Similarly to other games in its genre, Bloodborne is unapologetically evil and sadistic towards the player, but always has this silver lining traced around the hell that exists in this game. Bloodborne is a disturbing, nightmarish, and hard ass game, but there's such a beauty to it. Designed with such intention and care, this game was loved in development. I want to talk about the world, gameplay, and flaws.
Bloodborne is probably my favorite fictional world of all time. Sonic OCs? Fuck it, Bloodborne OCs. Maybe you wouldn't want to live here but god damn it interesting. What starts off as a war torn looking gothic town (AKA London) gradually and intelligently becomes the backdrop for a setting inspired heavily on Lovecraftian horror (AKA London). It's already such a marvel to witness the deeply detailed yet vast feeling environments, and it becomes all the better as the enemy design becomes increasingly otherworldly as the game progresses. It's really genuinely scary. Thematically, the game tackles the subject of dreams a lot, and the integration of this into a world that changes subtly yet horrifically in front of a player is so well done. The game feels like a bad dream that only gets worse as you wonder what's real and what's not. As with any From Software game, the story is impossible to fully understand on your own but is presented so interestingly that it begs the player to look deeper into it. There's part of me that wishes it was easier to understand, but so much of this game's intrigue is brought on by its mystery. Most fans of the series who love Bloodborne claim the world is what makes the game stand out so much, and I am no different. The world, in history and presentation, really showcases the genius of design team.
Bloodborne feels equally amazing and sweaty. Your character dashes around quickly with an emphasis on the best offense being the best defense. Offense is further encouraged by the mechanic of gaining back health through attacking. Each weapon in the game is wholly unique and none feel objectively better than another. Enemies and bosses never feel as if they're controlled by an AI, they feel like beasts. Bosses almost always feel difficult yet fair, leaving you thinking "why am I so stupid" even after your 20th attempt. Every area of the map is teeming with secrets that never feel too far-fetched, they always leave you scouring every area to find hidden goodies. This game's ending is also perfectly timed. Despite being able to be completed at the 20 hour or 60 hour mark, it never feels like it overstays it's welcome, and always beckons the player to start all over again. I think the game's peaks are in the beginning and end of the game, with a middle third that contains some weaker bosses, but that doesn't really matter when the content surrounding it is so, so compelling.
Okay it's not perfect alright I get it. So the blood vial system does make players occasionally have to go and grind money/farm for blood vials, and if you are really stuck on a boss, yes, this does suck. I don't think it's a horrible issue because of how fun the world is to explore, but it can really cause some pacing issues, especially in the first 20% of the game. Hell, it caused me to quit during my first playthrough until a year later. NPC hunters are littered around the map and are just. So hard. Why the fuck are they so hard? And there's always two or three of them at a time. It's a no in my opinion. This game is littered with one-shot attacks, a few too many in my opinion. With a game mechanic based on regaining health, this is completely counter intuitive. Bosses expect you to be at drastically different levels even when only 20 minutes apart in gameplay. You're telling me I'm gonna beat a boss the first attempt then 20 minutes later get one shotted by the next boss? No. The framerate is a bit of a mess and will leave you with a headache after some play sessions. The player character can get caught on tiny little pebbles and gates while running, which has lead to many an unfair feeling death. And, lastly, the game has a wealthy of optional dungeons to complete, but they're pretty lame. They are home to some great items and weapons, but they're uninteresting to explore. I love Bloodborne, but it isn't without flaw by any means.
But still, such a beautiful, horrific game. This game just has a lot to say but does so much expression with so few words. A setting that answers one question and leads to 10 others. A soundtrack and world that leaves you feeling unnerved yet eggs you on to continue. Gameplay that fits like a glove. The entertainment of hearing British "people". It just has it all. So glad I picked this back up after a year.
Bloodborne is probably my favorite fictional world of all time. Sonic OCs? Fuck it, Bloodborne OCs. Maybe you wouldn't want to live here but god damn it interesting. What starts off as a war torn looking gothic town (AKA London) gradually and intelligently becomes the backdrop for a setting inspired heavily on Lovecraftian horror (AKA London). It's already such a marvel to witness the deeply detailed yet vast feeling environments, and it becomes all the better as the enemy design becomes increasingly otherworldly as the game progresses. It's really genuinely scary. Thematically, the game tackles the subject of dreams a lot, and the integration of this into a world that changes subtly yet horrifically in front of a player is so well done. The game feels like a bad dream that only gets worse as you wonder what's real and what's not. As with any From Software game, the story is impossible to fully understand on your own but is presented so interestingly that it begs the player to look deeper into it. There's part of me that wishes it was easier to understand, but so much of this game's intrigue is brought on by its mystery. Most fans of the series who love Bloodborne claim the world is what makes the game stand out so much, and I am no different. The world, in history and presentation, really showcases the genius of design team.
Bloodborne feels equally amazing and sweaty. Your character dashes around quickly with an emphasis on the best offense being the best defense. Offense is further encouraged by the mechanic of gaining back health through attacking. Each weapon in the game is wholly unique and none feel objectively better than another. Enemies and bosses never feel as if they're controlled by an AI, they feel like beasts. Bosses almost always feel difficult yet fair, leaving you thinking "why am I so stupid" even after your 20th attempt. Every area of the map is teeming with secrets that never feel too far-fetched, they always leave you scouring every area to find hidden goodies. This game's ending is also perfectly timed. Despite being able to be completed at the 20 hour or 60 hour mark, it never feels like it overstays it's welcome, and always beckons the player to start all over again. I think the game's peaks are in the beginning and end of the game, with a middle third that contains some weaker bosses, but that doesn't really matter when the content surrounding it is so, so compelling.
Okay it's not perfect alright I get it. So the blood vial system does make players occasionally have to go and grind money/farm for blood vials, and if you are really stuck on a boss, yes, this does suck. I don't think it's a horrible issue because of how fun the world is to explore, but it can really cause some pacing issues, especially in the first 20% of the game. Hell, it caused me to quit during my first playthrough until a year later. NPC hunters are littered around the map and are just. So hard. Why the fuck are they so hard? And there's always two or three of them at a time. It's a no in my opinion. This game is littered with one-shot attacks, a few too many in my opinion. With a game mechanic based on regaining health, this is completely counter intuitive. Bosses expect you to be at drastically different levels even when only 20 minutes apart in gameplay. You're telling me I'm gonna beat a boss the first attempt then 20 minutes later get one shotted by the next boss? No. The framerate is a bit of a mess and will leave you with a headache after some play sessions. The player character can get caught on tiny little pebbles and gates while running, which has lead to many an unfair feeling death. And, lastly, the game has a wealthy of optional dungeons to complete, but they're pretty lame. They are home to some great items and weapons, but they're uninteresting to explore. I love Bloodborne, but it isn't without flaw by any means.
But still, such a beautiful, horrific game. This game just has a lot to say but does so much expression with so few words. A setting that answers one question and leads to 10 others. A soundtrack and world that leaves you feeling unnerved yet eggs you on to continue. Gameplay that fits like a glove. The entertainment of hearing British "people". It just has it all. So glad I picked this back up after a year.