I honestly don’t know why I started playing Bloodborne. It really doesn’t seem like my kind of game at all, in that it’s punishingly hard from the off, and does very little to prompt you if you get stuck. I’m not saying that I want my hand held the whole way through the game, but even the opening ten minutes of the game are rather weird, doing very little to set up the world or make your character’s intentions clear. Despite all of this, I kind of like the game, although I’m not entirely clear why.
The game’s difficulty curve is something that Aran commented on early in his review, pointing out that the game is more than willing to punish “those who don’t take the challenge seriously” enough. I discovered this pretty quickly, stumbling upon a small crowd of enemies who were more than happy to chase me up a flight of stairs and murder me before I was really aware of what was happening.
The design of Yharnam is just as brutal as the game’s combat, with Aran noting that each twist and turn can either “reward your curiosity or introduce you to a type of foe you’ve not fought yet”, a foe who will likely repay your curiosity with a killing blow; they’re nice like that. In fact Aran wisely points out that while exploration may be key in Bloodborne, “it is always accompanied with a feeling of anxiety” that something is going to leap out at you and rob you of precious blood echoes.
Beyond how the game plays, Aran also commented on the game’s sound. In particular he seemed to enjoy the game’s environmental sound, praising the variety of creepy noises the game throws at you and the uncertainty they bring as to “whether it is a building settling or if something is approaching”. It really is a great use of sound to enhance the atmosphere, an area that games frequently seem to overlook.
It’s probably worth giving the game’s multiplayer a quick mention, although this isn’t an area I’ve touched myself. However, it does seem smart to make it a more asynchronous system, and the ability to “work through an area up to a boss fight” with another player, or even “invade another hunter’s world, turning them into your unsuspecting prey” is a good fit for this style, and it makes sense that From Software have brought this over from the Souls series.
Like much of the gaming world, Aran was a big fan of Bloodborne, scoring the game at 9/10 and having this to say in conclusion:
Overall Bloodborne is a fantastic game and could be considered one of the best exclusives available on the PS4 so far. The gameplay will not be for everyone, with the difficulty and repetition a potential turn off, but if you are looking for a new challenge, Bloodborne is a fantastic choice. The twisted atmosphere of Yharnam, the great design of the monsters, and the fear it can instil within you is something that won’t be forgotten in a hurry. There’s a time when you realise a game will be revered and spoken of fondly years from now, and Bloodborne will be one of them.
With mine and Aran’s views on the game thoroughly covered, it’s time to ask you what you thought of the game. Did you enjoy the punishment the game dished out, or was it simply not a style that worked for you? Would you have preferred some more guidance from the game, or does it do enough as it is? Regardless of your opinion, if you’ve played Bloodborne then we’d love to hear from you. All you have to do is drop a comment below, remembering to include a rating for the game on the Buy It, Sale It, Plus It, Avoid It system. Then, in Monday’s verdict article, we’ll highlight a few of your comments as well as rounding up the community’s overall verdict on the game.
JustTaylorNow
Best new gen game right now, I never gave demons soul a second chance after frustration of how repetitive it was. Bloodborne was a very welcoming game, the combat was up there, one of the best.
It’s not a game for everyone that’s impatient & doesn’t like repetitive but honestly it is not repetitive as its made out of, it’s a learning game, the enemy never changes their move, patrol & attack, they kill you the same way they killed you over & over.
The whole game is a masterpiece but I will never play dark soul games though.
BUUUUUUY IT
Starman
Why will you never play Dark Souls? If you love this then aren’t the Souls games a natural progression?
JustTaylorNow
This has nothing similar to souls apart from the developers and echoes (in souls they known as souls lol)
The combat in bloodborne was very very good compared to souls games, in my personal opinion it is easier to get into bloodborne than souls, BB is more welcoming, it’s not too hard but just the right hard. Souls never did it it for me
Starman
Ah that’s a surprise. It always looked 99% Dark Souls to me. Dark Souls 2 is the most accessible of them so maybe try that.
Robothamster
Agree with JustTaylorNow’s comment, best game of current gen.
I am a big fan of Demons & Dark Souls games but am embarrassed to admit I never finished Demons or Dark Souls 1, both very difficult and I went onto other games with the intention to return after a break but never did. Bloodborne, although still hard in a modern game sense, is a lot more forgiving and, dare I say it, more casual than Souls. Just difficult enough to be a great challenge, but not so hard I ever felt like giving up.
Amazing game, definitely a BUY IT from me.
Lieutenant Fatman
I really enjoyed Bloodborne, excellent fun. The PS4’s best exclusive to date. It’s a hard game, so if you’re up for a challenge, buy it.
TSBonyman
Having made a quickly aborted attempt at Demon’s Souls when it was free on plus, i quite happily ignored this game right up until it launched. After viewing a few streams i soon realised that this was a game i did indeed want to try and boy am i glad i did. The foreboding atmosphere, wonderfully gothic environments, some of the best creature designs i’ve ever seen in a game, risky but rewarding gameplay and lack of hand-holding all combine to make Bloodborne one of the most gripping games i’ve played in a while.
I’m well over a hundred hours in with no end in sight yet, i haven’t died half as often as i expected to – and some of the more painfull deaths have been down to my own greed or carelessness. Bloody awesome – Buy It!
psychobudgie
It’s Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwesome. Buy it.
MadYetHatless
This is the first FromSoft game I’ve ever played as I skipped the entire Souls series, so I went into this game with pretty much zero expectations. It was way more engaging that I thought it would be. It was irritating me at first with all the repeated dying(of which there was a lot), but after a certain point I learnt the moves and like a switch being flipped I suddenly found it incredibly fun. It is however a game where grinding is almost essential at times, which could become a bit tedious.
It annoys me with gameplay videos and reviews I’ve seen where they don’t mention the chalice dungeons, as they are one of the best parts of the game, with a ton of new enemies and bosses that you’ll never meet if you just play through the story.
Overall, how good is it? It’s the first PS4 game I’ve ever got the Platinum for. I would definately say Buy It.
Zambayoshi
Bloodborne is an experience that rewards cautiousness, patience and exploration. Having good twitch skills *might* just save you in a tight spot, but generally you need to learn the world of Yharnam and its denizens, become familiar with geography and behaviour, and finally perform a carefully orchestrated dance of murder, slicing through the game like the stone-cold killer you are.
Bloodborne would have been a breathtaking game as a single-player experience – the art direction, level design, combat and orchestral score – each phenomenal in their own right. What elevates Bloodborne to the pinnacle of gaming, in my view, is the subtle multiplayer infusion, both co-op, which lets you carve your way forward with more confidence, and PVP, which can fill you with dread and provide an awesome battle of skills at the same time.
Miyazaki purposefully designed Bloodborne to be light on direct story-telling but dripping with lore. The changes to the world of Yharnam and its inhabitants as you progress through the game, the descriptions of items, weapons and clothing, not to mention the lore notes left throughout the world, provide a rich palette from which the player moulds his or her own vision of the events that unfold.
Anyone with an appreciation for third-person action games would do well to pick up Bloodborne immediately, provided they bring the respect and patience that the title most definitely deserves. This is a game that will punish the reckless and the unwary, but reward those who take a more calculated approach.
BUY IT