For those that aren't aware, I'm a proper wuss. I have an irrational fear of spiders and other creepy crawlies, and I'd much rather watch the works of Walt Disney than Tobe Hooper. The scariest film I've ever seen is probably Alien, and I'd say the scariest game I've ever played, until recently, was The Last of Us. Halloween for me is carving pumpkins and hoping trick-or-treaters don't arrive to steal my chocolate. I'm not into horror on any level, really.
However, back in March of this year, Sony added two highly acclaimed PS4 exclusives to the PlayStation Plus lineup. One was Ratchet & Clank - which I'd already played and loved, obviously - and the other was Bloodborne, a joint effort between From Software and Japan Studio. I'd heard a lot about this game, not least from Push Square's illustrious editor and Lovecraft lover, Sammy Barker. I distinctly remember the reveal of the game formerly known as Project Beast during E3 2014. Let's remind ourselves of that initial trailer.
It's hard to think of a game trailer to which I could have a stronger aversion. Good grief, it's horrible. Just the drop of blood at the start is unsettling enough, but abandoned, rusted baby buggies on a dimly lit, cobbled street? Chained up coffins lining the walls? Shambling, diseased people in dishevelled clothes? Dogs that look like they've been turned inside out? After watching it, I felt like I needed a shower, as if the muck and the blood had oozed from my laptop. "This game looks utterly miserable," I thought. "I'm never playing that."
And I didn't for years, despite glowing reviews and incredibly positive testimonials from all corners of the web. Fancy wanting to play a game so bleak, so disgusting, so repulsive as this. From the outside looking in, Bloodborne just seemed to be revelling in its own misery; here's a world with murky skies, corpses in the gutters, and disturbing creatures that are somehow both more fleshy and more hairy than I'm comfortable with.
After a long time spent mostly ignoring the game, its inclusion as part of PS Plus sparked a newfound interest. Having grown accustomed to the game's grim aesthetic and heard so, so many good things about it, I decided to pluck up my courage and dive in.
I'm very glad I did. It doesn't need to be reiterated, but Bloodborne really is an excellent game. It did take me a while to settle into it, with its heavy atmosphere, uniquely aggressive combat, and horrifying enemies, but once I acquired a taste for the hunt, I discovered a brilliant action RPG lurking beneath the grim exterior. Yharnam might be a depressing setting, but it's unbelievably well realised, with a layout that loops back on itself and some astonishing sights throughout the city. The monsters might be gross, but they're brilliantly designed -- even the repulsively fat crows are a stroke of genius.
I have died a lot, and I've yet to finish the game, but I'm over the hump now. Some of my past assumptions about Bloodborne were correct -- it is pretty horrible, for one. However, there's much more to it than its visual language; the action is brutal and fast, and the underlying storytelling is subtle, but has plenty of depth.
I suppose the point to take away from this is that, if you step outside your comfort zone once in a while, you may just discover something new to enjoy. It applies to anything, but with gamers usually sticking to what they know, I don't think it'd hurt for everyone to cast a wider net. Then again, I don't know whether I'll be playing too many more horror games, to be honest. I've had my fill of nastiness from Bloodborne, and that's enough for me for the time being. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm about to put on The Muppet Christmas Carol.
Did you try Bloodborne for the first time when it arrived on PS Plus this year? Do you have a game that became a favourite after you took a chance on it? Throw some pebbles in the comments below.
Comments 30
Well written, Stephen. It's reminded me that I added Bloodborne to my library before my PS Plus sub ran out. I haven't renewed yet, but I bought 12 months from Amazon from the Black Friday sale a few weeks ago and will be using the code to renew tomorrow. I must download the game and see what all the hype is about. Difficulty be damned.
The latter days of the PS3 era were fantastic for me as I got the Tomb Raider reboot, Bioshock Infinite, XCOM, and Borderlands 2 on PS+ and loved every one of them. There’s been a few good months on the PS4 but nothing to match that run.
EDIT: and Dragon’s Dogma too! That’s one I certainly wouldn’t have picked up otherwise.
I feel the same way, but after trying it during PS+ I fell in love with this game! (Although I did ring my bell for most bosses - yes yes, ‘cheating’ I know but I don’t like raging at video games which are supposed to de stress me). I love how the story was shown through items and locations and visuals instead of through NPCs or dialogue etc. Would have never thought I’d like a story like that but it was surpringly awesome!!
I really hope we get to explore more of this world on the PS5!
My Bloodborne journey to Platinum was very addictive and fun though it became too punishing in the Chalice Dungeons where your Health is halved, regardless it's a remarkable game.
Same way I would never have played Dishonored if it wasn't for Games with Gold on Xbox 360. That's why I feel sad most people out there still haven't experienced the beauty of the Dishonored series, especially 2.
Just finished a playthrough so I can get Lady Maria's gear so I can cosplay as her next time. Those bloody Shark-Giants though!!
My experiance with Bloodbourne was very different, I generally thought it was awful. Will never understand why people like it and hail as the PS4 best game.
@Thrillho totally true! I bought bloodborne on release, as I've always been a souls fan, but with few exceptions, ps+ on ps4 hasn't cast a shadow on the quality and calibre of games that were released on ps3- and it used to be cheaper, too!
@eltomo Me too, I'm just glad I save money not buying this game thanks to PS+
This just in: Bloodborne is good. In other news water is still wet and grass is green.
I'd actually bought the game not too long before it came to PS+ but wasn't really able to get into it the first few times I played it. This changed in the summer though, when I got completely addicted to it.
