Gameplay
Bloodborne features action role-playing elements similar to those found in director Miyazaki's other games Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. Players can return to a safe zone, known as the Hunters Dream, from lanterns spread throughout the world. Doing so replenishes health, but repopulates monsters in the game world. Combat is fast paced and requires an offensive approach in order for players to combat dense hordes of enemies. The player character is agile and is able to perform sweeping dashes around enemies while locked on. The new risk versus reward style of gameplay is emphasized through Bloodborne 's health regain system, which allows the player to, within a small window of time, recover portions of lost health by striking back at the player's attacker.Most melee weapons can transform into two alternate states; each state encourages a different approach to combat. The Saw Cleaver, for example, in its initial state can be used to quickly dispatch enemies in cramped areas, but when transformed into its secondary state it becomes an extended blade more suited for crowd control. The player can also wield a firearm in their left hand that can be used to stun enemies, which can then be followed up with a critical attack from the player's melee weapon.
Similar to Dark Souls, enemies drop experience points in the form of Blood Echoes. Should the player die, their Blood Echoes will be lost at the location of their death. If they are able to reach that point again they can regain them. However, should the player die a second time on their way to retrieve their lost Blood Echoes, they will be forever lost. Also, Blood Echoes may be captured by an opponent, typically identified by glowing purple eyes. Defeating this opponent will return lost Blood Echoes. Enemies also drop Blood Vials, used as healing potions, and Quicksilver Bullets, generic ammunition for ranged weaponry. Players can also sacrifice health to create Blood Bullets for their ranged weaponry.
Multiplayer is present as well. By expending a consumable item, players can summon other players, to help with boss battles or large groups of enemies. This also leaves the player vulnerable to invasions, in which another player may invade the victim's game world and attempt to kill them, unless the player can find and defeat a special NPC before an enemy player invades. Multiplayer summons are also limited by proximity, and players can only be summoned within a specific distance of each other, typically near boss battle entrances, to prevent players being summoned too far away to be of any assistance.
A new feature that differs from the previous Souls games are Chalice Dungeons. Chalice Dungeons are randomly generated dungeons that vary in depth and difficulty that can be reformed by performing a ritual with a Chalice in the Hunters Dream. Chalice Dungeons contain optional bosses that provide additional items and equipment.
Plot
The game takes place in a decrepit Gothic city called Yharnam, which is known for its medical advances using blood as their primary tool. Over the years, many travelers journey to the city seeking the remedy to cure their afflictions; the player journeys to Yharnam seeking a powerful blood known as Paleblood for reasons unknown. Upon arriving in the city, however, it is discovered that the city is plagued with an endemic illness that has transformed most of its citizens into bestial creatures. The player must navigate the streets of Yharnam and overcome its violently deranged inhabitants and horrifying monsters in order to survive.
Shortly after their arrival in Yharnam, the player encounters a spectral realm called the Hunter's Dream, which acts as both a sanctuary and workshop. The player encounters two entities: Gehrman, an elderly, wheelchair-bound man who provides advice to Hunters like the player, and the Doll, a living life-size doll that assists the player in leveling up. Gehrman informs the player that in order to obtain the blood they seek, they must hunt down the various monsters plaguing Yharnam. As the player delves deeper into the city, they begin to learn its dark secrets, as well as the origin of the plague that's destroying it. Long ago, the residents of Yharnam began worshiping ancient, eldritch beings called Great Ones. The Great Ones provided the miracle remedies Yharnam was famous for, which are also the source of the plague. The plague was spread in Yharnam by the Great Ones in order to foster the growth of an infant Great One.
Eventually, the player succeeds in obtaining the remedy. Gehrman offers to free the player from the Nightmare and return them to the Waking World. At this point, three different endings are possible depending on the player's actions.
Choosing to accept Gehrman's offer unlocks the Yharnam Sunrise ending. Gehrman uses his scythe to behead the player, who then awakens in the real Yharnam as the sun rises. In the Hunter's Dream, the Doll bids the player farewell.
Choosing to refuse Gehrman's offer unlocks one of two endings; the second ending, Honoring Wishes, is the default ending for this case. Angered, Gehrman initiates a battle with the player. After Gehrman is defeated, a mysterious being called the Moon Presence arrives and embraces the player, binding him to the dream. Some time later, the Doll is seen pushing the player, now sitting in Gehrman's wheelchair, back to the mansion in the Hunter's Dream. The Doll remarks that a new Hunt will begin, signifying that the player has taken Gehrman's place in guiding other Hunters.
