Bloodborne (Dark Souls 2 successor (Dark Souls successor (Demon's Souls successor)))

[pearceshea]

I'm about 3/4 of the way through (I think) and I think I've only burned through consumables when (a) it's early in the game and just hit an enemy I can't figure out and ( boss and NPC hunter fights. Later in the game, boss fights can still deplete my cache, but at that point, they're also very easy to farm. (Like, takes 5 minutes). I dunno, farming is definitely a thing you will have to do in this game, be it consumables or echoes.

 

Oh and about progressing, I'm thinking that I may have borked certain storylines by moving too quickly through other content. So heads up on that.

 

Also: Insight is maybe the coolest concept in this game.

[pearceshea]

How good is the story/lore in Bloodborne? I usually don't really care for lore in games, but I've seen some Dark Souls let's plays that got me interested with the very subtle way the story, which is pretty much your character discovering the lore that involves all those other weird characters you're fighting and interacting.

 

It's intriguing. I don't want to say too much because it feels like nearly everything could be a spoiler because of where I am in the game.

 

In re, say, Demons Souls or Dark Souls 1, it's similarly subtle and similarly very deliberate. Miyazaki loves making things that encourage and reward protracted engagement. The Eurogamer review mentioned one instance of this where I was like, "oh wait, this all has a very specific meaning, it's not just meant to be creepy."

[eot]

Some quick thoughts:

I'm terrible with a gamepad

The "parry" timing is weird, but I like how much damage it does when it lands

Healing system: I thought it was perfect in Dark Souls, dunno why they changed it.

Why can't I just rest at a "bonfire" like in last two games?

That first boss has camera problems almost as bad as Centipede Demon. For real.

Ran past the werewolves on the bridge because there are just so many guys between you and them. I figured the gate on the right hand side of the street would be a shortcut but I didn't find a way to open it.

I picked the Cane and it's basically just a Longsword. A little disappointed with the moveset honestly, and the whip is very situational. The windup is too long for the range it has I think. I've read there's less weapon variety this time around, which is a shame if true. I don't want to go through the whole game with the Cane, I'm already a bit tired of it.

[Cyborg771]

So, this happened to me. (Minor spoiler for the third boss)

[Bjorn]

So, this happened to me. (Minor spoiler for the third boss)

 

That's amazing!

 

 

Some quick thoughts:

I'm terrible with a gamepad

The "parry" timing is weird, but I like how much damage it does when it lands

Healing system: I thought it was perfect in Dark Souls, dunno why they changed it.

Why can't I just rest at a "bonfire" like in last two games?

That first boss has camera problems almost as bad as Centipede Demon. For real.

Ran past the werewolves on the bridge because there are just so many guys between you and them. I figured the gate on the right hand side of the street would be a shortcut but I didn't find a way to open it.

I picked the Cane and it's basically just a Longsword. A little disappointed with the moveset honestly, and the whip is very situational. The windup is too long for the range it has I think. I've read there's less weapon variety this time around, which is a shame if true. I don't want to go through the whole game with the Cane, I'm already a bit tired of it.

 

I actually went back to my character with the cane for a bit to tonight to mess around.  The whip is arguably the stronger half of that weapon, it's range and AoE are actually really good, just takes some time to figure out.  There are other weapons that outclass it easily though.  I do have some concerns about weapon variety.  I've found or bought about 7 melee weapons, and only really like two of them.  You can get the ability to buy the other starting weapons pretty early on if you want to swap out, so you're certainly not stuck with the cane if you don't like it. 

 

I wouldn't mind the teleport back to the garden if the load times weren't "let's fix a sandwich and go to the bathroom" long.  That ends up compounding the healing issue, where there are some good spots to farm, but the load times to reset make it a pain in the ass.  I've managed to bottom out my heals at least 4 times now, and haven't enjoyed having to farm them back up.

