CoastalpauaReef
Reviews

Bloodborne doesn’t scare you — it makes you scare yourself

Yara Goncalves ·
Bloodborne doesn’t scare you — it makes you scare yourself

There’s an interesting trap that games in the Gothic Souls-like space tend to fall into. Bloodborne mostly avoids it, but the way it avoids it is more interesting than the genre itself.

Going into Bloodborne, I expected a sequel that played it safe. What I got was something stranger. That gap is what this review will spend the next thousand words pulling apart.

Gameplay

The core loop is rapid and unforgiving. You review your loadout, then you make a budget decision, then you either commit or hit reset. What separates Bloodborne from peers in the Gothic Souls-like space is the way the second decision changes the first one. It’s a subtle thing, but you feel it more the longer you play.

The core loop is intentionally over-long. You build out your settlement, then you spend or save, then you either commit or hit reset. What separates Bloodborne from peers in the Gothic Souls-like space is the way the second decision changes the first one. It’s a subtle thing, but you feel it more the longer you play.

Bloodborne screenshot A typical moment in Bloodborne.

Who We Are & Setting

The writing in Bloodborne is the best argument for taking dialogue trees seriously again. Every choice feels weighted. Every NPC has a recognizable voice. It’s not subtle work — but it’s the kind of unsubtle work that takes years to get right.

The writing in Bloodborne is the best argument for taking dialogue trees seriously again. Every choice feels weighted. Every NPC has a recognizable voice. It’s not subtle work — but it’s the kind of unsubtle work that takes years to get right.

Few things in 2024’s release calendar feel this confident about what they are.
— Critical Hit Daily

Visuals & Performance

Visually, Bloodborne prioritizes legibility over spectacle. That’s the right call. FromSoftware could have built a tech demo. Instead they built a game where you can read the board at a glance and that’s worth more than any number of polygons.

Bloodborne environment Environmental detail rewards exploration.

Verdict

We score Bloodborne a 10/10. That’s high for the genre, but the strengths are unambiguous and the weaknesses are addressable through patches. Worth the time of anyone with even a passing interest.

We score Bloodborne a 10/10. That’s high for the genre, but the strengths are unambiguous and the weaknesses are addressable through patches. Worth the time of anyone with even a passing interest.

Editorial scoring

Gameplay10.0/10
Who We Are10.0/10
Visuals9.0/10
Replayability10.0/10
Overall10.0/10

Reader Q&A

How long does it take to finish Bloodborne doesn’t scare you — it makes you scare yourself?

Main story runs around 18 hours depending on how thoroughly you explore. Completionists can spend 2-3× that.

Is Bloodborne doesn’t scare you — it makes you scare yourself good for newcomers to Gothic Souls-like?

It depends. The systems are deep but the tutorial does a fair job. Veterans of Gothic Souls-like will feel at home faster.

Which platform should I play Bloodborne doesn’t scare you — it makes you scare yourself on?

Steam Deck handles this title well — verified compatibility on most recent patches.

Was Bloodborne doesn’t scare you — it makes you scare yourself worth the launch-day price?

Released in 2015, and as of writing it holds up. Wait for a sale if you’re price-sensitive — major discounts arrive within 6 months.

Are there DLCs or expansions worth picking up?

Skip the cosmetic DLC. The story expansion is the only one we’d recommend at full price.

What did FromSoftware get right (and what could be better)?

FromSoftware nailed the moment-to-moment loop and the world-building. Pacing in the mid-game and inventory UX have room for improvement.

Reader comments

NB
Niklas Beckmann2026-06-15
Calling this Gothic Souls-like rather than just action-RPG does more work than the review admits — it’s framing that pre-loads the comparison to peers before the analysis even starts.
LD
Lin Durand2026-06-15
Played this to full trophy completion twice and the ’second decision changes the first one’ observation is the most quietly correct thing written about the trick weapon system in years. You pick up the Rifle Spear thinking it’s a poke build, then the transformation attack mid-combo reshapes your entire approach to the Cathedral Ward. The loadout isn’t static — it’s a running argument with yourself. That’s not common in the genre.
JS
Junpei Soto2026-06-15
The reviewer’s framing — that Bloodborne makes *you* scare yourself rather than doing the scaring for you — is the most accurate description of what the Cleric Beast encounter actually does to your brain. You’re not reacting to a jump scare, you’re reacting to your own decision to round that corner unprepared. What I keep coming back to is the ’budget decision’ language used to describe the loadout loop. It’s oddly precise. Every time I swapped between the Saw Cleaver and the Threaded Cane, I wasn’t optimizing — I was gambling on my own read of the next room. That tension between the first decision and the second one the reviewer mentions? I felt that most brutally in the Forbidden Woods. 18 hours to reach a 10/10 verdict feels earned rather than generous.
HJ
Hector Jabbar2026-06-15
So when the review says ’commit or hit reset’ — is that literal? Like, does Bloodborne actually let you restart an encounter cleanly, or is that a metaphor for dying and respawning at a lamp?
CL
Carson Larsson2026-06-15
A 10/10 with an 18-hour playthrough feels like the reviewer didn’t hit the sections where Bloodborne actually drags, and the article promised to cover where it drags. Yahar’gul Unseen Village and the stretch leading into the Nightmare of Mensis both have pacing that I’d describe as ’the game forgetting what makes it good.’ The rapid, unforgiving loop the review praises basically stalls there. I’m not saying it’s a bad game — obviously it isn’t — but the score doesn’t square with ’measured look.’