Bloodborne Review (PS4)

I consider myself a die-hard fan of FROM SOFTWARE’s Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls series. So, you can imagine how I felt when it was announced that Bloodborne would be the next spiritual successor to those games. Time has passed, and now that I finally have the game in my hands, I bid my family farewell, cut myself off from the world, and descended into the madness of the hunt.

Game Name: Bloodborne
Platform(s): PlayStation 4
Publisher(s): Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer(s): FROM SOFTWARE
Release Date: March 24, 2015
Price: $59.99
Reviewed On: PlayStation 4

If you’ve ever played Demon’s Souls or Dark Souls, you’ll feel pretty familiar with Bloodborne right away. However, there are some key differences you’ll need to adapt to—or die trying. The biggest change is that parries and backstabs are no longer performed the same way. Gone are the days of sneaking up behind enemies for an easy kill. Instead, you can stagger enemies to stop them mid-attack, giving you an opening to perform a devastating “Visceral Attack,” which functions similarly to a riposte. It’s a satisfying change that forces more aggressive play.

Another adjustment is that when you lock onto an enemy, you no longer roll; instead, you perform a quick sidestep to your left or right. Coming from years of Dark Souls, this took some getting used to, but it ultimately felt like a welcome shift in pacing.

The stat system has also been reworked. Now you’ll focus on Vitality, Endurance, Strength, Skill, Bloodtinge, and Arcane. How you distribute these will define your character’s strengths. It’s a small but refreshing evolution of the system. Fans of the series will pick it up easily, and newcomers won’t have trouble figuring it out.

Character customization is a treat. If you love crafting your own hunter, Bloodborne will have you hooked. The creator is more detailed this time, allowing for intricate changes to facial features, skin tone, hair, and more. I lost nearly 20 minutes just tweaking my character before even setting foot in Yharnam.

Combat is where Bloodborne truly shines. It’s fast, visceral, and deeply satisfying. It’s as if FROM SOFTWARE took a page from Devil May Cry and infused it with Soulslike DNA. There are no shields to cower behind—well, there is one, but it’s more of a joke. Progress in Bloodborne demands aggression. You’ll constantly look for openings, unleash quick attacks, and dodge or sidestep to stay alive. The pacing is frantic, and it works beautifully. Enemies won’t wait for you to strike. If you hesitate, they’ll swarm you, turning a simple fight into a brutal mob beatdown.

Early in the game, I encountered areas with two or three enemies—tempting enough to chase them—only to find myself trapped in a courtyard with a dozen enemies ready to tear me apart. They charge, surround, and attack you without mercy. If you don’t respond fast, you’ll be dead in seconds.

To further encourage aggressive play, FROM SOFTWARE introduced the “Regain System.” When you take damage, your lost health turns orange temporarily, giving you a short window to regain it by landing attacks on enemies. If you hesitate or get hit again, you lose that opportunity. It’s a brilliant system that rewards risk-taking and fits perfectly with Bloodborne’s combat philosophy.

Now, let’s talk about the trick weapons—one of the game’s most genius additions. Instead of carrying a bag full of weapons, you use versatile trick weapons that transform on the fly. For example, a sword can morph into a massive hammer, or a spear can include a firearm. This not only simplifies your arsenal but opens up exciting combo possibilities mid-fight. Smashing enemies while transforming your weapon is incredibly satisfying.

I’m also glad FROM SOFTWARE focused solely on PlayStation 4. Bloodborne looks and feels like a true current-gen game. The level of detail simply wouldn’t be possible on the PS3. From the fluid character animations to the hauntingly detailed bosses and environments, everything screams polish. Yharnam itself is a masterpiece of gothic architecture, filled with winding paths, hidden shortcuts, and eerie touches. Interacting with windows and doors often reveals story elements or unsettling dialogue from the city’s cursed inhabitants. Visually and aurally, this is a world that must be experienced.

Now, it’s not all perfect. The biggest issue at launch was the atrocious loading times. Returning to Hunter’s Dream or respawning after death often meant waiting 40 seconds or more. This was especially frustrating when you died quickly and were itching to try again. It broke the immersion and momentum of an otherwise fast-paced game. I often found myself getting a drink during these load times, which says it all. Unfortunately, while FROM SOFTWARE and Sony promised a patch, it ultimately didn’t address this problem at the time of writing. If you have the means, upgrading your PS4 with an SSD can mitigate this somewhat.

I also noticed occasional frame rate drops, particularly during chaotic fights with multiple enemies. It wasn’t game-breaking, but it was noticeable—and during intense combat, that’s the worst time for it to happen. Fortunately, boss battles ran smoothly.

In terms of difficulty, I’d say Bloodborne is slightly on the easier side, at least for seasoned Souls veterans. That’s not to say it’s easy, but if you’ve poured hundreds of hours into Dark Souls and Demon’s Souls like I have, you’ll adapt quickly. Once I adjusted to the new mechanics, the flow of the game felt second nature.

Progression-wise, the game is a bit short. I finished my first run in about 26 hours. There’s still plenty to do—PvP, Chalice Dungeons, and hunting for secrets—but I was hoping for a slightly longer core experience. I suspect that experienced hunters will continue finding hidden content for quite some time. Summoning also felt inconsistent. Out of 10 attempts to summon help, I only succeeded once, and I was never summoned to aid others. Given how much fun Souls co-op can be, I hope this aspect improves over time.

If I loved this game any more, I’m sure my wife would get jealous. Seriously, Bloodborne is that good. It’s a fast, brutal, and stunningly crafted experience that deserves its place among the best Soulslike titles out there. Minor issues aside, it is a must-play for anyone who owns a PlayStation 4.