[eot]

I bought the Kirkhammer(?) and I'm liking that more. The sword part of it has the Uchigatana sound lifted from Dark Souls, not that I mind. Cleric Beast though, he beat my ass like I was a donkey and he was a drunken spaniard in particularly bad mood. Nah, but honestly I thought he was quite tough for being a first boss, took me a few tries and even when I did get him I had used up all my healing (classic Souls). His attacks aren't that damaging, but I thought his moveset was hard to read, he has really good range so doing the dodge backwards thing makes it hard to get in and out in time, but at the same time I struggled to dodge whenever I got too close. He had quite the health pool too, my Cane only did about 30 damage per strike and that was basically nothing compared to his health bar. To top it all off he kind of looks like Manus. I don't know how much your "origin" matters, I picked Waste of Skin, but since your equipment is the same regardless I don't think the difference it makes should be that great.

 

I could see the first area turning a lot of people off, because the rate at which you can grind souls is honestly quite low for how much the things you need cost. Potions, molotovs (that mysteriously miss the boss 60% of the time) + levelling, it adds up. If it's like you guys said, that running out of potions is practically a non-issue later on, then I think that brings the design decision into question even more. What point does it serve other than to frustrate new players at just the worst time?

 

edit: oh also, you don't even get messages or ghosts without PS+

I never summon or invade people, so I don't think I can justify buying that just to see some ghost run around, even though they're neat.

[osmosisch]

 you don't even get messages or ghosts without PS+

What the actual fuck. This blew my mind. I'm almost angry enough to return the PS4. (un)fortunately the game's good enough to keep me playing, but goddamn. One of the few correct decisions of the PS3 out the window.

 

Oh well, at least I won't get invaded.

[Vasari]

Incidentally, I ended up triaging my inventory a little bit and noticed something interesting in the flavor text of a certain item. Potential spoilers for Gascoigne -

 

I got a music box from a little girl that's holed up that wanted me to look for her mother. In the description of the item, it mentions that her parents were Viola and Gascoigne. She told me to use it to convince her mother that I am legitimately looking on the girl's behalf, but I'm thinking that maybe also has some effect on that boss battle, though I've yet to experiment with it.

 

You're absolutely right about what you said in the spoiler. (More Gascoigne spoilers below)

 

Using that music box can stun Gascoigne. It only works if he's not already in an animation, but it'll stun him for a good 4 or 5 seconds. I found it was more than enough time to get behind him and use a charged R2 attack, which of course staggered him and let me come around in front for a visceral attack. It's a really satisfying combo to pull off. The best time to use it is probably while he's getting up from a visceral attack, so if you time it exactly you might be able to chain a couple of these together.

[Korax]

Spent some time this morning helping people beat the Forbidden Wood boss. It was fun helping people through a tough fight, and helped me get tons of Echoes and stock up on items. Had a better time with the area after that; focusing more on parrying and visceral attacks definitely improved my end of combat encounters. Then it took me a few tries to get the next boss down. It was difficult, but mainly because most of its attacks dealt over half my HP in damage. It's not complicated, so as long as you're cautious and not trying to hurry, the fight isn't too bad.

 

It's been hinted at by some item descriptions and mechanics, but that fight and immediate story bits after it make it clear that the setting isn't a take on Van Helsing so much as

Lovecraft. Scholars have learned too much, and the knowledge has driven the people insane. They worship cosmic horrors as gods, and the powers they've found harm themselves as much as the world around them.

[Korax]

Oh, and don't look for co-op hosts in the Forbidden Wood. FromSoft has warned about a story progression bug that prevents a key item from spawning in the area afterward if you've been a co-op client (doesn't seem to affect hosts). I had already done a bunch of helping before the warning, so I figured I had nothing to lose. It turned out to not affect me anyway, but it's probably not worth the risk. There will be a patch soon to fix it.

[Vasari]

I knocked the tower gunner off the edge in Old Yarnham.

 

 

He doesn't drop anything good, right?

[Korax]

He drops a badge that unlocks more stuff in the Dream stores.

 

Same thing happened to me. Just quit and reload, and the pickup will be next to the gun at the top of the tower.

[Vasari]

He drops a badge that unlocks more stuff in the Dream stores.

