Bloodborne Review
Played on PlayStation 4 (base)
Developed by FromSoftware Inc.
Released 24th March 2015
Bloodborne is a phenomenal game. Somehow FromSoftware were able to capture the essence and template of Dark Souls and transcend it beyond the bar they set for themselves.
Story
The story is fantastic. It takes place in a Gothic-Victorian Era setting, as you, the player, hunt the night filled with beasts, nightmares, and mysteries ready to be discovered. There is no simple story synopsis that I can present as the game is crafted into complexity without fault. This complexity itself may initially be seen as negative, but that confusion and absurdity are what help make this game stand out, with its peculiar themes and intriguing stories. The world of the illness-ridden Yharnam is filled to the brim with details and rich lore that you'll have a hard time finding anywhere else. Every interaction I made in this game with item descriptions, characters, and random notes helped aid me in understanding this world. If you want a game that'll keep supplying you with endless amounts of narrative-driven clues, Bloodborne is for you.
Gameplay
The gameplay is extraordinary. Take everything you love about Souls-like and Soulsborne games and mash them into this brilliant smoothie of a game. It is challenging with a cause; never have I ever felt like the game was structured unfairly (except for the Brainsucker enemies - screw those guys). While always delivering fun, difficult, and challenging sequences and scenarios, the game is built around a very offensive system. The gameplay strips you of any potential shield or cause for blocking, instead, encouraging an intrusive, rapid and brutal play style. This is further cemented by the Rally mechanic. If you recently took damage, you're eligible to heal the lost health if you commit to an attack and deal some harm in return. However, this has a very slim window of time, meaning that if you are well aware of the risks, you can go in after receiving damage to try to heal it back at the cost of taking more damage and potentially dying.
There are defensive measures you can take but once again, they're used more for attacking than negating damage. No blocking is available, so rolling and evading are your only choices for manoeuvring, and parrying is an integral part of the game. Once you're able to master the technique of interrupting enemy attacks, you can Visceral your way to victory against most foes. This feels like perfection. In addition to this, all the weapons, enemies and more that you'll encounter are incredibly varied and I never had an ounce of boredom occur for me, even after beating the game twice within one week. The level design is great as well. While it may initially be interpreted as confusing, you'll soon find yourself to be wrong as you realise that these various turns, stairs, and doors provide an incentive for exploration. This as a result allows the player to experience more of the world around them. I can't believe how much I missed in my first playthrough. If I wasn't so keen the second time around, I would've missed out on NPCs Eileen the Crow and Valtr, or been unable to complete Alfred's questline. I most likely missed even more questlines and other NPCs too, all due to me not fully exploring the fathomless depths of this game. (Also, arachnophobe warning, this game has some BIG, unavoidable Spider enemies you'll have to deal with, so watch out for that.)
Bossfights
The bossfights are what you would expect from FromSoftware: brilliant. With the rapid-paced formula of the gameplay, these bosses further expand upon this full-attack mode, by delivering a constant onslaught of attacks themselves. Except for a couple of bosses, you'll rarely have the time to back up, rethink your plan, etc, as these foes are as desperate as you are in succeeding. Because of this, being able to defeat them delivers one hell of a conquering feeling as "PREY SLAUGHTERED" pops onto your screen. The design, both audible and visual, is incredible and no amount of fancy vocabulary could ever express it best. The gameplay was also top-notch, as these bosses weren't some lazy rip-offs of one another, but instead had their own individual difficulties. Micolash and Witch of Hemwick provided more psychological challenges, while Father Gascoigne and Gehrman challenged the player's overall skill, reflex and understanding of the game, a tricky feat for both new players and seasoned veterans.
Characters
The characters don't have much to be said about other than that they are just like the story: fantastic. Each character was able to add so much more depth to the whole world and its story while serving as intriguing hosts of side quests. Each one had an amazing background, whether it was Alfred's undying loyalty to his Master and unending hate for Vilebloods, or Eileen's sickening love for manhunting.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere is superb. There is no point in gushing over the haunting yet melodic hymn that FromSoftware notoriously adds to every game. The audio design is impactful, brutal, and deafening, yet also majestic in every beast’s roar. The artistic choices made also don't disappoint. From the enigmatic aura of the levels, ferocious creatures and boss designs, to even the creative and unique attempts at weaponry; are all astonishing. One last point to make is that despite being played on the base version of the PS4, the game is still loaded relatively fast, and allowed me to soak in the views of upcoming levels.
Story- 10/10
Gameplay- 10/10
Bossfights- 10/10
Characters- 10/10
Atmosphere- 10/10
G.O.A.T
One of the most perfect games I've ever played.
