Cover artwork I generate from the game data. I do not use publisher artwork.
Game profile
Bloodborne
In the gothic city of Yharnam, a plague turns residents into bloodthirsty beasts, while the player leans into aggressive, fast combat instead of shields and stamina management. Lovecraftian horror meets merciless boss design.
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What kind of game this is
At its core this is Soulslike / Action, set in the present day. Visually it is going for realism, and the overall tone stays dark throughout. The structure is guided rather than open, so you are moved along instead of dropped into a map. It rewards long uninterrupted stretches more than quick check-ins.
It is genuinely demanding, and repeated failure is part of how it is designed. The story matters and gives the mechanics a frame, without taking over. You can play it with others cooperatively or go head to head. It is available on one platform. It sits in the budget bracket.
What stands out
- Aggressive rally combat system
- Lovecraftian horror aesthetic
- Dense gothic metropolis
This fits you if
- you are after a proper adrenaline rush
- you actually want to be scared
- you can sit down for a proper long stretch without interruptions
- you want real resistance and are fine with dying a lot
- you have someone to play with
- you enjoy competing against other players
Look elsewhere if
- you want to relax and not be punished for mistakes
- you only ever get short bursts of play time
- you want something light and easy going
- you specifically want an open world to roam
What it costs you in time
About 33 hours in total. At three evenings a week and two hours each, you will be busy for roughly 6 weeks, or 17 sessions.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 91 out of 100, which puts it above 90 percent of the 1206 games here and at rank 94 overall. That is a strong score, comfortably above what most releases manage.
For comparison, Soulslike averages 85 points across the database, so this one sits 6 points above its own genre. The figure rests on 1848 collected ratings.
Released in 2015, which makes it 11 years old. A genuine classic, and worth checking how the version you buy holds up today.
The facts
- Release year
- 2015
- Genres
- Soulslike, Action, RPG
- Playtime
- approx. 33 hrs.
- Difficulty
- Demanding, punishing
- Story weight
- Present and relevant
- Play with
- Solo, Co-op, Competitive
- Setting
- Present day, Fantasy
- Visual style
- Realistic
- Price bracket
- Budget
- Platforms
- PlayStation
- Critic rating
- 91 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloodborne | 2015 | approx. 33 hrs. | 91 | Budget |
| Dark Souls III | 2016 | approx. 33 hrs. | 86 | Mid price |
| Demon's Souls (2020) | 2020 | approx. 33 hrs. | 92 | Mid price |
| Nioh 2 | 2020 | approx. 45 hrs. | 84 | Mid price |
If you liked this, try these
- Dark Souls III Shared: Soulslike, Action, Fantasy
- Demon's Souls (2020) Shared: Soulslike, Action, Fantasy, rated higher
- Nioh 2 Shared: Soulslike, Action, Fantasy
- Elden Ring Shared: Soulslike, Action, Fantasy, longer
- Lies of P Shared: Soulslike, Action, Fantasy
- Nioh 3 Shared: Soulslike, Action, Fantasy, longer