230°

Does Bloodborne's Warm Reception Prove a Critic Bias?

The theory is that harder games tend to score better among industry critics, while easier games are actually docked. Does Bloodborne prove this theory?

mhunterjr3320d ago

No, there is a bias towards good games. Bloodborne is getting such great reception because it's great.

They compare it to the Order. That game didn't get mixed reviews because it was easy, it had a plethora of other issues, the dumb simplistic AI is just one of them.

lelo2play3320d ago (Edited 3320d ago )

Bloodborne is most likely a good game... but unfortunately it's not for me. I simply don't like the Demon/Dark Souls series and probably won't like Bloodborne (similar gameplay).

...But for gamers that are masochists and like these types of games, go for it. Enjoy.

Palitera3320d ago (Edited 3320d ago )

You'll get a crossword to make. Which difficulty will you prefer?

If you are challenged, and that is a big point with the Souls series, you'll have a completely different experience. Sure both can be fun (easy and hard), but it has nothing to do with masochism. It is much more related to difficulty on par with the players' capability.

And there is everything else. The difficulty is only ONE main concept of the game.

Bimkoblerutso3320d ago (Edited 3320d ago )

Masochism has nothing to do with it. If we were masochists, the thrill would come from dying over and over, not from overcoming the monumental challenged the game throws at us. There is a feeling of accomplishment in games like Bloodborne that you just don't get from the easier ones.

Not that there is anything wrong with preferring your games one way or the other. I just feel like a lot of non-fans misunderstand that about Souls/Bloodborne fans.

AudioEppa3320d ago (Edited 3320d ago )

I hear you, i moved past games like this a long time ago, actually it's funny because difficult games I could never take serious, but games that are heavy on storytelling / cutscenes is where i became hardcore about video games, because it kept my interest beyond just pressing buttons, die, repeat.

And if the game isn't gta with like 70 or 80+ story missions (screw side missions) then i don't want it to be 40 hours long.

I remember people hating mgs4, that game was perfect, had gameplay that was fun, yet fit well within a story dominant game.

Rimeskeem3320d ago

Bloodborne and The souls games do play the same way.

Kenshin_BATT0USAI3320d ago

I wouldn't say bloodborne is for masochists. Same with demon and the dark souls games. They're definitely for the most patient. Saying its a masochists game implies that there is some inherant flaw guaranteeing stunted progression.

joab7773320d ago

It's not a masochistic game at all. I won't deny that it's challenging but it's far from impossible. It just requires you to take it seriously. You can't nonchalantly stroll through, using enemies as background noise that simply disrupt your story progression momentarily.

Wait til it's on sale and grab it. It is a great game period.

magiciandude3320d ago

I just want a game with a reasonable challenge every now and then. Bloodborne is just that. The game is actually quite far from being the hardest in existence. Ninja Gaiden for the NES is much closer to that title than Souls/Bloodborne...

lelo2play3320d ago

It's not that the game is hard. I don't mind hard games. It's those save points. I don't want to repeat 30+ min of the same thing every time I die in the game.
The game is basically die, repeat last 30 min of game, die, repeat last 30 min of game... it's very time consuming and after a while it becomes boring as hell doing the same thing over and over.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 3320d ago
johndoe112113320d ago

Dumb simplistic AI huh? smh....

HammadTheBeast3320d ago

AI has so many movesets, even smaller enemies have a bunch of combos.

mhunterjr3319d ago

The orders AI is dumb and simplistic. I'm e basically a game wack-a-mole until a shotgunner comes to shake things up. Rinse and repeat.

I_am_Batman3320d ago

The Order isn't perfect. But neither are critically acclaimed games. It's just that the game got nitpicked to death. You're saying it has a dumb and simplistic AI but games like Demon's Souls and Ni no Kuni had some really bad AI and nobody seemed to care. Even The Last of Us on PS3 had some weird AI behavior and is considered Game of the Generation by a lot of people.

Games like TES: Oblivion, Skyrim and GTA4 won Goty awards despite having a long list of flaws. Assassins Creed Unity was generally well received despite being a buggy mess that barely runs on most gaming platforms.

In my opinion review scores are completely useless because a lot of people will look at the number and assume that because the reviewer liked the game they will like it as well.

InTheLab3320d ago (Edited 3320d ago )

2 identical qte boss fight is nitpicking? Perhaps the game scored what it did because it's mediocre? Mind you, I'm not talking about the 4s, but it deserved all the 6s.

