Bloodborne

[VTPack919]

Quote: Originally Posted by LBzrule

It has been confirmed that the game will be playable at Gamescom next month. http://www.craveonline.com/gaming/ar...out-4-opts-out

Cannot wait for the videos.

[Flawless]

[weeeeeeez]

Going to be so great.

[mikenoob]

High res screenshots in spoiler

Spoiler

[fishepa]

Holy smokes that looks awesome.

[Flawless]

Bloodborne on PS4: New Combat Details

Quote:

At E3 we introduced Bloodborne’s evolved combat style, which requires more pro-active and offensive tactics. The weapons, like the transforming saw cleaver and blunderbuss shotgun, lend themselves to this different combat style, as does the quicker movement and dodging. Enemies in Bloodborne are quicker and more aggressive as well, and you’ll be facing more enemies at once than in the past. There are situations where if you sit back and wait for an opening, you’ll get overwhelmed. At times, you have to be on the offensive. But this is not a hack-and-slash game. Rest assured, Bloodborne is still an action RPG at its core, and combat is still very much about strategy and tactics. The new, more offensive combat actually goes much deeper, by way of our brand new Regain System, which rewards players for taking more risks and being more decisive and strategic. The Regain System allows players to recover health lost after taking damage by striking back at enemies within a short time period with a bladed weapon. Basically, The Regain system allows players a way to channel that negative energy they feel from taking a hit, and direct it back at the enemy to get revenge and steal back the health they lost. The amount of health you can recover will be shown in yellow in the HP gauge, and it will get shorter over time if you hesitate to strike. You will still have to be smart and strategic with your strikes, as attacking indiscriminately could lead to taking more damage at the hands of the enemy. Now, the strategy and skill come into play in your offensive and counter-attack tactics, rather than waiting and timing defensive tactics just right.

Hands-On:

Venturebeat

Quote:

Seeing the firearms in the initial reveal gave the impression Bloodborne would be a completely different kind of game than Dark Souls, where your ranged weapons consist of bows, knifes, and magic. Upon closer inspection, these firearms perform like 19th century versions of mage spells. Bloodborne’s true potential in standing out relies on a number of new combat strategies. Counter Shot rewards the risk-takers who can pull off a shot the split second before a foe lands a hit. The downed opponent is now open to an even more powerful blow. Backstrike applies a similar one-two attack, though this move relies on your ability to sneak up on your targets from behind. This sampling of Bloodborne’s overall level design hints at a return to the appealing multipath layout of the first Dark Souls, an element that some sorely missed in the sequel. A gate locked on one side implies a future shortcut, provided you manage to open that barrier. One path can lead you down a route of a couple manageable hostiles while another could pit you against a monster equipped with torches. Based on my two playthroughs, From Software makes no assurances that the wide reach of an ax attack or the potency of a Molotov cocktail will have the same effectiveness one would find in other action-RPGs. In typical Dark Souls fashion, exploitable situations are few to nonexistent. Shotguns in many games work unrealistically, enabling for long-range kills. From Software insured that the blunderbuss (a precursor to the shotgun) is 100 percent useless from a distance; it won’t even affect a fraction of an enemy’s health at a distance.

IGN

Quote:

Indeed, playing Bloodborne for only 10 minutes or so made me incredibly tense. It’s rare to play something so overtly challenging, almost comically so. Around nearly every corner is a new obstacle to overcome, a new enemy (or enemies) charging at you, something to dodge, avoid, or slay. I died three times in short order, each time progressing just a little bit further. This is, of course, the Dark Souls way. And Bloodborne is no different. At the outset of the demo, I was given the option to choose a so-called “Heavy” fighter, equipped with an axe and pistol, or a “Standard” character, wielding a saw and blunderbuss. I went with the latter, expecting more of that ever-important speed I’ve been seeking for these last few years, and I certainly found it. I asked the game’s producers if my notions of Bloodborne’s amped-up quickness was simply a figment of my imagination; after all, some claim it’s no faster than Demon’s Souls or Dark Souls. They confirmed what I already knew: Bloodborne does indeed have speed From Software’s previous games lack, but it certainly doesn’t make the experience of playing any easier. It just makes it different. What I enjoyed most was the interplay between my blade and my rifle. Pressing R1 allowed my character to slash with his saw; hitting R2 unleashed a slower, more powerful attack. Utilizing my blunderbuss at close range with L2, I was able to deter small groups of aggressive enemies from drawing near as I cut them up as best I could. My firearm didn’t do a lot of damage, either at range or close-up, but it did stun foes, acting as a useful tool in an expansive arsenal, one that promises to grow throughout the adventure.

[MizzouBravesFan]

As I've been saying from the onset of the PS4 and as I'll continue to say as these awesome games hit the PS4...

[Flawless]

IGN: Breaking Down Bloodborne's Combat System

Quote:

The idea of "truly perilous combat" was reiterate again and again during the presentation. Whereas the Souls series is known for its measured combat system – many players, myself included, spent a great deal of time behind a shield, sussing out the weaknesses of new opponents. Bloodborne definitely still has that aspect to its combat – more on that below – but there's a different flavour to the overall style. Miyazaki and his team want to draw players into something they're terming "mortal combat" and a "rally of deadly blows". Shields encourage tentative combat in some, and that safety has been removed. Another way in which the player is being encouraged to be more daring is the ‘Regain System’. When you receive damage from your opponents, you have a limited period of time in which to get some of that health back by landing your own attacks. The window is brief and rewards the brave. When you’re low on health, you can choose to attack, and hope to win back some health in the process, or in a more traditional fashion, choose to retreat and use a health item. It’s an interesting system, and one of the intentions is to make the game feel less punishing, even though the producers reiterated that the overall challenge of the Souls games will remain firmly in places.

Quote:

There’s a red gauge denoting health in the top left-hand corner of the screen, with a green bar directly below measuring your stamina. Business as usual. Both are joined on the left hand side by a blood stain containing a number (if you’ve played Dark Souls, it looks roughly equivalent the number of hard humanity). This is now your number of health items, which is permanently equipped and separated from other consumables. The assumption is that you’re always going to be in dire need of health so it’s always mapped to the triangle button. But there’s a secondary motivation behind this change and it’s to encourage players to explore and experiment with other items, which are now displayed directly below the stamina bar. One example shown was throwing oil onto enemies followed by a flaming torch – the oil increases the enemies flammability and the overall damage inflicted.

Quote:

Transformable weapons potentially support up to three move sets, adding even greater depth and sophistication. They can also be used in different ways, such as transforming one mid-combo can how an interesting side-effect – it might stagger an enemy or knock an important item out of their hand. There’s also the ability to charge up certain weapons for more powerful attacks. The amount of ‘regain’ will also vary between weapons. So there's lot of need concepts and combinations to consider and experiment with. And while attacking options might be expanding, Yamagiwa reiterated that Bloodborne won't be an “exaggerated hack and slash game". Practice and experience are indispensable. As always, you need to learn situation and master your weapons.