“We are born of the blood, made men by the blood, undone by the blood. Our eyes are yet to open. Fear the Old Blood!”
- Adage of The Old Hunters
In the spirit of Halloween, I’d like to take a moment to speak about something which is very near and dear to my heart. Whether you’re an avid gamer, a gothic fanatic, a horror enthusiast, or totally averse to spooky things altogether, I invite you to journey with me on a (somewhat late) review of what I believe to be the single greatest piece of gothic horror media created within the last two decades.
What Is Bloodborne?
For context, Bloodborne is an action-adventure horror game developed by Fromsoftware and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was released in the late spring of 2015 as a significant launch title for the PlayStation 4 console, and it immediately saw a great deal of commercial and pop-cultural success within the gaming sphere. Eight years later, it remains a persistent cult classic, and is still being played by fans and newcomers to this day.
The game is set within the sprawling fictional city of Yharnam, in which an endemic disease has spread through the local population and turned everyone into Victorian era monstrosities such as werewolves, vampires, mindless giants, and other things far too sinister to comprehend. You play the part of a hunter – a lone enforcer tasked with the dangerous profession of slaying beasts and restoring order to the streets. In seeking to cure yourself of the scourge of beasts, you make a pledge to find the truth and stem the hidden source of the illness. Only, too late do you realize that the city runs afoul with hidden plots of corrupt institutions and obscure supernatural forces that mean to alter the very course of humanity itself.
A Masterfully Stylized World of Mystery.
The story is a well-researched love letter to the gothic horror genre, displaying all the wonderfully dark and brooding things we enjoy about the Victorian era throughout each aesthetic and thematic element of the game. In the environment, we marvel at the Prague-like 19th century architecture, and gaze with curiosity at the state of ruin to which it has fallen.
The story is told indirectly through the shadowy surroundings, bone-chilling dialogue, and flavor text, giving the scraps of a great mystery yet to be pieced together. Suddenly, the strange statues begin to show you what they truly are, the cryptic words of strange characters begin to make sense, and the horrific truth finds its clarity. Bloodborne combines the clever execution of classic horror tropes with a unique style of storytelling that is rich with artistic and philosophical explorations of what it means to be human, what the limits of ethical science are, and what sort of things exist beyond the understanding of human knowledge. All of this draws the player toward an ever-growing desire to uncover the hidden secrets of a strange gothic world.
The Sounds of Terror.
Bloodborne’s soundtrack, in my opinion, is one of the absolute best in gaming history. With an incredibly talented team of composers and a professional London orchestra, Fromsoftware was able to craft an artistic feat of musical composition, filling the world of Yharnam with beautiful scores that range from melodious and eerie, to grandiose and awe-inspiring. The following video is a sample of their truly amazing work:
Gameplay, A Rewarding Challenge.
As a hunter, the object of the game is to hunt and slay monsters, and Bloodborne is not at all shy about living up to its name. The action-focused game play is fast, frantic, and yet at times can be strategic or even methodical. When you first encounter an enemy, you’re struck with a little anxiety, as you’ve yet to discover what they’re fully capable of. Even the weakest of beasts is still capable of surprising you, and so you have to remain wary. The fantastic boss battles – a trademark of all Fromsoftware games – are certainly difficult in the beginning, but with persistence and experimentation, you will eventually defeat your imposing foes and arise victorious. The challenging difficulty only adds to the satisfaction you feel for both surviving the encounter and growing more powerful as a result. The game is an incredible experience that will have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.
In Conclusion
Bloodborne is a masterpiece of game design, and rises to a level of artistic merit which is seldom seen in the industry. In a modern sea of par and mediocre entertainment, Bloodborne is one of the very few rare gems of truly excellent media.
This Halloween, I ask you to consider embarking with me on a journey into the dark. If you’re a fan of horror, or enjoy fun and fast-paced action games, then I know you will absolutely adore Bloodborne as much as both myself and the millions of other fans around the world who continue to explore the haunted streets of Yharnam.
Stop.Adding.Games.To.My.Neverending.List. I'm currently going through a "comfort phase" and replaying RDR2 and Far Cry 5 (I will not be discussing how many hours I have put in), but like others have commented Bloodborne sounds right up my alley!
I love horror movies so maybe I’d like horror video games. Great topic to choose. I really enjoyed learning about the game. Just in time for spooky season lol. Thank you for sharing your blog.
I'm a weenie about horror video games, but I do enjoy a good story (and a good soundtrack!) so you may have convinced me to hunt down a let's play series about it. I love the detail about the settings being inspired by real world architecture and what it adds to the atmosphere to see those places in ruins. It sounds like a lot of thought has gone into the world building so I'm sure they could have created something from whole cloth, but that's an interesting choice that would create a unique effect.
Bloodborne is one of the few Action adventure games I bought just becasue I really enjoyed it! In general I really love the gothic genre as a trope because its the catalyst for a-lot of modern horror but I feel like the developers executed it really well in terms of level design and how to all fits into the story.
This was an interesting read! I love video games (the more lore the better!) and this one seems eerie and dense and right up my alley. I appreciate you including the score; video game scores are some of the best out there, and when an orchestra can get the atmosphere just right it's all the more breathtaking and fun for me. I might have to give Bloodborne a try!