5.0 out of 5 stars
A Lovecraftian Masterpiece
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 23, 2015
After a disappointing drought of good games for next generation consoles, PlayStation finally has its killer app. Most people are aware that Bloodborne is a spiritual sequel to FromSoftware's previous Souls games, effectively being the fourth title. However, the change in title reflects a change in style, which makes this new game feel fresh and exciting - something often lacking in today's gaming market, which often relies on a format recycling principle. I have no shame in admitting that I wasn't a huge fan of FromSoftware's previous title - Dark Souls II, giving it a three star review, as well as writing a Metro newspaper article on its numerous flaws. I felt that the departure of visionary director Hidetaka Miyazaki had a very adverse effect on the game, but knowing that he left to make this game, I'm now glad he did. Bloodborne is a stunning return to form and complex, dark, mysterious, challenging game to boot.
Gone is the medieval framing of previous games. Instead we have a gothic Victorian setting, which is every bit as gorgeous. The claustrophobic city of Yharnam - like every area that follows it - is stunningly realised. Hordes of insane torch and dagger wielding beastmen stalk the streets, hunting for prey believable ways, often teaming up to help one another to take you down. Buildings jostle for space in the cramped city, and survivors hide inside some of them - hanging lanterns filled with incense to repel the cursed creatures lurking outside. The tall spires of churches and cathedrals scrape the skyline in the distance, inviting you to find your way to them, so you can explore their dark recesses. The city is vast, but at the same time cloyingly cramped. There are abandoned carts, bonfires with burning bodies thrown on them, old boxes and slumped bodies every where you turn. In addition, the alleyways and streets around you are all stacked high with chained up coffins - which adds to the mystery of everything. Just what is going on in this messed up place? You'll constantly be asking this and other questions as you sink deeper into the beautifully horrific world Fromsoftware has created. Arguably in a series famed for its obtuse and obscure stories - Bloodborne is the most intriguing and ambitious of them all. It is grand, complex and at times utterly confusing. Like the best shows and films, this is a game where you will be exchanging theories on forums...it is simply that captivating and mysterious. Bloodborne delights in taking you by surprise. Just when you think you have everything sussed out, the game throws you a curveball and has you scratching your head. If you think you will be spending all your time in the dark city fighting werewolves, I can gleefully tell you that you are very, very wrong.
In terms of game mechanics, a lot has changed from the previous Souls games. The biggest point of contention was the removal of the shield. (There is actually one to be found, but unless you are using it to take some bullet hits, it's a waste of time). This was met with a lot of bad press, as many people - including me - played previous titles peeking from behind a raised shield. But this is NOT a Souls game. It's Bloodborne. The game is far more fast paced than its predecessors and designed to be played offensively, thus the need for a shield is negated. Your character is as fast as a ninja, able to roll, jump and dive out the way of danger with a simple tap of a button. When you ARE hit, you have a window of time in which to regain a lot of health, by damaging your opponent. The game actively rewards you for being proactive in battle, and honestly it made me feel like a wimp when I recalled all the time spent cowering behind my 100% damage reduction shield of previous games. The game does not leave your secondary hand empty however. Now instead of a shield you now have a range of offhand guns you can wield, which rather than being offensive weapons, are designed to be used defensively. Once you master them, you can stagger an enemy - bringing them to their knees - and deliver a devastating visceral attack. It is a masterful change to the formula that fits perfectly with the change of pace that Bloodborne has taken. In terms of melee weapons, there are now only 14. Again, this is not a bad thing, as each of these is a 'trick' weapon - which have the ability to shift into a secondary mode quickly, which changes its attack. For example a quick and brutal axe becomes a polearm that has a devastating arc attack. Some might prefer to have a larger range of weapons, but Bloodborne does quality over quantity. All the favourites are there - Greatsword, hammer, katana, daggers etc - but now instead of your inventory being cluttered with dozens of similar weapons, you have a handful that you can master quickly, with enough variety to still feel fresh. Plus the process of 'tricking' the weapons in and out of their various forms is just downright cool.
The game itself, whilst not as hard as say Dark Souls I, is still very challenging. Several of the stunningly created and terrifying bosses caused me to almost rage quit in anger. (Martyr Logarius, I'm looking at you). Plus often I had to call in online reinforcements via the resonant bell - which was all done very seamlessly and easily - in order to tackle some of the harder foes. However, when you call someone into your world, it spawns a specific enemy as well, which until defeated, can summon other players to kill you. Like every other aspect of this fantastic game - calling for support has been well thought out. You can't just rinse and repeat it, because you will make the game harder in other ways. Like other souls games, Bloodborne is all about risk and reward. It is challenging and a harsh master, but it is always fair. If you keep playing and learning from your mistakes, you will succeed. There is nothing more satisfying when a long time after killing a very cool trio of foes in a boss battle, you are able to dispatch five of them in less than twenty seconds later on in the game. Bloodborne will punish you, but it will also reward you.
One other thing to mention are the fantastic Chalice Dungeons. What appeared at first to be merely a tag on to extend the life of the game post completion, is actually not only fundamental to the story itself, but crucial as it rewards players who go all the way through it's increasingly hard levels with the best items in the game. (In fact the latter levels are far harder than anything found in the proper game) Rare versions of all the weapons can be found, as well as multiple versions of the rarest item in the game - the Blood Rock - and tonnes of other goodies. There are 'story' dungeons, and 'root' ones, the latter being procedurally generated (so effectively infinite), and can be adapted with sacrificial items to make them easier or harder. You can save up to six and even share them with friends and online. There are already forums on the internet where people share the codes to their dungeons that feature a rare item. Its yet another example of why this game is without a doubt the best game of this generation so far.
There are a few slight letdowns. The lengthy and bland loading screnes are annoying (a patch is being released to rectify this), as is having to warp back to the Hunters Dream every time you want to head to a location that is far away from you current one. It also suffers from slowdown on occasions - especially when there are a lot of enemies onscreen at once. Possibly the biggest flaw is that New Game + offers nothing new except increased difficulty. But apart from the last one, these are minor issues and none detract from what is an absolute masterpiece of a game. If you own a PlayStation 4, you owe it to yourself to get this game. If you don't own one and are thinking about it, this game is the reason to take the plunge.
It really is that good.
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