I like a great deal of what Bloodborne has to offer: the visuals have this great "vampire hunter d" vibe, the atmosphere and gameplay are both excellent. I've also played DS1 and enjoyed my time with that. But this is something else. I've been playing for four hours total so far and I've yet to get past the first lantern in Central yahnam. As with any souls game, so of this is my fault. I have a tendency to loose patience after my 3rd attempt but I'm really starting to burn out...
Bloodborne
Game » consists of 5 releases. Released Mar 24, 2015
An action role playing game by FromSoftware, marking the studio's debut on the PlayStation 4. It shares creative roots, as well as gameplay elements, with the Souls series.
Is this game just not for me?
I felt the same way in that first area, I loved Demon's and Dark Souls but something about this was not clicking but I can say it got better for me. I'm close to the end of the game now and I think that first area just sucks but maybe it's for a reason I don't know. I would just grind out some levels (if you have made it to the first boss) to make it a little more fun or try another weapon, I started with the cane and played a couple hours before I restarted with the axe and had a much better time. If all else fails do what @mb suggested and take a break. Good luck.
@panelhopper: I'm not sure if this will help, but you can go somewhere where you can find a decent set (if you still have the starting attire) and an item that will unlock levelling up at the Hunter's Dream. If you reached the bridge with the wolves/beasts, head down the first staircase. There's a pathway hidden by crates and barrels, break through them and go down the ladders. The enemies down there are a bit tougher, so try to parry them, especially the one with with pole weapon. Or maybe just run past them? Anyway, go down the ladder leading to the sewers with the rats, and go right. At the end of there's a body guarded by an enemy (pole weapon). Kill him and loot the body, then jump down. There are many enemies, don't try to kill them and go up the first ladder you see. If you reach the top there's a body guarded by few crows, if you loot it, you'll find an item called Madman's Knowledge. Consuming it grants you one Insight, which will unlock levelling up. Encountering a boss unlocks levelling up as well.
@militantfreudian: thanks, that sounds like it will be worth trying. It might be something of a challenge to get there but I'll try.
Do suicide runs and/or look at walkthroughs to get a feel for the layout of the area and see where the shortcuts are. You can run past all that bonfire garbage and get to the first shortcut. Also, use the beckoning bell to summon someone to help with the boss fights. Just go die to the boss, at least, and then you can level up. I super suck at this game, but I'm making progress slowly and getting a bit better with each run. Axe is great once you get the timing right.
I would say two things. 1) I was frustrated early, but learning to parry with the gun and then do the visceral really helped. This is especially true for the early guys with the hammer. Take a walk through where you just try to time the parry right before they attack. Also, as other have said, even if you can get by the big wolf things and open up the shortcut to the first lamp or even die to the first boss so that you can level up, it opens up the game.
2) I think it is completely ok if you decide the game is not for you. Even though a game/film/album might get great reviews, that does not mean it is for everyone. I have played games before that I know are well made, and I know why they are popular, but I just do not get enjoyment out of them. Life is too short, if you gave it an honest try, move on to something you do enjoy. This year, they might come out with the best Madden game ever made; but if you just don't like sports games, it won't matter.
I'm having similar experience. I love the game BUT find it's harder than Dark Souls. I want to beat the majority of bosses on my own but looks like I'll be ringing for help. Right now I'm bouncing between the Undead Giant in the 1st Chalice Dungeon and the Forest-Cathedral region. I cannot beat the Undead Giant, had same issues as the blood starved beast; my reflexes aren't quick enough to dive and roll, so i get killed fast. On the other hand, the Cathedral and Forest are teeming w/enemies; after a while I'm like "Come on, this is such bullshit" after getting gangbanged by four gunmen and a rabid dog-beast. I progress timidly, under the assumption that sooner or later I'll have to fight another near impossible boss. I wish the game were easier.
BB has the most laborious entry point of any Souls game I've played (DS 1 +2). Once you beat that first boss and have the ability to level up, things will start clicking.
BB has the most laborious entry point of any Souls game I've played (DS 1 +2). Once you beat that first boss and have the ability to level up, things will start clicking.
