Bloodborne Interviews, Previews and Tidbits
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We have rounded up some more articles for Bloodborne, From Software's upcoming action-RPG for PlayStation 4, which promises to shake up the successful formula the Japanese studio has developed with Demon's Souls and Dark Souls with a new Victorian setting and more active combat mechanics.
First, Polygon has word from Sony's Shuei Yoshida on the collaboration with the third-party studio, and the possibilities of seeing a Demon's Souls sequel in the future:
The game came about after a years-long break in the relationship between From Software's Hidetaka Miyazaki and Sony. Yoshida said Sony went back to Miyazaki to "reopen" that relationship on the suggestion of some producers.
"We had an opportunity to reopen the relationship," Yoshida said. "And going into the launch of PS4, our producers proposed that we should work together with the From team and Miyazaki-san to make something new on a new platform.
"That resonated really well with Miyazaki-san."
The relationship was a long one, in particular with Yoshida, who was the account manager for the software company when the original PlayStation was launched in Japan.
RPGFan has some hands-off impressions:
With no heads-up display to tell exactly what was going on during the demo, it was kind of hard to fully describe all of the actions available to the player. The hero can, apparently, heal themselves by sticking a syringe-like object into their thigh. Running seemed to drain an invisible stamina meter, as the character stopped in a very Dark Souls-like fashion that fans know well. Several corpses emitted a light glow, allowing the player to pick up something (maybe bullets or herbs). And, yes, it appears that the player earns souls or... something each and every time they kill an enemy. The signature "whoosh" of collected souls had me nodding my head in knowing approval. The player swapped the shotgun for a torch in one darkly lit area, showing off a very impressive lighting system that never fully materialized in Dark Souls II.
Two monster encounters stand out in my mind amidst the grime and almost palpable sense of dread in Bloodborne. A group of crows feasting on a collection of corpses swarmed the player, but only after he/she chose to engage them. Earlier in the demo, a collection of defiled villagers processed down the street in a deadly mob, and the player could choose to engage them directly or circumnavigate the situation. Giving the player multiple pathways is a Souls hallmark, but perhaps enemies aren't necessarily stapled to the same starting area each and every time. The possibilities for new and exciting encounters has me devilishly curious.
The gameplay demo concluded with a boss that can't really be described in words so much as emotions. Yes, it had a bull-like skull for a head and monstrous body covered in fur, but the screams and quick movements reminded me of Manus from the expansion for Dark Souls. It leapt and clawed at the player in an antagonistic fashion reminiscent of a terrifying fever dream.
PlayStation Access and Youtuber "DaveControlLive" have published some video impressions, while Gematsu has translated some snippets from an interview on Japanese magazine Famitsu:
With regards to whether Bloodborne has much in the way of normal humans roaming about, Miyazaki answered by saying that they're rare. Indeed, as a result of the endemic disease discussed previously that's rampantly turning people into beasts, the townspeople go on nightly hunts, with their weapons compromising those that players themselves will use, but they otherwise predominantly keep to themselves behind closed doors. In a sense, he argues, given the circumstances, even the so-called (normal humans) might have their own share of abnormalities to contend with deep down. The protagonist, meanwhile, as mentioned before, is a traveler from a far-off land in search of ancient medical procedures that the town is said to host.
In line with the game's emphasis on proactive fighting, combat is said to be about forcing openings and getting done what needs to be done before the opposition has a chance to get what they're after. Being passive like in a Souls game, Miyazaki warns, serves to only get players killed that much faster. Guns in the game are meant to be especially emblematic of that approach, with the shotgun that's been shown being particularly fitting given how its primary usefulness is, as expected, in close quarters. Indeed, it can be used for a variety of purposes such as getting enemies to let their guard down, counter attacks, and engaging groups of enemies, among other things. While long-distance attacks aren't without their uses, Miyazaki implores that they aren't the primary function of guns and that allowing for that would detract from his desired set of combat dynamics, especially since, again, he doesn't want the game to be played like a shooter.
In terms of consumable items, Miyazaki says that he isn't quite ready to delve into very many specifics, but he does explicitly mention that the team is looking into making it possible to using HP healing items with just a single button press in order for them to not detract from combat. However, on the flip side, he wants to avoid a common pitfall that he perceives in other games that make healing items the default selectable item where the strategic usefulness of other types of items are rendered comparatively ambiguous, although he doesn't provide specifics about how he intends to combat that particular issue.
YouTube user "A German Spy" has also translated the Famitsu interview and offers some additional information over the Gematsu article:
Finally, NeoGAF user Zefah translated another interview with director Hidetaka Miyazaki, this time from 4gamer.net. Here's a couple of bits on why Miyazaki wasn't involved with Dark Souls II and on the inspirations for Bloodborne's setting:
4Gamer:
One thing that's always seemed strange to me is that you removed yourself from the development of Dark Souls II. How did that happen? I assume that since Dark Souls was so successful, a decision was made to develop a sequel. Not only that, but the sequel would be a big title that could ultimately decide the fate of the company and yet you decided to put someone else in charge of the project. That seems like a pretty crazy business decision for the company to make.
Miyazaki:
I understand what you're saying.
I'm not in a position to say what kind of decision the company made at the time, but my personal thought on that matter was that the Dark Souls II project could be a huge chance for even someone other than myself.
I had already received plenty of chances, and if someone else in the company could take that same chance and make good on it, then From Software could grow as an organization. Also, speaking as a developer and I've already said this in previous interviews but I also wanted to see what kind of possibilities awaited when the base concept of Dark Souls was unshackled from myself.
...
4Gamer:
Speaking of which, the setting of this game isn't all (swords and sorcery,) and appears to be a bit more modern.
Miyazaki:
That's correct. The concept for the general feeling of the era is very much based on the Victorian era. However, the first thing most people think of when they hear (Victorian era,) is probably London. The setting for this game is not based off London, but more on the remote towns that may have existed in the era. Towns that would feel really old and gloomy. The setting we created takes these old gothic towns and layers more Victorian era elements, such as street lamps, on top of them.
4Gamer:
Watching the video, the gothic horror atmosphere definitely came across.
Miyazaki:
Yeah. To start off I wanted to convey a similar atmosphere to Bram Stoker's Dracula. We have this old city in an outlying region, and it was a town long known for its medical community, but now there's a disease spreading called the (plague of the beast (that kind of setting.
