By Andrew Agney
FromSoftware’s games are primarily known for their difficulty and are usually set in a dark fantasy world, but every once in a while the company branches out and tries something new. Their most successful example of this is their attempt at LovecraftIan horror taking place in the Victorian Era, a game all about hunting beasts while trying to keep your sanity, called Bloodborne.
Taking place in the fictional town of Yharnam during an event called ‘The hunt’, the player takes control of a character only referred to as ‘The Hunter’ as they track down and kill beasts and otherworldly horrors plaguing the world, while trying to take care to not become one themselves.
Making use of a trick weapon, a weapon that can transform into two different forms, and a firearm, the hunter takes on all sorts of monsters of different shapes and sizes with a combat system that fans of other FromSoftware titles, such as Dark Souls, might find much more fast paced and action oriented than they are used to. With use of the party mechanic to interrupt enemies who are mid-attack, and the brand new Rally mechanic which allows players to recover health they have just lost by retaliating, FromSoftware heavily encourages players to play very aggressively and always try to be on the offensive.
With several different kinds of weapons and statistics to invest in, there are countless play styles, paired with a new game+ that adds new items and makes the game more difficult, to keep the replayability of the game high to keep players coming back for more. Though, if you are starting a new game, it may take a long time to get that one weapon you want.
The game is not for everyone however, the difficulty that FromSoftware is known for is very much prevalent in this game as well, and the visuals and themes of the game are not good for the faint of heart; as the title would suggest, there are buckets of blood throughout the game, Lovecraftian monsters and themes also pop up in the second half of the game and collectibles consist of stuff like eyeballs or parts of an umbilical cord.
If you think you have the stomach and resolve to brave this game though, it is one of my personal favorites and the FromSoftware ways of storytelling are always amazing, subtle ways to convey the information of the story and world lore to the player.
I give BloodBorne a 9.5/10 and would consider it a perfect game to play in October or just whenever you would like a dark, eerie adventure.