Watching my girlfriend play this game has really shown me how poorly done the beginning is. The placement of the tutorial messages are out of the way and extremely easy to miss. The first shortcut you unlock is maybe the hardest one to get to in the entire game. The fastest and most efficient way to it is to break a bunch of objects to reveal a secret ledge you can jump down to. A ledge which is placed in a terrible, terrible position. The game naturally leads you away from it, and towards couple of beasts that will most likely kill you instead. Keep in mind, new players to the series don't even know they are suppose to be looking for these kinds of shortcuts. If this has been later on in the game then it would be perfectly acceptable, but for being the first time that players are introduced to the flow and progression of the game it is awful.
@panelhopper: I would say the game opens up a bit after you beat the first mandatory boss. You gain access to a new area to explore after that, which really helps to reinvigorate interest. I've done my time in Souls over the years, and I still find my interest waning when I run out of areas to explore. Feels like I'm spinning my wheels when there's nothing to do but smash myself against a boss. Sounds like you may have another area or two in Central Yarnham still to explore, so I hope that helps to re-inspire you. Good luck! It really does feel better once you get over that first hump.
@iburningstar: To be fair, that shortcut is supposed to be a reward for players who are willing to be observant and mindful of the area around them. It rewards you for looking past the pile of boxes to see the obvious hole in the fence, and it rewards you for having the sense to think "If I want to open a shortcut, I should try to find new routes that go back in the direction of my lamp". It's also absolutely not the most obscure or difficult shortcut in the entire game, not even close-- let's not get hyperbolic, it's some strategically-placed boxes, an alleyway and two dogs. It's also not the first shortcut in the game; down the ladder from your first proper Lamp, there's a lever-activated gate that gets you to the alleyway faster.
I like a great deal of what Bloodborne has to offer: the visuals have this great "vampire hunter d" vibe, the atmosphere and gameplay are both excellent. I've also played DS1 and enjoyed my time with that. But this is something else. I've been playing for four hours total so far and I've yet to get past the first lantern in Central yahnam. As with any souls game, so of this is my fault. I have a tendency to loose patience after my 3rd attempt but I'm really starting to burn out...
While this game does reward aggressive play a bit more than the Souls games, it is just as much about memorization starting out. Once you know where enemies are placed, you need to decide who to take out first (enemies with ranged attacks or dogs that can mess you up in the middle of combos), and then learn how to bait enemies out one at a time. After you are able to level up, you will probably be resilient enough to take on two or three villagers at a time, but being able to file them into a line and take them out as single targets is your best bet. They stagger rather easily, so don't be afraid to take two or three swings and then jump back.
Alternately, if you have nothing to lose anyway, make some runs (literally) to search for new areas and items. Enemies are actually pretty tethered to finite areas, so as long as you are paying attention to where they are coming from, you can make it pretty far unscathed.
I'm having similar experience. I love the game BUT find it's harder than Dark Souls. I want to beat the majority of bosses on my own but looks like I'll be ringing for help. Right now I'm bouncing between the Undead Giant in the 1st Chalice Dungeon and the Forest-Cathedral region. I cannot beat the Undead Giant, had same issues as the blood starved beast; my reflexes aren't quick enough to dive and roll, so i get killed fast. On the other hand, the Cathedral and Forest are teeming w/enemies; after a while I'm like "Come on, this is such bullshit" after getting gangbanged by four gunmen and a rabid dog-beast. I progress timidly, under the assumption that sooner or later I'll have to fight another near impossible boss. I wish the game were easier.
Fire paper or molotovs are your friend for the giant. He does have decent range, but it's easy to tell when he's staggered, so you need to go for those viscerals. Also, the recommended level for first floor Chalice Dungeons is 40. Of course you can do them at any level, but if you are underleveled/underarmored, he's going to hit like a truck.
@iburningstar: I would disagree because after you understand that area you can blow pass it in no time. You don't have to take out everyone unless you want to gain some levels which is not a bad idea after you run into the first boss. I just think its a very hard learning curve for new and vets alike given how different the play style is.
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