Strong contender for the best game ever made. It's crafted with so much love and care that it's easy to overlook its many flaws, and its central message just propels it to an impossible level of achievement. Why this isn't as celebrated as some other, similarly off-kilter and narratively rich games I don't know.

My one major gripe with this game is the voice dubbing. It actually sucks. Like the dubbing is really, really bad. Except for Laura's english voice actor, she does a fine job (granted, she has like, two lines in the game).

The gameplay really works with me. The gameplay is a combination of on-rails shooting, jrpg random encounters, third-person exploration, hunting simulation, point and click adventure segments, puzzle solving, and resource management. This all sounds like a lot, but it's honestly pretty easy to get the hang of.

Of course, the main draw of the game is the story. It's a strange, slow paced, high stakes horror that takes inspiration from the works of Lovecraft, John Carpenter (mainly The Thing), and David Lynch. And it ends with one of the most hopeful, yet sobering endings I have ever seen. Overall, I highly recommend this, but it may take some time to adjust to the game's slow pace.

Happy New Year 2000.

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.

One of my favorite games of all time, a hugely influential game for the medium going forward. I love it a lot, even if there's certainly a few issues, they're brief issues though. The final two levels and the ending are clearly made during a rushed time period. They blow by pretty fast but they're still pretty annoying. Take the very final level for example. One of the most notorious and annoying parts of any immersive sim just ever.

Regardless, a great game. Sucks how (literally) watered down the Shock games got past this one.

I was genuinely, really excited to play this game, especially after beating SH2, but god fuck is the first half of this game just unbearable. It feels like that they overcorrected in making the gameplay less easy by just making every single encounter annoying. For one, they're all damage sponges, which isn't bad at all, but worse considering that they put in atleast 3 to 4 at a time in one room, and most of the time they are just faster than you. The first half of this game aswell is also just really really linear, with next to no puzzle solving at all, unless you wanna count different shades of finding keys to open doors so you can find more keys to open more doors puzzle solving. I don't hate the fact that the gameplay is more focused on survival horror, but almost all your weapons suck and you're just forced to not engage with this games combat and run around everything, which isn't a problem that's fine, every survival horror is like that, but it's the fact that there is always so many enemies in every single room, and they're all usually very claustrophobic hallways, and the enemies are faster than you and will stunlock you.
What sucks the most, is the fact the last half of the game is basically near perfect. Albeit, it just reuses the hospital from SH2, and remade the theme park from SH1, but that's not bad at all really, especially with the fact the remade theme park is fantastic. The combat/gameplay just becomes better, there's a lot more puzzle solving which, albeit, isn't as fun as it was in 2 or 1 but is still really enjoyable.
The otherworld in this game looks fantastic and I was always glad to see more of it in this game since there was a lack of it in SH2. This game has genuinely frightening moments and scared me a couple times.
The story is also really good, continuing off the ending of SH1, with some really great character writing, Heather I honestly think is the best SH protagonist.

If the entire game was basically just like the last half of it but extended, this would be my favorite, but god is the first half just unbearable.

While I've always enjoyed the Mr. Driller series, they were never the kind of games that I would play for hours at a time. That all changed when I played Drill Land. Originally a Japan only Gamecube game released in 2002, Bandai Namco decided to localize and remaster this game in 2020 as part of its Encore series.

For those unfamiliar with how Mr. Driller plays, your goal is to drill your way to the bottom of the stage while avoiding any falling blocks from above that will crush you if you’re not careful. Your oxygen meter will also deplete over time so you need to collect air capsules to replenish it. Where this game really shows its depth is in its puzzle mechanics. When 4 or more blocks of the same color connect, they’re cleared from the board. Skillful drilling can result in massive chain reactions which lead to big point bonuses. It’s a simple, yet addictive game that is easy to learn but hard to master.

Drill Land consists of five unique gameplay modes presented as theme park attractions:
First up is Drill Land World Tour, the standard Mr. Driller gameplay mode with 6 playable characters to choose from, each having their own unique abilities. Then there’s Star Driller, which adds power-ups to the mix, ranging from screen clearing bombs to black holes that suck up everything in its path, including you if you’re not careful. Drindy Adventure is an Indiana Jones inspired mode where you must collect a certain number of golden idols before reaching the goal, all while avoiding spike traps and rolling boulders. Horror Night House has you hunting for ghosts hiding in blocks. To capture them, you first need to collect holy water and then inject the blocks containing the ghosts; otherwise, all of the ghosts on screen turn into a swarm of bats and hurt you. Last, but not least, is The Hole of Druaga, my personal favorite. This mode basically turns Mr. Driller into a dungeon crawling RPG complete with side rooms to explore, an item inventory system, enemy encounters, and boss battles. This one mode is so feature rich, it could have easily been its own game.

In addition to the story mode, there’s also two multiplayer modes that are playable for up to four players. Race mode is exactly what it sounds like; it’s a split-screen game where players race to the goal. Battle mode has players competing on the same screen as they search for hidden medals. Your controller will vibrate when you’re close to one. These modes are fun, but they’re not really games that you’d want to play for more than 20 minutes. It’s a shame that none of the main Drill Land modes are playable in multiplayer. The Hole of Druaga is really the only mode that might be considered too complex to turn into a multiplayer game, but all the other modes could have easily been playable in split-screen. The barebones multiplayer is the only blemish on an otherwise stellar game.

Drill Land is widely considered to be the best game in the series, and I totally understand why. It takes the simple gameplay formula of the arcade original and over the course of its five game modes, explores every possible way to expand and build upon that groundwork. Add to that a stylish presentation with fully voiced animated cutscenes, a catchy and diverse soundtrack, and a charming art direction and this game is the complete package.