Even if you nitpick a game like Bloodborne, it's still miles better than The Order. ..

Edit: Surely you can tell the difference in quality between the Order and TLoU right?

OB1Biker3320d ago (Edited 3320d ago )

Well said Batman.
Also aren't people tired of crucifying The Order? Come on get over it it's only a game that people either like or don't like who cares?
Edit. OT I do think reviewers like challenging games and reviews are not aimed at people who d need them the most: casual players. I don't think experienced gamers really need reviews IMO

GTgamer3320d ago (Edited 3320d ago )

@inthelab lmafoooooooooo identical boss fights smfh the only thing identical is his stance and the way he fights the werewolf but in the end it plays out differenty do I call boss fights in mgs revengence identical where all you do is parry then QTE nope because they all played out differenty just because the character has a stance for one on one with with werewolfs doesn't make it identical same old boss admit it the order was nitpicked to death people call it a museum because it's look but don't touch world but I can sit here and list a hundred games where your put in a world where all you do is kill the enemies presented infront of you :/ then we have the QTE complaints idc anymore if a game like walking dead which 95% QTE wins game of the year then their no way in hell you can say something about the order end of story.
The only bad things I can say about the order is that it's too short and they literally didn't let me conclude galahad story also it doesn't let me explore it's world or let me use more of the weapons which when I wanna use some I gotta load a certain part of the story where the weapon is available and that's it not a bad game just left so much to be desired.

mhunterjr3320d ago

The order was a mediocre shooter, with a beautiful coat of paint. And the reviews reflected that.

What it did well: graphics, presentation, gunplay
What it did poorly: pacing, weapon variety, enemy AI routines, level design, replayability

I the reason it got mediocre reviews, is because many of the qualities reviews look for in shooters weren't well executed in the order. And the 'cinematic' gameplay elements actually detracted from what people actually did like about the game.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3320d ago
joab7773320d ago

Well put. Yeah, Bloodborne is just great in so many ways. And the Order wasn't easy on hard. It was just simplistic and downright annoying at times. That said, I did like it's storytelling and wish it had more complexity to its gameplay.

himdeel3319d ago

Took the words right off my keyboard...agree

ThunderPulse3319d ago

If the writer had trird the game he would know its an amazing game.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 3319d ago
NicSage3320d ago

Game is too hard for me, Kinda sad I picked it up.

Insomnia_843320d ago

lol it is hard but I'm loving it! It takes time to get good at it. It takes trial and error to get it right. But I can see many giving up on this game.

I won't.

Ninver3320d ago

I was thinking of giving up but i decided to keep going till my thumbs go numb. The game is a killer.

Kal-V33320d ago (Edited 3320d ago )

But that's ok tho. Same happened to me with Dark Souls 1. I picked it up day one and was all like "I can do it", NOPE! and traded it in the very next day.

It's not for every one but I say look up strategies online and work at it. I just beat the Cleric beast last night and i got the biggest rush after i beat him (on the first try by the way *pats self on back* lol). Take your time, be patient and learn what moves are good for what enemies. DODGE ROLL for gods sake, it has temporary invincibility ("I-frames" look it up) and can go through some enemy attacks. Poke and run if you have to until you get good. It's really worth it.

Revolver_X_3320d ago

just play online bro. There's plenty of players online that are skilled and love to help. Myself, included. The games crazy fun.

DEEBO3320d ago

I agree with you,I'm like the hero Hunter always helping guys get past the blood starved beast plus i'm farming for blood money.

After getting owned for hours by that monster i get a joy of killing it over and over for others.

But i got kidnapped buy the grimm weeper last night and got a real humble experience.that level is crazy.

My rankings from best to last
1 bloodborne
2 Demonsouls
3 Darksouls
4 Darksouls 2

MadMax3320d ago (Edited 3320d ago )

I was on the fence about it, but kinda put off by the unforgiving difficulty i keep hearing about. I have been gaming since Atari and enjoy a good challenge, not something as hard to make it not even fun.

I see that when you die, you have to start way back and refight a bunch of enemies you already had a hard time fighting to begin with. After getting slaughtered by some hard boss, that put you back there. That just doesnt sound like much fun to me.

I love the look of it and the gameplay and all that, but no difficulty choices and tediously hard fights is whats putting me off of this. The Order was a complete joke to me, now thats just beyond too easy. Sold it after a couple days! I dont know about bloodbourne.

