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Bloodborne Has A Lot Of Soul
At E3 2014 I had the chance to see a live gameplay demo of one of From Software's PS4 exclusive title Bloodborne. Everything from the session indicates that Bloodborne has many similarities to the Souls titles, even if it's taking place in a decidedly different setting.
While the demo only lasted around 20 minutes, that was more than enough time to answer plenty of questions - and hint at possible new features. The demo was visually stunning, though there were some frame rate issues going on that we were assured would be long gone by launch.
- Souls-style rolling appears to be the primary method of evasion.
- Many of the enemy movements and behaviors will be instantly familiar to a Souls player, right down to the standard "Swing-swing-swing-vulnerable" attack chain on some of the lesser foes - While they may look a lot cooler than the hollows and undead warriors, they fight more or less the same.
- Kills on enemies were giving off a sound and some sort of resource was being sucked in, much like the Souls series.
- Healing effects seemed to function similar to the Estus Flask (Have to stand still and activate, not sure if tied to an item)
- Here's something interesting. The old "put your offhand weapon away to use the torch to see in the dark" returns, with a focus on using the torch and lighting in "interior areas". If you're following Bloodborne you've seen the signature saw cleaver and blunderbuss, but it was mentioned there will be a variety of weapons to choose from. In Bloodborne, the torch can also be used as a weapon to deliver flame and burning to foes.
- NPC boss assists are still in, but let's use the one found in the demo as an example. Another fighter can be witnessed battling two huge beasts - If you help him, he'll come help you tackle the boss later down the line. So while sigils and things could potentially be around, I'm guessing this model of acquiring NPC boss helpers will stick throughout the game.
- The boss of the demo bore a striking resemblance to the Taurus Demon from Dark Souls, with a bit of an undead makeover - A large, hulking brute fought on a bridge that appeared vulnerable to roll and flank tactics, staying outside his brutal frontal assaults. The whole encounter takes place alongside a traditional Souls-esque boss tune.
Bloodborne was the best game I saw at E3 2014 (and admittedly my schedule had me miss out on plenty of contenders for that crown), and I can't even play it on my PC. Looks like you win this round, Sony. Time to pick up a PS4.
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