Bloodborne

 PlayStation 4
  • Publisher: SCEA
  • Release Date: Mar 24, 2015
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 13072 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11,623 out of 13072
  2. Mixed: 507 out of 13072
  3. Negative: 942 out of 13072
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  1. sheep255174
    Jun 30, 2020
    10
    Amazing, astonishing, nostalgic masterpiece from Software. Bloodborne is one of those games that will go down in gaming history as one of the best of all time.
  2. JimPickens
    Sep 5, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Despite taking me about a year to muster up the courage to see it through to its end, Bloodborne is one of my favourite games ever made.

    I've always admired the Souls games from afar, too scared to pick them up lest I waste my money and hit a wall 2 hours in, but when Bloodborne became free on PS+ I took the opportunity and started playing. What you'll notice about that story is that Bloodborne released on PS+ in 2018... it took me 4 goddamn years to get to the end of this game, not because I was stuck, I breezed through a lot of the game, I was just too bloody intimidated every time I beat a boss to keep going. I think its atmosphere is something Bloodborne excels at, it's creepy, hopeless, oppressive, but it also empowers you, you are a hunter, and the bosses are referred to as your "prey" it makes you want to overcome every challenge. The game overall is far more aggressive than it's shield loving older brother, you're given a shield, but the game tells you it's not a common tool for a hunter, it discourages you, it wants you to equip that Pistol, it wants you to be fast and aggressive, not cower behind a shield and wait, but to strike first, and you're rewarded for it via the games Regain System, allowing you to get back any lost health through attacking, if you manage to hit the enemy back in the few seconds you're given to do so after taking damage, you replenish your health. Then there's the Visceral Attack, similarly to the Repost in Dark Souls, you must wait for the enemy to just about start attacking, but instead of using a shield, you shoot them, this allows you to get in a massively effective hit by ramming your hand inside their chest and ripping it back out, it's wonderfully brutal and can make the difference between a lose and a victory, especially in the boss fights where it's usable.

    The games story is an minimalist as you'd expect from FromSoft, you're given a vague goal, this time it's to "just go kill a few beasts" that's it, no "go ring two bells" no "keep the flame lit" just... go kill monsters. Of course where these games shine is their lore, and boy... is there lore. To summarize it in a short, probably false way; Long ago there were The Great Ones, think H.P Lovecrafts Great Old Ones, but they all transcended, and humanity took their place in the world, but humanity, particularly the Byrgenwerth scholars discovered the tombs of the The Great Ones, and through the knowledge the attained, discovered too ways to lift humanity higher, The Blood and Insight, a group splitting off from the Church because they believed The Blood was evil and that Insight was the way to communicate with The Great Ones, which it WAS, the Blood turned people into monsters, particularly clerics, as we see with The Cleric Beast, and general members of the church, like Father Gascoigne, who was a Hunter with the church, and now that the world is roamed by blood thirsty beasts and Great Ones, you The Good Hunter, must kill as many as you can until the sun rises and the hunt ends... didya get all that? Well it doesn't matter, at the end of the day it's "ya kill sh*t" until "ya killed all the sh*t" and it's pretty great.

    Bloodborne stand out to me, even among the Souls games, mainly for its aesthetic, the Victorian Scenery slowly morphing into Lovecraftian Horror as the game goes on, when you kill Rom and start the Blood Moon, making the real horror visible, revealing the Amygdala, terrifying, huge arachnid-like creatures with giant bulbous heads full of eyes and tentacles at their mouths, but the scariest thing about them? Save for three, they just... watch you... not attacking, not acting in violence, just observing, as if perplexed by your ability, you can see them, yet you stand steadfast, ready to continue the hunt. And yes, you do get to fight one in an optional boss fight, and no, it's not hard, not at all, it goes down like a b*tch, still looks cool though.

