Bloodborne - What am I missing?

[Zatoichi.uK]

I quite liked it visually and even game-play wise. I especially like tough games but didn't get on with what made the game 'hard'. For me it was an exercise in frustration spending a large amount of time getting back to the point where I last died. That just really put me off.

Super meat boy on the other hand I spent 100s of hours on and completed even the dark worlds. When dying on that however you immediately started again and levels took around a minute or so to finish. Different strokes I guess.

 

[ttaskmaster]

Am I missing something here? This has to be literally the most over-rated game I think I've ever played in my 25 years as a gamer.

As mentioned, different games for different people.
I hate anything where people use massive swords that make the game look like comedy-LARPing, for example, yet many such titles win stacks of praise and awards.
I guess it's just not your kind of game.

 

[iv-tecman]

I thought the game looked visually impressive for what its setting. Very dark and moody and had a sense of disease and suffering. The world was certainly very ill looking and they did a good job of making it look truly awful. The frame pacing didn't bother me either.

I did however give up as I ran out of talent with the game. It was hard no doubt. The lore was great, and I wish I could have beaten more bosses to see the story unfold more and learn more of the lore. I did use the beckoning bell I few times,- but in the end I couldn't even reach a boss without help so decided the game as much as I liked the setting and lore simply wasn't for me.

I guess I'm too old for challenging games and just moved on. Which was a shame. The game had so many secrets and paths to take.

 

[mid_gen]

Not angry at the game, I just don't like it I've never played a game that has such high praise from so many people that I've utterly failed to find anything good to say about, real marmite I guess.

Horizon Zero Dawn on the other hand, even with the silly rolling around combat, absolutely love it.

 

[BAcon]

I guess marmite is the best way of describing the FROM Software stuff, one of my brothers fell in love with it the same as me, my other brother however won't entertain it at all.

Horses for courses I guess

 

[Drunzer]

The combat is simplistic and cheap. The controls are sluggish and unresponsive.

Bloodborne is one of my favourite games of all time, probably lands in my top 3 I just absolutely adore it. With that being said I can certainly appreciate that the game isn't for everybody, it was never designed to be. Most of the things you said I kind of nodded and thought you know what that's fair enough, different games for different people etc but to say the combat is simplistic and cheap? The controls are unresponsive? I'm sorry, I just don't understand that. I find it to be one of the most fluid combat systems I've ever had the pleasure of playing, Bloodborne PvP is so enjoyable. From an execution perspective I suppose the combat is simple but Bloodborne is all about spacing, timing and looking for openings. I'm not having a go, I just think there's a lot more happening beneath the surface than you may realize.

 

[Noxia]

I tried to play DS on the PS3 and never really got into it for reasons I cannot recall, think I just didn't understand a lot of the mechanics. I tried Bloodborne anyway and got really hooked, I think I preferred the faster combat and as no shield I wasn't tempted to walk everywhere with it up. Bosses I found too hard so I got help (only did 3) and then I went on Holiday and the Witcher came out so never went back to it but I really want to.
It didn't bother me with the dying etc as I could feel myself making progress. What bothers me is that I could miss half the game as there is little guidance.

 

[Warbie]

Simplistic and cheap combat, awful controls, terrible camera/lock-on and laggy performance.

Incorrect, what you're looking for is deep and measured. Although to the novice it can be hard to spot the difference.

 

[McBain]

One thing Bloodborne is missing, which I never realised until I played the DS games, is magic. Blood doesn't really work, or at least I didn't find a build that did. The gun was purely for parry.

When you play DS1/2/3 the build options are much greater imo, playing a magic/lightning and strength build for example is absolutely awesome!

I guess in Bloodborne's defense it wouldn't really suit the setting to have spells flying around.

 

[cheesyboy]

Yeah, build options are interesting, but a bit mystifying, in DS.

As said, I'm a novice, with ~18 hours in DS1. I've only just started to realise what I should be doing with my Bandit class wrt upgrading stats. And have no idea about magic or miracles. I could do with more gaming time to explore that side of it, really, but with only ~5-10 hours per month, I'll just have to stick with the path I'm on

 

[McBain]

Your best bet is to just stick with a pure DEX/STR (depending on the weapon you like) build on the first play through imo, then on NG+ mix it up.

One thing I never bothered with was a shield, all about the fast roll!

 

[Noxia]

Another thing I find amazing is how much lore players seem to piece together. I miss most the stuff and yet the game is steeped in it.

