Saturday, July 11, 2015

Surviving Bloodborne - Part: Two


"Now I have a Holy Blade. Ho ho ho."

This is Part Two of Surviving Bloodborne.  Head over to Part One if you’ve missed it.

A video game guide by Hank: Twitter / Twitch

WALLS AND DOORWAYS:
Bloodborne doesn't hold back on you when it's pounding your character into the ground, so if there's anyway to relieve that pressure—even if the tactic seems cheap—use it to your advantage.  Some enemies are either too big or too wide to fit through a doorway.  And boy, is that the perfect opportunity to sit back and attack from afar as they struggle to get through.  For instance, when dealing with multiple werewolves, always run through the nearest doorway and wait for them to attempt to get in.  Then one by one, hack and slash their asses until all the werewolves are stacked up like piles of beef.  Don't feel ashamed by this tactic, because sooner or later you're going to get creamed anyway, so take advantage of the game while you can. 

The other fun thing to do is use walls to your advantage.  In the world of Bloodborne, apparently most walls are magic barriers that only hold back your character and not their weapon.  So the next time you're having trouble with an opponent, run through a doorway or around some type of structure and then strike through it.  Enemies will most likely stay stuck to the wall or structure, trying to get to you, as you strategically plant your weapon upon their face.  Now, you may think you're slick using this tactic, but beware: these silly walls also affect enemies in the same way.  So if they're stuck to a wall swinging some type of weapon and you're too close…say goodnight, because they will magically rip your face off from the other side.  So use the walls to your advantage, but stay a safe distance until you're ready to strike.

"Here I am having a perfectly nice lunch next to this gorgeous tree, and some giant A-hole has to
come along with his stupid lantern and ugly hair, and ruin it."

SHORTCUT ELEVATORS ARE YOUR FRIEND:
Every level or area in Bloodborne has a short cut at some point to get further into the level without having to run the entire way.  Use these elevators to your advantage as best you can.  If you've been going for a while through a level, odds are there's an elevator somewhere close or you might have missed it.  So always take the time to search the entire area for these shortcuts.  They'll allow you to quickly go back to the Hunter's Dream and level up and then come back to the exact same spot.  Don't forget though, elevators have to be activated to work.  So if you're not going to use it at that moment, at least run in and out of it to activate it.  That way if you die, you can still use the elevator when you return.

CHECK THE BATH MESSENGERS OFTEN:
Bath Messengers are the little skeleton guys hanging out in the birdbath type things when you go back to the Hunter's dream.  They offer various items (clothing, weapons, augmentations, blood vials, etc.) to help you through the game.  But here's the thing: as you progress through and kill certain Bosses and such, you'll gain badges which will allow you to buy different weapons or armor and if you don't check them at least once after each level, you may miss out on something very important or helpful.

INVENTORY BANKING:
Characters in Bloodborne have magical bags that allow them to carry items over their limit.  For instance, your character can only hold 20 blood vials at any one time (24 with a special upgrade later in the game), but that doesn't mean if you come across another blood vial you shouldn't pick it up.  If you're holding your limit in any one item and you pick up another one, it magically gets banked back at the Hunter's Dream.  Now this doesn't mean if you use a blood vial that it magically gets replaced.  No, your immediate inventory will show 19 blood vials instead of 20.  But if you die or head back to the Hunter's Dream, then your inventory will be refreshed.  So if you've banked a ton of blood vials and only have three in your inventory with a Boss fight right around the corner, best thing to do is head back to the Hunter's Dream to refresh your inventory (and level up if you can) and then go back to your last spot using a shortcut that you found and fight the Boss with a full amount of blood vials.

"I told you guys to leave me alone while I'm eating.  I even offered you some of my PB & J.  But no,
you had to try and gnaw at my ankles.  *sniffle* We could have been friends." 

BOSSES:
Well this is it.  The last piece of advice P&P can offer in Bloodborne.  Just as stated in the "How to fight" area of this guide, always…always study your opponents attacks first, before rushing in blind like a jackass.  This is the first and most important rule when dealing with bosses.  How do you do this?  By simply running up to a boss or even the other Hunters in the game and then backing up and watching how they attack.  Do you even Math?  Counting is important while fighting Bosses.  Why?  Because most will strike with a certain pattern.  They may swing three or four times in a row and knowing when their last strike will happen is essential to rolling forward and landing a hit yourself.  So roll in and roll out and then watch and learn.  This is the number one tactic when dealing with any Boss.

Now, there are two types of Bosses in Bloodborne (with a tiny exception here and there): small and large.  When facing humongous bosses like Vicar Amelia or The One Reborn or The Cleric Beast, your best option is to roll to the inside of these bosses after they strike.  Pretty much staying under them is your best tactic to winning the fight.  Some large bosses will swing in a 360 degree circle, so you may have to wait until the attack is over and then dive in and pound the crap out of them.  But generally speaking…if the boss is huge, stay underneath and whack away.  Smaller bosses are much trickier.  When you finally face bosses like The Shadow of Yharnam or the Blood-Starved Beast or the last boss, or even the several other Hunters spread throughout the game, staying on the inside of them is a sure way to get killed.  They move faster.  Swing faster.  And spin around faster.  So diving toward them will only give them an opportunity to punch you in the face.  It's best to dive away while they strike, dive back in, strike once and then get out. 

This leads to the second most important rule when dealing with bosses.  Never get greedy.  You're going to get that itch that tells you to stay next to the boss and swing just one more time and it's a sure way to get your face pounded.  Don't be greedy.  If you've gotten in a couple of hits or just one hit and the boss is winding up, get the hell out of there.  Sure the battle may take you a minute longer to fight, but at least you won't be dead and have to do the whole thing over again. 

OPTIONAL BOSSES:
Throughout Bloodborne there are optional bosses that can be fought for new badges that will give you either: new areas to explore, new weapons, or new armor.  And some of them are even harder than the main story's bosses.  If you want all the trophies and want to fully explore the game of Bloodborne than kill each and every one of them.  But here's a secret: if you're having trouble beating one, then just leave them for now.  You can always come back and crush their face later.  In fact, you have the option to go anywhere at any time as long as you haven't fought the very last boss.  Once you fight that boss…then the game is over.  So build your character into a badass and then just before you take on the last boss, go back and mop the floor with every optional boss you had a tough time killing previously.

"Man, I look badass right now.  All I need is the perfect tune for this moment."  
*Hits play on Walkman*
...What's new, Pussycat? Whoa, whoa.  What's new, Pussycat? Whoa, whoa...
"Perfect."   

CONCLUSION:
Bloodborne is the type of game that when you first begin, it will make you want to pull your hair out.  But with a little time, some patience, lots of deaths, and with the help of this guide, you'll begin to play Bloodborne to relax.  That's right…after you've learned and have played the game so much, you'll actually start it up and enjoy the face smashing and vase breaking.  Bloodborne may be challenging, but with a tiny of bit of perseverance, it can be one of the most satisfying games you have ever played.  Thanks for reading.

No comments: