I'm Considering Bloodborne: Newbie Tips Going In?

[PhantomFear94]

I've never played a souls-borne game aside from 5 hours or so of Bloodborne whilst my gf was at work one days like 3 years ago, a small sample I quite enjoyed but just never picked up again.

 

I only did Cleric Beast, Father Gascoigne and Blood-Starved Beast within that small sample size.  However, it looks amazing and want to give it a go.  I watched Joseph Anderson's video essay on it and, well, it looks dope.

 

The difficulty is putting me off somewhat; any tips on what I need to do to survive and, potentially, get the Platinum?   The roadmap looks really good, I mean more from a gameplay standpoint?

Edited May 9, 2018 by phantomfear9494

[Stardroid]

It's probably not as hard as you think it is. All of the DS games are overrated in terms of difficulty, in particular because of the co op aspect. It will take some time getting used to the combat, but it shouldn't take too long.

[Pustur]

10 minutes ago, phantomfear9494 said:

from 5 hours or so of Bloodborne [...] I only did Cleric Beast, Father Gascoigne and Blood-Starved Beast

 

I'd say that if you beat those 3 in 5 hours difficulty is not going to be a major problem for you.

I got the platinum and it's so worth it, one of the best games of the ps4.

[Dragon-Archon]

19 minutes ago, phantomfear9494 said:

I've never played a souls-borne game aside from 5 hours or so of Bloodborne whilst my gf was at work one days like 3 years ago, a small sample I quite enjoyed but just never picked up again.

 

I only did Cleric Beast, Father Gascoigne and Blood-Starved Beast within that small sample size.  However, it looks amazing and want to give it a go.  I watched Joseph Anderson's video essay on it and, well, it looks dope.

 

The difficulty is putting me off somewhat; any tips on what I need to do to survive and, potentially, get the Platinum?   The roadmap looks really good, I mean more from a gameplay standpoint?

I see you haven't played any of the Souls games yet, so it might be a bit overwhelming at first. Don't let the difficulty put you off, it's not the hardest game ever, despite what some might claim. Besides, the Souls games have a good learning curve. One thing to keep in mind is: you will die a lot. Trial and error is a key component of these games. There's no best build, so just go with whatever you like. Some bosses might be a bit harder than some depending on the build, but others will be easier too. As for bosses, take your time to observe their attacks and telegraph signs (bosses tend to use movement and sound to telegraph an attack). I usually recommend to prioritize dodging over blocking due to some unblockable attacks, but Bloodborne has no shields  . Don't be greed during fights, but get a few hits in and then save enough stamina to dodge at least once in case the boss retaliates. Try not to deplete the stamina bar completely, as you won't be able to move for a short while, which can be fatal in some cases. As a general rule: don't challenge a boss if you have enough blood/souls to level up.

 

Also be suspicious about the environment: if you see an area devoid of enemies, be on alert. I'll put the next section in a spoiler bar in case you want to get the full experience by finding things out yourself, it's no spoiler for the story though.

Spoiler

Enemies can pretend to be corpses and chests can be mimics, so hit them once just in case. Besides that, there can be traps or hidden enemies around corners. If you see an area devoid of anything it's very likely too good to be true.

 

Edited May 9, 2018 by Dragon-Archon

[DrBloodmoney]

There are two things I’d recommend keeping in mind, which will seem totally contradictory, but bear with me!:

 

1. Don’t be put off by people saying how difficult it is.

 

The games are not piss-easy, but I think the super-difficult reputation is not really correct. They aren’t so much difficult as specific -  and require a specific type of approach to enjoy.

 

The idea that the games are ‘difficult’ just because you will likely die a lot is not really correct - that’s just the genre.

 

You are meant to get a little further each time, and be constantly pushing the boundaries of what your character and skill level will allow, and that makes getting through an area and seeing more of the world feels like a real achievement.

 

2. Don’t be put off by people telling you how easy it is!

Taking everything I said above into account - there are still tough sections. Like I said, you are supposed to be operating always at the limit of your (and your characters) skill level. As such, you will probably hit some bumps in the road - one boss that just cant get to grips with or some section that just kicks your ass due to the way you spec’d or something. That is totally normal in a Souls game.

 

It’s at those moments that hearing a bunch of folks who already got the platinum (and have forgotten, or are ignoring, the memories of when it happened to them) saying ‘That game is easy’ or just telling you ‘Git Gud’ can put you right off it.

Just remember that almost everyone gets bogged down somewhere - that’s how a freeform character spec game works. You will get through it with some perseverance, and it’ll feel great when you do!

 

Have fun!

