Quick Look: Bloodborne: The Old Hunters

That's a lengthy QL for an add-on. Hopefully this means there's a lot of content?

Edit: I guess I'm one of the few people who liked fighting the hunters, even if in groups.

This needs to be well within the top ten once GOTYs are done, the expansion is gold.

(Viewers be advised, he's in NG+ and NG+ Bloodborne is idiotically balanced)

Nobody truly escapes from Bloodborne.

I'm super ready to get back into this game again in like a month when I've made it through everything else that just came out.

Time for some Breaking Brad in QL form!

Enemies fighting enemies, such an underused but cool mechanic. :(

By the time I get a PS4 Bloodborne will hopefully have a new release with all extras included. Looking forward to it.

@hassun: I'm pretty sure I saw Bloodborne: Complete Edition on the PSN store.

This looks mighty tasty.

I'm 5 minutes into this quick look, but man.. they didn't just repurpose all of the old levels for this entire DLC did they?

EDIT: That "sword" looks awesome. Good job on the effects!

I bought Bloodborne on a PSN sale some weeks ago and I have been playing it from time to time, actually I think I'm really close to beating it, but I think I am done with Bloodborne or any other souls game for that matter.

I have never played a souls game before so I wanted to give them an honest chance and I think I have done just that, I must be somewhere between the 30-40 hour mark on Bloodborne, but it is just not grabbing me. I think the cryptic and very minimalistic approach to storytelling, which is almost no story at all, is demotivating and the constant grind to get more and more souls so you can upgrade your character is getting super repetitive. It has gotten to the point where I just don't care about it any more so I think I'm finally done with the game. I might youtube some of the endings but I have seen what the souls games had to offer and I can safely say that they ain't for me.

I also realize that the reasons I don't like the games is the same reason that so many people LOVE these games and that's completely okay. They are just not made for me.

Also hearing that this DLC has a lot of fights with other hunters sounds super off-putting since that was easily one of my top 3 least favorite things about the main game.

Same city in ruins I think.

Pssst, hey. The charge-R2 attacks can be used at other times than backstabs and surprise-attacks

Somehow when second phase of boss started, all I am thinking is Getsuga Tensho with each sword swing.

@somejerk: Different playstyles :)

the video seems kinda hitchy at some points, not sure if that's because of the game of recording issue

@amyggen: Yeah that's why Drew does TPP in daylight with an all black suit

Fighting those hunters was never one of my favorite parts of the game. I do like the new hats though.

Nah, you get out of the repurposed Cathedral Ward stuff really fast (before the end of this QL, even) and everything I've seen after that (beaten three of the five bosses now) has been entirely new.

@somejerk: Excellent point my good sir. Very relevant. I very rarely used the charge in mid battle myself because I liked the fast swings. Obviously you can use it more frequently, but it's still a valid playstyle to not rely on it much. As long as you get through the encounters there's no "right" or "wrong" way to play Souls games.

The second phase of the boss is only happening when you have Ludwig's Greatsword equipped, right?

Still love those monster designs. Still don't want to subject myself to these games.

@castiel: Well thats just like....your opinion man.

Yep, Ludwig is definitely the creepiest thing I've seen in one of these games. Every inch of that thing is just horrifying. Love it.

Also, I think I'll stick with vanilla Bloodborne. I can't see myself wanting a bigger challenge once I finish it.

11:40 until some bloodborne ass bloodborne

My playthrough of Bloodborne was interrupted when my PS4 bricked itself earlier this year. I'm really looking forward to getting back into it now that I have a functioning console again, but it's probably going to have to wait until after Just Cause 3.

I own Bloodborne but I haven't even got around to playing it yet. Crazy back log.

YESSS!! Oh man you guys are awesome!! Finally a genuine interesting quick look!!

@machofantastico: And to think we were bitching just a year a go about how barren the next gen landscape was lol.

It came out 8 months ago man you have no excuse.

@castiel: Why are you grinding? Souls games are not about grinding, they are games of skill. You shouldn't need to grind much of anything. If you find a boss just completely impossible (like failed 20 or more times), maybe get a level here or there to smooth it over, but for the most part, grinding is something you shouldn't ever need to do in a Souls-like.

You are correct about the minimalist story. It's a hallmark of the formula, and something fans of the games do really enjoy. There is actually very deep, very rich, lore in all the games, but you have to go find it. Fair enough if that kind of story telling doesn't draw you in.

@somejerk said:

I laughed.

@brad As far as I remember, you didn't summon anyone in Demon's Souls. Although, haven't you not beaten Dark Souls 1? Hardly fair to say you've never had to summon anyone when you haven't even beaten the best game in the series =P There's bosses you haven't even tried yet! Personally I found Kalameet and Manus from the Dark Souls 1 DLC to be the hardest bosses in any of these games. Boss difficulty is very subjective in this series.

I was kinda lukewarm until our favorite Fromsoft sword showed up, what a beauty! Can't wait to grab the new weapons and spin up some builds, I've been waiting for an excuse to come back to this game.

And don't worry Brad, I think you get a pass for summoning because NG+ tends to pad boss health a great deal. As you said it's not unlike late Chalice dungeon levels of lunacy. (also who cares)

I'd be curious to see what a NG playthrough looks like.

I wanted to get into bloodborne as much as I got into demon's/dark souls(I bought my ps4 mostly because of bloodborne) but it just didn't grab me for some reason. Maybe it was because of having to grind stuff out more than you ever had to in demon's souls or maybe it was the lack of equipment and variety in play styles.

Fighting other hunters was the hardest part of Bloodborne most often I think.

BSB > Logarius > Ebrietas > All hunters in general > All other bosses.

What a beautiful first death.

"Belly Up"? They talk funny where Brad is from. I guess he means "pony up".

Ludwigs design is fucking awesome, then again this game is choc full of amazing monsters.

In b4 git gud

git g... Aww, man.

@castiel: If you want a really deep understanding of what these games have to offer and why people absolutely love them (me included) I suggest you take a look at the Bloodborne or more recent Dark Souls 1 series from EpicNameBro on Youtube. He literally wrote the guide on Bloodborne and provides a huge amount of insight into the game design, lore, and combat mechanics. Definitely my favorite person on youtube.

I like how the Souls games increase difficulty by simply increasing how easy it is for you to be staggered and reducing or eliminating enemy stagger, giving them the ability to swing more often in a combo, and boosting their HP.

No, wait, I hate that.

So the Moonlight Greatsword found its way into Bloodborne. Good on ya, FromSoftware.

The hell is going on with the frame rate in this quick look. Is it the game or the video?

Damn this is really giving me an itch to drop some dollars and try this out. My favorite character IS on NG++ though...little worried on what a nightmare that is going to be.

@brad: Do you really think the boss shown in this video is harder than the half-hp dungeon hellhound boss? (Think his name was watchdog of the old gods or something) From getting my platinum, and watching you get yours, nothing quite broke me like that fight.

Hey, remember when Drew told Dan that Brad says umbrella weird?

@jacksukeru said:

His emphasis is all crazy, but I love it.

GIVE ME MORE BLOOD!

@brad: Thats great to hear! I kind of jumped the shark on that one but seeing the opening section be the same area with a bit of crazy cake poured all over it suddenly got me really nervous that the entire DLC is essentially that.