Bloodborne: Dripping In Richness
I played Bloodborne a few years ago and, like many others, didn’t get all too far into its campaign. Its brutal difficulty required time. Time to learn how the game works, how it functions, how not to get destroyed. And so, I shipped it back to GameFly and didn’t look back. However, in late-2017, I kept coming across comments and reviews claiming its brilliance was not to be missed. Hmmmm…
And the wait began for a sale. It was $8 a while back but I missed that. However, a $14 GotY-edition sale hit and I decided to jump back in. And immediately I got pummeled. Its difficulty has not been overrated.
As the arduous path leads you towards accomplishment, I reveled in the game’s incredible art design. Lurking around every corner is wondrous attention to detail and grim, macabre backdrops. Every enemy demands respect, as even the earlier ones can end your hunt prematurely. While the Souls games have been widely heralded as classics, I only ever tried the first, and briefly, in an age long past. Learning the game’s nuances is as important as leveling up your character. Arriving at Hemwick Charnel Lane, I marveled at its ghastly beauty before being defeated by a gang of hideous and genuinely-frightening witches. The game’s world is utterly gorgeous in its decay. No title has ever captured my interest quite like this one, nor has any painted such grim environs. Much like Resident Evil before it, I actually fear going down that path or entering that house in shambles. As much as I want to gaze upon this world around me, the lurking doom keeps a sense of anxiety present at all times.
On the downside, the tough-as-nails difficulty is severely limiting my success and the elation of besting a boss isn’t always worth the frustration of getting killed a dozen times. As much as I want to finish this game, I do fear the likelihood of it happening. I write this at yet another impasse: two bosses stand in my way. We shall see how my progress goes, but in the meantime I wanted to share just a solitary image of the game’s terrible beauty.
Edit: Don’t ask me how, but those two bosses have been downed with another on my first attempt. Booyah! Now I don’t quite know where to go, but I can’t wait to see what more the game has in store for me.
