Yeah I know I just did this with Metro, but the article was started around the first 3rd of the game, and submitted right before a later play session where I did a major push to finish it. Loved it, but as luck would have it I'm moving on to the latest big thing starting today. Unlike the last article this one is a true first impression entry, and one that is almost totally blind and early into the game. Heck to give you an idea of how early, its an RPG where I have yet to figure out how to even level up... so yeah. Today, a day after its release, I got BloodBorne as sort of an early Easter present.
So far its pretty good, but it certainly has its share of differences and learning curve. It feels very much like its made by the same team we all know now. Quiet dark lands with cryptic story telling, grunts that you need to time to properly kill, and just some of the general feels that a souls game would have. However its also strangely different. I was told to expect some things like a new health system, an aggressive focus, and I know its technically a new IP, but still some weird things are just different. There hasn't been single armor/clothing drop and I'm getting the feeling the same can be said for core weapons, stats and classes are recontextualized into something entirely different, I'm almost certain the 1st death is intentional, and the bonfire system is practically non-existent. It'll take some getting used to.
Now I do like the game, but its a bit rough as well. I love the transforming weapons, the game is refreshingly mysterious thanks to the fact that I ignored 80% of the hype (seriously, stop spoiling your own damn games marketing dudes), and the world is amazing. Currently I've got no clue what to do stat-wise, but I'm running around with a whip/cane weapon, and swapping around between a torch and pistol combo. What I don't like however, apart from the infamous load times (which I can live with, but I do think they'll improve things if they get that patch out there), is the fact that the newly aggressive combat doubles that cheap-shot feeling. For example, there are these black coat guys that will occasionally jab a torch at you. Sometimes they do a double dip with the attack, its hard to tell when and how they're able to do the main attack in the first place never the less when they'll cheap shot you with a double hit. The fact that this game relies on speed and aggression over defense, but still moves identical to the older slow paced punch and dodge soul games means you'll see some strange animations or just get hit in ways that feel unfair. Heck that exact torch attack is just the perfect idea, it can go right through my attacks as though it is impervious to the whole stunlock system. I hardly think that's fair, and I expect the game will have more surprises like that in its future even if the combat is mostly smooth outside of this issue.
Now then I'm off to try and push through these darn were-wolf things. I can't break past them, and this'll probably be just like the Tarus demon in dark souls where I spent like two hours attempting to get past that area. Oh and great I'm nearly out of Molotovs, so there's that as well. I'll get through this eventually, and if I have to I'll probably just farm the villagers, run back to the hub zone, and buy better equipment until something happens.
EDIT:
Beat those wolves, got the leveling system in, loved a fight with the big wolf guy (died after cutting him down by a 3rd), got better armor, strengthened my weapon, discovered there's no weight system, etc. I also forgot to mention last time that it surprised me how often health pac- err... blood vials drop. You can carry like 20 of them, they fall from like every 5-8 kills, and using them is fast. Sounds too easy? Nope! Damage output is high, regain makes you take risks to save up your inventory causing you to fail sometimes, and it takes like 2 vials to really heal you up in most cases. Its still a struggle, its just that you're given this feeling of liberty and strong supply for when you do want to use this stuff. It also means they can get away with some aggressive boss fights, I really got to use the vials more so I can take on the cleric a lot better. This game is truly a valid successor to dark souls, striking that perfect difficulty curve twice to make you sweat over the 1st level and still enjoy things. Its got quite a good number of changes, but none feel entirely wrong its just a different way of accomplishing a very similar amazing experience. Now its all new again, and every new creature, NPC, and room feels like its a bold new discovery. So now I'm off to recollect 4000 blood points I lost to that cleric.
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