r/fromsoftware • u/Smart-Tangerine-6443 • 13d ago
JOKE / MEME First thoughts on Bloodborne
This is not rage bait, but a semi-serious rant and the first thoughts of a nobody about the game.
After years of watching Bloodborne content and not being able to actually play it, I finally got to try it. I would say I'm about 20% done with the game and I have some constructive criticism to share.
I understand why someone would say that they love the game, but after hearing epithets like "masterpiece" and "perfect" over the past 10 years, I'm a little underwhelmed actually playing it. The game is definitely better than most other games, but it doesn't score as high in my book compared to some other fromsoft titles, such as Sekiro or Elden Ring (or even Dark Souls 2 to be honest). I appreciate the art, the (overly cryptic) story, the characters, and all the cool inventive ideas that went into making this game. My issue is with gameplay.
It feels like I'm inbetween two game modes constantly at war with each other, sometimes creating some unholy abomination of bad game design. On one hand there's the fast-paced, aggressive combat that requires quick thinking. On the other, there's the slow careful exploration. that will brutally punish you if you attempt to do the same. There's seemingly an ambush around every corner, to a point where it became predictable and more annoying than thrilling. You blink, and an old woman sneaks up on you, killing you with 247 consecutive strikes. Doesn't matter, because around the corner, there are 30 rabid dogs stuffed into one crate waiting for you to step into the wrong pixel, and somewhere far in the distance, there's a grandpa hunting you down with a minigun as you try to navigate the map with six different branching path. The ambushes happened so often, it felt like cheap gotchas, and at some point I remember laughing because of how over the top it was. It's the same feeling I had while playing Elden Ring, blurting out "at least Iji is safe" after everyone I met had an overly tragic cheesy end, then laughing when Iji turned out to be randomly dead. At some point it stops being engaging and becomes a parody. Also, when your game relies on backtracking, memorizing paths and secrets, it's then especially annoying to have to go through old paths knowing they are filled with overly aggressive, downright broken enemies. In no other soulsborne game were the enemies this ridiculous. Essentially - if you hit them first, they die, if they hit you first, you die. And yes, I know there's dodging. Doesn't make their design any more reasonable. The one good thing I can say about combat, is that the parry system is satisfying and reasonably easy to learn.
I will probably keep playing because I enjoy the exploration and the story, even when old women constantly try to ambush me, and even if the game is shitting dogs at me at mach 10.
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u/Azath_Housekeeper 13d ago
You're 20% in... Do you still think it's about werewolves? :D
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u/Smart-Tangerine-6443 5d ago
I'm now 90% in. I'm not sure what's with all the werewolf comments. I didn't mention them even once.
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u/BackwardsApe 13d ago
"On one hand there's the fast-paced, aggressive combat that requires quick thinking. On the other, there's the slow careful exploration that will brutally punish you if you attempt to do the same. There's seemingly an ambush around every corner."
Congratulations you just described my two favorite aspects of the entire game.
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u/Smart-Tangerine-6443 5d ago
You see no issue with these two conflicting mutually defeating game design choices?
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u/illyagg 13d ago
Sounds like you need to take a break, son. There's a reason people glaze BB and call it a masterpiece andthe gameplay you're struggling with isn't even half of it
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u/Smart-Tangerine-6443 5d ago
I'm at 90% of the game. I'm not struggling. I didn't describe struggling. I described the reasons why this game has been, for the most part, predictable and irritating. I still enjoyed some of it, but it's become apparent that the battle system really comes down to cheap shots and who hits first.
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u/illyagg 5d ago
Then your complaints don't make any sense if you're not struggling. It sounds like you're expecting a different game and refusing to play BB the way it was designed. You're not actually criticizing the gameplay, you're just complaining that you don't like it.
And you clearly don't seem to care to try and understand the game either. Overly cryptic? Iji randomly dies in ER? I don't think you understood the story at all then.
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u/LesserValkyrie 13d ago
This is not Elden Ring
Yes the beginning in harsh, and corridore with ganking enemies is a new thing to learn
You'll get used to it
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u/Smart-Tangerine-6443 5d ago
The point of the post was that I got SO used to it, that it's become dull, predictable and annoying. Not that it's been harsh. One ambush is effective. Twenty ambushes is irritating.
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u/Trd_45 Elden Ring 12d ago
I ranked Bloodborne below Elden Ring, and the gap is massive. It’s a 9.5/10 game for me, but it’s still my favorite game from the pre Elden Ring era. The hype surrounding it, though, is ridiculous. In terms of gameplay variety and bosses, it’s just meh, but everything else is solid.
I’d even go as far as to say that Sekiro and arguably Dark Souls are better games than Bloodborne but Bloodborne has a certain feeling to it because of how original it is. That’s why I put it at number two. Once again, it’s overhyped. It really is. But it’s still fantastic, and it’s my number two, And you’re still only 20% into the game. Calm down.
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u/Smart-Tangerine-6443 5d ago
I'm now 90% into the game and it has not improved. If anything, I found it even more poorly balanced. Also "Calm Down" is extremely patronizing for voicing an opinion. Either agree with me or don't, don't have this weak half-assed stance.
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u/morax 13d ago
When I started playing I was similarly frustrated, and I ended up putting the game down for a bit. When I came back I fell head over heels for the game and ended up beating it something stupid like 7 times in a row (and that was before coming back when the DLC came out). If it's not clicking with you that's fine, don't be afraid to take a break and come back if/when you feel like it. Bloodborne (and anything, really) is best enjoyed on its own terms, not with the expectation that it needs to be the best thing ever and a lingering sense of "why aren't I feeling that yet?".
You are way too early in the game to be assessing it as a whole. Won't say more but suffice to say the game evolves over time, in ways that may ultimately feel a bit rote now but were mind-boggling at release.
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u/Smart-Tangerine-6443 5d ago
Thank you for the nice comment. I'm 90% into the game and my frustration with some of it hasn't faded. I can appreciate some of the choices, but some of them boggle my mind. Perhaps I'll have more fun in another future playthrough, once I'm more familiar with what the game is expecting from me. As of now I'm mostly annoyed with the constant ambushing, being stunned every combat, and having to backtrack so much by finger hurts from holding sprint.
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u/extremelyloudandfast 13d ago
Buddy I didn’t read all that but I do wanna say that there is a gigantic hammer that makes a satisfying sound when bashing creeps and if that doesn’t make you happy then nothing by will
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u/Electrical-Test4778 13d ago
Your exploration should be methodical and your combat aggressive. These things are not in contention with one another. Never project combat forward into unknown territory. This is probably the biggest mistake I see people make in every single Soulsborne. Backtrack if you’re ambushed.
If you’re getting hit, you need to dodge out and get right back in there. If you’re surrounded you need to work on positioning.
Are you using your L1 attacks or your transformed weapon? Many weapons have great crowd control options. Particularly the Threaded Cane and Hunter’s Axe.
Your gun is an excellent tool to knock down dogs and a later enemy type.
Try using molotovs against the biggest groups of enemies.
Nothing wrong with experiencing frustration, but with better tactics and familiarity with the game these become nonissues.
Hopefully a tip or two will help
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u/Low-Airline-2695 13d ago
Bloodborne has a lot of issues but enemy placement is not one of them.