A little less than two hours into Bloodborne, and I’ve cleared out Central Yarnham. I’ve explored everywhere I can at this point. I am thoroughly enjoying it. It’s interesting; it’s similar enough gameplay-wise to the Souls games, but it’s different enough that tactics that would work in a Souls game simply aren’t viable here. The biggest thing is the pace. Souls games favor a measured, cautious approach, especially with the bosses. Bloodborne better rewards an aggressive play style. I’m loving it.
Since my first successful run of each of the Souls games has been with a dexterity build, I decided to carry on the tradition with Bloodborne’s equivalent, a skill build. I chose the Threaded Cane as my starting weapon, knowing that it would do less damage. I’m quite satisfied with it. The sword form is quick and effective, and the additional reach of the whip form makes for decent crowd control and creating space. Plus, going with a skill build is paying dividends when it comes to visceral attacks. One of my first priorities was to get the hang of gun parries so I could capitalize on my skill investment, and I think I’ve got it down. I’m far from perfect and still mistime parries on a regular basis, but I’m getting the hang of it.
I’m also proud of my success with the bosses so far. I tackled Cleric Beast first. It’s kind of odd as an introductory boss (which is optional, but still likely to be the first boss faced by many). It presents itself more like a Souls boss, but definitely favors an aggressive play style from the player. I suspect this was intentional to get the player in the right state of mind for the game, but I just didn’t feel it click as a first boss. I died on my first attempt, partly because I tried to be too cautious, but I beat it on my second attempt. My second boss encounter was Father Gascoigne, and I think it’s fair to say that he’s much more representative of the Bloodborne style. He’s fast, hits hard, and isn’t afraid to keep the pressure on. Thankfully, my parry practice paid off. I beat him pretty quickly, and on my first attempt. It was an exhilarating experience.
Next up is Cathedral Ward. I’m excited to see what it brings.