The player can find and consume three pieces of an Umbilical Cord, which belonged to an infant Great One born from a human. If the player does this, and refuses Gehrman's offer, the Childhood's Beginning ending is unlocked. After Gehrman is defeated, the Moon Presence arrives to devour the player, but the player resists. The Moon Presence then initiates a battle against the player. Upon defeating the Moon Presence, the player is transformed into an infant Great One. There is no further content to explain what happens to the player in their transformed state, but the description of the trophy the player receives for reaching this ending states that the player will "lift humanity into its next childhood".
Development
The game takes place in a decrepit Gothic city called Yharnam, which is known for its medical advances using blood as their primary tool. Over the years, many travelers journey to the city seeking the remedy to cure their afflictions; the player journeys to Yharnam seeking a powerful blood known as Paleblood for reasons unknown. Upon arriving in the city, however, it is discovered that the city is plagued with an endemic illness that has transformed most of its citizens into bestial creatures. The player must navigate the streets of Yharnam and overcome its violently deranged inhabitants and horrifying monsters in order to survive.
Shortly after their arrival in Yharnam, the player encounters a spectral realm called the Hunter's Dream, which acts as both a sanctuary and workshop. The player encounters two entities: Gehrman, an elderly, wheelchair-bound man who provides advice to Hunters like the player, and the Doll, a living life-size doll that assists the player in leveling up. Gehrman informs the player that in order to obtain the blood they seek, they must hunt down the various monsters plaguing Yharnam. As the player delves deeper into the city, they begin to learn its dark secrets, as well as the origin of the plague that's destroying it. Long ago, the residents of Yharnam began worshiping ancient, eldritch beings called Great Ones. The Great Ones provided the miracle remedies Yharnam was famous for, which are also the source of the plague. The plague was spread in Yharnam by the Great Ones in order to foster the growth of an infant Great One.
Eventually, the player succeeds in obtaining the remedy. Gehrman offers to free the player from the Nightmare and return them to the Waking World. At this point, three different endings are possible depending on the player's actions.
Choosing to accept Gehrman's offer unlocks the Yharnam Sunrise ending. Gehrman uses his scythe to behead the player, who then awakens in the real Yharnam as the sun rises. In the Hunter's Dream, the Doll bids the player farewell.
Choosing to refuse Gehrman's offer unlocks one of two endings; the second ending, Honoring Wishes, is the default ending for this case. Angered, Gehrman initiates a battle with the player. After Gehrman is defeated, a mysterious being called the Moon Presence arrives and embraces the player, binding him to the dream. Some time later, the Doll is seen pushing the player, now sitting in Gehrman's wheelchair, back to the mansion in the Hunter's Dream. The Doll remarks that a new Hunt will begin, signifying that the player has taken Gehrman's place in guiding other Hunters.
The player can find and consume three pieces of an Umbilical Cord, which belonged to an infant Great One born from a human. If the player does this, and refuses Gehrman's offer, the Childhood's Beginning ending is unlocked. After Gehrman is defeated, the Moon Presence arrives to devour the player, but the player resists. The Moon Presence then initiates a battle against the player. Upon defeating the Moon Presence, the player is transformed into an infant Great One. There is no further content to explain what happens to the player in their transformed state, but the description of the trophy the player receives for reaching this ending states that the player will "lift humanity into its next childhood".
Development
Development of Bloodborne began as development was being completed on the Prepare to Die edition of Dark Souls, released in August 2012. Sony approached From Software concerning cooperative development on a title, and director Hidetaka Miyazaki asked about the possibility of developing a game for eighth-generation consoles. The concept of Bloodborne developed from there. There were no connections to From Software's previous titles, even though Miyazaki conceded that it "carries the DNA of Demon's Souls and its very specific level design."[6] Development ran parallel to that of Dark Souls II.[7]The game's Victorian Gothic setting was partly inspired by the novel Dracula,[8] and the architecture of locations in Romania and the Czech Republic.[9] Miyazaki enjoyed Lovecraft and Dracula novels and applied those same themes and the setting into the game. [10] Miyazaki had wanted to create a game set in such an era as those novels, but he wanted everything to be as detailed as possible, and felt that such a game was only possible on eighth generation hardware. This need for high-end hardware, and the fact that the PlayStation 4 was presented to the company first, was the reason the game was a PS4 exclusive, rather than a cross-generation release.[11] The developers' target framerate for the title was 30 frames per second, due to their design choices made for the title.[8]
Story details were more plentiful than in the Souls games, though the team created a larger mystery at the heart of the story to compensate for this.[12] The team did not want to raise the difficulty level higher than their previous games as they felt it would make the game "pretty much unplayable for anyone." To balance this out, the team created a more aggressive combat system focusing on both action and strategy. They also wanted to alter the penalties for death used in the Souls games as they did not want the game to be classified as being for hardcore gamers.[8] One of the more difficult decisions the team faced was the introduction of guns as weapons. Because it would fit well into the game's setting, and that it would consequently be less accurate than modern models, the gun was eventually included. Armour was also not included as it was felt that it would clash with the game's setting.[12]
