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bombshell · Mar 16, 2015

Much more at the links.

Eurogamer: Bloodborne's combat convinced me I don't need a sword and shield any more

Old habits are hard to break, especially when they're ones that kept you safe through trying times. When you walked through the Valley in the shadow of Drakes, when you descended into the toxic depths of Blighttown, and when you paced the gleaming ramparts of Anor Londo, the old sword and shield combo was a reliable fallback in Dark Souls. Block, slash, back off, wait. It was a mantra you repeated to yourself over and over, a song whose comforting words saw you through the darkest nights. Block, slash, back off, wait. Dark Souls' creator Hidetaka Miyazaki doesn't want you to get comfortable, which is why his latest title, PS4 exclusive Bloodborne, is taking that fallback away. And as suspected, learning to get by in a From Software game without relying on a sword and shield doesn't come easy - at least at first.

It's at this point that the difference in combat between Bloodborne and From Software's previous titles really becomes apparent. You move much faster, for starters, the dodge button enabling you to weave quickly, though sometimes clumsily, in and out and around several enemies at once. With a sword and shield combo in Souls, the instinct was to remain unmoved, allowing combatants to come to you while keeping your defences up and waiting patiently for the right time to attack. In Bloodborne, enemies come so thick and fast that this approach would be suicide, even before factoring in your lack of defensive equipment. Your foes are faster and smarter, too, and have a wide array of attacks. Some prod you with a pitchfork while their comrades call you an accursed beast and wave fire in your face to scare you off. Some drag their scythes along on the ground behind them as they patrol, filling the air with a horrible scraping sound as they screech across the cobblestones.

Gamespot: Taming the Beasts Lurking in Bloodborne's Chalice Dungeons

My usual reliance on brawn and bulk was the first Souls game inclination I had to unlearn. Flailing mutants and diseased rats needed to be vanquished, but there was no shield to hide behind. Instead, I wielded weapons in both hands, and could easily switch between two right-handed blades with the press of a button. In my left hand was a shotgun, which could do some damage from a moderate distance, but which (of course) provided more offensive power up close. I could also hold a torch aloft in place of my gun, which was a boon when the corridors darkened. (If you are worried that Bloodborne would make torches as pointless as they were in Dark Souls II's original release, you can rest your mind in that regard.) However, it was the blades, in tandem with my firearm, that saw the most onscreen action.

It was a tense and eerie gameplay session, with each new enemy crushing my soul as I gripped the controller. One creature--a looming skeletal arthropod--looked like an ancient fossil come to life, and several of them lobbed balls of fire towards me. It was a phenomenal sight and a challenging area, given that I had to deal with bell-ringers and other adversaries in addition to the fireball-spewing freaks. But once I learned to close the distance and flail away on the skittering things' tails, they weren't long for this world. And so it will go in the full game, I imagine: moving through the darkness and fog, and discovering new ways to destroy whatever gross brute stands in your path. We'll know soon enough--and I am already stocking up on anti-anxiety medicine in anticipation.

Kotaku UK: Where Dark Souls is About Death, Bloodborne is More About Killing

The rhythm and style of the combat is different, you see, even if it might look broadly similar. In Souls youre usually on the defensive - you walk into a room with your shield up and can take a few hits before reacting. That just does not happen in Bloodborne. You dont even have a shield. When something hits you, you have to hit back, and quickly, to regain health. My initial instinct was to dodge backwards and regroup after getting hit by some screaming madman with a cleaver, but after a while my mindset changed and I was lunging back aggressively with my own transforming cleaver after every blow I took. Its exceptionally aggressive and exciting and on-edge. Every single encounter feels like life or death, and it usually is.

Im not usually a fan of gore, or of horror, which made me nervous about Bloodborne - Im still not convinced that Ill be able to get through it mentally unscathed. This isnt dark fantasy any more. Its more gruesome than that. But its not gross-out - theres no viscera gushing from wounds, no gore-porn, nothing that made my nose wrinkle in disgust. Ive been scared and occasionally shocked by the things Ive seen so far in Bloodborne, but not repulsed. This shouldnt be surprising, really, as this is a Miyazaki game, and rarely has there been a game creator more devoted to aesthetic beauty - even if that beauty is also gruesome.

Gameplanet: Bloodborne hands-on

Combat is a touch faster than it is in the Souls games, but the basics are the same: lock on to the enemy of your choosing, avoid damage by jumping backwards or rolling to the side, and attack when you see an opening. Stamina management is all-important, and there are overhead smash and charge-up moves alongside the usual medium and heavy swings. Transforming your weapon does allow for extra range, and I imagine skilled players will thread transformations through long combos to keep enemies in reach.

The ways that Bloodborne is similar to any of the Souls titles appear to far outweigh the ways it differs. The setting has changed, but the mechanics and mystique of those towering predecessors loom large. Its hard to image this being much of a problem. Yet the game feels less mysterious and more accessible, although my death count says otherwise.

Perhaps its the absence of odd, dreamlike atmosphere of the Souls games, which at times felt like the game equivalents of the most extreme funhouse mirrors, but make no mistake there is foreboding for days here. We just never saw outside the city's walls and gazed in wonder at some bizarre clifftop construction or god-sized enemy.

NZ Gamer: Bloodborne Hands-On

Its difficult to call a game like Bloodborne beautiful, but the presentation lends the environments a great deal of verisimilitude. The game takes place in the city of Yharnam a town where Victorian and Gothic architecture collided to form narrow streets, and buildings composed of grey, lifeless stone. One word describes it perfectly: oppressive.

From the suffocating geometry, to the shambling residents and rabid dogs who want your blood, it all manages to get under your skin leaving you feeling incredibly vulnerable. The faceless NPCs (who were boarded up in their houses) also did very little to assuage my fears, with their off kilter dialogue and the distant, dreamlike quality of their voices.

PS Blog: Bloodborne Hands On

PS Vita Remote Play Impressions

Being a PS4 title, we naturally had questions about how Bloodbornes faster combat would translate to PS Vitas smaller form factor. I can happily report that FromSoftware has implemented various niceties that ensure a smooth transition from DualShock 4 to PS Vita, including a few clever re-mapping solutions:

After about five minutes of re-training my muscle memory, I was already dodging and counterattacking Bloodbornes nightmarish beasts with the same finesse and ferocity as I was managing while playing natively on PS4.

Please post other previews and I will try and update the OP with excerpts.

Man · Mar 16, 2015

Keep them coming! Sounds like everyone is excited about their experiences.

Drencrom · Mar 16, 2015

Turtles beware

Can't wait to get my ass handed to me

BY2K · Mar 16, 2015

Wait so... when are the reviews coming?

Alcoholikaust · Mar 16, 2015

sounds great. also hoping people will read these and get their expectations in check:it is not a new souls game. mechanics seem reversed favoring offense. outstanding.

GarciaHotspur · Mar 16, 2015

Everyone is hyepd for the game

Never read a mixed preview, GOTY there it is...

Scrawnton · Mar 16, 2015

Solidifying what I already know about the game. Can't wait.

bombshell · Mar 16, 2015

BY2K said:
Wait so... when are the reviews coming?

Monday, I think.

barit · Mar 16, 2015

Game will snap some awards this year that's for sure

Nabbis · Mar 16, 2015

Turtles can stay in DS. Never really understood that playstyle since it's so boring.

Ashler · Mar 16, 2015

I'm so freaking ready for this game... !

Nabbis said:
Turtles can stay in DS. Never really understood that playstyle since it's so boring.

You can guard break in DS2, that instantly solves that issue.

Kiko · Mar 16, 2015

Wow so many Bloodborne threads, can't have all of them on F5 haha

First impressions all look good, hope it can aquire some more players that are not in the Souls games yet, just due to the hype.

SolidSnakex · Mar 16, 2015

Kiko said:
Wow so many Bloodborne threads, can't have all of them on F5 haha

First impressions all look good, hope it can aquire some more players that are not in the Souls games yet, just due to the hype.

That definitely seems to be happening. In various Bloodborne threads you'll see people asking for feedback on how they should approach the game since they've never played a Souls game before.

Kenzodielocke · Mar 16, 2015

Review embargo will most likely lift one day before release, like every other playstation exclusive.

Script_Flipper · Mar 16, 2015

Not played DS before this. Looking forward to reviews. 30 fps is a bit concerning though for a game all about offense and fast paced action.

Respawn · Mar 16, 2015

Oh man that preview sounds so delicious. I'm going to love every moment. I hear a lot about weapons but what about the badass outfits? Surely some awesome gear is hidden somehwere? Keep the love coming my fellow gaffers.

