Everything You Need to Know About Bloodborne Before Launch

The PlayStation 4-exclusive role-playing game Bloodborne will be released worldwide next week. The game is being made by From Software, with director Hidetaka Miyazaki returning with the Dark Souls team to lead development. Like the Souls games, Bloodborne strives to be challenging, but will introduce the ability to attack foes with firearms.

While Bloodborne does sport many similarities to the Souls games, it differentiates itself with a regain system that encourages a more aggressive play style.

"As you receive damage from enemies, your health bar depletes. If you play defensively and back off, that health is lost forever. But in Bloodborne, you can actually claw that health back by launching a well-timed counter attack."

The game will offer procedurally generated challenges in the form of the Chalice Dungeon feature.

GameSpot's Kevin VanOrd faced some grisly fiends in a Chalice Dungeon which had him "yelling out in terror." He might have encountered monsters like these.

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Or these.

Bloodborne will also offer co-operative multiplayer and player-vs-player modes. Users will be able to search for other players or choose to host their own game for random people to join. Players become vulnerable to invasions if they've started a co-operative session.

A New Game Plus feature will be unlocked in Bloodborne after completing its campaign for the first time. Be warned however, that even the From Software team struggled with it.

“Yes, there will be a New Game Plus mode. We’re having trouble beating it, though," -- Bloodborne director Hidetaka Miyazaki.

Sony has announced a Nightmare Edition of the game available for pre-order in Europe, which comes with the following for €119.99:

• Bloodborne PS4 game
• SteelBook case
• Premium art book with exclusive concept art
• Digital soundtrack of the game
• Bloodborne gothic notebook
• Quill & red ink set
• "Top Hat" Messenger skin
• Bell trinket

For those based in Denmark, Sony is also rolling out a promotion which allows people to donate blood in exchange for a free copy of Bloodborne.

Finally, Sony has confirmed that Bloodborne will get a day one update which will optimise online play and performance.