinks shrine '' , a história da boneca e as filosofias q ela propõe com uma dublagem extremamente bem feita , com certeza faz ela ser minha personagem favorita do game .
Second souls so far, this one was definitely better then DS1 and I’m probably gonna play Sekiro next. One of the best games I’ve ever played for sure I’m just waiting until I’ve beat a good amount of games to change my list
Ranging from 9.8-10
Ranging from 9.8-10
This review contains spoilers
Bloodborne has been one of those games that i have been meaning to replay for so many years. I had known I wanted to replay the game for a long time now and one day a few weeks ago i randomly decided to do it.
The thing stopping me going back was the fact that the game was an extremely early-life PS4 title. A lot of people complain about the 30FPS but the reality is, you would be lucky to reach a consistent 30FPS for more than a few minutes. Also the load times are painfully slow. This is what happens when i'm so spoiled by how games are today.
However all that aside.
This game is fucking phenomenal.
The aesthetic of this game is by far the best in the series and is so beautiful and never gets old.
The gameplay is probably my favourite of all the soulsborne games. I love how fast it is and how punishing but fair it is.
The guns are a feature I never see people talking about enough. With the exception of maybe Sekiro, this is how parrying should be done. I still get giddy every time I parry an enemy in this game with just how good it looks and feels.
This game has some of the best level design in the series. Level design is usually always my biggest gripe with a souls game but not this time. When i first played Bloodborne back in 2018 i remember despising the forest area with every fiber of my being. But with this replay I can gladly say that that isn't the case anymore. I don't know if i just had a bad experience with the area the first time or what.
However. The Shadows of Yharnam are still by a long shot my least favourite boss in the game. I have never been and never will be a fan of the kind of boss where there are multiple dudes coming at you and this is one of the worst examples of it. There is too much shit going on at once in this fight and in the worst way possible. I didn't even struggle with the boss this playthrough as i beat them first try, but i just feel the boss is severely lacking in the fun department.
This was the first time i had ever beaten The Old Hunters DLC. And oh my god was i missing out. This is by far, the best DLC a souls game has ever recieved. All of the bosses are stellar, apart from the living failures which are just a filler boss. Lady Maria is probably my favourite boss in the game, i love how she looks and i had a great time fighting her.
The reason i had never beaten the DLC the first time I played it was because i was trying to do it on a NG+3 character. Ludwig kicked my ass so hard that when I eventually beat him I decided i was done with the game.
I love Bloodborne so much, and I believe, objectively that it is the best soulsborne game. If this game received a next-gen port to make it a constant 60FPS and faster load times it would be near perfect.
Fear the old blood.
The thing stopping me going back was the fact that the game was an extremely early-life PS4 title. A lot of people complain about the 30FPS but the reality is, you would be lucky to reach a consistent 30FPS for more than a few minutes. Also the load times are painfully slow. This is what happens when i'm so spoiled by how games are today.
However all that aside.
This game is fucking phenomenal.
The aesthetic of this game is by far the best in the series and is so beautiful and never gets old.
The gameplay is probably my favourite of all the soulsborne games. I love how fast it is and how punishing but fair it is.
The guns are a feature I never see people talking about enough. With the exception of maybe Sekiro, this is how parrying should be done. I still get giddy every time I parry an enemy in this game with just how good it looks and feels.
This game has some of the best level design in the series. Level design is usually always my biggest gripe with a souls game but not this time. When i first played Bloodborne back in 2018 i remember despising the forest area with every fiber of my being. But with this replay I can gladly say that that isn't the case anymore. I don't know if i just had a bad experience with the area the first time or what.
However. The Shadows of Yharnam are still by a long shot my least favourite boss in the game. I have never been and never will be a fan of the kind of boss where there are multiple dudes coming at you and this is one of the worst examples of it. There is too much shit going on at once in this fight and in the worst way possible. I didn't even struggle with the boss this playthrough as i beat them first try, but i just feel the boss is severely lacking in the fun department.
This was the first time i had ever beaten The Old Hunters DLC. And oh my god was i missing out. This is by far, the best DLC a souls game has ever recieved. All of the bosses are stellar, apart from the living failures which are just a filler boss. Lady Maria is probably my favourite boss in the game, i love how she looks and i had a great time fighting her.
The reason i had never beaten the DLC the first time I played it was because i was trying to do it on a NG+3 character. Ludwig kicked my ass so hard that when I eventually beat him I decided i was done with the game.
I love Bloodborne so much, and I believe, objectively that it is the best soulsborne game. If this game received a next-gen port to make it a constant 60FPS and faster load times it would be near perfect.
Fear the old blood.
this game is perfection. from its soundtrack, to its design, atmosphere, combat and so on. not to mention the perfect rappresentation of horror is femininity presented in this game. a must play.