14 DAY TRIAL // Bloodborne, From Software's recently released action role-playing game for the PlayStation 4, is every bit as difficult as the company's previous titles.
While Dark Souls veterans will no doubt have an easier time navigating the city of Yharnam, those who are fresh to the kind of punishing game design the Japanese developer enforces will no doubt find it supremely frustrating.
As opposed to the hordes of enemies you are able to take on in similar games, such as Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo 3, Bloodborne only throws a handful of opponents your way, with the twist that they can kill you as easily as you can make them meet your maker.
This means that, when you boot up the game for the first time, you're in for a pretty bad time, if you don't know what's waiting for you. The tips below are meant to change that, allowing you to enjoy the game without getting overly frustrated.
Attacks are slow, controls feel unresponsive
The way Bloodborne works, once you commit to an attack, you are stuck until the animation is over, unable to dodge, move or cancel it in any way. This means that you should approach battles with a much more methodical mindset than in God of War or other similar titles, because in Yharnam, everything can catch you off-guard and kill you.
In a game like The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, you could get away with a lot. Cutting down wave after wave of cannon fodder enemies was just a matter of spamming the attack key, with the occasional dodge roll to get in a better position.
Bloodborne is different. It's all about pacing, waiting for a window of opportunity and getting in some damage without overextending, and repeating that pattern over and over.
If you don't severely outlevel an opponent, it is able to kill you in about four strikes, including the ones its buddies might be able to land on you. Take that to mind and try to get yourself in situations where you have the upper hand, not the other way around.
Be aware of your surroundings
One of the basic rules is to always know what's behind you at all times. The last thing you want is to have an enemy sneak up on you or to not be able to dash or roll away from an enemy attack.
Be aware of what is going on around you, and use terrain to your advantage. Get behind cover when fighting someone while there are ranged enemies around, and lure enemies one at a time throwing pebbles.
You can make things more manageable by luring groups into a chokepoint like an alleyway or a flight of stairs, in order to have them all in front of you, taking damage from your wide swings.
Even during some boss fights or when you stumble upon other hunters, you can use pillars, carriages, tombstones and rocks as a temporary shield that can give you just enough time to top up your health bar.
Find the right weapon for you and upgrade it
Try to experiment with all the weapons. Don't get stingy, try them out, see which ones feel like a natural fit for you and experiment with all their attacks, including charged ones and transformations.
Once you find a weapon that feels right, stick to it and upgrade it as soon as possible. Keep an eye out for the materials you need and head to Hunter's Dream and upgrade your main weapon when you have them.
Farmable upgrades and Blood Gems can easily get a weapon's damage at 250 percent of its base value, making combat much easier. You won't find enough materials to upgrade all your arsenal, but you can usually keep one fully upgraded with a second one close behind without having to go out of your way to farm.
Get familiar with all the mechanics
Use all your available weapons in combat and see their effects on enemies. A charged polearm strike can knock down the biggest of opponents, at a considerable range. The sawblade can make very fast attacks, but its extremely close range means that you're much more vulnerable to retaliation.
It's important to find the right fit for your playstyle and to know how everything works. Sometimes a difficult enemy becomes manageable if you keep your distance and do strong, thrusting attacks with a longer weapon.
Another thing you should try to get a hang of is the parry and riposte mechanic. Although it's difficult to grasp at first, mastering it can prove extremely valuable and time-saving. Being able to one-shot brick ogres and axe ogres in cramped locations can make the difference between breezing through a level and dying over and over.
Find an enemy you hate in a secluded location and fight it while trying out all the tricks. Don't be afraid to die and don't be afraid to waste Blood Vials on healing. The lessons you learn will more than pay off in the long run.
Don't hoard consumables
Speaking of consumables, don't be a hoarder. The last thing you want is to die from a hitbox glitch or from spamming the attack key one time too many, not being able to dodge in time, just because you were cheap.
Sometimes you can just die for no reason. Learn to inject yourself with Blood Vials whenever your health runs low. You will find loads of them throughout the game, and you can always buy more.
The same goes for Sedatives that can reduce Frenzy and Antidotes that can remove Poison, and there are areas where you pretty much have to keep them handy, otherwise you're just asking for it.
In the early game, Molotovs are your best friends, and you can try using them in conjunction with Oil Urns for an extra bit of damage. Don't be afraid to use them when facing difficult enemies, as you can always get more once the opposition is dead.
Keep in mind that there is no prize for amassing consumables aside from an untimely death, as appealing as it may be to walk around in the guise of a well-stocked cupboard.
You don't have to fight them all
Sometimes, if you run into a wall, it's okay to quit. Go visit another area, explore, and return later, better stocked and with a couple of extra levels and try again.
Also, if you're only interested in reaching a certain segment of a level, you can simply run around the enemies, avoiding their attacks, and focus on what's important.
Killing every single enemy every single time is tedious and a waste of time. Do the parts you're interested in, run straight to the troublesome part and try to figure the encounter out or practice taking down the difficult enemies.
Practice makes perfect
While you will start out feeling underpowered, once you get comfortable with the game mechanics and start practicing jump attacks, lunges and parries, you will be astounded by the progress you can achieve.
Consistency is the best way to achieve progress and make sure that you don't die for no good reason. I can't even remember how many times I died due to the fact that the enemy I was facing only needed one more quick jab to fall over.
Or how many times I died due to the fact that I rolled to the side instead of behind the opponent, getting hit by its wide attack.
The key to avoiding death is often times being able to perform the right move in a timely manner, and to minimize the associated risks.
You should always be brave, but never reckless. From Software apparently derives a sadistic brand of pleasure from punishing overconfident players.
Don't fall prey to the allure of success the angler fish is dangling in front of you, and be mindful of the sharp teeth behind it.
You can check out our Bloodborne review for more information about the game.