Why Bloodborne Is Still One of the Greatest Games to Date

I replayed Bloodborne recently along with its DLC “The Old Hunters’ 6 years after its debut in the market, but it still managed to captivate me again.

“Oh, yes, Paleblood. Well, you’ve come to the right place.” This may very well still be one of the most memorable initial line of modern game history. It manages to capture your attention right away with an eerie, yet effective phrase that will really make you want to know more about what’s currently happening in the game. I replayed Bloodborne recently along with its DLC “The Old Hunters’ 6 years after its debut in the market, but it still managed to captivate me all over again like it’s the first time around. 

Bloodborne is the perfect formula of the coined “soulsborne” genre which as obvious as it is, originated from FromSoftware’s own line of games, from Demon Souls, Dark Souls up until the latest released game which 2019 GOTY, Sekiro, Bloodborne have always stood up with the majority of the audiences. May it be the casual gamers to the veterans themselves. 

But why exactly? What makes Bloodborne so special and memorable to the hearts and minds of its player base? The answer is actually quite simple indeed, it really is a one-of-a-kind experience that makes you want to come back for more. In short, rewarding at its best. It made quite a unique creative execution in enriching the already rich gameplay mechanics and made it more exciting and enticing for newcomers of the genre.

Bloodborne is very fast paced compared to the other titles before it, before Sekiro came and innovated the genre as well, Bloodborne is one of the cornerstones of it and made it as its apparent basis for the future titles to be created. This is evident as Bloodborne’s gun play served as the parry mechanic that is later prioritized even more in Sekiro’s core gameplay. Aside from the punishing difficulty that is also the heart of each and every Souls game, the lore is what really made me fall in love with it. 

The game is full of bizarre things set in a very bizarre world, first playthrough will really make you say “What the f@&% is going on here?” and that is what Bloodborne is about. The mystery, the aura, the ambiance of the environment, the eerie messages, all of it will really make you realize how much attention to detail FromSoft really did with this masterpiece. As many would say, Bloodborne is really a work made from passion, the creative embodiment of the game really highlighted how genius the people behind this game really are, under the management and supervision of the one and only director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, the brains behind the souls borne genre. 

The abundance of lore and details within Bloodborne is astounding but really rewarding as some of the side quests have drastic emotional outcomes that will really either melt your heart out or burst with flames as you go through. The RPG element is still there as it is in other games in the series, however what stands out the most in this specific factor is the weapon system. Each weapon in the series has its own strengths and weaknesses, but the best weapon never exists. Why? Because every weapon in Bloodborne is viable right from the start until the end. It’s more of a whatever-suits-your-style system where you can master the one that really fits you as a player, which I might add, a factor that may improve the replay factor of the game. You can always try a new stat build or a new weapon to focus on every time you make a new game or decides to continue from new game to new game plus.

To fully understand the concept and the story behind the game, its actual plot is locked behind reading and investigating tons of item descriptions, notes or books lying around in the world, telling the story that is meant to be told. Some of the lore are also locked behind character decisions on how you approach a certain mission will also affect the outcome and then the next, and the next until you reach the finish line. As tedious as it may be, but it is all worth it. Each death that you will suffer is entirely your fault which will make you want to play better next time. As veterans of Bloodborne would say, no death is cheap within the game, you really have to sharpen your skills in order to read attack patterns or even create strategies in order to defeat most of the bosses. 

Don’t even get me started with the game’s soundtrack which really affect how you move or play the first time around as the music really fits each scenario or situation that you’re in. Fighting the final phase of the boss? The game will gladly give you a BGM which will make your blood boil some more.

Ah, yes. All of it still fresh within me, I didn’t regret every minute and every hour I spent playing Bloodborne. Grinding is still as satisfying as it can be, especially with late game content such as Chalice Dungeons which feels fresh as ever within different floors or depths within each dungeon. The DLC even made it better as all of the pending questions and explanations that you need in order to fully grasp the nature of evil that you, as the main character, is facing as you go on. 

Bloodborne really defined how good of a developer From Software really is. No matter how many people or even game developers say, single player games will never die in the world of gaming, in fact, gaming is considered the modern cornerstone of innovative storytelling. No matter how big your world map is, or how linear your hallways are, these types of games will always be the heart of the industry as a whole. Bloodborne is and will always be remembered as one of the greatest games of all time because of how much culture, lore and hype it brought to the players and fans of the genre. It is still the greatest souls borne game and the greatest masterpiece of Mizayaki. 

So, to all the hunters out there looking to buy and play this game, please do so and may you find your worth in the waking world. A hunter must hunt. Always.

Images | Sony PlayStation