 

 

 

Edited May 9, 2018 by DrBloodmoney

[Cobby]

1) Learn how to parry

2) Rek shit up 

 

Bloodborne is the easiest souls I've played .. so stupidly easy to parry.

[FalseSine280]

If you really stuck on something you can always farm souls for couple of hours and become op or bring some other players to help you with the boss. Plat rarity speaks to itself so do't worry about difficulty

[Eylside]

dont start with the threaded cane. thats like the only thing that comes my mind right now. the axe is ok, but i would recommend for a newbie the saw cleaver. its a easy to use weapon, quick and overall one of the best weapons in the game, even at the end of the game its one of the strongest. you can do nothing wrong by picking it.

 

edit: what i totally forgot is skill. that stat is ridiculously op. it does not only increase your weapon dmg, but also dmg for a parry. so i go highly in favor for skill a build.

Edited May 9, 2018 by Eylside
edit

[LuciaRosethorn]

There's so much information about Bloodborne at this point, simply putting beginner tips into google would have been a better thing to do.

[Kristycism]

Honestly, if you beat Father Gascoigne and the Cleric Beast, you can do the rest of the game.

 

The game does have a bit of a steep learning curve, but once you've got over that, everything else in the game becomes doable.  And you beat the first couple of bosses so you're more or less over the point of "what on earth am I doing and why am I always dead" (you'll probably still die many more times through the game but it's fine).

 

The game isn't that difficult at all (it's unforgiving of your mistakes, but it isn't difficult) once you've learned the mechanics, and that's coming from someone who has never played a Souls game before (or anything with remotely difficult combat really, I mostly play platformers and JRPGs) - and I did the entire thing solo/offline (I think the online would make it more fun, but my connection is crappy).  It's all about learning the bosses' moves, and learning how to react to them. Once you've worked out what you're doing for each boss, it's easy to beat them all within a couple of attempts.  I personally spent my first attempt at each boss watching them and dodging everything rather than attacking until I learned the tells for when I can get an opening to attack.  Most bosses I got within 1-3 attempts, but there was a couple where I got cocky and screwed it all up - but it was entirely my own fault.

 

I do think the difficulty is the major thing they got right in this game - every boss is easily beatable as long as you learn their pattern, and don't get overconfident with your attacking.  When you die, you know it's because you screwed up rather than because it was impossible to win. And when you beat each boss, it feels more rewarding and worthwhile than other games where it's a game of "my stats are higher therefore I win".  I'm probably gonna buy the Souls games after my backlog is cleared, since I imagine they are similarly designed and similarly rewarding to play through.

[maniek515]

2 hours ago, phantomfear9494 said:

I've never played a souls-borne game aside from 5 hours or so of Bloodborne whilst my gf was at work one days like 3 years ago, a small sample I quite enjoyed but just never picked up again.

 

I only did Cleric Beast, Father Gascoigne and Blood-Starved Beast within that small sample size.  However, it looks amazing and want to give it a go.  I watched Joseph Anderson's video essay on it and, well, it looks dope.

 

The difficulty is putting me off somewhat; any tips on what I need to do to survive and, potentially, get the Platinum?   The roadmap looks really good, I mean more from a gameplay standpoint?

 

I was in quite the same spot as you. Long time ago I touched DS 1 but left it after about 3 hours, coulnd't really get into it. However Bloodborne always fascinated me mostly because of that dark and depressing atmosphere. I didn't buy because I thought I'm gonna suck balls at it, everybody says it's so terribly difficult. 

And yes, I had some tough time at the beginning, you say you have played for 5 hours and killed 3 bosses. Well, I spent first 5 hours running around central Yharnam and learning to actually play this game. Now I'm done with story, with dlc and slowly making my way through chalice dungeons but I don't find them as fun as rest of the game. 

My advice? Try not to think of mythical difficulty, it is really not that bad. I would also avoid unnecessary guides, tutorials and stuff like that, figuring things out on your own will be much more satisfying. 

Didn't really expect that but it turned out to be one of best games I've played in very long time. Bloodborne got that SOMETHING, like it's unpleasently pleasent to play kind of thing. 

Edited May 9, 2018 by maniek515

[Paleblood]

Best tip I can give you as someone who did the platinum for every souls game:

 

Don‘t read tips.

Try to actually enjoy the game and shut down all the shitty memes you gathered over all the years. 

The games are hard. Cool story bro, so is Super Mario World.

Edited May 11, 2018 by Stardew Shelly

[marko_cruise]

Depends on your game style.
If you enjoy a challenge and surprise is OK then dive right in and figure it out as you go. Keep good notes on what is said and read Notes if you want more clues. 
If you just want to cheat and just get it done, then get the original disk. Use the Pebble Glitch to get Blood Echoes and Level Up to an OP level. Then kill everything that stands in your way to each edge of each area.
If you want to just get it done, get an expert to co op kill everything that stands in your way to each edge of each area.

