tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post6384463203705357261..comments2024-01-30T18:06:40.312-08:00Comments on Up late talking games & writing? You're...: Daredevil, Bloodborne, Jetpacks and LARPing Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-59931481376640996212015-04-13T22:33:50.637-07:002015-04-13T22:33:50.637-07:00Hey Brad; always enjoy reading your take on a Soul...Hey Brad; always enjoy reading your take on a Souls game as you're going through it. I know you preferred Demon's Souls to Dark Souls and was wondering if the Moon Grass system gave you the same trouble in that game as the Blood Vials in Bloodborne are.<br /><br />For me, I actually played Dark Souls first and Demon's Souls after it, so it was a big shock finding out that the health items in Demon's Souls could run out and didn't replenish automatically after every death the way they did in Dark Souls. It caused me a lot of anxiety when I was fighting bosses and I was constantly worrying about running out.<br /><br />But I came to appreciate the system because it creates the need for a <b>strategy</b> that goes beyond each individual boss attempt, whereas in Dark Souls there is only <b>tactics</b> within the boss attempt itself. In Dark Souls you come into every boss attempt with the same Estus and there's no reason not to chug it all during the fight. Every attempt is self-contained and not part of a larger strategy. In Demon's and Bloodborne, you can't just go full throttle on the healing items every attempt or you'll quickly run out. The boss attempts need to fit into a larger strategy of what your goal is during each attempt.<br /><br />When I first encounter a boss in Bloodborne, I limit myself to a maximum of one or two vials while I dodge as much as possible and try to learn its attacks. My second attempt, I use 3 or 4 vials while trying to get in some hits. For a couple of attempts after that I do the same thing, limiting myself to 3 or 4 while trying to get the boss as low as possible. After 4 or 5 attempts, when I think I'm good enough and I'm getting the boss low enough, I do an attempt where I go full throttle on vials and usually am able to beat the boss. <br /><br />In Dark Souls there was none of this strategy, it was just a process of throwing yourself against the boss over and over under the same conditions until you beat it. It's true that it's annoying in Bloodborne when you run out of vials and have to farm more, but it's this threat of running out that makes an overall strategy necessary, which I feel adds an extra dimension to the game.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-39878536065872970082015-04-12T08:48:31.906-07:002015-04-12T08:48:31.906-07:00I understand how you perceive Bloodborne but total...I understand how you perceive Bloodborne but totally disagree with you.Having played all souls series I think Bloodborne is still the BEST one, the synthesis/optimization of all versions, having trimmed all the fat from past series, making it the ULTIMATE version.<br /><br />I've been reading your blog for the last 2 years and thought I'd give my thoughts this time as I've found your assessment to be a little unfair for such an INCREDIBLE game.<br /><br />1. Regarding the setting: demons souls (at least) was way much greyer and had way much clutter with few areas literally where you can't see/distinguish much.<br />Bloodborne (Yarnham) feels 'alive' with lighting poles, doors, alleys, gutter, etc. a more consistent setting with later areas, some of which astonishing (you'll see, just receive the "invitation" ;-))<br /><br />2. Not being able to wrap is indeed an issue. However you will see the more you play the game that you will always have the urge to go back to your base when you finish areas of the game to prepare for the next one so you won't really be bothered<br /><br />3. Loading times are miserable especially when you're at a boss and it indeed kills the "flow"<br /> <br />4. Health vials and their limitation is a strategic decision where you won't have a 'guaranteed' number of vials every time you spawn at a lamp and just consume these anytime, in any way. It goes hand in hand with the regeneration system where it pushes you being more aggressive and relying less on blood vials, by simply daring pushing forward into an attack and keeping these precious vials only when needed.<br />+ when you get further into the game you'll see that you'll be able to purchase/acquire many vials easily where the excess ones will directly go to your storage and each time you die you'll have the default 20 recharged from your stock automatically. But I think that limiting the vials is a smart and clever idea pushing you to play more aggressively while remaining meticulous<br /><br />5. All souls series start brutally.<br />How could we every forget the opening areas of demons souls?<br />+ its not that brutal in fact, its just it takes time to accustom to the gameplay<br /><br />6. Bloodborne is not a stripped-down or whatever you want to call it version. I TOTALLY DISAGREE AND THINK YOU ARE MISLEADING YOUR READERS.<br />It's a real evolution of the series, its a perfect (almost) synthesis of the souls game<br /><br />- Combat is very different and proactive opening up new strategies. No more just hiding behind your shield all the time and waiting for things to happen before hitting back<br />- Combos are REAL now where you can combine weapons, guns & visceral attacks and in different forms creating brutal combo patterns giving you this experimentation window you were referring to earlier<br />- Dodging is spectacular (locked or unlocked). How could we ever play in the future a game in bloodborne veins without it? it gives you a 360 degrees window to your combat<br />- Essential weapons are there for you to master. No more "100" versions and iteration of a same weapon or dozens of weapons half of which you don't really use as they don't differ or make much of a difference<br />- Scaling/upgrading of weapons is optimized with blood gems. No more "one hundred" type of stones and dozen of upgrade path and confusion. Blood gems concept and utilization is bedazzling as you will see later on in the game when you acquire superbe gems<br />- You won't be wasting consumables/stones upgrading armour and weapons that are useless or won't be used in a while. Bloodborne optimizes the system. Any weapon can be used and will still be relevant until the end of the game<br />- Graphics/Textures have been enhanced. Although demon souls/dark souls artwork was spectacular at the time, graphics were a little on the "cheap" side. Now bloodborne looks great (and superb in later areas) with enhanced lighting, textures, filtering etc<br />- Online is enhanced although it still can be ameliorated.<br />- Other features/ameliorations<br /><br />Keep up the good work<br />JohnnyJohnAKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06711396753028940720noreply@blogger.com