"Come out to Yharnam, we'll get together, have a few laughs..."
So
you came here because you want to turn on Bloodborne, grab a controller, and
run through the game like you were taking a Sunday stroll through a park,
right? Maybe you even want to crush the
game in one sitting and then tell the world about your video game
greatest. Well…you better strap on your
big-boy pants and put the controller in a protective rubber slip, because that
baby is probably going to go flying no matter how many articles you read, how
many walkthroughs you watch, or even how many tips you receive. Because Bloodborne wasn't made to be easy—sure
you can lessen the pain—but the hurt is still going to come no matter how much
you prepare. Now, if you still want a
tad bit of help so that you don't pull out all your hair—just some—then please
continue on. Just know that no matter
how much stress you endure during your travels in Bloodborne…in the end it's
all worth it.
DYING IS A FACT
OF LIFE:
If
you think you're not supposed to die in Bloodborne, the game will remedy that
feeling about three minutes in, when a werewolf eats your face and you stare at
the screen dumbfounded and confused. But
relax, dying in Bloodborne is good. Not
in the sense that you've lost, but in the sense that hopefully you've learned
something. Did a walking basket of
skulls rip your head off? Well now you
know not to go near it without a massive sword on your back. Did a boss step on your face? Now you know to avoid that one foot. See…every time you die in Bloodborne you learn
a lesson. And each time you learn a
lesson, you become a better player. So
instead of dropping the controller and kicking the TV, just head back into the
game with one purpose in mind: to get your blood echoes back. This is what makes the game so addictive. It's not the end of the world when you
die. You have a chance to pick up
exactly where you left off…so take it.
"Figures...right in the middle of combat, and I have to take a piss. It's just no good to get old."
YOUR WEAPON OF CHOICE:
Weapons
in Bloodborne are no small matter. When
you first start, you are given the choice of your first two weapons in the game
without a fee. Every weapon gained from
then on, must be achieved by either killing something or for an exchange of
blood echoes. So even if you pick a weapon
that doesn't suit your play style, you can always go back and obtain the one
that will.
But
the question is: what is your play
style? Do you want to wield a heavy
weapon that does the most damage, but takes the longest to swing? Then you want the Hunter Axe. If you want a fast weapon that doesn't do a
lot of damage, but will surprise foes with its quickness, then you want the
Threaded Cane. If you can't decide on
either, then choose the middle of the road with the Saw Cleaver. There's also a secondary weapon you can wield
in the game, which is some form of gun at first. The Hunter Pistol will fire quicker, but does
less damage and the Hunter Blunderbuss does more damage, but fires slower. Unless you want either of these two weapons
to be your primary weapon in the game, then the Hunter Pistol would be the best
choice for its quickness…at least in your first play through.
Also,
keep in mind, only one—that's ONE—weapon can be upgraded to a plus ten by the
end of the game. Throughout your play
through, you'll pick up items to fortify your weapons, but to get your weapon to
the highest level (a plus ten) you
need a Blood Rock, and there's only one in the entire game and it doesn't come
until near the end. So do your best to use
and love one weapon in the game and upgrade it, because if you spread all your
upgrade items across many different weapons, by the end of the game, you'll be
swinging for the fences and not doing any damage. And that's just going to be a bad time. Now, if you want a heavy weapon that does a
lot of damage, has fantastic knock-back, and will constantly be useful
throughout the game, then Ludwig's Holy Blade is a very good option.
ALLOCATING
POINTS:
In
the very beginning and throughout the game, you'll get the option to upgrade
your character. And doing so will make
or break your character by the time you get towards the endgame. It is highly recommended that your first play
through be focused on strength, as swinging a weapon at anything that moves is
the easiest form of game to comprehend.
But what the hell does focusing on strength mean? Well, you basically want to be a tank like
character. You want to be able to take
the damage while also dishing it out. So
when leveling up, drop points in Vitality (to
increase your health bar) and strength (to
make you hit harder). Now with that
in mind, the next two attributes you should drop points in every few levels or
so are: endurance (you'll want to swing
that heavy sword more often without getting tired) and skill (allows you to use certain special weapons
throughout the game and increases your damage output). Those are the four main attributes you'll
want to focus on if you want to be a Tank type character.
Now
there are two attributes left: Bloodtinge and Arcane. Bloodtinge increases the amount of damage
your secondary weapon does (for example
the Hunter Pistol) and Arcane increase your magic damage. It is highly recommended you do not sink too
many points in either during your first play through, as leveling up both will
increase the difficulty of the game. If
you really want a challenge, then by all means go for it, but if you want to
learn the ropes of Bloodborne first, then Tank is the way to go. Also keep in mind that there is New Game Plus
once you've beaten the game, so during that run-through you can try leveling up
your magic just to feel it out, without it being too detrimental to your
health.
