5/5 ★ – Aliliane's review of Bloodborne.

Date completed: 25/9/2025 Time taken: 34 hours in one month Oh Bloodborne… a generational masterpiece that happens once every decade or two. One of my favorite games of all time, I’m not new to it, but started a new playthrough in this account and gotten the platinum on the way. Pros: It’s Bloodborne. Cons: As much as I consider it a perfect game, I admit it has some flaws that I gladly overlook. -Some of the bosses are poorly designed. I understand they wanted them to special, so the game gets less repetitive and you have a different mechanic for many bosses, but they didn’t accomplish that nicely. The Witches of Hemwick, Rom and Micolash especially are the worst. Micolash is beyond terrible. It’s a shame because he’s really special. As annoying as it is, chasing him and his arena made him extremely memorable. But he only has three attacks, one of them nearly impossible to avoid, and the other is a punch. I love you Bloodborne but I can’t defend that. I appreciate the atmosphere above all, though. -Few of the runbacks… I guess I shouldn’t complain when Dark Souls 2 exists. Gameplay: 10/10 Bloodborne arguably has the best gameplay out of all Fromsoftware games. The rally mechanic is perfect for the aggressive combat and the healing system? Also perfect. I understand if you don’t want to farm but you can just invest your echoes in blood vials and you’ll never have to worry about healing. The level design is pure genius, it interconnects the world so well with shortcuts you may not unlock until later in the game. The trick weapons are so fun to use, different movesets with transformation attacks, the possibilities are endless and you use different weapons for enemies and bosses. Even besides their abilities, all the weapons just look so cool. You simply never get bored. Soundtrack: 10/10 Iconic. From the somber hum of the Hunter’s Dream to the chaotic crescendo of boss fights like Ebrietas, every piece of music is purposeful. Unlike many other games that rely on ambient or orchestral filler, Bloodborne uses its music to enhance emotion and communicate lore. What makes it stand apart from other Souls games is that many of the tracks actually have lyrics, not random Latin, but lyrics that carry thematic weight. They reflect each respective character and the world’s decaying sanity. It's not just background music, it’s narrative in sound. The melody of Hunter’s Dream in particular is unforgettable, carrying both comfort and melancholy in a way that feels deeply personal. It’s music that sticks with you, not just because it’s simply epic, but because it means something. Story: 10/10 A philosophical journey into the heart of human curiosity and madness. Many games are content to lay everything out plainly, but of course Bloodborne like the rest of other Souls games invites you to dig deeper and piece together the truths hidden beneath layers of cryptic dialogue, item descriptions, and visual storytelling. As your Insight rises, the world changes, quite literally. What once seemed mundane reveals itself to be even more terrifying. The world isn’t shifting, your perception is. That mechanic alone embodies the game’s themes better than a cutscene ever could. I love the works of H.P Lovecraft and the Lovecraftian influence is obvious, but Bloodborne doesn’t merely reference Lovecraft, it expands on his ideas. In the DLC, despite everything, Bloodborne defeats Lovecraft’s nihilism and whispers acceptance at the end of the nightmare. The world is filled with dread and inescapable tragedy… but even in the darkest of nights, a glimmer of hope and kindness shines, present especially in the final duel of the game. Whether you allow Gehrman to show you mercy or choose to free him yourself, that fight in itself remains a piece of poetry. No exposition required. Just a mentor and student, dancing one last time under a fading moon, determined to save one another. Visuals/Design: 10/10 Definitely one of the most beautiful games ever made. The gothic architecture is jaw-dropping: massive cathedrals with spires stabbing the sky, endless rows of twisted iron fences, and streets bathed in a sickly orange glow that feels both beautiful and oppressive. It’s a kind of decayed elegance, a world that was once majestic, now rotting and falling apart, and somehow even more captivating because of it. The art direction is what makes Bloodborne so special. The game plays with lighting in amazing ways, using shadow and fog to build tension and mystery. Some areas feel like walking through a nightmare painted by a 19th-century romantic artist. Dark, moody, surreal, and poetic. Every area has a distinct visual identity that serves pure atmosphere. Bloodborne also serves visual storytelling at its finest. Gothic cathedrals stretch into misty skies, twisted villages hide eldritch secrets, and every inch of Yharnam bleeds with history. The transformation of the world from evening to the Blood Moon is one of the most awe-inspiring shifts in gaming. Thematically it’s a metaphor for descent, awakening and madness. The environmental storytelling is as rich as the written lore. Every asset contributes to the narrative, and the progression of the night, tied to player actions and Insight, subtly tells the world’s story without a single word. Characters live and die by your choices as the blood moon descends. Some die quietly, some go mad. Others suffer quietly until dawn never comes. Their personal stories intertwine with the world’s fate, making each interaction feel weighty. A true masterpiece. Every texture, every fog-covered alley, every grotesque creature design is dripping with artistic intent. Overall: 10/10 Bloodborne isn’t just a game. It’s a masterclass in design, storytelling, and atmosphere which delivers an unforgettable experience that lingers long after the credits roll. No other game makes me feel the way Bloodborne does, and I doubt any ever will... “Dear oh dear, what was it? The hunt, the blood, or the horrible dream?”