    You do fight a couple great ones actually, most optional, but one I do want to talk about is The Moon Presence, the true final boss, she's the one who created the Hunters Dream, entrapped Gehrman, and after you kill him, intends to the same to you, but with your Insight from consuming three umbilical cords, you're able to resist, and fight back, killing the nightmare and being reborn as a Great One, finally, able to stop the hunt, for Djura who knows what the hunt really is and opposes it, for Eileen, tasked eternally with killing comrades too far gone, for the people ravaged by blood and transformed, and for Gehrman, finally freed from his never-ending dream, you can end it all, usher in a new age, a new childhood for humanity, without need for hunters, will you? or will you resign yourself to the fleeting sunset? or fall short and take Gehrman's place? Farewell good hunters, may you find your worth in the waking world.    … Expand
  3. Cristiancs100
    Jul 19, 2020
    10
    El mejor juego de from software, tiene una dificultad alta pero a la vez engancha, es adictivo y muy buena jugabilidad
  4. patdalefty
    Jun 22, 2020
    10
    When it comes to recent From Software games, the difficulty always seems to be one of the most common issues. But rather than describing the game as difficult, it is rather unforgiving and the sense of achievement upon getting to the next lamp or beating the next boss is something that few games apart from the Soulsborne franchise can attain.
    And no matter how difficult certain passages    When it comes to recent From Software games, the difficulty always seems to be one of the most common issues. But rather than describing the game as difficult, it is rather unforgiving and the sense of achievement upon getting to the next lamp or beating the next boss is something that few games apart from the Soulsborne franchise can attain.
    And no matter how difficult certain passages seem, there is always a way through.
    What elevates Bloodborne from the Souls games in my opinion is the unbeatable atmosphere. The gothic setting and Lovecraftian influences across Yharnam and further are simply amazing and you feel like being drawn into the world and even though you may first feel a sense of dread of what might linger around the next corner, you always feel like you want to see more and dive deeper into the world.
    The lore and plot, in true Dark Souls fashion is convoluted and that is also what makes it more intriguing in my opinion. You can find yourself for hours just reading item descriptions and looking for further clues in the world to give meaning to the game, which also leaves room for interpretation, but that's what makes it great.
    Apart from the story, the multitude of weapons and build options for your character makes the game extremely re-playable and, at this point, almost 5 years after release, is still one of my go-to games at any point.
    The pros:
    - The atmosphere is, in my opinion, the best that From Soft attained in a game
    - The gameplay and combat is sharp and to the point.
    - Level design leaves no wishes open. Without spoilering anything, the first area of the game is certainly among the best intro/tutorial areas ever made.
    - In typical From Software fashion, the background score is scarce, apart from a few areas and bosses, but it is well composed and the lack thereof in many parts makes it the more potent.
    - The boss design is variable and contains some of the best (and most challenging) bosses in the Soulsborne series (this review only focuses on the main game bosses, DLC is another review in itself). Especially with the chalice dungeons, you will have some tough nuts to crack and that also makes the game even greater.
    - Re-playability: With many games being a one-and-done, you will still find new things after mutliple playthroughs
    - Great graphics and scenery.
    - Multiplayer works well, even if it is not as much in focus as in the Dark Souls series.

    Cons (albeit not many):
    - The inventory menu is centered around the options button, whereas the touchpad is reserved for gestures and certain non-quick-use item slots. As I use the inventory menu more often (to equip weapons and equip quick-use items into slots) than the touchpad, I would like this reversed. It is sometimes hard while moving to do this when you have large fingers, especially since the game does not pause.
    - The chalice dungeon design, albeit intriguing, can seem repetitive at some points.
    - Travelling between lanterns is not possible. Instead, you have to maneuver through a hub world, which makes sense story wise, however the option of directly warping between lanterns (like between bonfires in Dark Souls) would have been beneficial, as it would save you from an extra loading screen from time to time.

    These cons do not in anyway justify a lower score in my opinion, and I would recommend anyone with a PS4 to get the game and play it.
    An absolute must-play for the PS4.    … Expand
  5. INU4SH4
    Jun 25, 2020
    9
    This is definitely not a very welcoming game for a casual gamer and I remember ragequitting the first time I played it. I'm glad I gave it a second shot and found out one of the greatest Playstation hits and exclusives.

    The thematic and symbolism are superb and it creates a fantastic narrative that is complemented by the incredibly challenging story DLC. The combat is so deep and    This is definitely not a very welcoming game for a casual gamer and I remember ragequitting the first time I played it. I'm glad I gave it a second shot and found out one of the greatest Playstation hits and exclusives.

    The thematic and symbolism are superb and it creates a fantastic narrative that is complemented by the incredibly challenging story DLC. The combat is so deep and definitely surpasses the Dark Souls series. The bleak atmosphere is perfect for the game's difficulty. The game is also not as difficult as it seems at first, you just need to persevere and understand its intricate mechanics.

    Best PS4 exclusive and a must-play for someone looking for a challenge and a brilliant Lovecraftian narrative.    … Expand
  6. SunPraisinMan
    Dec 13, 2020
    9
    Definitely took me a few tries to really get into this game, as this is probably the most unforgiving game in the soulsborne franchise for newbies. But once the combat started to click with me, I ended up loving this game. With its haunting atmosphere and ost, this is going to be a experiences that would be hard to forget
  7. Ophiophagy
    Aug 4, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Hands down the best game fromsoft has ever released. i mean, wow. There was for me a small learning curve, seeing as there is no more block and parry, now it is down to timing the swing to a good ol blunderbuss shot, or pistol/rifle shot. Coop is where it's at. Single Player is completely do-able but the coop is truly king.

