Coming straight off of Dark Souls 2, I dove right into Bloodborne. However, I don’t think that was a good idea. Naturally I instantly started making comparisons, and because Bloodborne was the new kid on the block, it took the majority of the blame. The controls seemed too fast, no shield meant that I couldn’t softball difficult characters, the lack of a simple sword to begin with, and on and on. It took a little time, but once I was past the first area I had built up my level enough and gained a better understanding of how Bloodborne wanted you to play it and I was really enjoying the game. The settings and visuals were great although seemed lacking compared to previous games in the series (yes, I consider Bloodborne to be part of the ‘Souls’ series).
I think Bloodborne finally gained my admiration after I beat my first invasion. Until much later in the game I was having trouble connecting with people online. I’m not sure whether it was a network issue, or I was just doing something wrong. However, I was never able to call anyone to help me with boss fights and I was rarely if ever invaded. Once I got later in the game and I was closer to level 60, I was finally able to invite someone to help me out with a boss fight that was bothering me. Also, around the same time I was invaded by someone that was a slightly higher level than me, but I was elated when I narrowly squeaked out the win. That is when I really got into Bloodborne and it had me hooked until I put it down for The Witcher 3 (not as good of a game…).
Another aspect of Bloodborne that I liked was that there was so much more to do in the game that was optional. In fact, in my opinion, one of the best areas of the game, Cainhurst Castle, is completely optional and I missed it on my first play through. I went back to it in new game plus and found it to be one of the best looking, best designed areas of the game. Also, because it was new game plus the boss of that area was an exceptional challenge that had me jumping up and down with joy when I finally beat him.
I used the online wiki less for Bloodborne than I did for the previous games, but I’m not sure if this is a good thing. Finding some of the best items in the game is nearly impossible as the process of finding or acquiring them is unintuitive. However, I did look up how to get the “true” ending and was happy I did that.
In the end, Bloodborne lacked the mystical allure of Demon’s Souls, the degree of perfection of Dark Souls, and the colorful, varied locations of Dark Souls 2, but it is still one of the best games I’ve played in a long time. This is mainly because it effectively incorporates some of the best aspects of the previous games to make it competent. The spot on controls, the nail-biting, unforgiving combat that captures your attention, and the moody dialogue was all there to enjoy. I recommend it to anyone that is interested in the “souls” series. Also, I would recommend it as a good horror/action game, probably better than any other besides the Resident Evil series.