🌿Bloodborne

Bloodborne is my game of the century. It's my Roman empire. Have I played it? Yes, but I didn't get very far. That doesn't matter though, as I have played Bloodborne in its entirety vicariously through many other people's let's plays. 😅 I stopped because it was too scary to play alone. The sound effects legit creeped me out and I wasn't in the right headspace to git gud at the time. I'd buy a PC copy in a heartbeat though...!

Now, on to what I love about this game. Spoileration ahead.

Genius deceptive marketing

They really showed this game off as some sort of beast hunting adventure, keeping the cosmic horror stuff a total secret. Of course they would though, that's the big slow burn surprise. That use of restraint created unforgettable twists and turns for the players to experience. Once you progress to a certain point, things get...weird.

Score and sound effects

Easily, the best soundtrack of all FromSoft games, in my opinion. I've listened to the soundtrack a lot over the years and it gives me the chills every time. These songs are big, menacing, haunting, unique. One of my favorite tracks is the music for the Living Failures boss fight in the DLC, which was heavily influenced by Gustav Holst's "Mars." That video also has a lot of examples of his music influencing other video game music.

Then we have my favorite boss music, which seems to be on the more unique side. Of course it's Ludwig's dual theme songs. Not sure if there's anything out there that sounds like it.

I'm desensitized to horror in general but still get spooked playing scary games by myself. Bloodborne terrified me with its dreary plague-filled cityscapes combined with all the amazing sound effects (except for the crows). It's the sound of the wind, footsteps, distant yelling, screaming, maniacal laughing.

Cryptic story

Most of what people know about the lore had to be pieced together by the fans over the years. The cutscenes don't tell you much about what's going on in the world. You get bits and pieces from item descriptions and visual/design clues. My favorite slow burn is Ludwig's story. The way he's mentioned those few times in the base game makes his appearance in the DLC so satisfying. Things just came full circle. There's sooo much that can be extrapolated from any one seemingly innocuous encounter or item find. Anyway, I think the overall message of the game is that it's probably a bad idea to inject yourself with magical healing mystery blood handed out by a religious institution.

Meticulous design and atmosphere

The art direction is just timeless, and the graphics still hold up to this day. Gothic streets and cathedrals with so much attention to detail. To anyone not familiar with the game, all of the locations might look the same, but they really aren't. Each area is drab and depressing but has its own distinct qualities. The School of Mensis is WILD, and then there's the Brain of Mensis? Who comes up with this stuff? Cainhurst Castle has such a different feel too.

The fits and weapons

I've never seen a game do this style in such a cool way. The pointy hats, flowy capes, accessories, transforming weapons. I remember seeing the Abyss Watchers in Dark Souls III and entering the Academy of Raya Lucaria in Elden Ring and going ↓

Why Sony does Bloodborne dirty

Unfortunately, Sony owns the game. Rereleasing this game would sell more than enough copies to make it worthwhile, but they're keeping it in jail. I don't get the console exclusive theory because they put Horizon and other Sony games on the PC... Unless they're saving it for the next PS console? Give the people what they want.