10:41am
Luke O'Roark
There’s beauty in Bloodborne.No, not the grotesque werewolves or monstrous bosses that cause your palms to sweat in anxiety, but the totality of Sony’s hit exclusive is.From the gothics aesthetics of Yharnam to the fast-paced combat to the 45 hours it takes to complete, Bloodborne is a fulfilling game that every “hardcore” gamer should invest in.StoryBloodborne’s story arc takes a different approach from its predecessors.Unlike Dark Souls, developer From Software’s previous series, Bloodborne follows the hallowing religious tripes riddled throughout Yharnam, where the game is set.With notes and studies sprinkled throughout its complex level design, players can piece together a story filled with religious enthymeme and symbolism.From Software, however, doesn’t hold the player’s hand. Most story elements or cutscenes are vague and really make the player connect the dots on scenes that, in a sense, aren’t linear.For an example, the inaugural scene has the player meet a creepy old man, as he gives you a “transfusion” and says, “Whatever happens… you may think it all a mere bad dream…” before waking up in a twisted, gothic world filled with werewolves, deformed humans and ever-so-creepy mutilated crows.In my first playthrough, I hardly paid attention to any grim anecdotes spilled from NPC’s, as realistically, I don’t play Bloodborne for its story.Not saying Bloodborne’s story is weak — it’s not — it’s just not the reason players will come back to the horrors of Yharnam.GameplayWith Uncharted 4 delayed until 2016 and The Order: 1886 panned by critics, I had low expectations going into Bloodborne.When the credits finally scrolled onto the screen, however, my expectations were shattered.Not only does Bloodborne fix kinks Dark Souls showed (Dark Souls is a superb game in itself) it improves on almost every component to make it one of the most enjoyable experience thus far in gaming.A problem seen in Dark Souls was the monotony of combat, as players would spend majority of their time blocking against opponents.Shields — now replaced by guns — are obsolete in Bloodborne, in turn, increasing the speed and velocity of movement. This system makes the player rely more on dodges and attacks than defense and honestly, it’s refreshing. I actually felt like I was progressing with every strike — something important in a 40+ hour long game.Each hit you make on an enemy seems heavy and rewarding, and without the usages of shields, the fast swordplay can make any player’s adrenaline rush.More times than not, I would strike a group of enemies before quickly side dodging to escape the grasp of an incoming enemy behind. Anxiety is hard to emulate in video games, but Bloodborne does it with ease.In combat, players will hold their main weapon in their right hand and a secondary weapon in their left. Each right-handed weapon has a secondary form which can be switched to and from on the fly with a variety of guns can be used in your left.From Software gives players a wide range of weapons to try, as each item has a unique feel to it. My personal favorite was the stake driver — a drill looking right-handed weapon that dealt some massive damage and can explode on close creatures.Enemies and bosses, a staple in the previous series, are well crafted and are a thrill to fight. If it’s a “Blood-starved Beast” or a pit of snakes, Bloodborne’s enemies are horrendous yet fascinating. From a creepy witch filled with warts to cryptic figures, every enemy will relentlessly scrap at the player. Though considered a role-playing game, Bloodborne is a survival horror game with aesthetics paralleling classics like Resident Evil 4.I did find myself repeating similar tactics for each opponent: dodge their initial strike then attack their back. It didn’t work with every enemy, but it is a tactic that works 90 percent of the time. Also, when you initially get over the fear of death and your enemies — which isn’t very easy to do by the way — diving into firefights can feel a little like a lost cause. Towards the end, I found myself hardly fighting straggling enemies, just the bosses.A part of me also wished gunplay played a bigger role in Bloodborne, as even though the player uses their left handed weapons for parrying, there really isn’t much use of it later on. Enemies become harder and the light damage guns cause make them seem inadept.In terms of graphics, Bloodborne pushes the Playstation 4’s hardware to the limits.Yharnam’s grim landscapes are haunting, but gorgeous to gaze at. If it’s a wall of bones or murky graves, Bloodborne is beautiful despite the dark overtone.What is not pretty to look at? The wonky frame rates, camera angles and loading times.Frame rates tend to drop when more than three monsters are on the screen. Camera angles can be nauseating when locking onto large bosses like the “One Reborn” and “Mergo’s Wet Nurse.” Many times I died because the camera was caught behind a wall or large column.Finally, loading times can be a nuisance once the player starts fast travelling to and from checkpoints. It takes about 30 seconds to get past the load screen which can really dumb down the intensity of a setting. Let’s say a giant pig is chasing after you and then you reach a checkpoint and escape to a different screen, having a 30 second load time settles your pumping adrenaline — something From Software doesn’t want to do. None of these elements hindered my overall experience, but Bloodborne’s technicality isn’t the most crisp.Final VerdictBloodborne is a grim masterpiece and it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the grotesque settings of Yharnam. It’s processing isn’t perfect, but that shouldn’t chase any “hardcore” gamers away. Play this game. Score: 4/5@LukeoroarkLr514812@ohio.edu