Script_Flipper said:
Not played DS before this. Looking forward to reviews. 30 fps is a bit concerning though for a game all about offense and fast paced action.

Not sure if you just started posting or trying to start shit. There are very recent threads with actual combat vids of people playing and what they think. If you're so concerned go into those threads.

Drencrom · Mar 16, 2015

Alcoholikaust said:
sounds great. also hoping people will read these and get their expectations in check:it is not a new souls game. mechanics seem reversed favoring offense. outstanding.

I'd say that's kind of a substantial change that definitely makes it a "new souls game", which is a great thing. A big characteristic of the series is that it tries hard to not let players get too comfortable/confident.

Changing it up a bit and getting rid of crutches and cheap ways to get thru the game must be done to keep Souls veterans and new players alike not getting too comfortable and the games fresh.

Nabbis · Mar 16, 2015

SolidSnakex said:
That definitely seems to be happening. In various Bloodborne threads you'll see people asking for feedback on how they should approach the game since they've never played a Souls game before.

They should go in there and git gud. I don't believe that people can enjoy the game to it's full extent if they get any advice aside from emphasizing that the game is something of a dick. The level of accomplishment and "Oh, now i get it" in Souls games is something that many modern games lack.

Psycho_Mantis · Mar 16, 2015

RIP in pieces turtles and magic users

JimmyRustler · Mar 16, 2015

Preorder this game yesterday even though I promised myself to never do so after the Evil Within disaster...

Really hope From finally delivers the successor to Dark Souls I've been craving for ever since I finished it (play both Demons Souls and Dark Souls II but none of them could replicate the fun I had with Dark Souls).

hohoXD123 · Mar 16, 2015

Script_Flipper said:
Not played DS before this. Looking forward to reviews. 30 fps is a bit concerning though for a game all about offense and fast paced action.

I mean, it's going to be fast paced compared to a souls game but it's not exactly going to be like DMC or MGR. 30 fps isn't much to be concerned about, as long as it's locked.

wapplew · Mar 16, 2015

barit said:
Game will snap some awards this year that's for sure

In the year of Witcher 3? I'm not so sure.

Yoshichan · Mar 16, 2015

Wooooooooooow

UrbanRats · Mar 16, 2015

All this shield people talking about the combat changing.
DkS 1 and 2 (and Demon) were also pretty fast if you played Shieldless, something more and more players do anyway.

Krappadizzle · Mar 16, 2015

Awesome impressions. I've been playing Crysis on Delta difficulty and that had been helping to pass the time.

LFMartins86 · Mar 16, 2015

Kenzodielocke said:
Review embargo will most likely lift one day before release, like every other playstation exclusive.

I think it was mentioned somewhere that it would be up on the 19th.

BigDug13 · Mar 16, 2015

wapplew said:
In the year of Witcher 3? I'm not so sure.

You're not so sure that they will even get "some" awards? That's some unbelievable praise for Witcher 3 to sweep every single award that Bloodborne is eligible for.

Boogalogist · Mar 16, 2015

Previews are glowing. My anticipation is growing!

erawsd · Mar 16, 2015

Script_Flipper said:
Not played DS before this. Looking forward to reviews. 30 fps is a bit concerning though for a game all about offense and fast paced action.

I wouldnt say its concerning but after playing DS2 @60 this whole time, its gonna take some adjustment to go back to 30.

Respawn · Mar 16, 2015

wapplew said:
In the year of Witcher 3? I'm not so sure.

I'm not so sure if you're serious.

Cyborg · Mar 16, 2015

Previews are sounding great!

Script_Flipper · Mar 16, 2015

hohoXD123 said:
I mean, it's going to be fast paced compared to a souls game but it's not exactly going to be like DMC or MGR. 30 fps isn't much to be concerned about, as long as it's locked.

Interesting. As long as there isn't a ton of stuff I'm trying to do at once, like combos, I'll be game (I think).

Rymuth · Mar 16, 2015

As a proud Turtle, let me be the first to say--

"Meep!"

PoweredByHentai · Mar 16, 2015

wapplew said:
In the year of Witcher 3? I'm not so sure.

Fuck Witcher 3. I need my BLOODBORNE!

UrbanRats said:
All this shield people talking about the combat changing.
DkS 1 and 2 (and Demon) were also pretty fast if you played Shieldless, something more and more players do anyway.

Yeah, going with a great sword or dual swords is pretty satisfying in Demon's Souls.