SpinalRemains1383320d ago

That's just it. You have to find the shortcut first, so when you die, you can go right back to the boss.

Yes its tough, but its far from crazy. Its how all games used to be.

Games that checkpoint every five minutes are the worst.

Thank God for Gamefly, because when I spend 60 bucks, I dont wanna finish a game in 8 hours. That's so easy that it defeats the point.

Scrivlar3320d ago

I've not played it yet but if it's anything like the Demon/Dark Souls series it's only as hard as you make it for yourself. You have to study the enemies moves and exploit a weakness while minding your surroundings. The combat is so well tuned that you never feel screwed over by the game, if you die it's because you didn't roll away here or struck too many times there. Some people will make the same mistake over and over again and give up, others put the work in and overcome the challenges and it's such a great feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction.

HammadTheBeast3320d ago (Edited 3320d ago )

It's very skill based. So technically you can beat the entire game with basic stuff, it's just insanely hard.

Basically you need to play it careful, not slow, but careful. You need to pick your fights, just because you CAN fight a boss, doesn't mean you should.

I'd watch a couple of streams and videos and decide off that.

miyamoto3320d ago (Edited 3320d ago )

I was on the fence about Demon's Souls for a long time because I want to finish games easily. But I finally got it on sale to prepare for Bloodborne. It was not that hard after I tried it. Don't let what you read or see in the internet fool you.

Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid Of Bloodborne
http://www.gameinformer.com...
http://n4g.com/news/1698022...

Taero3319d ago

+++++MINOR SPOILER FOR SECOND CHECKPOINT++++++++++++

The second checkpoint you get is central Yharnam, you have to fight your way through a bunch of mobs, carefully navigate the central bonfire with some good pulls, get through a wolf/human mob combo section and when you reach the bridge with the two huge werewolves on it there are stairs into a house, go downstairs and out the door and up those stairs past one mob and you push open the gate that is next to the checkpoint at the beginning of this paragraph.

Now whenever you die you simply go through that gate, into the house, out of the house and you're a the boss. If you're ALWAYS starting way back etc. it means you're not finding and opening these shortcuts so you're fighting the long way every time...

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 3319d ago
_LarZen_3320d ago

It is a hard game. Take your time and try figuring out how enemy attack patterns are and how to take them out. Look at streams of the game. And it wont be long before tips and guide videos are out on YouTube. Could be there are a few already.

MadMax3319d ago

Thanks to you all for the great advice! It really helped! My last question is, how do you know where to go in this game? There is no map i take it or set path?

InTheLab3320d ago

Yeah I killed off 7 guys and a large dog before I realized the whole point was to die and go to the Nexus (is what I'm calling it) and get the weapons I'd spent a half hour in the real world seaching for.

So yeah I thought it was harder than it actually is because I was walking around with no weapons. Loving the game now that I can defend myself although the guys armed with rifles are still BS.

Bathyj3320d ago

Thats a shame. Ive never played a Souls game and I like a challenge but not an unfair one. From what Ive heard you can always find a way through in Bloodbourne if you devise the right strategy and its very stratifying.

But Im buying it from EB Games where they have a 7 day returns policy just in case this game is not for me.

OUROSMAG3320d ago

Keep playing it you'll get better.

Arkardo3319d ago (Edited 3319d ago )

I'm gonna tell you don't give up

People are exaggerating about difficulty with this game as they were with Dark Souls, the key is don't give up, more important than leveling up is getting the fighting skills necessary to be good at this game, be smart and have strategy you don't simply run against a pack of enemies you separate them, you lead them to narrow places where you can take several enemies with few hits and so on.

I happened to have the same feeling when I get Dark Souls the first time, I was playing several games when somebody give me a copy, I tried 3 times and died miserably, then return to play what I was playing before and forget about it, then one day I remembered it and gave it a chance, that day was amazing like a religious experience after killing my first boss and realize what was the fuss about That difficult game, I invite you don't give up, you'll nevere know what you're missing.

ThunderPulse3319d ago

I'm sad you were born because you're a "Waste of Skin".

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 3319d ago
jts18913320d ago

I wouldn't say there is a bias against 'easy' games, but there is a definite bias in favor of 'hardcore' games. The Souls series proved that to me. Clunky, unresponsive controls, mediocre graphics, a weak narrative and uninteresting characters etc. yet it's heralded as one of the 'best' games ever because it's so 'challenging'.

