I’ve been playing Bloodborne for about two weeks now and besides loving every second of it, I noticed a few things that tend to happen whenever I find a new area. I thought I would break free from this pattern after a while, but no matter what, each new area I discover I fall into the same routine listed below. They are the emotions you feel upon entering a newly undiscovered area in this hellish game.
1. Absolute Fear
You just beat the last area, you are coming off a huge victory against whatever boss you bested. You feel happy, prideful, and powerful. You stroll through the area saying “what’s up” to the enemies you know so well killing them in a few swings. Then you find the next area, the door opens and the change of scenery is instant. Your first steps are cautious and you immediately think about how you have to find a lantern. Every step is slow, careful, and filled with tension. Enemies are unfamiliar, the paths are all new, and you are stepping into a whole new world. Everything wants to kill you, and it is all absolutely horrifying.
2. Extremely Overwhelmed
You’ve found the new lantern in the unexplored area. You do what is called a “scouting run” not really trying to beat the area, just poke around a bit. See what’s out there, and get your surroundings. Hey, if all things go well, maybe you will unlock some shortcuts on this run, but without a doubt, a new area feels daunting. You don’t know where you have to go or what you have to do. You get lost easy, feel like you’ve been traveling forever, and every step seems to turn you around more. It’s large and filled with all sorts of creatures looking to kill you. Speaking of which…
3. What The **** is That?!
What was that sound? Where did it come from? Run! Run for your life! You just turned a corner and there is a giant with an axe strolling by, or maybe a snake burst from someone’s head. A witch with a giant hammer, a giant pig, a dude with a bag over his shoulder, some dog…thing or something? Who knows with Bloodborne! Every building could hold something you wouldn’t expect. There’s no telling what you’ll find, and the first time you stumble upon something it’s bone chilling.
4. Over Confidence
Ha! This area is nothing to you now. You’ve made it through, you’ve explored, you opened shortcuts, and you found all the goodies. You know where the traps are and what creature will jump out from what corner. You dance around ambushes like a professional ballerina, and you fear nothing. Then a crow you forgot about pops out at the wrong time as you’re fighting an enemy you’ve beaten a million times before, but it’s enough to knock you out of rhythm. Next thing you know, that easy enemy is standing over your dead body.
5. Is that the Boss?! I’m not ready!
You opened the shortcuts, you explored the area, but you are looking for the boss. You don’t want to fight the boss yet, and you don’t want to go back to the Hunter’s Dream or all the enemies will respawn. This is the time to search without worrying about all the enemies. You step into an unusually large room and dread fills you. You turn to leave only to have a cut scene occur / inspirational music play / beast drops down in front of you. Whatever it is…you are now locked in the boss fight.
You don’t know the boss’ attacks, forms, abilities, or anything. Chances are you are carrying lots of blood echoes from all your hard work clearing out the area. You hang back at first, watch its attacks, and then you think maybe you can do this. You knock off a lot of its health, feeling good about yourself (see: 4. Over Confidence), only for it to morph into its third form. Your butt gets handed to you, the black loading screen appears, and you see your pitiful reflection in the TV that reveals what your face looks like the moment all your precious blood echoes are gone.
I’m curious, do these emotions strike anyone else? Leave a comment below and let me know what you feel as you play Bloodborne.