With
the lukewarm reception of The Order: 1886, Playstation needed another game to
bring it back from the slight exclusive hole it found itself in. So what type of game could possibly make you
stay up late at night, until your eyeballs are coating in red and your lips are
chapped from dehydration? What kind of
game will make you rip your hair out from aggravation because of an
unbelievable tough boss, but then make you feel unstoppable once you've taken
it down? What type of game will make you
want to find every secret, take on every enemy, and use every available weapon
at your disposal? Well…a game that feeds
an addiction. That's what. And currently, on the PS4, there's no game
that does it better than Bloodborne.
Bloodborne
is a lovely mix of stress, grinding, and elation. But why?
How can a game that has such a high level of difficulty be so soothing
at the same time? How can a game that
makes you want to throw your PS4 out the window be so addicting? What's the secret? Well the answer isn't in one grand idea. It comes down to plenty of factors. But one thing is for sure. Once you start playing Bloodborne, you won't
stop until every boss is killed, every enemy is found, and every weapon in the
game has lain upon your back. It's just
that simple.
"Hey doll, here's a quarter. Give me a call when you get a little older, huh?"
STRESS AND
ELATION:
Walking
down any new corridors or open areas of Bloodborne with a decent amount of
blood echoes makes you involuntarily hold your breath until the next lantern
(save point) can be found. You have no
idea what lurks around the corner.
Everything could be moving along smoothly and then you come upon an
enemy you haven't faced before and stop.
The beast looks weak enough. You
size up the weapon on your back and take in the foe. "I
can do this," you think, "This
thing will be a pushover." And
then before you can blink the beast is eating your face and the dreaded "you died" appear on the screen
causing you to bang your head against the wall.
What the hell happened? Suddenly
your gaming abilities begin to haunt your dreams and you feel inadequate in the
gamer community. You, my joystick
fondling friend...are stressed. It
happens to the best of us. But don't
lose hope. Your precious blood echoes
that you just lost…are simply another challenge away.
Bloodborne
gives you the remarkable ability to go back to that very same enemy you just
lost hours of time on and get it all back.
A do over. A second chance. This is what keeps you pushing forward
through the game. If the game didn't
have this ability, you'd pack it up right there and say, "screw it, I'm done." And that'd be that. But the feeling of being able to get all your
hard work back keeps you gaming. So you
end up grabbing that controller with a fierceness and determination to kick
that new enemy's ass. You run through
the entire level just to get to it, draw your favorite trick weapon and school
the crap out of that beast. Boom sauce. Blood echoes retrieved. This, my friends, is the feeling of
elation. And being able to gain all
those lost blood echoes back makes Bloodborne so very, very addicting.
"Ya know, you almost snuck up on me. It was probably your massive size or that ridiculously
loud bell hanging around your neck that gave you away."
NEW ENEMIES:
People
that haven't played the game will ask questions like, "But what's the story?" or "Why are you still running around killing
things?" And the answers are
simple: Who cares and because it feels so good and it's so much damn fun. If Bloodborne simply threw the same enemies
at you the entire game *cough* The
Order *cough* you'd be bored out of
your mind. But as you progress through
the game, there's always something new lurking around the corner and it usually
isn't something you want to fight without a strategy. But the sheer variety of baddies you encounter—even
in the very first area—will keep you pushing forward to find what else the game
has to offer. And with every new enemy
come more of those precious blood echoes (used to level up). So why not push forward another half hour
just to see what lies ahead. Will it be
a disgusting giant pig? Or how about a
steaming pile of snakes? A wraith? A reaper?
A werewolf? Or maybe a crazy, gun
toting old man in a wheelchair? Whatever
it is…the game will keep you itching for more.
For more new enemies and for more precious blood echoes, feeding that
blood thirsty addiction.
THE TRICK
WEAPONS:
Ever
wanted to swing a dainty sword at an enemy and once they're stunned, stuff that
dainty sword in a humongous block of stone and then pound the crap out of
them? Of course you do. Another reason Bloodborne sucks you in is the
trick weapons in the game. A trick
weapon is a weapon that can be used multiple ways. Like the above, there are plenty of other
weapons to be found and rewarded to the player for either leveling up their
character or taking down a certain boss.
So what better way to keep a gamer coming back for more poundings than
to offer a sweet prize for their success?
And once you get a taste of whacking anything with your weapons—even
smashing crates and vases—you'll never want to stop swinging. Or collecting all the awesomely massive
weapons the game has to offer.
"Listen, the Doo Wop sounds great guys, but don't you think a little "Light my Fire" by the
Doors is more appropriate?"
THE LEVELING
SYSTEM:
This
is the final piece to the addiction puzzle.
So there you are standing half way between a lantern and a boss. You have almost enough blood echoes to
increase your level. What do you
do? Do you push forward to the end and
risk your current progress or cut down a few more enemies and then backtrack it
all the way to the lantern? This is the
heart of strategic play in Bloodborne.
This is a question every hunter will ask themselves at some point in the
game and probably more and more as you progress through each area. This is a perfect balance between feeling
adrenaline and going for it, or playing it safe and strengthening your
character. And why would people decide
to go for it, instead? Because all the
enemies you just struck down will respawn once you come back to the area. So what does this do? This respawning mechanic keeps you farming
areas for more blood vials and blood echoes just to keep your character growing
strong. You'll return time and time
again to the same locales just to level up your character. You want to be able to swing harder don't
you? Yep. You want to be able to swing more often, right? Yep.
So you'll spend more and more time pushing your way through areas and
before you know it, you've spent half of your glorious sleep killing beasts in
Bloodborne. Feeding the addiction of
wanting more. You want to kill that next
boss as quickly as possible, right? Well
then you better raise your level a couple more times…or maybe even more. And you'll definitely feel like a badass when
you're running through an area and crushing foes with just one or two swings of
your holy sword. This is the true genius
of Bloodborne: Allowing the gamer to feel the raw power of working toward
strengthening their character. This is
what makes you come back time and time again for more blood. This is what makes Bloodborne such an
addicting game.
"I don't understand these new headstones at all. I gave it a dollar. Now spit out my goddamn
Mountain Dew."
CONCLUSION:
You may have more addictions than the above or
you may have less, but one thing is for sure, once you begin to play Bloodborne
it will suck you in one way or another.
It'll make you yearn for that next level or for that next notch on your
belt for taking down a boss. It'll make
you want to smash every creature's face in with a hammer or a scabbard or a
massive axe. Bloodborne may not have the
greatest story ever told in gaming, or a map, or even give you any direction
whatsoever while playing, but no matter what, you'll continue to come back for
more because it’s the perfect mix of pixelated addiction. Just remember to eat and drink and relieve
yourself from time to time…because there's no reviving at a lantern in this
life.Article by: Hank – Twitter / Twitch
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