Rimeskeem3320d ago

"Unresponsive controls, mediocre graphics"

That's not the Bloodborne I know

Spotie3320d ago Show
gangsta_red3320d ago (Edited 3320d ago )

There is no bias. A good game is going to score great reviews. It's pretty simple, there's no large conspiracy, no evil villain behind the curtain.

"...seeing several reviews that clearly indicated the relative ease of The Order: 1886 as a flaw."

Yes, and I'm sure it was one flaw in a list of many that game had. If a game is challenging, fun, looks good, has great features and plays well then it will get good reviews.

The Souls games gets great reviews because they are challenging but not impossible. They get great reviews because it harkens back to a day where there was no hand holding, no HUD prompts telling you where to go and how to do things. It's all get in there and give it what ya got or die trying.

Revolver_X_3320d ago

Reviews are inherently biased, they're based off one's opinion. But as far as Bloodborne goes, it is just THAT good. They're are certain reviewers out there that show disdain for specific genres, i.e. zombie games. So, I don't expect to see a fair review from them. It's best to just get a view of the entire playing field, then form an opinion/decision. There will unfortunately always be biased in reviews.

Mikefizzled3320d ago (Edited 3320d ago )

Interesting point but I don't personally think its true. From Software and their Souls games seem to be the darlings of game reviews. That being that Dark Souls 2 got a higher Metacritic score than the previous 3 whilst the consensus was that Dark Souls was a better game. Where Demon Souls fits into the equation I don't know. It does feel like critic score these games very high because they are more of the same without being recycling previous games content.

Show all comments (64)
140°

The 7 Best Souls-Like Games - Mastering the Challenge

The Souls-like genre remains popular, along with FromSoftware's classics there are many contenders. But which are the best Souls-like games?

toxic-inferno25d ago

Hmm... In my opinion, the 7 best are the 6 made by FromSoftware (DeS, DS1, DS2, DS3, BB and ER), then Lies of P. But each to their own.

kevco3325d ago

Still DS1? You don't feel it's been surpassed yet?

Demon's Souls has the remake of course, but DS1 has surely been outdated?

Smellsforfree25d ago

I think that the DS1 remake is better looking than DS2. The interior lighting matched with the low resolution textures in DS2 is very garish, IMO.

Besides graphics, what do you mean by DS1 being "outdated"? I'm someone who played through Elden Ring and just recently played through the DS series, and as far as gameplay went, there were all very similar.

Cacabunga25d ago

I haven’t played many but Bloodborne and NIOH1 are on top of my list.. had a blast with these 2

toxic-inferno24d ago

For world design and interconnectedness (that's a word, right?) DS1 is yet to be beaten.

290°

9 Years Later, Does Bloodborne Deserve All The Praise It Gets?

Saad from eXputer: "Almost a decade later, it's time to take the nostalgia goggles off and accept that Bloodborne has long been surpassed by its successors."

jznrpg26d ago (Edited 26d ago )

Yes, yes it does. It’s still a great game. Elden Ring isn’t better just different and a bit easier . I like that you have to be aggressive but smart in Bloodborne

thorstein26d ago

I literally replayed it recently and it's better than I remember. I think it's like going back to a beloved book and noticing things I hadn't before.

raWfodog26d ago (Edited 26d ago )

Yo! I was getting ready to reply with the exact same four words you started with lol. Yes, I think Bloodborne has withstood the test of time and remains a great game. That’s why all the fans are hoping for a sequel someday. Hoping that we can catch that magic again with a new storyline.

Leeroyw26d ago

Yes. Just replayed it a few days ago. My first Platinum. And yes. I rage quitted so many times and called it BS too when I started. It's tight. The combat is amazing and the lore is rich.

GamingSinceForever26d ago

Elden Ring was easier? I don’t know about that at all. I remember leveling up in Bloodborne and breezing through it. In Elden Ring no matter how powerful I got I was still catching a beat down from every boss.

thorstein26d ago

That's due to scaling enemies. I remember not doing Haligtree untill near the end and having enemies withstand almost a full blast from Azur's Glintstone Staff Comet Azure. My level was quite high.

Melee characters are not fun in that game, especially for the Elden Beast.

MeteorPanda26d ago

Considering l did a run 2 months ago? Yes.

Show all comments (54)
160°

Bloodborne's Potential Remaster Continues To Be Sony's Biggest Missed Opportunity

"Sony is missing out on a hugely profitable opportunity by ignoring fan demands for a Bloodborne remaster and PC port," says Ahmed from eXputer.

thorstein55d ago (Edited 55d ago )

Bloodborne came out on the PS4. It is owned by From Software. What missed opportunity? I am sure the people at From Software know what they are doing. Especially since they are hiring devs instead of laying them off.

