Back To Bloodborne

Despite just passing the 10 year anniversary, and having no updates since the original launch, other than the dlc, it seems like the original version of Bloodborne might be all we get. So with some time between new releases, I decided to give it another go. 

Now, this interest was rekindled in a slightly embarrassing way, watching youtube playthroughs of Game Grumps. I watched Game Grumps far more often a few years ago, but then just dropped off at some point. Then when scrolling through youtube recently it came up on my feed, and before I knew it I was watching an almost 6 hour edited Bloodborne playthrough. 

Initially, I actually dipped back into Dark Souls 3, which had been the FromSoft game I had put the most time into before Elden Ring came out. This time around though, it didn’t quite click. I found myself missing the freedom of Elden Ring, and the combat felt more sluggish. 

Technically speaking, I think Dark Souls 3 is faster in terms of swing speed and has less dodge roll recovery frames, letting you roll more often. It might be more an issue of fluidity for me, I liked the flow of combat in Elden Ring more, or it could just be familiarity. I’ve spent a lot of time in Elden Ring, I’ve got a whole armoury of weapons I like, and I just didn’t click with Dark Souls 3, it felt like moving backwards. 

After about 5 ish hours in Dark Souls, I decided to jump ship for Bloodborne, and see if it fared any better. Bloodborne was my first FromSoft game, though I think I played it after Nioh, which was my introduction to the souls like genre, albeit a very different flavor. When I played Bloodborne previously I barely beat the first major boss, and never made it much further. 

This time around though, I’ve been making a lot of progress! I’ve just passed the midpoint of the game, and I’m still quite enjoying myself. Initially I wished that bloodborne had a magic system like Dark Souls, or that their guns felt more like guns instead of a way to parry. With a bit more experience under my belt, I feel like I can meet this game on its own terms. 

I never use a shield in Dark Souls or Elden Ring, so I never really parry, but learning to parry in Bloodborne can feel deliciously satisfying. The combat feels quick and responsive, and the rally system, being able to recover health by attacking after taking damage, nudges me into a different playstyle. It also helps that the weapons are awesome. 

The rule of cool can do a lot of heavy lifting in games, and Bloodborne feels very cool. Even as a newbie hunter, I got a Cane that I can transform into a bladed whip, that’s pretty damn rad. I always wished whips were more practical in Dark Souls or Elden Ring, so having one that feels great to use is a dream come true. 

There are a lot less weapons in Bloodborne, but the “trick” nature of the weapons makes them each feel distinct, and feels like it gives you tons of options in combat. My backup weapon, the Rifle Spear, is pretty unremarkable untransformed, and I rarely use it as just a spear. When I transform it into a rifle with a bayonet that I can swing around like a halberd though? I mean business. 

I know there are hunter tools that you can find that act similarly to magic, but I think I’ve really come around to believe that this game doesn’t need magic. In fact, it might be better for it. I like that FromSoft is able to offer different takes on its tried and true formula, and some of them work better for different players.

I also like this setting a lot more than Dark Souls, though I do find the visuals a bit drab. Being a gothic horror Victorian era setting is really cool, but does start to wear on you. The cities are all shades of grey, and all the back alleys and side streets start to blend together. 

However, the disease turning people into bloodthirsty beasts, the eldritch horrors lurking in the background, it’s all immediately gripping. Like Elden Ring, I find the inscrutability of the story intriguing, and find myself wondering how the world got this way, what happened here, and what exactly is going on? 

Once I get further into the game, or even make my way to the ending I could easily see myself falling down a lore rabbit hole. Dark Souls 3 never sparked that same curiosity in me, and felt a bit closer to generic fantasy, though I’m certain that’s a gross oversimplification. 

One thing I’ve found about these games though, at least for me, is they tend to be about momentum. If I find myself stuck in one place too long, or end up in a losing streak I can’t escape, I’m likely to give up. In Elden Ring, I could go explore somewhere else, which largely alleviated that issue. 

Thankfully, Bloodborne seems to have a good number of optional areas that I can explore, which feels like I’m both rewarded for exploring, and empowered as a player. The second area’s boss was giving me a hard time, but I found somewhere new to explore, and was able to come back stronger and emerge triumphant. 

There are some quality of life changes I would love though, having to backtrack from a lantern to a boss is annoying, and something I’m glad they ditched in Elden Ring. I might have to fight a boss multiple times, having extra time added between attempts only serves to try my patience.

Having to warp back to a hub to level up, and to travel between other areas of the world is similarly annoying, though I believe this could also be a technical limitation, so I’ll let it slide. The Hunter’s Dream, the main hub, also has a bit of mystique to it, so I don’t hate returning to it often. 

I’ve been pleasantly surprised to feel this game click in a way that it previously hadn’t. Dark Souls 3, at least to me, feels like a step back from Elden Ring. Bloodborne feels like an interesting twist on the formula, and feels like a game that I had to come to meet where it was at, and I’m finding plenty of rewards for doing so. 

I’m not sure I’ll be able to finish it before Monster Hunter Wilds comes out and takes over my life, but I want to keep pressing forward as long as I can. It’s been fun to come back to this game, and just might turn me into a fun clamouring for a remaster alongside everyone else.