Bloodborne Game Reviews- Game of the Year Edition (PS4)

If you are a fan of From Software and have a good enough computer to play it, then Bloodborne is a must-have game. It’s not for the faint of heart, though.

Following the example of Demon’s Souls and both Dark Souls games, Bloodborne is a punishing but satisfying experience. Its world is structured in such a way that repeated visits are rewarding.

Story

Many reviewers have used words like ‘beautiful’ and ‘breathtaking’ to describe Bloodborne’s visuals. The monsters and environments are suitably creepy and suit the eerie premise behind them.

From Software’s bleak vision of a disease-ravaged hellscape is a darkly gothic delight, and the lore is rich and enigmatic. Players are invited to unpick the ambiguities until they send themselves positively mad, as is the way with these games, but that might be part of the point.

Though stylistically a solitary experience, Bloodborne adds intriguing community elements, such as the ability to spot (non-interactive) ghostly shades of other players in the environment and read their notes or warnings at hotspots on the ground. In a game that can sometimes feel insurmountable, these moments of insight and comradery offer a welcome break from the frustration.

Combat

Like its spiritual successors, Bloodborne features a demanding combat system that is both exhilarating and satisfying to master. Fights in this dark fantasy world are a blur of rapid evasion, attacks, and parries. Almost all weapons can ‘counter-attack’ an enemy to regain some of the damage taken, encouraging players to remain on offense and avoid being caught off guard.

The game also eliminates shields, eliminating the passive defence many players relied on in previous games. Instead, rangy characters must use evasive rolls and quick retreats to dodge enemies’ relentless onslaught.

While there are some minor problems, such as a frame rate that drops to 30FPS when entering new areas or dying, most gamers will find Bloodborne’s combat to be an experience that is both memorable and rewarding. It’s a worthy addition to the Souls series, and a testament to From Software’s mastery of the genre. This is one of the few games that truly asks its players to work for their satisfaction, and it rewards them with a heart-pounding experience that is both ruthless and fun.

Graphics

Even if you’re the kind of player who can dash and dodge his way through Dark Souls 2 on autopilot, Bloodborne will have you dying over and over again. Boss battles can be as confusing as they are ruthless, and the game’s unforgiving frame rate can push your frustration levels to new heights during those long loading screens after every death.

Bloodborne’s stunning graphics and cryptic lore, inspired by Lovecraft and Cthulhu, made it one of this console generation’s most popular games. But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t had its issues, especially in terms of performance.

From Software opted to cap the game at 30fps, which is disappointing, especially when you’re playing on PS5. Thankfully, this fan-made video shows what the game could look like at 60fps with a proper remaster. Check it out! It’s a must-see for those who love the series and want to see what it could have been. The Hunter’s Dream is worth the effort, if you’re willing to give it your all.

Audio

This dark, gothic reinvention of the series from FromSoftware is one of the finest games available on PS4. It’s not perfect, but it mixes pain and pleasure with remarkable skill.

Bloodborne draws heavily from Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, but its lore is deeper than those games were. In fact, it’s the first game to incorporate H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos, a universe where humankind has no meaning and cosmic beings do malevolent things simply because they can.

In this eerie and unforgiving world, inhuman groans and ominous drones soundtrack the action, and the player is frequently on their own as humanoids hate and fear them or are too afraid to speak openly with them. This isolation adds to the tension and makes the experience truly terrifying, but it’s also what sets Bloodborne apart from other FromSoftware titles. Unlike many games, which treat story as a crutch, this one uses the narrative to make use of ambiguity and suggest connections and relationships rather than simply telling you what is happening.