Bloodborne

[Hero-of-Time]

I took my first steps into the world of the Souls games last night.

 

It begins....

 

I'm not gonna lie, the opening cutscene freaked the hell out of me, especially those little messenger type creatures crawling all over my body. I don't do horror movies, because i'm a wuss, so this doesn't bode well for me.

 

I decided to pick the cleaver and the pistol as my starting weapons. I have no idea if there was a right or wrong way to go with the weapon selection but I quite liked the look of these two.

 

I made my way to the first lamp without any issues and then I jumped out of my skin soon after when a guy came crashing through the boxes! I quickly took care of him and down the steps I went only to find bunch of enemies walking down the street. I managed to take care of these with ease but then got jumped by a sneaky guy hiding behind the corner. This is where I started to learn how this game is going to play out.

 

I died at that spot I mentioned and during my next run through the area I started to take things a little slowly and scope the areas out. I knew where the guys were who were waiting to get the jump on me and quickly sliced them up. I then moved slowly towards down the street and jump a set of stairs. I spun the camera to see another guy waiting to jump me but I got the jump on him.

 

After killing all of these enemies I made my way back to the lamp and bought myself some new gear. I was surprised to see that enemies respawn when you do this but given how I had learned the locations of where they were now hiding and that I had better armour I quickly made it back to where I left off.

 

There was a massive amount of enemies kicking around a bonfire so I done my best to lure them away one by one and try to funnel them into a narrow passage. I placed myself behind a broken carriage to try and get the drop on them, which worked nicely.

 

After clearing that area I moved on and seen there were a couple of ways I could take. I ended up dropping down a ledge that had a bunch of dogs in cages and a few of them had gotten loose. I beat them with ease and moved to an area that had a couple big troll like enemies. These things could really do some damage and I spent the first part of the fight just dodging and circling them to try and find an opening and learn their attacks. After that I managed to come across a locked gate. I was overjoyed to find this was a shortcut that led back to the lamp.

 

At the lamp I went and bought the best gear I could and stocked up on a few blood vials before heading back out.

 

I came across a house/mansion and inside I got jumped on numerous times! I was trying to be careful but things kept popping out of the shadows. Despite taking some damage, I did make it through the house but then found 2 werewolves waiting at the top of the stairs for me. I tried taking them on and I manged to kill one of them but the other gone got the better of me.

 

I headed back to the house and to the top of the stairs. I just ran past most of the enemies and decide to go left this time and avoid the wolves. There were some weird raven/crow type things on the floor and another troll waiting for me. I threw my last molotov at them and managed to burn them all as a group. The troll still needed a few slashes but nothing major.

 

I moved on and the first boss arrived. I wasn't really prepared and tried to leg it but I see the incorporates the Devil May Cry style setup and blocks you off. I thought " To hell with it!" and just charged at the thing.

 

The beast wasn't that fast and was tall enough for me to try and stay under it's legs. It had a bit of a reach so I really tried to stay close and behind it. I feel I was getting hits in to some weak spot because blood was gushing out and he was staggered for a bit. After some dodging and hacking away I toppled the beast.

 

Victory!

 

I was chuffed to bits that I had taken him down on my first attempt. For you Souls veterans this was probably a non achievement and not even worth talking about but this is my first Souls game and was very happy with the result.

 

I activated the lamp straight away, found I could level up, points some points into Strength, Evade/Stamina (whatever its called) and then called it a night.

 

 

 

I'm very happy with what i've seen so far. I'm a big Monster Hunter fan and it honestly feels like i'm playing that. The game shares a few things with that series in that you have to have patience, watch the enemy movements and learn what the tells are. It's certainly something that I can appreciate.

 

I have a long way to go in terms of my attacking. At the moment i'm just dodging and rolling and I keep forgetting I have a gun to use that could potentially stagger enemies and leave them open. I will have to try a little harder to utilise this.

 

I love the risk/reward system. Getting hit and then deciding to back off and take the damage or keep attacking to recover is a great thing. There were a few times when I should have backed off but pushed forward, got the hit and kill and then recovered a good portion of my life.

 

I died a few times last night but being sent back to a spot and having all the enemies respawn didn't bother me at all. The fact that I knew my blood/souls were waiting for me at the point where I died was motivation enough to go and fight my way back to them. Every time I died and went back through the area I learned a little something. Whether it was an enemy placement or the way they attack, each time I was making my way back to where I died I was getting there faster and faster.

 

It's very early days and I have no doubt I will hit a brick wall at some point but I really enjoyed my session on this last night. I'm looking forward to seeing how I progress over the weekend on this...

[Sheikah]

Excellent read! Very glad you're enjoying it - such a fun game when you get into it.

