Bloodborne
The hunter in Bloodborne roams a decrepit Gothic city inspired by the Victorian era, its people struck by a disease of the blood. FromSoftware's action RPG is built on dodging and counterattacking, and the shield of the earlier Souls games has been replaced by firearms. Their main job is to interrupt an enemy's attack and open them up for a heavy blow.
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In 2014 director Hidetaka Miyazaki explained that the team wanted more active combat, but not a shooter. The Victorian era, in his words, fit perfectly, because the imagery of old guns still lives on in it.
Even healing pushes you forward. Took a hit? Strike back quickly and you win back part of the lost health.
Development began in 2012 under the working title Project Beast. The team drew on the books of Lovecraft and Bram Stoker, and real architecture in Romania and the Czech Republic shaped the look of the city.
Critics met the game with universal acclaim. One of the more common complaints at launch was the long loading times, which patches later cut. In 2016 Bloodborne won a BAFTA for Game Design. Critics give it 92 on Metacritic and 91 on OpenCritic. By our Recommended Score it is #32 of 4,736 games.
Liked it? Try Demon's Souls (2020), a remake of the 2009 Demon's Souls, which Miyazaki also directed, and Monster Hunter: World, where you track down huge monsters and forge gear from their parts.
