I want to play Bloodborne because quite frankly it looks really cool. I’m told the game is going to be way too difficult for me. I usually play games on standard or easy difficulty. Should I even bother? Is this game even going to be playable to a noob like me?
In the sense of “do they require lightning fast reflexes or mastering a deep combat system”, no not at all. They mostly require paying attention and learning.
I don’t mind learning. I suppose it’s sort of like solving a puzzle. I’m used to horror games with puzzles so I’m used to thinking things through in games.
This isn’t to say it’s not a game that won’t challenge reflexes if you let it. I think it’s fair to say better reflexes in a souls like can serve to make a boss easier as you play more on the edge. Of course this takes having your game knowledge and pattern recognition on point.
Souls games are literally just rhythm games. 90% of boss fights are watching for when the enemy commits to moving forward and pressing the roll button, once they stop for a bit, give em a tickle. Repeat until god is dead.
1000 perfectly timed butt pokes.
💯 It was never hard, you just didn’t know the rhythm yet. Any game that is too lazy to figure out scaling just gets relabeled as a souls game. You’ll get the same experience playing most games without equipment.
The game is learning.
There’s some reaction element, but the core loop is learning how to be optimally positioned to use your weapon, how to optimally pace your attacks, when your attacks leave you vulnerable. Then once you get that, you do the same with enemies. You learn where they hit hardest, what you can avoid, what their tells are, and when they’re vulnerable.
If you’re willing to learn and approach the game with learning as a goal, and understanding that you’ll die as part of that learning process, they’re great, because they do a really good job of creating difficulty in a way that almost all damage is predictable and avoidable if you know what you’re looking at and approach it the right way.
If you just want to button mash you’re going to have a bad time.
When I was a kid, Tomb Raider was a pretty easy game, except this one part that required absolutely perfect timing for a some running and jumping between platforms for a bonus item.
At the start, I could make it to the next platform. After a while, I could do 2. Eventually, I got 3. After a long, long time, I finally managed to string all of them together… And screwed up the very last one.
Here’s the thing, though. I got it on the very next attempt. I had learned that sequence so well that it actually wasn’t hard any more, even though it was nearly impossible for me at the start.
Afterwards, my parents (who watched the whole thing) told me they had never seen me focus on something so intently for so long and they couldn’t believe I managed it.
That’s what souls games are, from start to finish. Every single encounter is basically impossible at first, until you die and learn enough to get through it. But you start from the beginning of the game every freaking time.
That’s what soloing dungeons in Destiny is like. They’re 3-man activities but can all be done solo if you’ve got the balls. The real trick is a Flawless run, zero deaths. I spent months working on my first Solo Flawless, and once I nailed it, it was as if everything else had gotten easier. Now I can run that dungeon with my eyes closed.
I can respect that, even if I’m not a big Souls player. Set a goal, commit to it, and see it through. It’s good practice for life.
Oh man. There’s only one of those dungeons that I actually like, and I got almost 2/3 through it solo, and decided that I just didn’t care enough. I’m sure I could have done it with enough tries… But ugh. So time consuming.
I totally respect people that do it even once, and people that do it for every dungeon are basically gods.
I did Pit of Heresy. Which is debatably the easiest dungeon (Shattered Throne came out earlier, but Pit has Rally flags), but still. I wear the emblem proudly (and have even taught the dungeon to a few newbies). I’ve nearly completed Grasp, and I’ve gotten well into the second boss of Warlord’s solo, but… then I take a long break and play other stuff.
With Prismatic it’s actually much easier to run a good mix of sustain, CC, and DPS in one loadout.
I feel like, if you’re going to play a souls game for the first time you should play Elden Ring, because it’s the kind of game that’s only as hard as you want it to be. Elden Ring is in this interesting spot of being open world, meaning that if a particular boss or area is too challenging, you can fuck off and do something else for a bit, then come back when you’re better leveled/better geared/more practiced etc. I feel like you don’t really get this with other souls games, which are more linear in their structure.
that said, I don’t think any souls game is really an insurmountable challenge, especially Bloodborne. sure, you might suck when you first start it, but once you get the hang of the combat, dodging, etc you should be fine.
