Highlights

  • Bloodborne's gameplay is deep and engaging, offering a mechanically complex experience that is both challenging and rewarding.
  • Guns in Bloodborne are primarily used for defense and parrying, rather than dealing damage. They can stagger enemies and set them up for powerful counterattacks.
  • Bloodborne encourages constant aggression and risky behaviors, with mechanics like the Rally system rewarding players for attacking and healing quickly. It is a game built around constant motion and aggressive combat strategies.

Like most FromSoftware games, Bloodborne is both mechanically and narratively complex, offering up an experience that is deep, engaging, and oftentimes brutally difficult. Although Bloodborne is a one-off experience, with nothing more than the fantastic The Old Hunters DLC for a follow-up, the game is still considered one of the best in FromSoftware's oeuvre, and its gameplay can be endlessly explored.

Bloodborne may never get a sequel, but the game isn't short on content or replay value. At first glance, it may appear less complex than the Dark Souls games that preceded it due to the lack of build variety, omission of a magic system, and comparatively smaller weapon selection. However, the fast-paced combat of the game, implementation of firearms, and unique approach to weapon design make for a game that is surprisingly deep from a mechanical standpoint, even if it doesn't offer the same breadth of personalization options as other Souls games. That said, for someone just getting into Bloodborne or returning to the game after a long hiatus, there are certain rules that should be understood.

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The 101's of Bloodborne

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Guns Are for Parrying, Not Dealing Damage

Bloodborne introduced guns to the Souls formula, and it's natural that newcomers would assume that they are meant to deal damage as a secondary weapon. While a high Bloodtinge stat can certainly make some firearms like the Cannon or Gatling Gun viable offensive tools, most guns in Bloodborne are best used to bolster defense. Firing off a round at the right moment can stagger most enemies, setting them up for a powerful Visceral Attack. It's also worth noting that guns are useful defensive options even if a player doesn't nail the timing, as they will often momentarily stun an enemy or interrupt their attack pattern. Some of the best all-around guns in Bloodborne include:

  • Evelyn
  • Ludwig's Rifle
  • Repeating Pistol
  • Hunter Blunderbuss
  • Hunter Pistol

It's All About Aggression

It makes sense that many players facing Bloodborne's brutally difficult challenges will want to play defensively and conservatively, but this is a suboptimal approach to combat in the game. Everything in Bloodborne is designed around constant aggression, with the damage-dealing guns all but completely replacing shields and other purely defensive tools. Other features, like the famous Rally mechanic, actively reward players for aggression by restoring their health through attacking. Dodging and healing are also far quicker than in the Dark Souls games, further highlighting the fact that the game has been built around constant motion and risky behaviors, rather than careful, slow combat.

Insight Is More Than Just Currency

Bloodborne's bizarre world has inspired a number of modern games, with the recent Lies of P being a notable example. Part of what makes Bloodborne so unique is how its world and gameplay can be altered in subtle ways that are not explicitly communicated to the player; one of the ways the game achieves this unique mutability is through Insight. Insight can be obtained from certain consumables, upon entering specific locations, or after defeating bosses, and is used to purchase upgrade materials and rare gear. However, it is far more than just currency, and holding on to Insight can dramatically change the game, triggering nightmarish sounds and sights. Having a higher level of Insight can also make the game significantly more challenging.

Although many fans have been begging for a remake of Bloodborne, the original game has a certain eerie and moving quality to it that can't be replicated. Like other FromSoftware games, a lot of its charm is connected to how little is conveyed to players, which forces them to uncover the game's secrets themselves. There is a universe of mystery and depth to find in Bloodborne, but if players can follow these unwritten rules, they will likely have an easier and more enjoyable time with it.