[Shorty]

So glad you jumping into this series @Hero\-of\-Time. Any serious gamer must give them a look as there's really nothing else like it

[Daft]

Sounds like you're a natural, tbh. I found the first boss one of the more challenging ones. Although, having said that I did start my New Game+ last night and did the first two bosses in a row so I'm definitely better than when I first started.

 

I'll be interested to see how Dark Souls III differs. I've only played Demons' Souls before it.

[The Bard]

@Hero\-of\-Time Literally stunned that you managed that first area so easily. That was a huge learning experience for me because I died there maybe a good thirty times, either at or on the way to the boss. But you learn the systems, become a little more cautious and observant and get the hang of what the game expects from you. Found the rest of the game to be a great balance between challenge and gratification. Let us know how you get on with Gascoigne and Amelia.

[Shorty]

@Hero-of-Time Literally stunned that you managed that first area so easily. That was a huge learning experience for me because I died there maybe a good thirty times, either at or on the way to the boss. But you learn the systems, become a little more cautious and observant and get the hang of what the game expects from you. Found the rest of the game to be a great balance between challenge and gratification. Let us know how you get on with Gascoigne and Amelia.

The thing with Souls games is most of the time you can proceed fairly smoothly if you just exercise a certain amount of patience and caution. If you let frustration get to you and keep rushing in you can just get worse and worse. Sometimes the amount of patience needed to safely get past any fight (like running away from some beast and waiting til they lose aggro or something) doesn't feel worth it, instead you might challenge yourself to a quick counter/parry to end it quickly. Then even if that works, it was a gamble that maybe left you open to another attack.

 

However, I imagine if you had immense patience and a careful playstyle right from the start, you could survive a lot longer.

[Sheikah]

At least in Dark Souls 3 there are so many enemies placed in ambushes that I literally had no clue about until they appeared (even climbing over the edge of railing or literally seeming to spawn in). For me, the knowledge of enemy placements and weaknesses has always been my greatest strength second time round!

[The Bard]

The thing with Souls games is most of the time you can proceed fairly smoothly if you just exercise a certain amount of patience and caution. If you let frustration get to you and keep rushing in you can just get worse and worse. Sometimes the amount of patience needed to safely get past any fight (like running away from some beast and waiting til they lose aggro or something) doesn't feel worth it, instead you might challenge yourself to a quick counter/parry to end it quickly. Then even if that works, it was a gamble that maybe left you open to another attack.

 

However, I imagine if you had immense patience and a careful playstyle right from the start, you could survive a lot longer.

 

Of course, but it's pretty much because every other game seems so intent on leading all horses to water and leaving nobody behind, that when you start you expect it here as well. It's a really old school mentality, except it never feels cheap because it wasn't created like an arcade game to create bottlenecks where you'd die and be forced to put more coins in. I kind of think of the Souls games as pretty much the same thing as learning a song by ear - you figure out all the notes that comprise a string of bars, learn out how to play them in sequence and when you're done you move on to the next set. Eventually you get good enough at your instrument that you can sight read. I donno, maybe that's dumb, but I get the same sort of satisfaction from both.

[Blade]

I am keen to try the game but after reading the above posts rather than sounding fun it sounds like a frustrating and difficult game.

[Hero-of-Time]

@Hero\-of\-Time Literally stunned that you managed that first area so easily.

 

Thanks! I feel so proud now.

 

Honestly, I think it has a lot to do with me playing the Monster Hunter series all these years. It teaches you patience, to learn the attack patterns and to manage your inventory mid battle. The series has gotten easier ( the original PS2 game was quite challenging ) to try and make it appeal to more people but it's still very much the same game at it's core. If you charge in then you will get killed. I just tried to apply the same principles when playing this last night.

 

I'm going to get in from work and now get butchered on the game, aren't I?

 

I am keen to try the game but after reading the above posts rather than sounding fun it sounds like a frustrating and difficult game.

 

I guess the fun comes from the sense of achievement that is gained when you take down a boss or make progress in an area. You've played the MH games with me and you know just how satisfying it is to finally take down a big beastie after being stuck on it for a while. It's the same thing here.

[Sheikah]

I am keen to try the game but after reading the above posts rather than sounding fun it sounds like a frustrating and difficult game.

 

Nah, don't let us put you off. It is a series to be experienced and in terms of gameplay you really can't get much better. The beginning segments are usually tougher than the rest of the game but about a third of the way through you will really feel like everything clicks. It is great fun from start to finish.

[Deathjam]

I really want to read the next chapter in the @Hero\-of\-Time adventures!

 

Think you are a natural though. I have played demon souls, dark souls 1, and monster hunter but still really struggled in the first section of bloodborne till it finally clicked.