Maybe do an article about that instead of writing a hit piece on them acting like they don't know how to run their business.

55d ago
-Foxtrot54d ago (Edited 54d ago )

To be fair Hidetaka Miyazaki said in an interview

“Unfortunately, and I’ve said this in other interviews, it’s not in my place to talk about Bloodborne specifically. We simply don’t own the IP at FromSoftware.”

So the ball kind of is in Sonys court, it feels like a missed opportunity because it’s something people really want and Sony just hasn’t really been bothered to get it off the ground. There was rumours it was at one point but it all went silent.

Cacabunga53d ago (Edited 53d ago )

Sony has been missing nothing but opportunities for a few years now.. since GOW release, it’s worrying silence we’ve been getting..

As for Bloodborne, imo it would be too soon to release it because PS4 game still looks phenomenal..

Bloodborne REMAKE I think will be PS6 launch title by Bluepoint. I truly hope so! 2 gens later we can get the same wow effect as Demons Souls.

Eonjay53d ago

He is right because it is Sonys IP but a little further back he also explained that they only work on one game at a time. This means that From must also be available. In other words it could already be in the pipeline. Ecen if that is the case, it's still up to Sony to reveal it when they are ready. As ever, I prefer not to hear about it until it's about 3 to 6 months from releasing.

CrashMania54d ago (Edited 54d ago )

'Bloodborne came out on the PS4. It is owned by From Software'

Actually Sony owns the IP, same with Demon's Souls. I think they'd prefer if From did the work on any future of both of those though, but if Sony wanted to they could have those off to anyone else to work on them, like the DS remake.

thorstein54d ago (Edited 54d ago )

Yeah. Thanks for the info.

But I still think that remasters should wait a generation. And Blue Point did Demon's Souls which was superb.

It can be a huge risk. And I think Hidetaka Miyazaki hinted that it would be a PS6 title. I don't he has no say in what happens, it's a partnership.

--Onilink--53d ago

To be honest, if there is a remake/remaster (not that it needs one) I would prefer someone else to handle it, like they did with Demon Souls

From many perspectives From Soft is an amazing developer, BUT, on a technical level they are far from impressive, both in terms of dated visuals (again, on a technical level, not art/design) and usually poor performance.

And what is the point of a remake/remaster if not to provide a visual and performance enhancement to a game that already nailed the rest?

Michiel198953d ago

@thorstein what huge risk? Part of one of the most well known ip's in gaming nowadays, there's not much risk there when it comes to a remake.

thorstein53d ago

@Michiel

I meant remasters in general are a huge risk, not Bloodborne.

Bloodborne isn't, but I think it's going to be on PS6, like how Demon's Souls went from PS3 to PS5.

Sorry for the confusion.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 53d ago
thesoftware73053d ago (Edited 53d ago )

Thorstein,

Wow, your post seems angry..relax it's an opinion.

And btw, it is on Sony, they have the exclusive right to the game, on top of that, they could have easily, at bare minimum, offered an official 60fps patch, with a few extras and charged people $10 to upgrade or $30-40 for new buyers.

I believe I saw an interview where , FromSoft said it was all up to Sony on a sequel and other dealing with the game.

A "hit peice", that serious huh?..relax lol.

thorstein53d ago (Edited 53d ago )

Wow you seem angry. I responded to crash 2 days ago about the remaster and who did it.

Why do you care what other people think in a moment about some journalism. Calm down, buddy, it's just my opinion. From 3 days ago.

Edit: I just went back through my comments and found 2 where I call out the author in the past month. Wow, I'm a rageaholic.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 53d ago
potatoseal54d ago (Edited 54d ago )

It will be a launch title on PS6 just like the remake of Demon's Souls for PS5 launch

OhReginald53d ago

Sony realizes people will flock to buy ps6s for a bloodborne remake. Easy money.

jznrpg53d ago (Edited 53d ago )

Rumored it’s slated for PS6 launch. Some say PS5 Pro. Who knows ?

P_Bomb53d ago

Highly requested, unfortunately neglected.

jznrpg26d ago

Some say we didn’t need TLOU2 remake but that was a PS4 game and now we need a BB remake but that was a PS4 game. We send mixed signals

Show all comments (23)