Bloodborne, the PlayStation 4 (PS4) exclusive and spiritual successor to the Soul’s franchise is creeping closer to its March release date. What we've seen so far indicate that Bloodborne could be one of the best games of 2015. With itssteep difficulty, it could resurrect a dying breed of gamers, the ones longing for a proper challenge. Unlike Souls, it offers co-op, for those who find the fight too daunting. As a PS4 exclusive, we can expect Bloodborne to be visually stunning, hauntingly beautiful.
Join me for a walk through Bloodborne's timeline. We will take a look at its gloomy birth, how it developed into a game bursting with promise, and why you should enter Yharnam to confront its horrors.
The birth of Bloodborne
- Director: Hidetaka Miyazaki
- Developer: From Software
- Publisher: Sony
Miyazaki started his career by developing games for the PlayStation 3 and is the father of the Souls franchise. Bloodbornewill be his debut PlayStation 4 title and fans can expect an unforgettable and bloodcurdling experience.
Miyazaki talks PS4
“The PS3, at that time, was revolutionary for introducing the network features and functionality, hence, that kind of explains why Demon's Souls and Dark Souls were designed in those ways. Now, fast forwarding to PS4, the Share feature is obviously adding onto that network connectivity and capability and the sharing of the experience. This is an area which plays a theme in Bloodborne where for example, sharing dungeons will be one of the key factors.” - Source
Japan Studio wanted to create a new game with Miyazaki and From Software, since the success of Demon’s Souls in Japan and other regions. The success of Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls were something From Software strived for since their first game, King’s Field. The company wanted to create games that "retain the core tenet of providing a sense of accomplishment." That "sense of accomplishment" is a trademark of From Software games, and the company confirmed in the development diary that the intend the tradition to continue for all future titles.
With Bloodborne From Software wanted to create a dark, gloomy game that continues in the footsteps of the Soulsfranchise with its brutal difficulty, unique environment, and above all else, victory over Death.
A robust character creation system
Bloodborne will feature a robust character creator system. Creating a character that fits a player’s style, and look has always been an important part of the Souls series of games. The game is taking it one step further with a deep and engaging system featuring a plethora of customization options.
In Bloodborne, there is a wealth of models for both female and male characters, sporting a ton of voices for both genders. Furthermore, players will be able to outfit their characters with detailed coats from the Victorian era, and players will even be able to choose from a selection of glasses. One of the most intriguing aspects for me is that of how character creation works. Instead of picking a starting class, Bloodborne has a feature where the player picks from a number of back-stories that will result in the creation of the kind of character a player wants to play.
Dare to enter Yharnam
As the player arrives in Yharnam at the start of the game, he/she receives a blood transfusion from a strange doctor. The procedure clouds the character’s memory, and instead of the desired effect of a cure from an illness, the protagonist receives a curse.
The only thing left for the player is to explore the abandoned city of Yharnam. The world is brimming with influences from history, from the aesthetics of Victorian London and a mysterious plague akin to that of the Black Plague, which ravaged Europe in the thirteenth century.
According to the latest story trailer, the protagonist is “The Hunter” and Yharnam has been his/her home in the past. Yharnam is the home of “Blood Illustration,” which I believe is a form of dark magic. Yharnam was overrun by “The Plague of Beasts”. Blood sustains the beasts inhabiting Yharnam as they attempt to quench their thirst.
The trailer echoes the "blood theme" with these eerie words, The blood makes us human, makes us human no more and makes us more than human”.
A city from the ashes of history
Miyazaki explains how he used real world history to design Yharna. “The short answer to your question is...not necessarily did I really study the history during my student years. However, it has always been an area of interest, naturally as you can see with my games.
One thing I'd like to emphasize is that because they are areas of interest, and because they have significant roles in human history, there isn't really a specific element that I'd like to pursue or I would like to connect to as an inspiration, specifically because if I did, I would dig too deep into that particular angle of history or incident, and it's more or less a hybrid. I touch these points lightly, intentionally.” - Source
The story, coupled with the emphasis on taking pages out of real world history books is intriguing. However, there is one thing that the Souls franchise and Bloodborne itself does better than any other game I have ever experienced; brutal, soul crushing difficulty.