 

Same thing happened to me. Just quit and reload, and the pickup will be next to the gun at the top of the tower.

 

Phew, thanks.

[eot]

I got beat around by Gascoigne a handful of times so I decided to grind some blood to buy a couple of the weapons and see if I liked any of them more. I actually still ended up liking the axe the most, though the sword that converts into the hammer is kinda cool (though I just don't know how to be effective with that slow hammer). I also managed to level up to 20, which seems like it should be more than enough for the second boss in the game.

 

Incidentally, I ended up triaging my inventory a little bit and noticed something interesting in the flavor text of a certain item. Potential spoilers for Gascoigne -

 

I got a music box from a little girl that's holed up that wanted me to look for her mother. In the description of the item, it mentions that her parents were Viola and Gascoigne. She told me to use it to convince her mother that I am legitimately looking on the girl's behalf, but I'm thinking that maybe also has some effect on that boss battle, though I've yet to experiment with it.

Semi related:

After that boss you get a Red Jeweled Brooch that you can turn into some kind of upgrade material, but I got the sense that it's also a story item. Although I didn't find this mini-quest you guys are talking about. Any sense in holding onto it?

 

I enjoyed that boss btw, even though I got hung up on the geometry a few times. Also, that hammer is fantastic. I've found that the damage it does depends a lot on the enemy. Conveniently the hammer tends to do much more damage to large foes, whereas the sword does more against smaller, quicker ones. I also "discovered" that you can double combo the weapon transformation. Try starting with the hammer mode, attacking, swapping and then swapping again. You get some cool unique attacks!

 

PS. jumping attacks are great with strength weapons, because the jump happens instantaneously so they're easier to time.

[Twig]

I beat the first boss on the first try (using 20 healing potions and 10 molotovs and ended with a sliver of health left) and have lost to the second boss twice. He's easy up until he transforms.

 

I have had literally zero problems with healing items. I'm not sure what all the complaints are about. You get two from every fat guy you kill and the other dudes drop them frequently enough. Honestly, healing-wise, I find it easier to manage than Dark Souls' flask. The main difference is that when I get hit in Bloodborne I tend to get hit a lot so it often ends up killing me, unless it's the very end of a combo or something. So I don't really have a chance to heal.

 

Also PS4's rest mode is kind of great. It takes me all of ten seconds to get back into the game... I wish the loading times didn't keep making me want to take a break. That's definitely my only real issue with the game so far.

[eot]

Area past the second boss:

Did anyone find that purple wormhole looking thing that comes flying and sucks you up into the air like 100m, then damages you (frenzy?). What the hell was that? Right outside the Church bonfire.

 

 

I beat the first boss on the first try (using 20 healing potions and 10 molotovs and ended with a sliver of health left) and have lost to the second boss twice. He's easy up until he transforms.

 

I have had literally zero problems with healing items. I'm not sure what all the complaints are about. You get two from every fat guy you kill and the other dudes drop them frequently enough. Honestly, healing-wise, I find it easier to manage than Dark Souls' flask. The main difference is that when I get hit in Bloodborne I tend to get hit a lot so it often ends up killing me, unless it's the very end of a combo or something. So I don't really have a chance to heal.

 

Also PS4's rest mode is kind of great. It takes me all of ten seconds to get back into the game... I wish the loading times didn't keep making me want to take a break. That's definitely my only real issue with the game so far.

The problem is if you're stuck on a boss and grind through them. For the Cleric Beast in particular, there are basically no enemies on the way to the boss so you'll be bleeding potions at a super high rate.

[Vulpes Absurda]

Well I just beat it. This is one hell of a game. I beat it thinking I'd done more or less everything and come to find out there's like 6 questlines and about that many bosses that I had no idea were even in thi game! There are enitre mechanics that I had no clue about! For instance:

There's magic in this game! You can get items that drain your bullets and do damge based off of your arcane stat!

I had no idea at all!

