Over a decade since its release Bloodbrone has become something of a cult classic within FromSoftware’s ever growing repertoire of amazing games.
Made with passion by game director Hidetaka Miyazaki, Bloodborne perfectly blends bone-crushingly satisfying game-play with horrifying visuals that are sure to make even the most seasoned horror veterans squeamish.
What makes Bloodborne so unique and beloved isn’t its Lovecraftian story or unsettlingly visuals, it’s the games difficult but satisfying gameplay loop.
FromSoftware are known for making their games intentionally difficult to challenge the player more and more at every turn. Bloodborne is no different, but Bloodborne flips the studios well known block-and-counter style of game-play on its head by removing all forms of defence from the player.
Combat given new life
Image credit: FromSoftware
In Dark Souls the player can hide behind their shield and defend themselves from harsh punishing blows, whereas in Bloodborne the only defence the player is given is a gun. A gun that, mind you, isn’t used for traditional combat, instead the weapon is used for parrying any enemy that stands in your way.
This aggressive style of combat is in stark contrast to the defensive style of From’s previous Dark Soul’s games, and if you ask anyone who has played both games, most will say Bloodborne’s game- play is far more entertaining.
The player assumes the form of The Hunter in Bloodborne, a person who has come to the strange city of Yharnam for an experimental blood transfusion. After the surgery, The Hunter is thrown into a world of beasts and monsters, forced to confront the edges of humanity and other worldly terrors beyond comprehension
It’s up to the player to choose what The Hunter looks like, what skills they are proficient in and what weapons they can wield. You could go down the line of being a walking tank with high health and strength, wielding a transforming hammer and a shotgun. Or you could go the opposite way, using cursed magical items and a parasite that turns The Hunter into a fungal monster.
Weapons in Yharnam are just as the monstrous as the beasts that prowl the streets. Once entering the Hunter’s Dream, the hub world of Bloodborne, the player is given the choice of five weapons; The Saw Cleaver, The Hunter’s Axe, The Threaded Cain, The Shotgun and The Pistol.
It’s up to the player to choose one melee weapon and one gun to start wandering the streets with. The most interesting thing about the choice is that technically you aren’t given the choice of three melee weapons, you’re actually given the choice of 6 as each weapon has a unique “transformed” state.
Transforming weapons are a big part of how Bloodborne’s combat system works. Any attack you make with your chosen weapon can be combo’ed into a follow-up transformed attack. Switching between modes mid combat can allow for a different approach, sometimes offering for more range or a simple damage boost depending on what weapon you are using.
Due to the transforming style of the weapons, FromSoftware significantly lowered the amount that you can use. There’s only 26 melee when you include the DLC, however each weapon has its own niche that allows the player to find a play style that they like the best.
Having a great amount of build variety and weapons is cool sure, but those are not the only elements that make the combat of Bloodborne so engrossing. It’s Bloodborne’s incredible bosses that make the builds and weapons so fun to use.
Father Gascoigne: A Nightmarish Reflection
Image credit: FromSoftware
The bosses of Bloodborne are a big sticking point for many new players, as for almost a decade many would-be Hunter’s have suffered greatly at the hands of the first major boss of the game, Father Gascoigne. Gasgoine has been brought up countless times in the discussion of difficult first bosses for games in the “Soulsborne” genre.
Gascoigne faces off against The Hunter in a cemetery before they are able to transition into the darker parts of the city. Gascoigne was once a hunter just like the player, but the infection that plaques the city drove him mad and now just like the monsters that The Hunter has carved through to reach him, he has become just another blood thirsty beast.
The fight against Gascoigne is incredibly punishing for any player that is used to the Dark Soul’s style of combat as Gascoigne moves incredibly fast and uses weapons the player has been using against them. If you mistime an attack he can parry you with a shotgun blast, if you run out of stamina to attack he can quickly put you down.
FromSoft designed Gascoigne to be a roadblock that forces the player to get accustomed with the new systems and learn how to tackle booth Hunter type enemies, and more excitingly, beasts.
When Gascoigne reaches 30% percent of his maximum health he transforms into a towering werewolf-like creature. He abandons his weapons, instead rushing towards the player with unpredictable claw swipes and bites. The transformation is terrifying the first time it happens as just when you think you’ve learned how to fight Gascoigne, he gains an entirely new, and somehow more aggressive, move set.
Once besting Gascoigne the player is ready for the rest of the bosses. He’s a difficult fight but he was necessary a decade ago for Dark Souls players to get used to the new combat, and even a decade later he’s putting Elden Ring veterans to shame.
Of course Gascoigne isn’t the only boss in Bloodborne, but he stands out as being the biggest roadblock preventing new players from progressing. He’s punishing, but if the player is able to learn and adapt to both of his move sets, they can just about fight any other boss.
From’s never ending difficulty debate
Image credit: FromSoftware
FromSoftware’s refusal to make their games less difficult has led to a great amount of backlash from many media outlets and would-be fans. Bloodborne is often discussed as From’s most difficult game, often put next to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice as the studios two most difficult games.
Bloodborne is undoubtedly a hard game, after all it was designed to be so. The enemies attack ferociously, leaving the player very little room for error, even the bosses launch non-stop assaults that force the player to adapt or die.
This has put many people off of the game but if you’re able to conquer the difficulty curve, Bloodborne’s game play is endlessly rewarding and the satisfaction that comes from conquering a boss like Gascoigne or a DLC boss like Ludwig is unheard of.
Long live Bloodborne
Image credit: FromSoftware
Bloodborne’s legacy is undoubtable, starting as a fun side project for FromSoftware to work on between Dark Souls entries, the game has generated a rabid, cult-like fan base that are willing to do just about anything to get a remake or remaster.
Though From have yet to confirm a remake, rumours have circled for many years about Bluepoint Games, the studio behind the critically acclaimed Demons Souls remake, taking a stab at a remake of Bloodborne.
This is all just speculation, as it seems Sony don’t want any anything to do with Bloodborne, even though they own the rights to the franchise.
Bloodborne’s legacy can be seen in From’s more recent games as its clear the studio learned a couple of important lessons during development. The most important lesson coming in the form of combat as every game after Bloodborne has had significantly faster paced combat than their earlier games like Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2.
If you’re a longtime fan that hasn’t checked the game out yet, or someone new to From’s work, Bloodborne is waiting for you.
Featured image credit: FromSoftware
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