HIGH Charging up an axe attack that stuns large dudes so I can rip their innards out. Neat! LOW The Chalice Dungeons look and feel almost identical no matter which variations are triggered. WTF The 'real' ending. Who thought that would be a satisfying conclusion to a forty-plus hour adventure?

Charging up an axe attack that stuns large dudes so I can rip their innards out; Neat

The Chalice Dungeons look and feel almost identical no matter which variations are triggered

This is part 3 of an on-going review of Bloodborne. Read Part 1 and Part 2. This is a long reflection on what's it's like playing and discussing the game, rather than a strict focus on the game itself.

Bloodborne is amazing. I'll admit, I come in with some Souls experience, but I'm still fairly bad at tough video games. Bloodborne simplifies the minutiae contained in the Souls experience but keeps the core things that make it great.

Methodical rewarding combat; expansive areas; challenging boss fights

Long load times; necessity to grind for materials

Watch a full 20+ minute video review of Bloodborne from Joaby embedded above Bloodborne is an action RPG created by FROM Software, a Japanese company most famous for its Souls series of games.

A masterclass in design, and a lesson for other developers.

Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2 took many, many days away from me. Anyone who has played From Software's action RPGs, or as I'd like to call them punishment simulators, will tell you that it's all part of the experience. That's just how it goes.

Exciting; daunting; challenging; huge; captivating is only a few words Id use to describe Bloodborne

Technical issues like causing lengthy load times and other issues

One thing's for sure though, Sony has done very well for themselves by nailing Bloodborne down as a PS4 exclusive. As enjoyable as Infamous, DriveClub (eventually) and Killzone were, they never rode such a continuous wave of hype after release.

Rewarding enemy encounters; The game world design is stunning; Regain system encourages aggressive style

Long loading times; Combo variation is very limited; Attack interruptions can be inconsistent

You wake up to find a strange man staring at you, only to get eaten by strange zombie-like creatures just seconds later in what looks like the end of your story before it even began.

Bloodborne has all the flavors and trimmings From Software fans have come to savor. A high risk/reward system, unrelenting difficulty, imposing and creative boss fights, an obtuse narrative, and unconventional combat.

"Grossly Incandescent." More than 70 hours into Bloodborne, seeing the credits flow is in itself a beautiful as well as a heart wrenching feeling. Sure there lies the New Game Plus [...]

Level Designing and Narrative; Fighting Mechanics; Character Models and Environment Art; Immersion; Souls like Sense of Achievement

FROM Server Issues resulting in Insight Deduction; Framerate dips; A few rehashed boss fights; WTF is Arcane