Bloodborne (From Software / Sony)

Digital Solitude

I had a little grinding for Health, but don't think it was necessary, more a precaution for boss fights. No level or item grinding needed.

They aren't that hard, the opening areas are super tough because the game is fairly unlike anything you'll have played, being so unforgiving, there is no hand holding and the most basic tutorial. After that, the game doesn't get much harder, but you get much better.

I've beaten DkS and DkS2 at Level 1, and the most difficult portions were the first 30-40%, by miles.

Fakman87

Digital Solitude wrote: »

I had a little grinding for Health, but don't think it was necessary, more a precaution for boss fights. No level or item grinding needed.

They aren't that hard, the opening areas are super tough because the game is fairly unlike anything you'll have played, being so unforgiving, there is no hand holding and the most basic tutorial. After that, the game doesn't get much harder, but you get much better.

I've beaten DkS and DkS2 at Level 1, and the most difficult portions were the first 30-40%, by miles.

Thanks man! I've actually owned demon and dark souls for 6 months now but still haven't started them. Hoping that after Bloodborne I can get it done, since the people that finish them usually say they are their favourite games.

Digital Solitude

Demon's is an exception to that, the game is tough as balls :pac: But that's for the other thread.

You could pick it up second hand and give it a few hours, you wouldn't make a loss

sweetie

Digital Solitude wrote:

Demon's is an exception to that, the game is tough as balls But that's for the other thread.

Except if you play as a Royal. Found it easiest of all the souls games.

To be honest, I was close to giving up on BB after couple of hours until it clicked with me.

noodler

noodler wrote: »

Beat the shadow of Yarnham and rom last night.

Good progress.

I'm tackling the unseen village now. All these cthulu looking things hanging off the buildings keep reviving everyone!

Just beat dark Beast paarl.

Where to now??

Retr0gamer

Beat this recently finally. After Amelia the game kind of becomes a cakewalk in comparison to other Souls games. Seemed a lot shorter as well. Still really enjoyed it but can't help feel a bit disappointed and I'd rank it the worst of the souls games. Online community. Has pretty much died off at the stage. Can't wait for the DLC or the inevitable sequel, the combat system is excellent and deserves to be explored more.

johnny_ultimate

I reckon that in many ways it's probably my favourite in the series. It feels like the thus far most coherent culmination of Miyazaki's direction and ambitions - the way the mechanics, world, narrative all come together is remarkable. Not that it wasn't in the previous games (especially DS1), but the transition to both the gothic horror setting and more capable technology makes a substantial difference. The gameworld and art design are IMO easily the finest, most consistent yet offered, and From's abilities as storytellers - filling the environments and mechanics alike with mysteries, intrigue and deeper meaning - have never been more evident.

While the game undoubtedly offers less room for individual, radically different styles of play to emerge (although there is plenty of room for creativity within the toolset available), I'd be inclined to call that an asset too - the combat simply feels more satisfying and tangible than what has come before, and is allowed to be so through admirable focus and a few standard styles that are full of nuance. It reminded me of Bayonetta in all the right ways. Again, what makes it extra special is the consistency with which all the elements - from art design to the combat itself - interact with each other to create something that's much more than just a beautifully challenging action game and instead something richer and more complex.

Replaying Dark Souls 2 at the moment, pretty much finished apart from a few final bits and pieces. I'm a big defender of that game, and the DLC is very impressive indeed. Arguably in pure mechanical variety and possibility it's the deepest of the series. But it's clear pretty much immediately when going back that it lacks the artistic focus and directorial vision that gives Bloodborne such a remarkable edge. Both Dark Souls and Demon's Souls benefited from the shock of the new and their incredible depth - pretty much everything great about BB is a new riff on great things about those games. But Bloodborne to me feels like a significant step forward in Miyazaki's artistic development, in which he looks at his previous masterpieces, borrows some traits and totally reinterprets and recontextualises others. It, despite some fundamentally familiar elements and a few very minor gripes, felt really progressive and new.

It's futile ranking masterpieces - all four games (albeit DS2 to a slightly lesser degree :pac:) are absolute masterpieces. But even in esteemed company, Bloodborne IMO was an extraordinary effort from Miyazaki and From.

Retr0gamer

I agree with a lot of what you say. I believe the combat system is definitely there there just isn't enough to use it on I feel. The game felt so short in comparison to other Souls games and the lack of challenge after Amelia kind of left the game unsatisfying for me. The Chalice dungeons don't really alleviate that, I didn't find them interesting due to the lego block design of them. I wouldn't say the combat is better or worse than the Souls games, they are both very different. I do miss the RPG elements though and building your build in the Souls games.

Still the main major complaint from me is that it's a bit too easy and there should have been more of it, and wanting more of it isn't really that mjuch of a bad thing.

noodler

I was so disappointed with two.

It's such a haphazard and disjointed experience.

Only. Completed once and quit halfway through DLC number two.

Watching ENB 's from the dark series (his ultimate dark souls one playthrough). Reminds me how goddamn perfect that game is.

But I need to know where to go after killing dark Beast paarl!!!

sweetie

noodler wrote:

But I need to know where to go after killing dark Beast paarl!!!

He's optional - I think you need to go to the unseen village next?

noodler

sweetie wrote: »

He's optional - I think you need to go to the unseen village next?

Hmm thought that's where I am.

Retr0gamer

Dark Beast Paarl is kind of optional and should have been done earlier in the game to give a shortcut to the blood starved beast. You need to explore the unseen village more, outside the hypogael gaol there's a courtyard area with these annoying enemies that are a big mass of dead bodies. The next boss is in this area but getting through can be a chore until you figure it out but worth it, it's fun and well designed. The boss is a push over.

