Bloodborne, a Retrospective

𝐵𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑒, 𝑎 𝑅𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒

Where to even begin...

Let's start by clarifying something: prior to playing Bloodborne, I had zero contact with any FromSoftware game or any Soulslike game. This led me to somewhat fear this game, as all I had heard about this type of games was that: A) They were EXTREMELY hard and B) It's not a type of game made for everyone; however, I pushed through and started an experience that would change the way I looked towards this type of games.

Bloodborne, even to this day, is known as one of FromSoftware's most proud achievements, The gothic setting of Yharnam, the "Lovecraftian" way of presenting its story and it's challenging but surprisingly fun (and fast) combat system are only some of the biggest selling points. But let's slow down and go step by step and discuss everything we can about Bloodborne.

Note: The DLC "The Old Hunters" won't be covered in this retrospective. It will be included in a Part 2 releasing later in time.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦

The gameplay of Bloodborne can be described in three words: fluid, aggressive and rewarding. Going step by step, let's start by one of the first mechanics the player is faced with: the stats.

Stats are the basic system to leveling up in Bloodborne (aka player attributes), and they're split into 6 different areas:

• Vitality: represents the player's HP (hit points).;
• Endurance: represents the player's stamina and resistance;
• Strength: represents the player's heavy physical weapon ATK as well increasing visceral damage; 
• Skill: represents the player's more nuanced physical weapon ATK and increases your visceral damage;
• Bloodtinge: represents the player's power of weapons that deal Blood damage;
• Arcane: represents the player's power of Arcane ATK.

The next gameplay mechanic to discuss are lamps, which act as "checkpoints", meaning the player returns to the last lantern they lit upon death, and also allow the player to travel back to main hub of the game the "Hunter's Dream". When traveling to the Hunter's Dream, the player replenishes their health but also respawns all enemies in the game world, with the exception of bosses and mini-bosses.

As mentioned above, the combat in Bloodborne is fast. It's meant to be approached in an aggressive manner, with a smaller focus on being defensive. One of the mechanics that fully embraces this is the Rally mechanic, which allows the player to recover portions of lost health by striking an enemy within a small window of time after taking damage. This mechanic creates a decision in the player's head after being hit: either go ahead and try to damage the enemy to regain their lost health or to run away and try to heal itself using Blood Vials.

Weapons in Bloodborne are not in great amount however, they make up for it with the ability of most weapons being able to "transform" into an alternate state. They are called Trick Weapons. With most Trick Weapons, one state is usually a slower, larger weapon that deals heavier damage per hit, while the other state is smaller, faster, and deals its damage in hit streaks. Certain weapons are wielded in both hands after transforming, meaning the left hand secondary weapon cannot be used.

The player's primary auxiliary weapon takes the form of a firearm, typically a pistol. This firearm serves a dual purpose: it can be wielded conventionally and also employed to incapacitate adversaries. When an opponent is incapacitated, the player gains the opportunity to execute a Visceral strike. These strikes deliver a substantial amount of damage in a single blow and can also be executed after the player lands a charged attack from behind on an enemy.

Similarly to previous FromSoftware games, slaying enemies grants the player "Blood Echoes", which double as the player's experience points and currency. Should the player die, their Blood Echoes will be lost at the location of their death. If they can reach that point again, they can regain them. However, should the player die before retrieving their lost Blood Echoes, they will be lost forever. Sometimes, the player's Blood Echoes may be captured by an enemy, typically identified by glowing blue eyes; defeating this enemy will return the lost Blood Echoes. If an enemy does not hold the Blood Echoes, they will be on the ground near the location of the player's death.

Insight is a secondary form of currency; it can be spent to purchase items, and depending on the player's Insight level, the world will change in many different ways. When the player reaches a specific Insight level, some NPCs or enemies might no longer be present, the sky and moon may change color, the player may start hearing different sounds (such as a crying baby and mysterious whispering), or enemies' attack patterns may change. The world also changes as the player progresses through the main story. Insight can be gained by finding and defeating bosses, using items that grant Insight, helping another player via co-op defeat a boss, and successfully defeating another player in competitive multiplayer

In Bloodborne, the multiplayer mode operates with a unique twist compared to the Dark Souls series. By expending an Insight point to activate a non-consumable item, players can call upon fellow players to join their world, aiding in battles against enemies and bosses, and collectively exploring different game areas. This, however, exposes players to potential invasions; a rival player might infiltrate the victim's game world, aiming to eliminate them, unless the player locates and vanquishes a specific adversary known as a Chime Maiden before the hostile player arrives. To maintain balance, multiplayer summoning is limited by proximity, ensuring summoned players are within a certain distance to provide effective support. Moreover, players can only summon those of similar level to prevent an imbalance of difficulty. Yet, with the use of a password, many of these summoning restrictions can be circumvented when calling upon a friend.