Screenshots of the game were leaked on the internet weeks before the official reveal, under the title of Project Beast.[13] Many believed at the time that the leak could be connected to Demon's Souls.[14] However, Miyazaki later stated that Bloodborne was never considered to be Demon's Souls II, due to Sony Computer Entertainment wanting a new IP for the PlayStation 4.[15]
Marketing and release
Bloodborne was announced at Sony's Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014 media briefing on June 9, 2014, where a trailer was shown. In January 2015, Bloodborne became Game Informer 's readers' most anticipated game of 2015.[16][17]A limited collector's edition was launched with the game. It includes a steelbook case, a hard cover art book, and a digital copy of the game's soundtrack.[18] The European exclusive Nightmare Edition included physical items such as a quill and ink set, as well as all the items in the collector's edition. An Asian edition includes a Kirkhammer letter opener. A PlayStation 4 bundle is also available in Asian regions.[19]
A song to promote Bloodborne was recorded by the Hit House featuring Ruby Friedman for a trailer and TV spot of the game,[20] titled "Hunt You Down", written by Scott Miller and William Hunt, and recorded by Wyn Davis[21] in Los Angeles and at Word of Mouth Recording Studios in New Orleans.[22][23][24][25]
Sony Denmark teamed up with Danish organization Givblood in order to encourage blood donations through a program where donators who donated on March 23, 2015, would receive Bloodborne as a gift.[26]
Reception
Critical response
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Daniel Tack from Game Informer gave the game a 9.75/10, praising the game's unsettling atmosphere and the aesthetic visuals, which he stated "had brought horror to life". He also praised its challenging gameplay, which he compared to the Souls series, as well as its intimately-realized story, high replay value, deliberate, rewarding and fast-paced combat, sparse storytelling and satisfying weapon customization. He was also impressed by the well-crafted boss battles, unique enemy-design, and soundtrack. He also praised the multiplayer for extending the longevity of the game and the game for allowing players to learn and adapt throughout a playthrough. He summarized the review by saying that " While this new IP doesn’t stray far from the established Souls franchise, it is a magical, wondrous work that admirably instills both terror and triumph in those brave enough to delve into it."[30]
Kevin VanOrd from GameSpot gave the game a 9/10, praising its religion-themed story, energetic boss battles, precise combat for making encounters with enemies fun, as well as its unique artistry and varied environments. He also praised the sound-design of the enemies, the difficulty, which he compared to Dark Souls II, and the melee-based weapons featured in the game for allowing transformation during battle. Regarding the survival horror portion of the game, he stated that it has successfully made players to feel disturbed. The interconnected design of the game world is also praised for making discovery rewarding.[32]
Writing for GamesRadar, Ben Griffin gave the game a 4.5/5, praising the game's detailed environments, Gothic-styled visuals, rich combat, fresh challenges, the randomized chalice dungeons for extending the game's length and the rewarding character upgrade system. He also praised the game for delivering a sense of progression and offering players motivation to finish the game, as well as the narrative for "intertwining with geography of Yarnham". However, he criticized the game's non-divergent class system, as well as the specialization, as he stated that "lack of magic, miracles, pyromancy, archery, heavy, medium, and light options discourages experimentation." He also criticized the game for always forcing players to upgrade and stock weapons only in certain sections of the game.[33]
Chris Carter from Destructoid gave the game a 9/10. While calling the game "the most stable Souls game to date.", he praised the game's emphasis on melee combat and raw skill, as well as the game's interesting NPCs, sidequests and interactions. He criticized the game's less-inspiring setting and environment design, limited competitive multiplayer, low replay value, as well as the occasional blocked area in the game, which he stated "feel less sprawling and less replayable" than previous From's games. He summarized the game by saying that "Bloodborne is an interesting mix of everything From Software has learned throughout its storied developmental career. From Software is still one of the only developers left that makes you work for your satisfaction, and Bloodborne is damn satisfying."[29]
Nick Tan from Game Revolution gave the game an 8/10, criticizing the restrictive builds and the unreliable firearms. He also noted that the game suffered from lock-on and camera issues. He summarized the review by saying that "Though not as refined and freeform as some of its predecessors, it continues in the longstanding Souls tradition of lending credence to challenging games and making the seemingly Sisphyean task of conquering ruthless, malformed monstrosities possible and downright commendable."[31]
After Bloodborne had received heavy criticism at launch for severe loading times, From Software announced that it was working on a patch to improve the issue.[35] A patch addressing various issues was published on April 1, 2015, though not the issue of loading times.[36] However, on April 23 2015, a new patch was released that successfully reduced the loading times to 5-15 seconds among other fixes.[37]
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