[Sheikah]

I think for people familiar with Souls, Bloodborne in some ways required you to break quite a few habits (in Souls games you walk about a bit like a tortoise with a shield raised). In Bloodborne you have no shield so need to be a lot more fluid and dodge attacks more than block. Going into Bloodborne fresh might be quite cool as there's no mentality to break heading in.

[RedShell]

I'm very happy with what i've seen so far. I'm a big Monster Hunter fan and it honestly feels like i'm playing that. The game shares a few things with that series in that you have to have patience, watch the enemy movements and learn what the tells are. It's certainly something that I can appreciate.

I remember thinking exactly the same when I started playing Dark Souls II.

Anyway, glad to hear you're enjoying this.

 

Also received my copy of Bloodborne from ShopTo the other day, planning to make a start on it tonight!

[Hero-of-Time]

I really want to read the next chapter in the @Hero\-of\-Time adventures!

 

Haha. I doubt i'll be doing a play by play diary. I just wanted to give you guys a taste of what my first experience of a Souls game was like.

 

Also received my copy of Bloodborne from ShopTo the other day, planning to make a start on it tonight!

 

Nice.

 

Did you also snap up the GOTY edition?

[RedShell]

Nice.

 

Did you also snap up the GOTY edition?

Yep, that latest deal was just too tempting.

[Deathjam]

I think for people familiar with Souls, Bloodborne in some ways required you to break quite a few habits (in Souls games you walk about a bit like a tortoise with a shield raised). In Bloodborne you have no shield so need to be a lot more fluid and dodge attacks more than block. Going into Bloodborne fresh might be quite cool as there's no mentality to break heading in.

 

I actually much prefer the way the combat is built in bloodborne compared to dark souls and even demon souls. I am currently attempting to play darks souls 1 from the start (thank you GFWL for locking me away from my previous saves) with this style as I never did finish it but I was never as confident with DS1 as I got with Bloodborne.

 

When I eventually pick up DS3, I would be really good if I could transfer over this sort of style. I just wish the dodge animation was the same as it is in BB.

[Sheikah]

I actually much prefer the way the combat is built in bloodborne compared to dark souls and even demon souls. I am currently attempting to play darks souls 1 from the start (thank you GFWL for locking me away from my previous saves) with this style as I never did finish it but I was never as confident with DS1 as I got with Bloodborne.

 

When I eventually pick up DS3, I would be really good if I could transfer over this sort of style. I just wish the dodge animation was the same as it is in BB.

 

I think trick weapons were great - it was like having a heavy and a light weapon equipped in one. Shame to see they weren't incorporated in Dark Souls sequels.

 

But yeah, Bloodborne was ace - felt really quite different (in style as well - very gothic). A very neat spin on the Souls formula.

Edited April 15, 2016 by Sheikah

[Fierce_LiNk]

I am keen to try the game but after reading the above posts rather than sounding fun it sounds like a frustrating and difficult game.

 

Just fucking play it already.

 

I'll even lend you the game if you want. If you're not sure about buying it. Just make sure you play it. Also please send it back please.

 

Glad you're enjoying it, @Hero\-of\-Time. Can't believe you just strolled past the first boss and everything up to it. I know I'm quite shit at games, but that just depresses me. R U Zeus, brah?

[Hero-of-Time]

Glad you're enjoying it, @Hero\-of\-Time. Can't believe you just strolled past the first boss and everything up to it. I know I'm quite shit at games, but that just depresses me. R U Zeus, brah?

 

Don't worry, Gazza give me a good beating....he's now dead.

 

I decided to have a snoop around a few areas I walked by yesterday. I somehow ended up walking around in the sewers fighting giant rats! I did find a new armour set in there though so it wasn't all bad.

 

I had enough points to buy the Kirkhammer and was surprised to see it was a sword. Something didn't seem right and then I remembered you could switch your weapon. Doh! All this time I had been using my cleaver in short range mode.

 

I made my way across a large bridge but this took me a few attempts. Eventually I just ran halfway across, pegged it back, climbed down the ladder and let the flaming boulder take care of business.

 

At the other end of the bridge I noticed a set of ladders, so I decided to go down them. At the bottom was some kind of demonic pig! What the hell?! I took care of it and got a fair bit of blood echoes as my reward.

 

I headed back up and then went into the graveyard. Once again I wasn't really prepped for the fight but gave it my best shot anyway. He butchered me. Luckily I had found the elevator shortcut and headed straight back to him. After a fair few attempts I managed to get his timing down. I lured him to the top of the stairs where he was out in the open and proceeded to counter his moves, leaving him wide open for a big attack. I wasn't prepared for the next part.

 

I thought the fight was nearly over, only to find he has a second form! I tried my best to keep moving but he killed me again.

 

I was now ready for whatever he threw at me so I headed back. After a bit of dodging, countering and stabbing, Gazza had fallen!