CiDeRmAn

I landed on that bugger and expected misery, only tackled him to get the Tonitrus so I could slaughter that louser Vacuos Rom.
To my surprise I felled the electrically charged numpty in about three tries.
As Retr0 said, the game does get a bit easy, its just the game has so much depth and content that makes it so good.
You are definitely given a feeling of incredible power once you are past the initial third of the game, farming unlocks upper character leveling and you are virtually unstoppable.
I met the two hunters that reside to the right of the grand cathedral, coming at them from the other side and being very levelled at that stage, I barely broke a sweat dealing with them, though I ruined my Eileen the Crow storyline in doing so

CiDeRmAn

And calling Bloodborne the worst of the Souls games is akin to calling Super Mario Sunshine as the worst of the 3D Mario games, it might be true but it's still streets ahead of everyone else's efforts.

Retr0gamer

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

And calling Bloodborne the worst of the Souls games is akin to calling Super Mario Sunshine as the worst of the 3D Mario games, it might be true but it's still streets ahead of everyone else's efforts.

True. I still love it and it's probably my favourite game pf the year so far although Metal Gear might change that.

weiland79

Any word on when the DLC is due?

Kirby

I've played all of the souls games and for me Bloodborne is the strongest, not the weakest. I'm hoping dark souls 3 isnt a step backwards.

ShadowHearth

Okay, Nightmare of Mensis zone can go and suck and blow dicks at the same time. This ****y zone almost making me trading in bloodborne and getting mgs or mad max. This is bull****.
I am stuck here and this place makes me not want to come back to bloodborne. Now I decided to play today and I am furious again and going rapidly through my cigarettes.
The fecking hunter with his tea pot is an asshole. It's fine if I could at least fight him soon after rescan, but to get to him it's as long retarded route. I am really really running out of ****s.

CiDeRmAn

Leg it.
It's the answer to many of bigger bottlenecks.
If someone is getting you down and you have no reason to have to kill them, run like Bolt past them, until they go back to their previous starting point.
I think that's the hunter after the spiders you are talking about?
I got impatient and just legged it, got right onto the next part and could nip back later to finish him off.

Retr0gamer

Those spiders did my head in there. Just go up the stairs and deal with the smaller spiders first then drop off the bridge to have an easier time with the bigger ****er. The Hunter is a joke in comparison. There's a save point just after him and then the area is a breeze. You're very close to the end so don't give up.

ShadowHearth

Cheers lads. If irony would be a cream cake, I would be stuffing my face....
The moment I wrote that post I had a fag and went back. I swaped back to that shotgun type gun, which shoots more rapid.
Cleaned out spiders like always with pebbles luring one by one, then went for hunter. I just went pure derp derp interrupting him and doing that special knockback attack. Killed him in 3 hits and cleared it in less then a minute... This fecking game...
I only peeked inside next area and went off playing resident evil revelations 2 raid mode as I was just completely burned out of Bloodborne after 2 hours of complete death marathon. Will have to pick it up today after work again.
Cheers for advice lads. I am pretty sure you helped me through spirit world lol.

Dunder Mifflin

Came across this maniac on reddit earlier: https://www.reddit.com/r/bloodborne/comments/3kgic9/bloodborne_ng1500/

He claims to have finished Bloodborne 1500 times.

Lemlin

Due to start playing this today. I understand you have to pick a warrior class or character type or something at the start.

What the best to pick for total newcomers to the series in people's opinions?

Retr0gamer

The only thing that really matters is the weapon you pick. What you pick really should be based on your own personal fighting style. As for stats just level up in the stats that give the best damage output for your current weapon.

Lemlin

Retr0gamer wrote: »

The only thing that really matters is the weapon you pick. What you pick really should be based on your own personal fighting style. As for stats just level up in the stats that give the best damage output for your current weapon.

Any recommendations for a weapon? Haven't played yet so don't know my fighting style!

Retr0gamer

Threaded Cane is good for a starter. It has a very fast attack rate as the cane and the R2 heavy attack does good damage and is pretty quick as well. As the whip it has amazing range even if it's slow. Weaknesses are that the damage output is pretty crap but it scales great with skill. Also the two styles don't mix well.

The saw blade is another to consider. It's more difficult to use but is lots of fun because the move set is based on switching between styles. Switching styles is the only way to access the weapon's AOE attacks. Once you get used to it it's a lot of fun.

Lemlin

I'm dieing a lot but think that's normal. Played for a half hour or so there and was getting to some big fella in a cloak that had a massive axe. He's killed me two or three times now.

weiland79

Lemlin wrote: »

I'm dieing a lot but think that's normal. Played for a half hour or so there and was getting to some big fella in a cloak that had a massive axe. He's killed me two or three times now.

You don't have to go near him if you don't want to, just continue along and clear out the rest ofthe ( large) area

CiDeRmAn

Watch your back.
I sneaky sneaky'd past him, delivered much smacking to the creatures on the other side of the area on to turn around in my victory and get pummeled by that large fella who is surprisingly light on his feet, considering.
I'd learn to deal with the likes of him, because there is so much worse in only a few more footsteps up that stairs to the bridge.
Rolling, back stepping, getting in some swift attacks, being quiet and creeping up behind him and getting a heavy attack in first, all good strategies.
Another great one is use the environment, it's another skill you'll have to rely on in the game, put something between you and him, give you a chance regain your strength and compose yourself, before getting stuck in again.
And, lastly....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiCRZLr9oRw

Lemlin

What's the deal with saving? I'm getting sick of having to replay areas when I die. Haven't found a save spot since the initial one near Gilbert's window.