Bloodborne – Lovecraftian dynamite

Released in 2015 as a PlayStation exclusive, Bloodborne traded the slower, methodical rhythm of Dark Souls for something far more feral and kinetic. It doesn’t just ask players to survive, it demanded that they press forward, punish, and adapt.

You’ll enjoy Bloodborne if you like games built on the following pillars :

✅ Aggressive, skill-based combat : No shields, no safe zones. Bloodborne rewards timing, spacing, and relentless offense. The “regain” mechanic, regaining lost health through quick counterattacks, perfectly encapsulates its philosophy of controlled aggression.

✅ Deep worldbuilding and atmosphere : The decaying city of Yharnam is a masterpiece of level design and environmental storytelling. Lore is uncovered not through exposition, but through discovery, item descriptions, and fragmented hints.

✅ Boss design and challenge : Each boss encounter is a mechanical and thematic climax, from the Cleric Beast’s opening brutality to the cosmic horror of the Old Hunters DLC. Battles are fast, lethal, and unforgettable.

✅ Dark cosmic horror themes : Beneath its gothic trappings lies a descent into Lovecraftian madness. Bloodborne starts as a nightmare of beasts and ends as a meditation on humanity’s place in a universe of ancient gods.

A couple of pain points :

📉 Exclusive platform and dated performance : Bloodborne remains locked to the PS4, running at 30 FPS with occasional stutters, a frustration for PC or next-gen players hoping for smoother performance.

📉 Unforgiving entry curve : While rewarding, Bloodborne’s difficulty can be punishing for players new to FromSoftware’s design. There’s little hand-holding, and progression often relies on persistence and self-discovery.