 

 

TLDR: I beat Gazza.

[Hero-of-Time]

I've had a good session on this today. I've made my way through various areas, learned how to level up weaponry, took on a few hunters ( one was with the help of some wifey ) and kicked a boss all over.

 

I took down Vicar Amelia. It took me 3 tries to do so but it wasn't that hard of a fight. It felt very much like the first boss in that as long as I stayed behind the beast and attacked it's legs then minimal damage was done to my hunter.

 

I possibly could have beaten the thing on my first go but it backed off and used some kind of healing move. Strangely it never used this during the fight where I actually beat it.

 

 

Is it just me or are the smaller enemies harder to deal with than the larger ones? The giants kicking about the church area are so easy to read. It's crazy how many blood echoes they dish out considering how easy they are. Same goes for the guys with the canes and the ones carrying huge crosses/bits of wood. A quick gun shot parry and then a visceral attack drops them stupidly fast.

 

Still enjoying it a lot. Just charging my pad and then watching the footy before I head back on.

 

How you finding it @RedShell? Noticed you were playing it earlier.

[RedShell]

How you finding it @RedShell? Noticed you were playing it earlier.

Difficult. Bloody difficult.

 

Yeah, it seems playing through Dark Souls II wasn't enough to prepare me for Bloodborne, and I've been dying... a lot.

Really wasn't expecting such aggressive enemies so early on! From what I remember of DSII, most of the early enemies were pretty slow and dumb, but here they all seem to be highly energetic psychopaths!

 

Also, I had no idea they could steal your souls! I went back looking for the bloodstain where I died, was running around like a nutter thinking "I know it was here, where the hell is it!?" and got killed all over again in the process.

 

But anyway, slowly but surely it's starting to click. I managed to defeat the first boss earlier, and am currently trying to defeat Paul Gascoigne so far with very little success.

Do you know if there's supposed to be a checkpoint near him?

 

BTW, anyone know if there's something up with the storage box in this game? I put some blood vials and silver bullets in there, and when I went back later, they had vanished!

It's actually happened quite a few times now, I've even got a video saved where I clearly put stuff in the box, and then later on those items aren't there.

Glitch, or is it just another way of the game messing with you?

 

Other than that, I've really been enjoying the game. The presentation is amazing, and the sound design is superb. Actually, the directional sound has already saved me a few times, like here, where one of those mutts was sneaking around:

 

 

I heard the snarling/footsteps coming from behind me, rotated the camera and took him by surprise instead! :awesome: Just about.

It can also have the opposite effect though, as there are a lot of random ambient noises to be heard from all directions, which really does mess with your mind.

Love it!

[Hero-of-Time]

@RedShell The nearest shortcut I found for Gazza was the elevator. I would spawn at the second spawn/lamp point, go left and down the stairs, run past the 2 ogre things and jump in the elevator. I would then set off the giant rolling ball, run back and climb the ladder so the fireball would hit the enemies and then cross the bridge and run to Gazza.

 

Hopefully that makes some sense.

[RedShell]

@RedShell The nearest shortcut I found for Gazza was the elevator. I would spawn at the second spawn/lamp point, go left and down the stairs, run past the 2 ogre things and jump in the elevator. I would then set off the giant rolling ball, run back and climb the ladder so the fireball would hit the enemies and then cross the bridge and run to Gazza.

 

Hopefully that makes some sense.

Cheers. Yeah I completely forgot about that elevator, made use of it on the last few attempts though, and finally defeated Gazza!

 

*EDIT*

Oh, and to add to the storage box mystery, when I checked it after that boss fight, some of the blood vials I'd stored had once again disappeared, but this time I also suddenly had 40+ bullets in there when there should've only been around 20. WTF?

Edited April 16, 2016 by RedShell

[Hero-of-Time]

Congrats on beating him, @RedShell! He's the one that's gave me the most trouble so far. After him it's been pretty much smooth sailing, at least for now.....

 

I've made some more progress and fought 2 more bosses ( Blood Starved Beast and Witch ), killing them both first time! My nephew couldn't believe it as he said he had to summon help to beat the Blood Starved Beast.

 

I'm still rocking my trusty old cleaver due to me finding the Kirkhammer too slow. I've slowly been levelling it up but I need to find some more twin stones to progress it any further.

 

@RedShell I forgot to mention the storage issue.

 

If you have a full amount of the items already ( bullets and blood vials ) and then pick some up off an enemy, they get sent straight to your box. If you visit the Hunters Dream area anytime when you haven't got a full amount in you then the game automatically fills up your inventory without you having to visit the box.

 

All the items you put in there are actually getting used by you without you knowing it. At least I think that's how it works. If any of the veterans of the series are reading the topic feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.