Chalice Dungeons are specialized labyrinths that become accessible to players by utilizing special items and materials. Each dungeon can manifest in two forms: a fixed version with predetermined layouts, items, and adversaries, and a "root" version that employs procedural generation to produce unique dungeon configurations. These dungeons vary in complexity and challenge and are brought into existence by conducting a ritual with a Chalice and other requisite materials in the Hunter's Dream. While optional, Chalice Dungeons offer supplementary content for players. The gameplay mirrors that of the main storyline, encompassing various zones and foes that players must conquer to successfully navigate the Dungeon. Every Chalice Dungeon harbors multiple formidable bosses that players must vanquish to advance through the dungeon's tiers, some of which are encountered in the main game world, while others are exclusive to the Chalice Dungeons. Within these dungeons, the player's primary objective is to locate a door, then find the lever to open said door, which is situated elsewhere, and subsequently engage in combat with the boss beyond. Upon the boss's defeat, the player advances to the subsequent area, which presents an entirely new environment, and pursues the same objective. This cycle repeats at least three times before the entire Chalice Dungeon is successfully cleared. Much like the main storyline, Chalice Dungeons can be experienced solo or in cooperative play with other participants.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦

We wanna start this story analysis by clarifying two things: a) this analysis will spoil a lot of the game so if you haven't played it yet, we truly recommend doing so before jumping into this; and b) that we aren't experts in every piece of lore contained inside Bloodborne, this is simply a shorter and very simple explanation of the general strokes of the story. If you're looking for a very detailed explanation of every aspect of the game there's tons of videos on YouTube we can recommend:

• Bloodborne's Story - Explained
• Bloodborne Retrospective - It's a Great One
• Bloodborne is Genius, and Here's Why

The story of Bloodborne is one that, on paper, looks to be a crazy mix of genres and stories that wouldn't work. Mixing gothic horror elements with a cosmical "Lovecraftian" twist is one, if not the greatest, of Bloodborne's strengths. But let's begin from the very start.

Bloodborne takes place in Yharnam, a decrepit Gothic city known for its medical advances around the practice of blood ministration. Our player character (aka the Hunter) journeys to Yharnam seeking the remedy to an unspecified illness using the methods of blood ministration. However, upon arriving in the city, the Hunter is faced with a city plagued by a mysterious plague that turned most of its citizens into bloodthirsty beasts. At the start of the game, we see the Hunter being operated by an old man, who explains that he'll be performing a blood transfusion that will allow them to sign a "contract". After signing it (aka creating our character), we black out and awaken seeing a decrepit beast rising from the floor. A sudden fire makes the beast retreat and then, small creatures ("Messengers") start crawling over our player's body as we black out again. 

Upon waking up and exploring the nearby surroundings, we'll find ourselves in the "Hunter's Dream", either by dying to a beast just outside the operating room or by finding a lantern outside of the clinic we woke up in.  It's here inside the Hunter's Dream that the Hunter meets two very important characters: Gehrman, an elderly Hunter in a wheelchair who's going to be providing advice to the player throughout the game, and the Doll, a living doll who assists the player in leveling up throughout the game. Gehrman also explains to the Hunter the main "goal" of the game: hunt down the beasts and stop the source of the plague that's destroying the city.

Here is where the main chunk of the game happens: we travel across Yharnam (and it's nearby lands) facing and meeting different people and/or beasts, like Martyr Logarius, the Cleric Beast, Father Gascoigne and Vicar Amelia. After defeating Vicar Amelia and touching an artifact, the skull of a beast, it's "suggested" to the Hunter to visit Byrgenwerth, an university of sorts used in past times, where we "meet" Master Willem, who points us to an enormous lake under the moonlight that borders the building. Upon jumping into it, the Hunter is confronted with the sight of Rom, a Great One, and after defeating it, the Hunter is granted a higher degree of insight allowing them to see the "true horror" that lies within Yharnam. 

The Hunter then journeys into the previously hidden (in the most part) village of Yahar'gul, where Great Ones reside to be worshipped and researched by the school of Mensis and where the scholars sought to build a vessel for a Great One, known as The One Reborn. After defeating it, the player gains access to the spectral realm known as the Nightmare of Mensis, where they discover the insane head of the scholar, Micolash. After killing him, the player encounters Mergo and their guardian. After slaying Mergo's Wet Nurse and letting Mergo die, the game's final phase is initiated. When the Hunter returns to the Hunter's Dream, Gehrman offers to return them to the waking world in the morning. At this point, three different endings are possible, depending on the player's actions.

A) The Yharnam Sunrise Ending happens if the player chooses to accept Gehrman's offer. Gehrman uses his scythe to behead the Hunter, who awakens in Yharnam as the sun rises. In the Hunter's Dream, the Doll bids the Hunter farewell and prays that they live happily, having escaped the Nightmare.

B) The Honoring Wishes Ending happens if the player chooses to decline Gehrman's offer. To prevent the Hunter from being trapped in the dream, Gehrman battles them. After Gehrman is defeated, a Great One, known as the Moon Presence, arrives and embraces the Hunter, binding them to the Hunter's Dream. The Doll is then seen pushing the Hunter, now sitting in Gehrman's wheelchair, meaning that a new Hunt will begin and that the Hunter has taken Gehrman's place as the caretaker of the Hunter's Dream.

C) The Childhood's Beginning Ending happens if the player chooses to decline Gehrman's offer + the player finds and consumes three umbilical cords formed as a result of the Great Ones trying to reproduce with humans. After Gehrman is defeated and the Moon Presence appears, the Hunter resists and fights it. Upon defeating the Moon Presence, the Hunter is transformed into an infant Great One and is taken by the Doll.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒

Getting into Bloodborne wasn't easy. It actually took me a couple of attempts trying out the opening hour or so to fully get invested into the game, mainly because Bloodborne (or most FromSoftware's games) don't make it easy to get into the game. Why? Well, because the game really leans into the "learn by doing" method, or in other words, it simply places you inside this universe and it throws a lot at you from the moment you start. For example, in something that has become a staple of FromSoftware's titles is how, just 1 or 2 minutes after you start the game, you're faced with your first enemy encounter. In any other game, this would probably be the place where the game would give you a tutorial and explain to you how the combat works while also presenting you a very easy and simple enemy for you to deal where you could apply the information you had just learned. However, in Bloodborne's case, you're faced with an enemy which is meant to be extremely hard to first time players as, by this point, you have no weapon, no knowledge and you'll inevitably end up doing something reckless that's going to get you killed. That's the point of this encounter. Is it possible to kill that enemy? Yes, it is but it's not something simple and easy to do. This moment is created to get you killed so the game can introduce you to the main hub of Bloodborne, The Hunter's Dream, and finally start giving you the tools necessary to face these beasts such as your starting weapons.

The following area of Bloodborne is likely to become one of the most frustrating segments of the game simply because the player isn't yet "ready" to face this world. This area, known as Central Yharnam, is the area that "broke our spirits" multiple times and had us quit playing the game altogether. Only after several attempts of coming back to it, Bloodborne's combat finally clicked and the game really opened up after that.

The rest of our experience playing Bloodborne was challenging but fair because the player feels that every single time they die, it's because of a mistake THEY made and not because the game isn't playing fair. That's another terrific advantage in Bloodborne's favour: the game is fluid and it makes every action taken by the player have a consequence. If you mistime a dodge, you'll face a consequence, in this case, you'll get hit, but if you also time your shot from your firearm just as an enemy launches an attack, you'll also get a consequence, but in this case you'll have stunned your enemy allowing you to perform a Visceral Attack (aka Parry).

 

Overall, Bloodborne is the type of game that needs to live in the discussion of one of the greatest games of all time. It's a success in all aspects. The story, the gameplay, the themes, the ambiance it creates. It all comes together in such a special and fantastic way that truly make Bloodborne shine. FromSoftware has created a lot of projects but Bloodborne ends up standing out from the bunch. We will eventually cover other success stories from FromSoftware's catalog like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Elden Ring, and Demon's Souls, while also covering the DLC pack for Bloodborne: The Old Hunters, and eventually the upcoming Elden Ring DLC: The Shadow of the Erdtree. We can only hope everyone sticks around for them.