A Retrospective Look at Bloodborne

With FromSoftware’s Elden Ring on the horizon let us take a look back at a souls game
so different it doesn’t even have souls in the title, Bloodborne. Ah yes, Bloodborne for
when you think Dark souls was too casual. FromSoftware has been slowly revealing the
masochist in us since the days of old and by old I mean 2009 when Demon’s souls was
released.

FromSoftware can be considered one of the perfector to the action adventure RPG title
so much so that it has its own genre called ‘Souls like’. Little do people know they have
been doing this since way before the ps1 era with the game ‘Kingsfield’. All that
cumulative knowledge led them to the creation of Demon’s souls. The company then
took a departure from the souls series with a new ip and created Bloodborne.

5 years later since the game was released is the game still relevant? No denying that
the graphics has aged but gameplay wise it is far from outdated.

The Sprawling Metropolis of Yharnam.

Stare into the abyss and it would stare back at you. Setting foot in Yharnam for the first
time fills you not only with a sense of awe but also mystery. Exploring the intricate
cobblestone pathways and massive concrete structures would make you stop to wonder
how a place could be so beautiful yet terrifying at the same time.
The atmosphere is perfect for the setting, in the lonely paths dimly lit by torches and
lamps you struggle alone against hostile locals and rabid beasts. Dark and brooding,
the environment really sets the tone for the whole game. You can’t stop to feel helpless
as you feel the sins of Yharnam weigh heavily on your shoulder to bear. Littered all over
the world are little messages left behind by other players and if you look closely you
may find the phantom of other hunters whose fate is similar to yours.

Taking a step far back the city takes heavy inspiration from the Victorian era and gothic
architecture. The enemies are an interpretation straight out of H. P. lovecraft’s eldritch
horror novels. The enemies so misshapen but you also feel a little pity for what
happened to them right until they start stabbing you of course, then all pity is out the
window.

The levels are intricately hand crafted to bring out the most out of the environment,
narrow alleyways, tight corridors and a healthy sprinkle of enemies hiding behind
corners to jump scare you will keep you on your toes. You can be careful and move
through the level slowly or throw caution to the wind and blitz through the level, the
choice is yours. Although, be aware that there secrets waiting to be discovered just
keep your eyes peeled.

There is no wrong path, the areas in the game are connected in a way that you would
not lose your way if you keep moving forward. Some maps are more confusing than
others though and I have to be honest I got lost in the forest once and essentially
panicked most of the way through.

The most interesting part about the level design is that the world changes as you delve
deeper and deeper into Yharnam and its lore. The moonlit sky will change and the
enemies you fight will either be gone or new enemies appear. The level dynamic
evolves with you as you gain more insight, enemies will appear different and you start to
see things that were not present before, creepy things.

The Sound of Bloodborne

The soundtrack of Bloodborne is a harrowing cacophony of ripping flesh, ghastly

murmurs and beastly growls. It adds to the tension and the state of mind that you have
to be in to not hear any music whatsoever. Constantly on alert and listen to the rustling
of the enemies. You can tell where they are and decide whether you want to risk fighting
or just sneak past.
However, there is music in the game reserved for boss fights and when it does come on
is simply epic. Never has facing bosses 5 times your size make you feel like an absolute
badass that is until you get your butt kicked for the 11 th time. There is a boss in the
game that the music is so good that I just went in to have a listen and purposely die just
to be able to do it again.

Voice acting in the game is on point, you can hear the crazy when talking to the NPCs.
Par for the course your character has no vocal cords thus they don’t speak except for
the occasional grunts. You would expect the NPCs to sound a certain stereotypical way
judging by how they look but that’s not the case, at times you’d be surprised when
talking to the NPC he or she sounds that way.

The Big, The Bad and The Ugly

You enter a room, it’s empty. You move forward then the entry way you passed through
is now covered in thick white fog, it’s impassable. In your head alarm starts blaring.
Music starts to play and you see a red health bar with a name on top. Before you, you
see an amalgamation of corpses forming together to form a cohesive mass that
resembles a creature of some kind. You know that it’s time to hunt.

