Bloodborne: the Quintessential Action-RPG
When it was announced that Demon's Souls and Dark Souls' creator Hidetaka Miyazaki would not be on board for Dark Souls II, some fans of the series became skeptical of the quality and direction of that game. Though Dark Souls II was a good game, a certain life was missing from the world of Drangleic that brought down the experience. You might say some part of it felt hollow, or perhaps a bit drained of its soul. A deviation from the standard Miyazaki set, Dark Souls II is not the game it could have been. Fans left wanting of a fine action game (and with PS4 in tow) need not worry: Bloodborne is a continuation of the tradition that brought Demon's Souls and Dark Souls to life.
Taking on a gothic, dark fantasy style, Bloodborne boldly establishes itself as distinct from the Souls games. This carries into its gameplay too - numerous subtle changes have been made to its core, and some elements of Souls games have been streamlined. Carry weight, for instance, is no longer an issue, and weapon attack damage is no longer dependent on which hand slot that weapon occupies. Magical abilities are sparse, and shields sparser, the option of using various firearms or a torch (with infinite duration!) at the forefront. Anybody arguing that streamlining is always a negative should look to this game: all of these changes come together to make for faster, tighter gameplay that will challenge the most seasoned of the franchise's fans. Players new to From Soft's action-RPG's of late should be warned that these games will punish foolishness and button mashing, emphasizing careful envrionment navigation and mastery of the deep combat mechanics. This game keeps the hand-holding to a minimum, allowing the player a genuine feeling of discovery when stetting foot into a new area. Within these levels are powerful items and gear that reward your thorough exploration. The game wants you to succeed, and provides all of the tools to do so in spectacular fashion. It is up to the player to make effective use of these tools to succeed, and this aspect has always been From's greatest strength. That sense of accomplishment gained from downing a boss after repeated attempts, or discovering a new door after painstakingly combing recently visited areas is as energizing as ever. Each first step into a new labyrinth of bloody perils is an exciting moment, and the game's more dynamic world states ensure an experience that will keep the player evolving. By the end of your first playthrough, you'll feel like a badass, and that's great. This feeling is also fleeting, however, when you enter the new game plus mode, adding further to the difficulty of subsequent playthroughs.
Bloodborne marks a significant technical improvement over Dark Souls. The engine has been improved with the ability to draw detailed distant objects, and boasts vastly upgraded shaders from its predecessors. Immaculately detailed and swathed in particle effects, Bloodborne's environments exude a beautiful, hand crafted style that doesn't rely on intense technical fidelity. Despite this rich presentation, however, Bloodborne's greatest falling is its inability to maintain consistent performance. Long load times, stuttering, and the occasional frame rate tank can be observed, comprising an unfortunate trend in Miyazaki's games. I should note that the frame rate is usually very solid, especially in boss encounters. Compared to the travesty that was Blighttown, nothing I've experienced in Bloodborne comes close. These issues can be an annoyance from time to time, but my overall experience was very largely undiminished by them.
There's just so much more to say about Bloodborne, but the truth is that it's better to experience it for yourself. I highly encourage anybody and everybody who owns a PS4 to give this game a try, as it is easily the best exclusive out on the console at the moment. Every bit challenging as its cousins in the Souls series, and boasting a high degree of polish, Bloodborne sets the bar high for Action-RPGs to follow. A must own.
