Bloodborne
Juan Soto gives his analysis of Bloodborne, and how it is different from the rest of the Souls series.
Bloodborne be bashin’
Do you like being able to walk through a bright fluffy game with easy combat and a very linear storyline that is extremely easy to understand? Boy oh boy do I have the game for you! I figured I would bring in our friend Juan to chat about a game that is none of those things…here’s Bloodborne. With Elden Ring’s recent release, I thought it would be fun to chat about a different FromSoftware game. Don’t worry, Elden Ring will be talked about at some point, just relax!
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Juan - Bloodborne (2015)
There are a handful of games I try to replay once every couple of years. Grim Fandango, Shin Megami Tensei III, and Metal Gear Solid 2 always end up in my gaming queue sooner or later. I played all of these games when I was young, between the ages of 9 and 15, so nostalgia plays a factor. One game in that list, though, is almost two decades newer— FromSoftware's 2015 Bloodborne.
Bloodborne allowed FromSoftware to escape from the predetermined high fantasy tropes of Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. As creative as those games are, you sort of know what to expect. Swords and shields, skeletons, other knightly enemies, and various forms of magic. FromSoftware replaced that traditional setting with a Lovecraftian, cosmic horror setting reminiscent of Victorian Europe. The world of Bloodborne is entirely creative, ranging from intricate city streets adorned with architecture and museum-worthy sculpting to maze-like forests and lecture halls. The premise of the story appears simple — a mysterious blood treatment is discovered which can heal any ailment but starts turning patients into monsters, so hunters are hired to kill these monsters at night, which is when you come in. Of course, this being a FromSoftware game, many mysterious twists take the player into surreal worlds that develop the story further but leave the player with a lot of questions.
The main innovation of Bloodborne, and the source of its addictive gameplay, is the combat and weapon system. Many Dark Souls players remember the first time they picked up a shield that blocks 100% of physical damage — the game becomes a careful, turtle-like walk with your shield up until you are attacked and then trade blows with an enemy. While there's nothing wrong with this (we all beat the game this way), it can't be denied that it slows down the pace of the game and can limit new players from experimenting with different playstyles. The vast amounts of weapons and upgrade materials can be overwhelming and lead a player to seek a guide or just never feel like their character is truly their own.
In Bloodborne, there's no real shield. You are forced to rely on your movements, rolls, and positioning. The game forces you to become good at rolling through attacks and being aggressive — attacking an enemy after getting hit restores your health. Nearly every enemy and boss are best approached with fast movement, well-timed parries with your gun, and quick attacks. This may seem like a simple difference, but the effect on the player is huge. It provides the player with autonomy in how they approach battles. New players are not encouraged to seek safe tactics like a shield or ranged weapons but to learn enemy patterns and weak points. In a way, Bloodborne teaches you how to be good at the game without you realizing it, which can be noticed by replaying a Souls game after Bloodborne. You will instinctively put away a shield and rely on rolling and avoiding damage — a much more engaging way to play. Bloodborne made me good at action games, something I had given up after years of focusing on turn-based RPGs, and opened up a whole new genre for me.
Bloodborne is also player-friendly in its simplicity and weapon variety. The number of weapons in Bloodborne compared to similar games is tiny, and there's only one item needed to upgrade them. This may seem limiting, but the benefit is that every weapon is unique and viable. From axes to cleavers, to swords, and even a cane that turns into a serrated whip; every weapon has its own style of play that stands out from the others. Every weapon has a regular form and a transformed form. At first, the transformed forms offer heavier but slower attacks, but they get more unique as the game goes on. For example, giving a weapon lightning damage or transforming it into a bow. Moreover, because each weapon is upgraded with the same item, it is easy to experiment and try out different ones until you find one that works for your playstyle. Stats-wise, most weapons level up with either the Strength or Skill (Dexterity in other games) stat, making it easy for you to choose what to focus on when building your character. And of course, there's a type of magic in the game as well, made for more experience players who know how to build their character just right.
What makes Bloodborne addictive for me is a combination of player-friendliness and creativity. FromSoftware found the right balance between the freedom an action RPG is expected without frustrating the player into making too many small decisions that may hurt them down the line. The combat system is designed to hone your skills in the core moves and rewards commitment and autonomy from the player. All of this on top of a unique setting with intriguing lore has made Bloodborne one of my favorite games of all time.
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