Personally, I like the 'follow a good guide and watch some Youtube videos' method. If you follow the step by step process outlined in playstationTrophies.org you'll get it all done and experience the various stories as intended. This is where I would start. In fact, I did.
https://www.playstationtrophies.org/forum/bloodborne/262927-bloodborne-trophy-guide-road-map.html

If you want to play alongside a video roadmap, more or less as the guide above suggests, you can follow the JumpinProduction Bloodborne Noobs guides on Youtube. Or play each area, and treat his videos as a "Did I miss anything?" guide.

Video's by VaatiVidya are THE BEST but maybe too detailed in the sense it might spoil the unfolding story. Pretty much all his videos are a major Spoiler Alert. These might be better after you finish the story, you've done the other guides and maybe intend to run again in NG+.

The IGN Bloodborne 32 minute speedrun is FREAKIN' AMAZING. And proof positive that you could finish the story using the challenge and surprise approach. And watch chat on another screen and talk to folks and give shout-outs at the same time apparently. So I reckon you could watch it before starting, while playing, or even after finishing, and not adversely spoil too much. Everything happens at such a pace that it would be difficult to remember too much detail of anything you have not yet experienced yourself. Did I mention it was FREAKIN' AMAZING?!?

Edited May 13, 2018 by marko_cruise
betterer englishk

[PhantomFear94]

18 hours ago, marko_cruise said:

Depends on your game style.
If you enjoy a challenge and surprise is OK then dive right in and figure it out as you go. Keep good notes on what is said and read Notes if you want more clues. 
If you just want to cheat and just get it done, then get the original disk. Use the Pebble Glitch to get Blood Echoes and Level Up to an OP level. Then kill everything that stands in your way to each edge of each area

 

 

Defo wouldn't do this for fun, but maybe would to mop up trophies.   Its the disc copy my gf has; can you delete patches with PS and play 1.00 this far after release?  Have no experience with deleting patches for trophies on PS, I'm an Xbox gamer by trade and it doesn't work that way 

[Platinum_Vice]

On 14/05/2018 at 3:43 AM, phantomfear9494 said:

 

 

Defo wouldn't do this for fun, but maybe would to mop up trophies.   Its the disc copy my gf has; can you delete patches with PS and play 1.00 this far after release?  Have no experience with deleting patches for trophies on PS, I'm an Xbox gamer by trade and it doesn't work that way 

 

You just delete your game date (not your save obv) and turn off your internet. Then you reinstall. Presto! V1.0

 

You obv cannot do this with a digital version.

 

I unlocked the platinum recently and never heard of/used the pebble glitch.

 

Consider using the Hunter Axe, I loved it.

[optimusmart]

44 minutes ago, GonzoWARgasm said:

 

You just delete your game date (not your save obv) and turn off your internet. Then you reinstall. Presto! V1.0

 

You obv cannot do this with a digital version.

 

I unlocked the platinum recently and never heard of/used the pebble glitch.

 

Consider using the Hunter Axe, I loved it.

 

Pebble glitch is useless for l8 Chalice bosses anyway, so the glitch isnt as good as it is made out

 

And for story bosses, u can pretty much farm those 20 enemies in the school hall in that nightmare placr at certain points in the game to Overpower

 

Pebble glitch just lets u overpower for Father Gascoigne and few others, its not that useful

[MeteorHawk]

Tip #1: Git gud

Edited May 16, 2018 by MeteorHawk

[marko_cruise]

The pebble glitch, given enough of Your time, can let you create a Lv 544 character. 
You level up to where you can easily defeat enemies and progress the story so you can pick up Cold Blood Dew and Frenzied Blood and Kin Blood progressively to higher levels. When you get to Lv 12 blood echo stores you will get almost 2 million blood echoes each time you use 98 units. 

NO You cannot play and then mop up by deleting the game and going back to version 1.0.0. original disk. The save, created on a higher version, will cause the game to not load the save file and just stop on the load screen. Sorry: You will need to create a new game save if you uninstall any patch version.

[Hemiak]

Tip 1) Don't read anything, play the game and beat it. Start over to trophy hunt. A 2nd run through the game takes very little time and you can prioritize the stuff you actually need. Plus it's waaaay more fun to play these blind. 

 

Tip 2) This isn't GoW. Don't go running in blindly. Anytime you find a new enemy or boss spend some time dodging and baiting attacks to see what it can do. Nothing is worse than Killing something several times, and then getting blind sided by an attack you've never seen before. 