I can't seem to get the feel for halberds right though but that might just be me.

razgriz417 · Mar 16, 2015

Wait so the preview embargo lifts today? When does the review embargo end?

Kaako · Mar 16, 2015

Psycho_Mantis said:
RIP in pieces turtles and magic users

Good riddance to them fools! I freaking love the aggressive combat stance that they're pushing for this game. Can't wait to wreck shit up like no other.

fedexpeon · Mar 16, 2015

wapplew said:
In the year of Witcher 3? I'm not so sure.

Eh? There is no way the W3 will win best combat or best action game if BB is in those categories.
Let's be honest, you and I probably like the Witcher series, but we all know the combat is mediocre like all the typical WRPG gameplay. Hell, even I think DA2 combat system was better than W2.

If BB is the next DS of this console generation, I don't know, it might sweep a lot awards because DS inspired and defined a genre that people always wanted in these easymode generations, and pubs are currently trying to copy DS success.

Kenzodielocke · Mar 16, 2015

wapplew said:
In the year of Witcher 3? I'm not so sure.

I don't think TW3 will be GotY. It will be MGSV because of the fanbase. Bloodborne's exclusivity will most likely result in being not GotY in most of the outlets.

ValfarHL · Mar 16, 2015

It's Monday, where's the reviews? I will buy it regardless, but it's always fun to see.

JediLink · Mar 16, 2015

Won't be getting a PS4 or Bloodborne for a while yet, so in honour of the new release I'll probably just do a shieldless Dark Souls run instead.

FullMetaltech · Mar 16, 2015

The anticipation to play this game already is killing me. Never played a Souls game before but from its the type of game i know i wont stop playing.

Maximo · Mar 16, 2015

Won't be getting a PS4 for awhile but man every now and then a game comes across that makes you think *This game was MADE for me*. Gonna be difficult not spoiling anything for myself until then.

Cyborg · Mar 16, 2015

Jedi Link said:
Won't be getting a PS4 or Bloodborne for a while yet, so in honour of the new release I'll probably just do a shieldless Dark Souls run instead.

Whahaha LoL

Despera · Mar 16, 2015

Gameplanet's preview

jurec84 · Mar 16, 2015

Kotaku UK http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2015/03/16/dark-souls-death-bloodborne-killing

The rhythm and style of the combat is different, you see, even if it might look broadly similar. In Souls youre usually on the defensive - you walk into a room with your shield up and can take a few hits before reacting. That just does not happen in Bloodborne. You dont even have a shield. When something hits you, you have to hit back, and quickly, to regain health. My initial instinct was to dodge backwards and regroup after getting hit by some screaming madman with a cleaver, but after a while my mindset changed and I was lunging back aggressively with my own transforming cleaver after every blow I took. Its exceptionally aggressive and exciting and on-edge. Every single encounter feels like life or death, and it usually is.

Im not usually a fan of gore, or of horror, which made me nervous about Bloodborne - Im still not convinced that Ill be able to get through it mentally unscathed. This isnt dark fantasy any more. Its more gruesome than that. But its not gross-out - theres no viscera gushing from wounds, no gore-porn, nothing that made my nose wrinkle in disgust. Ive been scared and occasionally shocked by the things Ive seen so far in Bloodborne, but not repulsed. This shouldnt be surprising, really, as this is a Miyazaki game, and rarely has there been a game creator more devoted to aesthetic beauty - even if that beauty is also gruesome.

Psycho_Mantis · Mar 16, 2015

Maximo said:
Won't be getting a PS4 for awhile but man every now and then a game comes across that makes you think *This game was MADE for me*. Gonna be difficult not spoiling anything for myself until then.

DS is too slow. Try Demons Souls with a longsword, no shield.

Rollo Tomasi · Mar 16, 2015

Wow these are some great impressions. Never played any of the Souls games so this will be my first foray. Like what I'm hearing so far!

bombshell · Mar 16, 2015

Despera said:
Gameplanet's preview

jurec84 said:
Kotaku UK http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2015/03/16/dark-souls-death-bloodborne-killing

Thanks.

Jimrpg · Mar 16, 2015

I remember the press used to complain that demons souls was too hard and they didn't understand it and that it was a horrible game. How times have changed.

Thornton Reed · Mar 16, 2015

bombshell said:
Monday, I think.

as in today?

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And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?

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