    Graphics (on ps4 pro) are quite tasty, they are not perfect, not the best i've ever seen, but a great quality none the less. far above most and under even more.

    controls are great, i never had an issue there. doge, roll, swing, slam, quicksilver your arcane ability should you so choose to run with it (not honestly viable in my own opinion)

    this is a great Victorian era setting, grim-dark and bloody. Weapons can be upgraded with bloodshards-twinbloodshards, blood chunks, blood slabs, blood rocks. its a souls game yet ruled by blood. it differs greatly from the other souls series as you have the chance to regain health in a limited amount and time frame upon taking damage making aggressive and tactile play more forward instead of overtly cautious.

    blood vials can be used to heal yourself and also expanded through arcane runes that can be equipped to your character. gems can be slotted into your weapons to increase stats and even add some attributes such as poison or fire. all beast carry an innate fear of fire!

    there are invasions that will always trigger when you summon in a companion for jolly cooperation.

    (i myself and my friends have found that the small bell or resonance must be rang before the large bell of beckoning. it allows for a faster summoning) you can set passwords to help your friends find you but a good bet is to follow the bell structure i just listed as well as stand in the exact area or as close to it as you can get to allow easier and quicker summoning. you cannot summon once an invader is present (unless they join as your summoning is a success) once one person is summoned as a coop partner (up to 2) the bell ringing woman appears, evil and vile and rings a sinister bell for the denizens of pvp (ewww pvp) i am not a fan at all of pvp i only enjoy coop and helping others, that being said, bloodborne has done it right, find the woman and kill her, she will cease to ring her bell and from that point on, you can continue to summon your friends with no worries, (your large bell will continue to ring unless you silence it, costing 1 insight to ring each bell each time, best to let it continue to ring)

    the enemies are varied, some vile creatures are hidden away, waiting to be discovered, some are in plain sight. all are woefully corrupted.

    i have completed the game so many times i truly have lost count of what NG+ i am on. i know i am past 20 but cannot remember anymore what the number truly is. and yes, with every iteration passed, the enemies grow stronger.

    chalice dungeons where you can gather materials from bosses and worlds (and other dungeons) exist to provide a slight different take. many are repetitive. what is the point? unique weapon variants!

    The visceral counters upon stunned enemies are gruesome and satisfying, combat is easily understood, moderately implemented and once mastered, makes you feel like a true hunter. The more you fight, the more you kill, the more your eyes awaken to the world around you and then, you begin to see the world for what it really is. There is so much depth inside of bloodborne, the story is there, right in-front of your eyes, and yet piecing it together and theorizing on top of it is truly what makes it so enjoyable. i want desperately for a sequel, but I also fear a sequel, this was the first fromsoft game that for me is perfect in every way. I do not know that it is even possible to top it.