 

Tip 3) Find a weapon, use a weapon. Any time you get something new go back to an earlier area equip it, and wail away. You never know when you'll find the weapon that fits you best. 

[Redgrave]

Don't worry too much about armor. Stats for armor don't really matter all that much. Just wear what you think makes your character look cool.

 

Be aware of the soft-cap for some stats. I know Endurance has a soft-cap at 40, so if you get it up to 40, then don't bother putting points into it since you won't really get much out of it at that point. You probably don't even really need to get it up that high either anyway. I would probably get it to about 20-30+ at best and then just put the rest of your points in Vitality and Strength or whatever weapon type you use.

 

Some of the bosses have certain weaknesses to elements. I'm paraphrasing something I saw before, and I'm pretty sure it's supposed to rhyme but I don't remember it. Basically, if a boss looks hairy and has lots of cloth on it, use fire. If it's slimy and wet, use electric. This won't apply to every boss, but it certainly helps for the ones that do.

 

When it comes to weapons it really comes down to preference. I liked to use Ludwig's Holy Blade because it was convenient where you can switch to a two-handed greatsword and a one-handed sword on the fly. Plus it looks badass. But over time you will come across plenty of weapons that you can try out. However you should definitely try out a weapon so that way you can stick with it, since upgrading weapons can help out in the long run, and you won't be able to get all your weapons up to +10 or even +7, so if you're going to use a weapon that you really like, make sure it's the one you want to bring to +10.

 

Speaking of weapons, you'll definitely want to make sure you upgrade your stats for the weapon you want to use. Ludwig's Holy Blade for example is a Strength weapon, so it is ideal to put Strength into your stats when you level up if you're using that or something like it. At the end of the day there's no wrong weapon choice to make, just make sure you pick the right stats to level up in.

 

Now for the best part of the game: Online! This isn't really required and neither is there anything complicated about it, but these are just suggestions that I want to mention if you're going to play online either in PvP or co-op.

 

Some areas have better PvP chances than others, and so if you play Online there are a couple areas where you will certainly face another player whether you intend to or not. I'll let you figure out how to prevent this. But should you PvP, and while it isn't really required or anything, it helps to have a certain etiquette when doing it, such as waiting for your opponent to have common ground and make sure they won't be interrupted. From my experience, people that have invaded me have done this for the most part and even if they do beat me I don't mind it since they are at least polite. And if you are doing co-op with someone that gets invaded, then try to sit it out and let the invaded fight their own battle. If they win, nice. But if they lose, it's no big deal. However the invader might kill you anyway for funsies. But don't worry though, you don't lose anything if you die in PvP.

 

If you co-op and someone is helping you, most of the time they will likely try to show you around. Some people are really good at communicating with gestures, so if they use a gesture then make note of what it is. For example, if they use a gesture that implies waiting where you are, then stay still and let them move ahead until they say so. Sometimes people will do a wave while walking in a certain direction which means they want to show you something. These can also apply if you're going to help others in co-op. It is especially courteous if you show new players the shortcuts and different paths if you know them, since there is a chance you or the other player can die and they might not be able to summon you again. Just be careful as to not run too far ahead of the person you're helping as that can help them get lost or wander into a big nest of enemies which would make the spirit of Solaire cry as that is certainly not jolly.

 

Other than all that, the only other piece of advice I can give is, if you are facing a hard enemy or feel stuck at a boss, you can always go back to it later or do co-op (A hunter is never alone!). You can also gain more Blood Echoes by beating bosses in co-op, so if you feel underleveled you can co-op a boss you fought before and get them that way. If you die while fighting the boss or to regular enemies in co-op you don't lose anything. For the Platinum itself, just keep in mind all the collectibles and where and when to get them. There are a couple badges that are tied to NPC storylines, so definitely make sure not to mess it up. There is room for error in one, but you might feel bad in doing so.

Edited May 18, 2018 by Redgrave

[KaKrackle]

just play it already. It’s brilliant. One of the best games on PS4.

[MMDE]

On 5/13/2018 at 3:27 AM, marko_cruise said:

Personally, I like the 'follow a good guide and watch some Youtube videos' method. If you follow the step by step process outlined in playstationTrophies.org you'll get it all done and experience the various stories as intended. This is where I would start. In fact, I did.
https://www.playstationtrophies.org/forum/bloodborne/262927-bloodborne-trophy-guide-road-map.html

 

Why would you follow a video guide for this game? A good amount of the game is about exploration. I totally get if you don't wanna miss any missables, but there's like 3 items or something. Play the game on your own, then later watch video I'd say, you're just doing yourself a disservice otherwise.

