From Software’s Bloodborne is considered by many to be one of the best games to be released during the PS4’s life cycle. The game diverges from other titles produced by From Software with its unique combat mechanics and Lovecraftian Victorian England setting. The game’s horrifyingly gorgeous visual, unique enemy designs and its overall successful world-building make Bloodborne one of the most unique gaming experiences available. All these widely positives pros aside, the game is still a From Software title. So dying, and lots of it should be expected. However, there are some solid general tips that can assist players as they grow comfortable with the game’s mechanics.
What separates Bloodborne from other Souls games is rooted in some minor differences between the two series. Bloodborne places much more emphasis on an aggressive playstyle, while Souls games more or less encourage a more “turtle” style of play. Both games are notable for there vast and well-defined worlds and environments while also being some of the most difficult games to play as a newcomer to the series. This guide will present players with some assuredly helpful tips to start their journey through the dark and depressing world of Bloodborne.
Understanding the Stats of Bloodborne
One of the first things players will have to interact with while playing through Bloodborne is its cryptic and overwhelming stats menu. These stats all affect gameplay in unique and at times drastic ways. So it is necessary that players understand each of these stats and how they impact Bloodborne’s gameplay.
The different stats found in Bloodborne are vitality, endurance, strength, skill, bloodtinge and arcane. Each of these stats affects a particular strength or weakness a player’s character has and by leveling up each of these categories a respective skill will increase.
Vitality is the stat equivalent of a character’s health pool. By leveling up your vitality, a character’s health bar will begin to increase in length. The importance of this stat requires little explanation. The more health a player has the more likely they are to survive longer in the brutal world of Bloodborne. So be sure not to neglect this key stat when leveling up your character.
Endurance is the stat associated with the stamina bar. The more you level up this stat the larger your stamina bar will increase. Stamina equates to a character’s ability to run longer and perform more attacks than would normally be possible. Increasing the endurance stat also affects a player’s ability to resist certain debuffs (such as poison) and there ability to reduce damage on enemy attacks.
Strength allows players to wield heavier weapons and it increases a character’s proficiency with strength type weapons. Skill increases a character’s ability to wield skill-based weapons. Both of these stats can increase damage done with weapons connected to that particular skill and are vital for developing powerful builds.
Bloodtinge is a stat associated with a character’s ability to wield gun weapons more effectively. This effects a gun’s damage and its utility in certain fights. While arcane affects a character’s ability to manipulate and utilize elemental based weapons more efficiently. Both these stats are useful in their own right but are less valuable than the stats mentioned prior. They are more oriented around specialist builds or to master the skill behind gunplay within Bloodborne.
Playing Aggressively in Bloodborne
The most important aspect of Bloodborne’s gameplay mechanics is the emphasis placed upon aggressive tactics. Bloodborne not only suggests but actively punishes players for playing a more defensive style. This is connected to one particular gameplay system implemented in Bloodborne that is not found in other Souls style games.
Bloodborne possesses a system that allows the player to regain health by attacking enemies who have done their character harm. To rephrase the system, Bloodborne gives the player’s a chance to get their health back by attacking the enemy who hurt them. Bloodborne actively wants players to chase down and get revenge on enemies who have done them harm. This makes Bloodborne a hype aggressive entry to the Souls style of play. Still maintaining difficulty, while de-emphasizing the importance of having healing items.
This is not to say that Bloodborne wants players to wildly run into large groups of enemies and hack and slash. If that is the experience that you as a player are looking for, Bloodborne is not the title for you. What it does encourage, is a style of play which combines both slick movement and powerful counterattack measures to both regain health and to keep your powerful blood vial surplus under control. This mechanic gives players an opportunity to be less reliant on the healing items which are extremely vital to other Souls style games.
Using the Weapons of Bloodborne
Bloodborne provides players with a unique take on the typical weapons of a Souls style game. There are a wide variety of weapon types in the game, but each with an individual twist.
Guns inside of Bloodborne are not primary damage-dealing items. They are less used as a defensive option, as counter-intuitive as that may seem. Guns are used through the quicksilver bullet items found throughout the game. When fired as an enemy is about to strike a player it will place that enemy in a stagger state, think of a Dark Souls parry state. And when stunned opens the enemy for a powerful riposte stab attack. These guns are effectively a parry mechanic within the title and should be used to defend against powerful attacks. This will open up the enemy for a high damage counter attack.
The main weapons of Bloodborne all possess a powerful transformation state. Let’s examine the powerful threaded cane weapon. At first, it seems like a typical “short sword” style weapon with fast but low damaging attacks. But when players press the L1 button the cane becomes a powerful whip style weapon which allows for wide swing attacks covering large amounts of horizontal space. Each weapon has a unique transformation style that provides different utility from its standard type. Be sure to master both your standard weapon and its transformed variation to become a proficient offensive oriented Bloodborne player.
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Bloodborne is available on PS4 only.