 

[BAcon]

Yeah, build options are interesting, but a bit mystifying, in DS.

As said, I'm a novice, with ~18 hours in DS1. I've only just started to realise what I should be doing with my Bandit class wrt upgrading stats. And have no idea about magic or miracles. I could do with more gaming time to explore that side of it, really, but with only ~5-10 hours per month, I'll just have to stick with the path I'm on

Don't be too hung up on your starting class, it merely governs your starting stats and first weapons (If you are worried about min/maxxing your build then once you know what you want you could start again with a more specific starting class), a bandit is a good one though.
Like McBain suggests, make a dex/str build to begin with, with a decent amount of endurance and vitality, don't go beyond the soft caps for each skill (google it, basically after so much investment in a stat you start to get diminishing returns). Don't touch resistance, unless you are dying to try spells also leave out attunement, faith and int.

 

[BAcon]

I tried to play DS on the PS3 and never really got into it for reasons I cannot recall, think I just didn't understand a lot of the mechanics. I tried Bloodborne anyway and got really hooked, I think I preferred the faster combat and as no shield I wasn't tempted to walk everywhere with it up. Bosses I found too hard so I got help (only did 3) and then I went on Holiday and the Witcher came out so never went back to it but I really want to.
It didn't bother me with the dying etc as I could feel myself making progress. What bothers me is that I could miss half the game as there is little guidance.

I personally couldn't stand the Witcher 3, after playing dark souls/bloodborne the combat on that just felt awful. I sold it a day or so later, shame as I hear the rest of the game is rather good.

 

[Noxia]

I personally couldn't stand the Witcher 3, after playing dark souls/bloodborne the combat on that just felt awful. I sold it a day or so later, shame as I hear the rest of the game is rather good.

Combat wasn't great no. Didn't actually ever finish it but the story telling was tops.

 

[Warbie]

Same here. I put a good 30 hrs into the Witcher 3 and enjoyed a great deal of it, but the combat was very dull and paint by no.s. It's a shame as, from what I've been told, the story gets better and better. The the detail in the world and characters was stunning and the Baron's story is a recent gaming highlight for me. It just became a chore to play and got sidelined. Bloodborne and the Souls games are the opposite - barren, almost sparse worlds (not a criticism - it adds to the trippy fever dream atmosphere), but there's oddles to the action. Much of it is learning the game mechanics and hindsight progress, but is no less satisfying for that.

 

[Drunzer]

One thing Bloodborne is missing, which I never realised until I played the DS games, is magic. Blood doesn't really work, or at least I didn't find a build that did. The gun was purely for parry.

When you play DS1/2/3 the build options are much greater imo, playing a magic/lightning and strength build for example is absolutely awesome!

I guess in Bloodborne's defense it wouldn't really suit the setting to have spells flying around.

but would you not be better using Arcane rather than Bloodtinge if you're after a magic type build? I really enjoyed my Arcane build for Bloodborne. Augur of Ebrietas, Blacksky Eye, Choir Bell, Executioner's Gloves and Old Hunter Bone are all really nice spells. Don't even get me started on the Logarius Wheel lol, there's nothing quite as satisfying as smashing enemies to a pulp with a giant wheel.

 

[McBain]

but would you not be better using Arcane rather than Bloodtinge if you're after a magic type build? I really enjoyed my Arcane build for Bloodborne. Augur of Ebrietas, Blacksky Eye, Choir Bell, Executioner's Gloves and Old Hunter Bone are all really nice spells. Don't even get me started on the Logarius Wheel lol, there's nothing quite as satisfying as smashing enemies to a pulp with a giant wheel.

Yes probably, I was talking more along the number of spells. The DS series have so many variations that mix with different builds.

Saying that I didn't build a magic based character until NG+ on DS2 so if I went back to BB I might go that way, I think I ended on around NG+7 though so i've had my game plays worth out of it!

 

[Drunzer]

Well that is true. Between miracles, hexes and spells Dark Souls does have more in terms of magic but I really do think magic has a place in Bloodborne as well. All this talk has me wanting to go back, I never did a Bloodtinge build and there was this really cool weapon in the DLC I believe it scaled with strength and bloodtinge, big spiky club looking thing the name escapes me but I always wanted to try it.

 

[Plainsong]

You're making me want to go buy it again but I need to finish Scholar of The First Sin first!