Bloodborne Previews
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We have rounded up a few hands-on previews for Bloodborne, all based on the same segment of the game, which has been playable at various game shows and during the Alpha network test.
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Once into the game proper and the shock of Bloodborne's gorgeously numbing aesthetics has retreated, a certain change to the gameplay abruptly hits you right in the face like a really horrible, shit brick; you cannot block.
Yep, that's right. You can't block in the slightest. The upshot of this is that evasion and getting the heck out of dodge when your enemies come a swingin', a bitin' and a shootin' is pretty much now the only way to defend against incoming damage. Of course, the best way to mitigate incoming damage is to do unto others before they do unto you and it's a maxim that Bloodborne impresses on players early on. Simply, a bespoke mastery of distance control, knowing your environment and being able to evade while popping off strikes and attacks from a variety of angles is key to success. This is especially true later on in the alpha when you have bosses that can wipe you out with just two grazing hits, such a stick and move strategy becomes as essential as finding the parry button in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.
Elsewhere, Bloodborne certainly feels faster than the original Dark Souls. Strikes snap off with impressive swiftness while your character just feels a lot more responsive and agile; the notion of executing split-second rolls at the last possible moment being an action that is easily entertained, rather than feared. In addition to the usual light and heavy strikes, another change to the core gameplay are weapons that possess multiple attack modes. Take the retractable saw-blade for example; when retracted, the nightmarish looking weapon can attack faster with less damage, yet when the weapon is extended (via a brilliantly badass looking animation), strikes become slower but have a much greater range and damage output.
The Victorian setting also allows for one other major departure from the Souls franchise in the form of firearms. All of the demo characters came equipped with a small rifle in their left hand. While the gun itself wasn't too powerful, it can stagger an entire group of enemies at once, allowing for you to get up close and personal with your sword strikes. Players will pick up ammunition for their gun from defeated enemies or through pick-ups scattered through the world, though it does feel like the ammunition will be a semi-scarce resource so that players don't just go all Rambo through the game.
One of the cool new gameplay mechanics that FROM have introduced is the ability for some weapons to transform. One character is equipped with a straight-sword for quick strikes, but with a simple flick of L1 he attaches it to the stone he is carrying on his back and it becomes a massive hammer that while slower, is capable of performing devastating blows. Another character was equipped with twin blades, but could alternate between single and double with the same press of L1. Switching to single gave them access to their gun, while double blades were faster and dealt a lot more damage. The ability to switch up your play style on the fly really feeds into the whole faster pace that Bloodborne is introducing, and if executed properly may very well be one of its strongest facets.
Despite the lack of narrative presented to me in the short demo, the scene was set for me wonderfully by the surroundings themselves towering, sinister buildings, a bulbous moon set upon a backdrop of darkness. Only faint flickering lights in the windows and on the streets indicated any form of life at all. And what life there is to be found on the streets of Yharnam is just as twisted as the city itself.
Moving through this incredibly crafted world was fun your character moves with strength and a feeling of power, despite the fact that the lumbering monstrosities out for your blood can quite easily take it from you. It makes each confrontation tense as you duck and roll to avoid the wild swings of the villagers. The controls, although stiff and rigid, make for a tight experience. Popping off a blast with my gun before darting backwards to prepare a swing of my blade was an exhilarating experience and, although I never felt too overwhelmed by the enemies, there was a real sense of them bearing down on you as you tried to progress.