[Korax]

HOLY SHIT, THE BOSS FIGHT WITH

AMYGDALA

Another "patience and caution" fight. It took me a couple tries, but when I did it I felt SO GOOD

 

I haven't mentioned one of my favorite things about fights with giant/monstrous bosses: when they die, they explode into a shower of blood that lasts a few seconds after the victory pop-ups. Love that so much.

 

Area past the second boss:

Did anyone find that purple wormhole looking thing that comes flying and sucks you up into the air like 100m, then damages you (frenzy?). What the hell was that? Right outside the Church bonfire.

 

That will become more clear with higher Insight/story progression past the boss Rom.

 

There's magic in this game! You can get items that drain your bullets and do damge based off of your arcane stat!

I had no idea at all!

 

I've got a few of those. Their stat requirements are all kind of high, so I don't know if I'll be experimenting much with them.

 

[Griddlelol]

So when people are talking about the first boss, do they mean cleric, or Gascoigne? Cleric was basically Taurus demon, the hunter was a fucking beast. His first stages are easy, but his last stage had me repeating over and over until I realised I could parry it and saved all my bullets for that part.

I wrecked cleric, but I didn't come across him for a long time - I just didn't go that way.

Those talking about farming items...doesn't it all just get replenished when you enter the hunters dream?

My issues with it are similar to Eot's, except I liked my starting weapon (the axe). I'm a bit worried about weapon variety, as if you have to buy any weapon you want to try, it discourages experiementation early game. Having to warp to heal is a little dumb, but hopefully that'll be patched. I was also disappointed with how few souls the bosses drop. I'm used to getting 10k+ on a boss kill. Not 3k.

[eot]

No the items don't get replenished, but there's a stockpile so if you have excess healing potions the game tops you up automatically (which is a neat system). As for the boss rewards, vanilla Dark Souls had pitifully low rewards too. The Bell Gargoyles used to give you 1500(!), then there was a patch where they upped everything across the board (they give 10k now). That's why people used to talk about grinding for souls in the forest for hours, whereas now you basically get overlevelled just on the boss rewards.

[Griddlelol]

That seems like a good system. I've been not picking up stuff when I'm full, just in case I need to go back, I'll have to change that habit.

[Twig]

I must have like three full stacks of potions in the stockpile at this point. Maybe way more. Probably way more. I suppose there's a way to check, but eh.

 

I was about to try the second boss again when the sun shifted into position to blind me so I took a break. That window has no curtain or blinds. (I think it used to house an AC or something before they installed whatever they have now.) ):

[JonCole]

I maxed out both bullets and vials before I started bashing my head against Father without really trying all that hard. I guess I'm just more tolerant to grinding than others. Despite Bloodborne being practically the only gaming-related thing on my mind for days, I didn't play at all yesterday. I find it quite stressful despite finding it more fun than the past games I've played in the series(?).

[eot]

There's been an inverse difficulty curve for me so far, beat my third boss (BSB) on the first try without so much as a close call.

Parrying vs bosses is borderline OP, it's like Gwyn the game. I literally just did eight or so parries and it was dead.

 

Bought the Axe because people were talking it up. The two handed moveset is super good, as is its damage, but I think I'll stick with the Kirkhammer just because it's way cooler.

[Twig]

I maxed out both bullets and vials before I started bashing my head against Father without really trying all that hard. I guess I'm just more tolerant to grinding than others. Despite Bloodborne being practically the only gaming-related thing on my mind for days, I didn't play at all yesterday. I find it quite stressful despite finding it more fun than the past games I've played in the series(?).

I'm not grinding, I think I just have a lot of potions because I keep dying, and I die in such a way that I don't really have the opportunity to use many potions...

 

Also I've been accidentally pressing Up on the d-pad for days now and I only just realized that's what's been giving me that temporary +5 to bullets. Welp. That's a neat thing, though, sacrifice some health to get some bullets if you're out. Dunno if I'll ever need it (certainly haven't up until now), but hey. Also it's cool that it drains your health just like an enemy hitting you does, so you can theoretically not actually sacrifice any health at all if you play it right.