A year after Dark Souls 2, From Software have released their latest tactical hack and slash Bloodborne. Exclusive to the PS4, From Software has once again delivered a fantastic addition to any video game library. Bloodborne, with its aesthetic visuals, captivating story and challenging gameplay, is a must-have for the PS4.
Set in the ruined gothic city of Yharnam, you must venture through a city infested with once-human bestial creatures, the victims of an endemic illness, in search of a rumoured medical remedy called ‘pancea’ which can cure any disease known to man. No heroic journey ever came easy though. In Bloodborne you will face crazy difficult enemies and bosses who will stop at nothing to kill you.
A third-person action RPG, Bloodborne, uses a hack and slash mechanic… with a twist. Bloodborne uses death to teach players how to adapt to the surroundings and defeat enemies through trial and error–this forces players to not just run in recklessly but instead plan their method of attack before making any move. However, unlike the previous ‘Souls’ games, Bloodborne encourages players to be more aggressive during combat instead of reacting passively. This alone makes the game so much faster paced as you are more likely to develop an offensive play style rather than defensive.
Another interesting new mechanic are the firearms which give players a chance to fight at a distance. But keep in mind, firearms are more for stunning the enemy rather than killing them as they deal minimal damage. However, a well timed stun goes a long way. These mechanics definitely up the ante for all action RPG’s out there and makes me want to see more of it in other upcoming games.
However, what really got me hooked onto Bloodborne was the open world exploring. I cannot express how much I love open world environments and how beautifully designed it is. Bloodborne set in the whole eerie horror world got to me . I could literally feel chills down my spine with the gruesome monsters and demons populating the towns. However, travel time is reduced with the world being entirely interconnected giving players new shortcuts to cut through as the game progresses and they have to return to certain areas. This has given me the impression that a lot of thought and time was given into developing Bloodborne to give players not only a fascinating visual and gameplay experience, but also a convenient one cause I do know of games that stall (pointless travelling) just to make the game feel longer.
Another feature to take note is the crazy difficult, but oh so rewarding, boss battles. Pit your skills against uniquely designed, demonic looking masses of destruction just waiting to end you right there and then. These battles just force you to think out of the box and tackle them with every brain cell you have, of course once beaten the rewards are more than satisfying. I believe the Bloodborne doesn’t fail to make a boss fight feel like a boss fight in a sense that you actually feel fear and adrenaline going up against them rather than most games where you know it’s gonna be a piece of cake without outing any thought or whatsoever into it.
Overall Bloodborne gives players not only visual but also an auditory and gameplay experience like no other game out there. With only two minor flaws–the long loading times and seemingly unnecessary multiplayer.
With the array of weapons, intricately designed character models and environments and not forgetting the sweet symphony of hacking your enemies to dust… Bloodborne is definitely a game players would find worth pouring tons of their time into.