    There is an infant crying out... 3 pieces....    … Expand
  8. Vahid_ee
    May 19, 2023
    10
    The details in this game is insane and the gameplay is satisfying as hell. You should search the internet and spend hours after you beat the game to discover details that you may have missed through the game and that’s as satisfying as the game itself
  9. Uchija_Ryder
    Jun 19, 2020
    10
    magnifico juego, la atmosfera, los jefes, la historia, esta entre los mejores que he jugado
  10. Megalovirus
    Dec 25, 2021
    10
    Sublime la mejor obra de hidetaka Miyazaki. Sin lugar a dudas es una lastima que sony no permita un remake o un remaster gratis
  11. Landon_JC
    Feb 19, 2022
    9
    This game has some of the best gameplay out there. With its gothic setting and disturbing stories, it makes for one hell of a game. Compared to other FromSoftware games, I wouldn’t say it is their best. Dark Souls 3 takes the cake for me. But Bloodborne is an incredible game through and through!
  12. Brenofonseca
    Jun 28, 2020
    10
    com certeza melhor jogo da franquia souls com o=ótima historia e gameplay frenético
  13. midiking
    Jun 20, 2020
    10
    From Software is a gift to the gaming industry, what a masterpiece. Might be the best game on the PS4!
  14. Jag011
    Jun 21, 2020
    10
    I suffered,and i am suffering from the begining this game is awesome ,before this game i was playing Always in easy or normal difficulty but this gameplay made me better,i love the gameplay,the game design and also soud design
  15. WellBarrel227
    Jun 20, 2020
    10
    Original and amazing story that melts with the world. If you like the "souls", you will love it. If you don't, wtf is wrong with you??
  16. Aksoy
    Aug 2, 2020
    10
    Mükemmel bir oyun, herkese tavsiye ederim. Ps4 ün en Zor ama en güzel oyunu
  17. Toast-King
    Jun 20, 2020
    9
    The richest world FromSoftware have produced, sprawling with atmosphere and story threads that will intrigue. The change up in combat to allow you to heal if you attack after taking damage intensifies the combat further, even if the odd hit box problem is still here. It's still a niche game, but for those it appeals to it will give you tens, if not hundreds of hours of exploration andThe richest world FromSoftware have produced, sprawling with atmosphere and story threads that will intrigue. The change up in combat to allow you to heal if you attack after taking damage intensifies the combat further, even if the odd hit box problem is still here. It's still a niche game, but for those it appeals to it will give you tens, if not hundreds of hours of exploration and repeat plays.… Expand
  18. GRimMjow-2882
    Jun 20, 2020
    10
    It is a masterpiece great story great combat and high replayability with balanced difficulty
  19. cfGhost
    Jul 12, 2020
    10
    Best atmosphere of any games i've played, fantastic soundtrack and bosses, great lore, challenging but really satisfying gameplay, one of my favourite games ever
  20. Grishnackh
    Jun 20, 2021
    10
    Bloodborne is pure masterpiece,i have in this game probably over 200 hours and of course platinum trophy,im really big fan of Souls games and bloodborne is for sure best one!(for me) love that atmosphere,lore is too really great. best game of 2015 together with Witcher 3 10/10!
  21. Goldobitote
    Apr 8, 2022
    10
    Maravilhoso o game, mdjbehdjjdndjdjdjjdjdndnxnxndndnndjdndjxnxnxnxnxnxncncn
  22. Flstudio44
    Jun 20, 2020
    10
    Omg! Awesome game! Highly recommend to play! More than 100 hours in game and platinum prize
  23. Miitchjones3
    Apr 4, 2022
    4
    Having to squeeze time in for videogames sometimes, it is frustrating to play one where most of the free time I have is retrying areas and/or bosses due to the difficulty level. It seems like a lot of effort for the little time some people have for videogames these days. The scenery is nice and the enemy differentiation is welcomed, but this isn't a game for some people who want to play for fun.
  24. Hideonchayanne
    Jun 20, 2020
    10
    Un juegazo, tiene una atmósfera envolvente, música genial, escenarios hermosos, una muy buena dificultad y una historia muy especial, el mundo no gira entorno a nosotros, nosotros giramos entorno al mundo de bloodborne
  25. NoManF
    Jul 19, 2020
    10
    Still one of the best games of all time; gameplay, atmosphere, soundtrack are majestic
  26. edtks
    Jul 2, 2020
    10
    This game is a masterpiece, amazing world building and lore, tho it's a little mind-blowing and time consuming when trying to figure out what happened by collecting items and reading description to fill in the blanks. It is like Fromsoftware sell us a game not just to play whatever they give but to solve the puzzle, to find out the story and lore by paying more attention to the gameThis game is a masterpiece, amazing world building and lore, tho it's a little mind-blowing and time consuming when trying to figure out what happened by collecting items and reading description to fill in the blanks. It is like Fromsoftware sell us a game not just to play whatever they give but to solve the puzzle, to find out the story and lore by paying more attention to the game itself. The creepy atmosphere resulted even more intense combat and giving me quite a mentally stressful experience. Highly recommended a must-play title to Playstation 4 owners (Maybe even PS5 later) and Fromsoftware fans!… Expand
  27. Lizziemuffin
    Jun 26, 2020
    9
    Difícil pra um caramba, história meio confusa mas interessante, jogabilidade ótima, mas como um jogo da série souls é difícil, mas com uma sensação incrivelmente recompensadora e de conquista a cada vitória, a cada chefe derrotado
  28. MkaySweet
    Jun 21, 2020
    10
    Must Have. Way better than any Dark Souls I played (I hated the slow combat, sowwy ._. )

    Finished it in a week. Damn great bosses and gore. My top 10.
  29. Tal4l
    Jul 1, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The greatest Miyazaki game for me if you didn't play any from software game I think bloodborne is the best start for you… Expand
  30. Mati8888
    May 4, 2021
    9
    Enemy Variety:9/10
    Atmosphere:10/10
    Weapons:9/10
    Armour:7.5/10
    Bosses:9/10
    Areas:8/10
    Story:9/10
    Difficulty:10/10

    Overall:8.9/10
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best PS4 Game of 2015
1
#1 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2015
9
#9 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 100 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 99 out of 100
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 100
  3. Negative: 0 out of 100
  1. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    May 26, 2015
    90
    Visually striking, nerve-shredding and a fascinating streamlining of the Souls formula. Bloodborne is an exclusive jewel in the PS4 crown and you need to own it. [June 2015, p71]
  2. Games Master UK
    May 24, 2015
    90
    What a world. What a combat system. What a game. You don't want to miss this. [June 2015, p.56]
  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    May 20, 2015
    90
    It offers unparalleled player agency when dealing with From's wonderful third-person combat. [May 2015, p.79]
See all critic reviews »