Bloodborne (PS4) Review

One Bloody Adventure.

 From acclaimed developer FromSoftware who brought you the Dark Souls and Armored Core games comes their much-anticipated PlayStation 4 exclusive in the same vain of previous Souls games, Bloodborne. Packing a Gothic premise that's filled with deadly creatures and secrets to uncover, Bloodborne looks like a promising adventure. But is it worth the trip?


STORY- Yharnam, a Victorian-era inspired city has been affected by a blood contaminated disease. You take the role of a hunter, who must find the source of the issue while at the same time survive against various deadly enemies. Without spoiling much of the story, Bloodborne is filled with lots of interesting backstory and lore.

While vague at times, the story slowly reveals itself when exploring Yharnam.

GAMEPLAY- The main highlight of the game is the gameplay. Bloodborne is a third-person action-adventure with RPG elements. At the start of the game, you create your hunter by selecting from features such as gender, skin, voice, build, and so on. After that, you free to explore what Yharnam has to offer in terms of secrets and deadly enemies to find. The high difficulty level of the Souls games is present as well, only more harder this time. The Hunter's Dream is your hub area where you can level up your character as well as purchasing items and equipment for them. Since combat is faced-paced compared to other FromSoft games, learning how and when to dodge enemies as well as keeping your guard up is essential for survival. You shouldn't blindly charge at enemies otherwise they might quickly overwhelm you, even the weaker ones. While essentially a Souls game in disguise, Bloodborne has some features that make it stand out.

The gameplay is top-notch and the controls are responsive 

 You'll have access to a neat arsenal of weapons throughout your journey. "Trick" Weapons have two forms, one you can wield alongside your firearm and one that requires both hands. For example, the Hunter's Axe has two forms. You can wiled the axe with one hand and the gun on the other, which can be a fast way of killing enemies. The axe's second form requires the use of two hands, giving you more damage to deal. Since you don't have a shield to protect you from enemy damage anymore, guns are introduced as weapons that help you stun them. Upon stunning enemies, quickly attacking them will perform a Visceral attack, which deals plenty of damage. There is also a Regain System which allows you during a small period of time to regain fragments of lost health by attacking enemies, encouraging aggressive play.

 The level design in Bloodborne is splendid. While Yharnam may feel like one huge maze, there are lots of secret items to find and shortcuts to open. That and there's a ton of deadly enemies hiding at every corner. Using the lamps that are scattered throughout the areas, you can wrap to any area you've explored, though it's tedious having to constantly go back to the Hunter's Dream to do so. Every time you slay and enemy, you gain Blood Echoes. These serve as your source of income. You can buy gear and items to better equip you hunter, so they're highly valuable. However, if you die while having blood echoes, you will lose them. To retrieve your lost echoes,  head back to the area you were last slain to find your blood spot or enemy that killed you (they will have glowing blue eyes). Additionally, Insight is also used to buy valuable items from the Hunter's Dream. Unlike blood echoes, they won't be lost upon death. However, a downside to having lots of insight (mainly over 20+) will hand you more challenging enemies with new move sets.

The map is filled with passage ways that's packed with secrets and enemies.

 Like previous Souls games, multiplayer is included. Using the "Beckoning Bell" and one insight, you can call fourth hunters from other worlds to help with some game's harder boss fights or large hordes of enemies. If you're having trouble finding players to help, try using the Old Hunters NPCs that will act as your sidekick when going against enemies. Another interesting feature is invading other Hunter's worlds. This means that you can go head-to-head against other hunters. When online, you can leave notes warning other hunter about the surroundings or you can try tricking them by giving them false tips.

 Finally, if you finished the main game and are looking for more action, try the randomly generated Chalice Dungeons. These dungeons found in tombstones near the Hunter's Dream are pretty tough and have new enemy types. Each dungeons has its level, the lower the level, the harder things get. There are also some new bosses to beat here including the final one which, is a pain to beat. You can go in co-op with an online partner to make things more fun. However, both of you need to be at the same level so things can be balanced. I've had a great time with the Chalice Dungeons since they add more to the game's value.

PRESENTATION- Bloodborne has some great production values. The environments and designs are detailed and compliment the Gothic setting well. Visual effects such as blood splashes, smoke, etc. gives the game an added layer of detail. Despite some load times and minor frame-rate hiccups, things are still functional. The twisted minds at FromSoftware brings us one of the most diverse and complex creature designs they made so far. Some range from menacing and intimidating to "What the f*ck is that?!" The soundtrack is another main highlight of the presentation. While providing many great tracks on your adventure, it shines most during boss fights, playing over-the-top tracks that nails the mood well.

Bloodborne's rich world is looking good on the PS4.

OVERALL- Bloodborne is one of FromSoftware's finest games and a PS4 must-play. The vague yet rich lore is interesting and will want you to learn more about Yharnam. The challenging gameplay and even more challenging bosses are rewarding and are the best parts of the game. I can't recommend Bloodborne enough. At first I was discouraged to play it due to its difficulty, but when I did, I was missing out on a lot of fun.

EXCELLENT