The Atmosphere of Bloodborne

Bloodborne has a brilliant atmosphere and tone. The Victorian-gothic visuals are distinct from the familiar dark fantasy aesthetics of the Dark Souls trilogy. In Bloodborne, the player character isn’t clad in armour, there are no shields to equip, and rarely a traditional sword to wield. You are a hunter of beasts, with a uniform fit for that purpose and mobility prioritised, a key mechanic of Bloodborne’s combat. Starting weapons consist of a ‘Saw Cleaver’, ‘Hunters Axe’ and ‘Threaded Cane’, all vicious in their use to quell the beast scourge, and instead of a shield in their off hand, the player is handed a gun. 

The city of Yharnam is where Bloodborne is set, and the player character travels to the city famous for its blood healing, in search of ‘Paleblood’. Yharnam is a more modern and concurrent city compared to the areas in Dark Souls, with things having only gone wrong in the past century or so. In Dark Souls, Lordran’s tragedies occurred in an age long past before the player arrives to link the fire, with little to no human life present in the games city-like areas. On the contrary, in Yharnam you talk with residents taking shelter indoors on the night of the hunt. Yharnam is a hellscape that’s long past it’s prime, but human life still resides there.

The plot of Bloodborne is even more mysterious than previous Soulsborne games. The opening cinematic explains little of the world’s history, as that is for the player to uncover. As you progress, you begin to uncover the world’s ancient secrets. What is the ‘Old Blood’, why is Yharnam overrun by beasts? As questions are answered, the truths become increasingly horrifying. Bloodborne is like a mesh of experiences that just happen to the player, things get weirder and more confusing as the game progresses, and it’s best experienced without warning. The atmosphere of the game is way closer to horror than fantasy, and it’s setting, and gameplay reflect this.