A Bloodborne Remaster Just Makes Too Much Sense After Elden Ring
The whole of masochists has dominated my gaming life the past couple of months. FromSoftware’s Elden Ring has been their most ambitious and undoubtedly best-selling game. It’s been a constant stream of my thoughts, from being spit on by huge lobsters to slapping an absurdly unbalanced, one-armed woman with a bad complexion. Although it was hard to roll credits, it forced me to return to Bloodborne, and I immediately wanted a remaster.
Although I have played Bloodborne a lot, I never got to beat Father Gascoigne. It’s not clear why. Its dark, grimy aesthetic is perhaps the most striking I have ever seen in a video game. Violence is also the answer to many of its combat puzzles, making it one of my favorite Souls-likes. You can also see that enemies explode into the red fire when you touch them. Although Bloodborne is my favorite game on paper, I never gave it enough time. But with The Lands Between on fire after accidentally getting fingered in a basement, I decided now was the right time to get back in.
I was quickly reminded that not everyone who believes all action RPGs of From are the same has probably only seen a few of them. Elden Ring, Bloodborne, and Bloodborne feel like two very different games. While each game has its FromSoftware DNA, I felt whiplash when switching between them, especially because they are so different in terms of approachability.
Bloodborne hates making you waste your time on a two-minute trip back to more pain. Elden Ring provides so many checkpoints that you can bang your head against brick walls more efficiently than ever. Bloodborne’s Blood Vials aren’t rechargeable like Crimson Tears. You have to find effective loops for stocking up and returning to the area when you’re low. This can feel like busy work. Contrary to popular belief, Bloodborne’s combat style and resolution are far more memorable than Crimson Tears. While there are many differences, Elden Ring feels that Bloodborne is superior in one aspect: performance.