I would say that a lot of these unforgiving action RPGs are complete-able and enjoyable by most everyone, but I should give a caution that if you’re disabled in the hands, things will be substantially less forgiving.
I’ve got hemiplegic cerebral palsy from a pair of strokes, and as a result, the right side of my body, specifically my fine motor control of the right side of my body, is utter garbage. I can’t get through Bloodborne or most Souls games. The exception was Elden Ring, because it made ranged combat viable in such a way that any need for twitchy gameplay was substantially reduced.
Bloodborne is among the most difficult in the genre, and if you’re looking to broach this sort of game, I’d recommend Elden Ring first. It’s got the same learning aspects, but it allows for more creativity and thought in the moment.
I’m seeing a lot of comments recommending Elden Ring. I guess I’ll have to try it now. I’m sorry to hear about the cerebral palsy. I’m glad it doesn’t stop you from gaming.
What did you think about Elden Ring? I’ve heard it’s a masterpiece. I don’t usually play these types of games anyway so I’m sort of in the dark. Thank you!
First, Elden Ring has Miriel, Pastor of Vows, and he is the bestest boy.
Also with the exception of one single boss fight, I was able to overcome everything in Elden Ring with persistence and learning, and sometimes I would get frustrated in a locale, and just leave and go do other things in the land. Other linear souls games don’t really let you stray from the beaten path until you’ve added your beats to it as well.
Elden Ring is just a really solid intro to the format.
Let us learn together.
Tbh, no. I suck at like 90% of games, just genuinely not good at them. I excel in soulslikes, you really won’t know how difficult it is for you until you try it. I think the games are built in a way where, should you use all the games mechanics, they are relatively easy but if you don’t use all the mechanics they can get hard
It’s just as hard as any other game on the hardest difficulty. The only difference is there is no difficulty setting.
Try it out. You don’t have to be amazingly good, you just have to be persistent and learn from your mistakes.
you just have to be persistent
Being consistent is actually the hardest part of the games for me…
I was talking about persistence, as in not giving up. Persistence is a must for souls games so you’re going to have to like the process of failing a lot and then finally getting the relief that comes at the very end.
Oh lol I totally misread that. 🤣
Of course you’re correct: persistence is key and much more important than consistency (as in: perfectly nail every dodge, which is my problem).
Like many others already said: Probably the best take is to “understand” that dying is not failure but part of the progression system. But instead of grinding experience points to progress your character (which is totally possible in dark souls) you grind real experience by repeating difficult parts over and over again and progress as a player.
It’s actually extremely clever game design.
They have a skill floor that you need to overcome, usually early on. Once you do that, the formula for the rest of the game follows suit.
Bloodborne is my favorite souls game. If you find it too challenging, I’d recommend watching some let’s plays which can have great advise. I don’t typically watch his channel, but Jacksepticeye has a really informative playthrough. He’s beaten the game so many times that he mostly just shows you the cheesy speed run methods for boss fights, however.No
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They can be hard. I’ve tried Bloodborne, Elden Ring, and Sekiro. I got the furthest in Sekiro and kind of got the draw because, man, the high when you finished a boss. But the struggle, from my understanding, is part of the gameplay itself, part of the experience. It was too unforgiving for me. While I was happy finishing a boss, I didn’t go into the next one excited for the challenge, I was dreading the upcoming hours of banging my head against the wall, so I just decided it wasn’t for me. That part of the game play just wasn’t appealing to me, doesn’t mean it’s bad of course.
I say give it a try! They always have Bloodborne on sale, nothing wrong with trying and deciding it’s not for you, and it’ll be awesome of it is!
My wife finished it. It was too gray and red for me to enjoy.
And yes it is hard but rewarding.
Souls games are for masochists. If that’s not your thing, steer clear.
