This game will always have a special place in my heart. I had only just heard about FromSoft’s games and thought Bloodborne would be a great place to start since it is a stand alone title. In hindsight that was a terrible move, because this is the toughest of the soulsborne games. But at least playing the dark souls trilogy afterwards was a bit easier.
Gameplay: Relentless Aggression in Yharnam
No shields, just trick weapons that transform mid-combo (Saw Cleaver? Chef’s kiss), a rally system rewarding risky dodges, and hyper-aggressive combat that punishes hesitation. Yharnam’s gothic streets brim with diverse beasts—rabid villagers, hulking brutes, crawling horrors—forcing constant vigilance. Exploration rewards: Scour architecture for lore scraps, blood echoes, and shortcuts while evading ambushes. Every corner hides peril or payoff, building to boss gates organically. It’s a thrill-ride of parries and visceral attacks that hooked me for hours.
Lore & Atmosphere: Environmental Storytelling Mastery
FromSoftware delivers the story through the world—no hand-holding, just tantalizing details in item descriptions, NPC whispers, and Yharnam’s blood-soaked spires. Lovecraftian dread permeates: Insight warps reality, Great Ones loom eldritch. Running these haunting halls, architecture aglow under lanterns, beasts howling? Pure immersion.
The Lovecraftian atmosphere, lore, and gameplay make this one of the greatest games of all time. The story is delivered as lore, leaving interpretation open to the community and FromSoft does an incredible job leaving details all around the gothic city of Yharnam for players to dissect. You will absolutely love running around and looking at the architecture while trying to not get devoured by the cities beasts. There is an awesome diversity of enemies to kill, while you explore and search for the next boss encounter. And the bosses in this game are pretty damn amazing.
Bosses: Legendary, Soul-Crushing Spectacles
The bosses are damn amazing—epic, multi-phase behemoths testing every skill. From Chalice Dungeons’ procedurals to base game’s icons, each demands adaptation. Mastering them? Satisfaction unmatched, every victory a haunting thrill after grueling hours.
The Old Hunters DLC: Absolutely Essential
Get the DLC with the base game—The Old Hunters (~10-15 hours) delivers some of FromSoft’s best content: New nightmare realm, killer weapons, and bosses that eclipse the main game. It elevates Bloodborne to perfection, adding lore depth and replay value. Non-negotiable for challengers.
Again, this is a game for people that are looking for a challenge. Mastering bloodborne gave me satisfaction I haven’t experienced from a game in a very long time, and every haunting hour was a total thrill. I highly recommend this game, 10/10. May the good blood guide your way.
Verdict: Hunt eternal. The pinnacle of soulsborne.