Achieving that unique sense of accomplishment
Brutal difficulty has always been one of the most attractive parts of the Souls series. Bloodborne will continue that tradition and define a generation of gamers, and in my opinion resurrecting a dying breed that yearns for exceptionally challenging games.
As with the previous Souls games, Bloodborne is an action Role Playing Game (RPG). The game is more akin to that of a Demon’s Souls follow-up than Dark Souls, with a fast paced combat system and a Nexus-like hub world for players to explore.
When asked about the relation of Bloodborne to Demon’s Souls, Miyazaki states: “Just reflecting on your question and the history of my development...it carries the DNA. It carries the DNA of Demon's Souls and its very specific level design. And even in Bloodborne, the upper maps, the maps above ground, are all along the lines of Demon's Souls and very specifically designed.” – Source
Talking about the aggressive nature of the combat, Miyazaki comments:
“There are two reasons for this. I wanted to differentiate from the previous series and I wanted to consider the hunt your nightmare theme. Considering the hunt your nightmare theme and the massive challenges in the game, adding the speed element and proactive battles, I thought this was a better match for Bloodborne. I felt that by adding the faster paced proactive combat players would gain a sense of accomplishment by overcoming those battles.” – Source
On Bloodborne’s ries to Demon’s Souls
Between the ties to Sony, the faster combat, and the presence of a Nexus-like hub world, Bloodborne definitely feels like a follow-up to Demon’s Souls. When asked, Miyazaki told us, “Just reflecting on your question and the history of my development...tt carries the DNA. It carries the DNA of Demon's Souls and its very specific level design. And even in Bloodborne, the upper maps, the maps above ground, are all along the lines of Demon's Souls and very specifically designed.”
One new feature of Bloodborne that differentiates from the previous Souls games is that of the Chalice Dungeon. The area is procedurally generated, as the developers wanted an element of randomness to the game. However, once a Chalice Dungeon starts, players can lock it, meaning that they can go back over and over to learn the dungeon and finally overcome it.
PlayStation Blog explains:
“Chalice Dungeons add a ton of additional content and replay value to the depth and richness of the full game itself, and can even be uploaded for other people to try out. Share your dungeons with your friends, or go online to find new Chalice Dungeons to explore. Even after you master the game, discovering all of the secrets it has to offer, there will be new challenges awaiting you.” - Source
Although the Souls series of games have exceptional replay value already with New Game+ (which offers an even greater challenge), the feature is not confirmed for Bloodborne. Thankfully, the Chalice Dungeons are set to offer some additional gameplay value to From Software’s upcoming project.
On horror
What genre does Miyazaki consider the themes of Bloodborne to fall under? We asked if he was a big fan of horror, and his reply surprised us. “I'm not necessarily a fan of horror genre of movies or books. I do like reading in general but I'm not specific in terms of genres. If I had to call out a genre, I would say dark fantasy. I do like taking things in from text and letting my imagination explore and run with the stories. What you see is the full combination of a lot of those elements combined with the core theme of the game.”
On whether he’d ever tackle a lighter, more family-friendly tone in a video game, he smiled and replied, “It's funny you say that because I get asked this question quite frequently, and my answer to this has always been that I've always had an interest in doing something colorful or heartwarming, but no one believes me.”
“Admittedly, games like [Bloodborne], which are dark and somber, are kind of my expertise and that's what I go back to, those are my roots and probably something I'll continue doing. However, I've always had an interest in doing something that's more child-friendly or more colorful and lively. For example, games like PoPoLoCrois on PS1, Ico on PS2...those games stand out from my point of view, just as examples, of something I'd like to explore given the opportunities.”
Closing Thoughts
Bloodborne is only one month away from launch, as fans of the Souls games wait in anticipation. Every new detail I learn about the game sounds amazing and in the capable hands of From Software, I have no doubt it will be a smash hit.
Which aspect of Bloodborne are you most excited about? Do you think Bloodborne can create a new generation of gamers that yearn for increasingly difficult games? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
Release Dates:
- 24 March in North America
- 25 March in Europe
- 26 March in Japan
- 27 March in South Africa & UK
http://za.ign.com/bloodborne/88362/feature/inside-the-mind-of-bloodborne-and-dark-souls-creat
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