Souls games are known for

their eccentric boss names
and the sheer magnificence of
the boss design. Nothing
screams death more than a
giant six armed lazer shooting
god that rips her own arms off
just to smack you with it or a
lunatic scholar with a cage on
his head trapped in an
endless dream taunting you
like a bully in school. The
bosses are nothing short of bonkers but in a good way.

The boss design in Bloodborne really encapsulates the word lovecraftian horror.
FromSoftware really did it justice when they come up with the bosses. Nothing today
makes you feel the same way as when you first enter a boss room in Bloodborne. The
sheer scale, the choice of music and the way it is presented in a neat package.
Fortunately, the game isn’t entirely cruel. Usually there is a lamp where you can
respawn and rush straight to the boss avoiding most of the level enemies. Your pupils
dilate, your hands sweaty, you’re filled with adrenaline then you see “Prey Slaughtered”
and breathe a sigh of relief. Never has a feeling been so satisfying and sweeter than
finally defeating that boss. That euphoria is a fleeting feeling unsatisfied by many games
of today unfortunately.

No shields? No problem.

Different from the previous instalments as well as the one that came after it Bloodborne
opt out of the use of shields in favour firearms. This in turn changes the dynamic of
combat to be more aggressive. No shield means you will rely on dodging enemy
attacks.

The combat is the bread and butter of the game. It is very responsive, very fluid. Every
movement that you do you have to commit to it and it’s fair to say if you get hit the
game’s not to blame that’s how tight the controls are.

Where the game really shines is the hunter

weapons. Unlike Dark Souls with its vast quantity of
weapons, Bloodborne only has a select few that
has its own twist. You want a sword? Check. You
want a Hammer? Check. You want a sword that
turns into a hammer mid swing? Check. Don’t let
the volume of the weapons deceive you. Each
weapon is extremely unique and allows for a
completely different play style.

Bloodborne doesn’t have magic. Instead it uses hunter tools, a selection of tools at the
hunter’s disposal that will help in the hunt against dangerous beasts. Used correctly the
tools can give the upper hand in a battle.

It goes without saying that having great weapons means nothing if you have nobody to
smack it with. Don’t fret as in the world of Bloodborne there are a multitude of baddies
that at times will make your jaw drop. Of all the horror in the game the toughest enemies
are without doubt other hunters. Not only do they move fast and dodge your attacks but
they can essentially stun lock you to death if you’re not careful.
Down the rabbit hole of the lore

The storytelling is uniquely FromSoftware. No narrator to guide you. No exclamation

mark on NPCs to give out a quest. Not many developers have courage to let the players
be free. Although ever since the souls series became well known and popular many
games copy the non hand-holding style of gameplay.

As standard with FromSoftware, the story element in the souls game is not apparent.
NPCs are purposely vague and there is no traditional quest in the game. You can never
tell who is truly crazy or yet to turn crazy unless you talk to them. You can go and finish
the game without ever talking to anyone or knowing what’s really going on and that’s on
purpose.

As an outsider not familiar with the working mechanism of the city of Yharnam one is
expected to be in the dark but for those that are daring and hungry for knowledge a rich
history and lore will be opened up for them. The lore is very deep, little by little as you
explore the world and talk to different NPCs you start to learn more and more about
Yharnam. The more items you collect the more you read the description of said items
slowly the veil is lifted and you are absorbed as being part of the story. The story of
Bloodborne is not told but discovered.

This begs the question, why don’t more games pursue this style of storytelling? Is it
because it’s too risky to have the players discover the lore in fear that they might not
understand the game? We may never know for sure.

Verdict

The world feels like Van Helsing starring Hugh Jackman but you’re the main character.
If after all these years you have not touched Bloodborne then it’s high time you get into
it. The community is still very active with constant events bringing people back into the
game for PvP or just jolly cooperation. The souls community is very and helpful and
supportive of new players. After all these years the game still brings fond experience
and I hope that FromSoftware’s new ip brings a lot of the element of what makes
Bloodborne so fun and loved. May you find your worth in the waking world hunter.