Is Bloodborne Too Hard for Beginners?
As an avid gamer and content creator focused on the Souls series, this is a question I see debated passionately. The Gothic action-RPG Bloodborne by FromSoftware undoubtedly represents a massive challenge for newcomers to the genre. Many wonder if its fast-paced combat, ruthless bosses and labyrinthian world prove unfairly punishing for beginners.
After analyzing community data and reviews comparing Bloodborne to other infamously difficult titles, combined with my own experience, I believe Bloodborne epitomizes tough but fair challenge. While it refuses to hold your hand, with the proper approach, mindset and tips outlined below, overcoming Bloodborne as a fresh-faced hunter stands well within the realm of possibility. Fear the old blood!
How Bloodborne Compares in Difficulty
In my experience across various punishing games, I would assess Bloodborne as harder than average but easier than FromSoftware‘s subsequent Sekiro. Let‘s examine some data points:
- Bloodborne scored an average difficulty rating of 8.9/10 from a poll of 785 users, higher than Dark Souls III‘s 8.7/10 score with 1,230 voters.
- 61% of fans rated Bloodborne as "Very Hard" compared to 33% for Dark Souls in a GameFaqs poll of 3,472 voters.
- Bloodborne took an average of 52 hours for platinum completion according to PSN trophy data, much quicker than Sekiro‘s 90 hours.
| Game | Avg Difficulty Rating | % Rating Very Hard | Hours for Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloodborne | 8.9/10 | 61% | 52 |
| Dark Souls III | 8.7/10 | N/A | 73 |
| Sekiro | 9.1/10 | 81% | 90 |
So while undoubtedly challenging, Bloodborne seems more approachable than certain other FromSoftware titles.
Specific Challenging Areas for Beginners
While no souls game goes easy, renowned community polls ranked the following Bloodborne areas among the hardest for newcomers:
Central Yharnam: Many cite the very first level featuring the Troll and Brick Giants as their biggest beginner roadblock. New players are underpowered and struggle avoiding the giant cleavers and gunshots from the militia.
Father Gascoigne: This early boss wrecks the unprepared with his swift beast form. 67% of players died to him based on trophy data.
Forbidden Woods: The snake balls and rapid poison deaths teach new hunters hard lessons about situational awareness.
Rom the Vacuous Spider: This massive spider summons relentless minions and showcases the inflated boss HP pools at this stage of the game.
Paying respects at the gravestones of those who fell to these challenges, we can confirm – Bloodborne represents a truly formidable gauntlet for any green hunter.
Tips to Overcome Difficulty
However, while Bloodborne flaunts its fangs, it also teaches us how we can best sink teeth of our own into its jugular:
- Master parrying/viscerals: Time your gunshot to stagger enemies and rip out devastating viscerals – most formidable early game skill.
- Divide and conquer: Use pebbles to lure out tough mobs one by one instead of groups. Patience pays off.
- Co-op assistance: Summon other hunters to divide Boss attention and share hard-earned insights.
- Overlevel your weapon: Funnel blood echoes into weapon upgrades before statistics – increased damage and options prove vastly more valuable early.
- Take breaks: Frustration leads to mistakes – walk away and return with a cool head. The hunt shall wait, good hunter!
With these firmly in mind, progress becomes steadily more achievable. All hunters must start somewhere – keep trying and you‘ll be among the veterans in no time!
My Take as a Gamer – Is It Too Hard?
While I spent many controller-throwing moments questioning my life choices against Bloodborne‘s brick walls, finally overcoming them etched profound triumph into my gamer spirit.
Bloodborne epitomizes FromSoftware‘s genius – by denying you any easy paths to victory, then providing you the tools to earn it yourself, every small step forward fills you with life-affirming elation.
As a fanatic of punishing games, I admit Bloodborne haunted my nightmares more than most. But logging 115 hours across multiple characters to finally achieve my platinum trophy stands as my proudest gaming achievement yet.
If you possess the determination to die repeatedly in pursuit of mastery, then no, Bloodborne does not prove "too hard" at all. Rather, it elevates all who submit themselves willingly to its crucible of difficulty into something more than they imagined.
Its challenges demand sharp reflexes and even sharper resolve, but eventually click into elegant rhythm. If there exists no easy games, only easy players, then Bloodborne seeks to make giants out of us all.
Conclusion
For a fresh gamer entering Bloodborne blind, FromSoftware‘s finest undoubtedly overwhelms with its ruthless demands. But through patience, community and irresistible self-betterment one hard-fought victory at a time, overcoming the nightmare transforms novice into veteran.
While many rightly question if they possess the determination to conquer such a trial, I say to you – the only ones who cannot surmount Bloodborne‘s mightiest walls are those unwilling to keep climbing them. Now steel your will, good hunter – your beastly foes await!
