BloodBorne! First Impressions.

To Be or Not to Be

What's up everybody.  So by my guesstimation I'm just passed the half way point in Bloodborne. Newest hit by From Software games released one week ago today, well received by critics but certainly not for the casual player. From Software is the bully on the playground that actually has a lot of friends.  I'm a victim and failure of their previous game, Dark Souls 2 left me with a bloody nose on the playground.  I felt that the release of Bloodborne was in some way an opportunity for me to redeem myself.  A little nervous that it would be a lot of aggravation and very little fun I'm proud to say Its been a little aggravation, and a lot of fun.  If you decide to pick up this game, my advice is to stick with it passed the first main area which is 2 bosses in.  Around this time is when the game mechanics start to sink in, allowing you to move around this incredibly dangerous world with a little more ease.  The first few hours of the game certainly feels like walking on egg shells.

This game requires a very buddhist zen mind-set and lightning reflexes.  It's a game that teaches you how to beat your enemy by making you lose to them over and over until you've memorized their entire move-set and how to counter it.  As soon as one monster becomes an easy fight, a bigger badder one is waiting for you around the corner.  Every boss requires time to practice with a trial and error attitude, swapping out one strategy for another along with a few pieces of gear.  These bosses torment your mind the same way they torture your avatar.  You will fail many times over against these guys until you finally learn what works.  What comes next is the reason why people love this game.  After landing the final blow in a boss fight the words "Prey Slaughtered" sprawl across the screen.  It's the most rewarding, weight-lifting feeling I've gotten from playing a game.  Ever.

I do recommend playing this game with a guide handy, unless you plan on multiple play-throughs.  Reason being is there are multiple things you can/must do throughout the course of the game to unlock what's being called "The True Ending" in forums and wiki's.  If you accidentally or purposefully kill certain NPC's, make the wrong choices, or even advance past a certain point without doing certain things the "True Ending" will not be available to you.  Which really sucks given how hard it is to make progress in this game.  If you believe in salvation through suffering, or you just like pain, Bloodborne is your game.  I highly recommend it to anyone who thinks they can handle a truly difficult but highly rewarding experience.  A full review will be posted here when I manage to beat this game.  Give me a little time though cause this ones tough!