I used to be one of those "yeah, Bloodborne must be really good but it's just not for me" and man, how wrong I was. What a bloody good game it is!
I'm not sure I've ever been so determined to learn how a game works and progress in one before. The soundtrack, the combat, the setting.. all of it is just so perfect.
Hoping Sekiro gives me the same kind of feeling next year.
I bought it hearing it was excellent, struggled with it for ages before it finally clicked and i got to the end credits, still to keep playing and find secrets though!
I bought this excellent game because I’m familiar with from softwares work on the souls series I heard it was a lot faster paced than the souls series I’ve only had the game for a little over a year a definite must buy
Bloodborne was my first foray into the Souls(borne) series, and it took me FOREVER to get into it. I must have played nearly 20 hours before I even got past the first section in Yharnam with the villagers, because I just could not get the grips of the combat. I had no idea how to upgrade any of my stuff, buy any items, equip anything or generally anything that would make my time easier. After having a read up on a beginners guide to the game, and learning some of the basics, I found that something clicked and I was able to smash through the area, and then my first boss (after 2 tries), and the second (again 2 tries). Blood starved beast then tore me a new one repeatedly, and eventually after like 10 tries, I beat him too. I haven't finished the game by a long way, and I haven't been back in a while (think I am 6 bosses down at this point), but I can certainly see the satisfaction that people get from beating a boss that would destroy you over and over.
Same, and nows it's a top 5 of the gen for me now
I am just like Stephen when it comes to scary games. Everyone is praising bloodborne but I get chills from little spider in my room, how am I going to survive bloodborne? I still didn't find time to try it. I am occupied with gow and rdr2 atm but I am planning to give bloodborne a try next summer.
811 hours later and I still haven't had enough of this game! An absolute Masterpiece!!
Great article! I Played before it was ps plus but a good bit after launch. It was my first souls game (and is for me by far the best ive played from ds remastered and ds3) and even as a middle-aged casual dad gamer, it had me hooked! For anyone who has it on plus but is on the fence, give it a go. Put lots of points in stamina and strength and mash that R1 button till everything dies!!! If you keep dying endlessly and feel stuck at the start, I'll give you a clue, you can run past folk and they give up chasing you after a bit!!!
Ditto, Stephen. This article may as well have been written by me.
I had a very similar experience with Until Dawn. Never would have played it if it wasn’t free, and I ended up liking it a lot.
Does this game have savestate if so im there.
I'm the opposite. I love horror, and Bloodborne's Gothic/Lovecraftean horror was way more appealing to me than the fantasy elements of Dark Souls. Bloodborne was the first time a FromSoftware game really clicked with me. I'll never forget the overwhelming rush of adrenaline and joy I felt when I finally defeated Father Gascoigne.
I would never have played bloodborne if it was weren’t for pushsquare. When it was first released your walkthroughs were being published and I couldn’t stop watching! Turns out it was my favourite game since I started playing back in the mid 80’s
So a massive thank you to this website and community.
@Mad001 you can save to usb before any boss fight and then reload when you inevitably die (over and over again)
This was the first game i bought when i got my PS4. It really got me into the genre. I think i own everys "soulslike" on ps4 and pretty much love all of them. Ive been thinking about doing another playthrough. Need to finish DS remastered first though.
Bloodborne is excellent. It's also a bit of a slog sometimes, not in the sense that it's hard and you get your "bottom" handed to you a lot, but more the running loops to farm echoes. I do like a good grind but it puts me off playing this particular game again for some reason.
Although I guess the grinding isn't really necessary, if you're good enough you can get through the game with a very basic build.
None the less I thoroughly enjoyed my run, easily one of the top 3 PS4 exclusives of this gen.
Yeah hate to say but it was too much of a slog for me to get through , same with most of the souls games unfortunately. My single biggest gripe with them is can I pleaseeeee just spawn outside the boss room when I die instead of having to run back to it 1000000 times, it just becomes too tedious for me, change that one mechanique and I would probably love them
those who are having a hard time in bloodborne just remember that the game is still rpg, find some location where u can grind easily near a lamp, best place is the 2nd floor where the common enemies are ghostlike scholar that u can kill with 1 hit with an equipment that boost xp this enemies give a lot of xp in a short time.
I spent about 3 months trying to get into this game and it didn't click.
Then I watched a speedrunner (heyzeusherestoast) and it made me realise that you have to play fast and aggressive.
He beat Gascoigne with the starter level and weapons in under 5 minutes from starting the game.... It had taken me about 20 hours to get to the same point by carefully trying to take out everything in yarnham.
Once I switched style it finally clicked and I was addicted. A few weeks later the platinum and all dlc bosses were mine!
This was my first souls game and made me fall in love with from's work. Bloodborne sits right at the top of my favourite games list and the trophy I'm most proud of. True masterpiece.
Bloodborne is the reason I bought a PS4. A living nightmare with glorious gameplay.
Bloodborne is that game that I always visit from time to time, again and again ... I just LOVE the atmosphere.
Can't wait for Bloodborne 2
Thanks for the write up Stephen. Bloodborne is awesome, absolutely oozes atmosphere. I've yet to finish the main game or the DLC (those final bosses, grrrrrr), but have enjoyed my 100+ hours with the game.
@Mad001 The game saves your progress pretty regularly and you carry on exactly where you left off. If you have played any of the Dark Souls games you will know what to expect.
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