"You would think with all the bullsh*t I just went through, they'd at least install an
escalator or something."
LEVELING UP:
The
object of Bloodborne is to become such a badass that towards the end or even
the middle of the game you're taking down foes that are the size of
mountains. But how can that be possible
with a game that's built to punish you?
Bloodborne is hard, but it's not here to give you nightmares. You have to know how to strategize and the
first thing to learn is when to level up.
So when do you level up? As you
as you get a frigging chance…that's when.
Why? Because it'll make you a
better player and stronger character. If
you're in the middle of a level or area and are close to leveling up, but the
Boss is right there in front of you...stop moving forward. Go back towards a lantern and level your
character up first, always. Never, ever
run into a Boss battle loaded with echoes.
You may get your ass handed to you and have a tough time picking those
blood echoes up the next time you face that same Boss. And then you've lost all the experience
you've gained. So if you're debating
between leveling up and taking on a Boss…don't…just head back to the lantern
and level up.
Now
you may be thinking, "Yes, but then
I'll have to fight all the same enemies over again because they respawn." Exactly.
You could choose to run past every one and go straight for the Boss (and if you're a high level or in NG+ then go
right ahead), but if this is your first run through, then you should spend
the time farming the level to gain experience and become a better player. See…what you don't know is every time you run
through a level again and take on more foes; you're actually getting better at
the game. With this strategy, it's
possible to run through the game taking down almost every Boss the first time—including
the last Boss—if you know when to stop moving forward and level up your
character. This will ease the pain of
getting to the glorious end of Bloodborne.
FARMING:
Farming
goes hand and hand with leveling up.
This is no secret…you will have to farm for blood echoes and/or blood
vials at one point in the game. You
could try to run through Bloodborne without farming, but it's a guaranteed bad
time. And more than likely you will quit
the game and probably never return. But
here's the good part about farming: Bloodborne is completely and utterly fun to
farm. With all the unique enemies and
levels in the game, you should never get bored.
And with the constant urge to grow your character into a badass you
shouldn't have a problem with farming.
In fact, you should want to farm as much as possible. But the real question is where are the best
spots to farm?
In
the beginning of the game you really have no choice but to farm whichever level
you've gotten to so far. The good thing
is you'll become better at the game by farming and you'll come to know certain
areas like the back of your hand, so it'll be easier and easier to farm the
same level. But there are better spots
to farm once you've gotten almost to the end of the game. How do you judge the best spots for
farming? By seeing how many blood echoes
can be obtained per minute played. And
the best spot by far for farming is Mergo's Loft: Middle. Unfortunately, you won't get to this part of
the game until almost the very end. The
second best spot for farming is the Lecture Building first floor. And if you've gained access to the second
floor, then farming both areas will bring in a hefty chunk of blood echoes
also. But it still goes without saying
that once you gain access to Mergo's Loft: Middle, spend some time there before
moving forward toward the endgame.
"See...now this is what happens when you continuously breed Chihuahuas with every
other dog out there."
HOW TO FIGHT:
Bloodborne
is all about studying your opponents.
Never run right up to a new opponent and attempt to swing for the
fences. Why? Because you never know how they'll
react. Instead, if you can, slow walk up
to them and hit them with your heaviest attack and then try for a visceral…and
then—if it's not dead—get the hell out of there. Back up as far as you can go and watch their
attack pattern. This also goes for
Bosses too, but we'll get to them later.
Every foe in Bloodborne is not only unique in design, but is also very
unique in how they attack. So always
size up your opponent first, and then figure out what's the best way to deal
with them.
Bloodborne
also doesn't want you to run once you get hit by an opponent. Instead, the game wants you to push
forward. It even grants a percentage of
your health back when you do push forward.
So if you find yourself in trouble and have just been attacked, don't turn
tail and run like a wussy. Stand your
ground and swing back a couple of times.
And once you’ve gained back some health, roll the hell out of
there. Speaking of rolling, unless the
enemy swings its weapon in a 360 degree circle, always roll forward and under
their attack. In most instances, you'll
end up directly behind them with their beautiful backside just waiting to get
sliced up or flattened, depending on your weapon of choice.
To
be continued…
COMING UP IN
PART TWO:
Using
Walls and Doorways to your Advantage.
Elevator
Shortcuts.
Bath
Messengers.
Inventory
Banking.
How
to Fight Bosses.
How to Fight Optional Bosses.Click here for Part Two
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