 

 

And if anyone wonders how I "attack" most games, especially very long games with missables etc, then here's what I do:

 

I read the trophy guide, and note all the missable trophies. I write these missable trophies down in a text document and I order them by when they appear in the game etc. Sometimes this does involve me doing some research to learn where and what is actually missable and how to not miss it etc, but when I got myself my own road map, I know I don't need to use a guide more than absolutely necessary and it will be easy to follow and avoid missing anything. While playing through the game I usually remove items from the list/road map as I do them. That means, less and less text in the document and more and more control. I try to make sure there is as little info as possible, so it's not a bother to use.

 

I rarely post these road maps online, but perhaps I should start to do so. The sad part is that as I remove items from the road map, it eventually ends up gone, and as I beat the game, I don't care anymore.

 

This is not far from what I usually do:

 

 

And yes, I did this with all the Souls games except Demon's Souls. Works great.

Edited May 18, 2018 by MMDE

[marko_cruise]

MMDE, Have you even played This game?!
I have 100+hrs on 2 accounts and there are missable trophies without guidance. Multiple endings. Different combinations of how side quests play out. And then secret, well hidden areas of the game that are difficult to find / easy to miss. And you don't even realise you've missed something until you consult a guide. And then you find a Bloodborne community that has members who continue to play after many hundreds of hours invested already. Because there is more to discover.

A good amount of the game is about exploration? Sure. But you need to add a good amount of the game will be missed in Your play through without some very specific guidance, even if that means playing co-op with a Bloodborne veteran. 

> There is a really good reason the game is detailed in a 552 page Strategy Guide. Supplemented by a 224 page DLC guide. And the fluffy artwork is in a separate 256 page book. That's about 1000 pages of detail. That should scream at anybody: This game has immense depth and you will never likely or reasonably discover all the key components without some of the secrets being shared. 

[dude_zavala]

OH BOY this is my favorite game of all time so here goes. 

 

ROLLING: rolling has invincibility frames. Learn to dodge THROUGH attacks instead of away from them. This the most important thing to get down when it comes to the souls games and why so many people have trouble with the series when they start. 9 times out of 10 you are safer rolling past an enemy then away from them. It is very important to learn when in the animation you are invincible and for how long. The blood starved beast becomes a joke when you can confidently dodge roll.

 

PISTOLS: pistols can stagger and give you an easy kill option for bigger enemies. The blue guys with lanterns and cloaks are the easiest enemy to parry/stagger with your weapon so if you need practice on those guys to get some of the timing down. The blunderbuss has a shorter range but staggers slightly easier. The pistol can shoot a longer distance and makes staggers a little safer but with a smaller hit box that can be side stepped. I recommend the pistol since the longer range makes parrying more safe and the only enemies who can really dodge a bullet are hunters which there are very few of in the game.

 

BLOOD VIALS can be farmed early on by going down the gated stairs to the left of the first lantern you encounter in the game. The gate is opened when you open it from the opposite side, accessible by going down the stairs in the building near the cleric beast. Through gates after the lantern spawn and down the stairs kill the 2 big guys with bricks receive 2 blood vials each (parrying is your friend when it comes to these guys). Once dead go back up one set of stairs and into the building (kill the guy in the back of the first floor in a wheel chair for some bullets), up the stairs and on to fight some WereDoggos. Lead them into the entrance of the building you just came from and they should get stuck on the door frame. Poke at these guys until dead, receive 3 vials each. Continue you on to the Cleric Beast lantern to the left and take down the fool with a brick and his birb buddies. Use the Cleric Beast lantern and repeat if necessary. You should get 12 vials per run.

 

WEAPONS: I recommend the Sawblade since almost everything is weak against its damage type, its fast, and it can stagger your enemies pretty easily so you don't have to worry about getting hit mid combo. The Hunter's Axe is also good with the long arm R2 charge being good for crowd control. The length keeps you safe and it makes it possible to cheese Gascoigne from behind the tomb stones. The Threaded Cane is the worst of the trio since you can usually get hit mid attack due to low stagger and the weapon does so little damage later on in the game. 

 

Stats: Bloodtinge ever so slightly affects your pistols and a few weapons and you are generally better off not investing in it for the single player. Arcane affects magic items and a few weapons, this is best left alone until you hit the hard caps of your Skill and Strength stat unless you have an item you really want to try out. You can never go wrong with Vitality so when in doubt level that stat up. Skill and Strength just boost damage. Soft caps are the point where the stats stop being as beneficial to level up followed by hard caps where it hardly benefits you at all to level up that stat. You should probably focus on a new stat when you hit one of these points. The points where you should switch or stop leveling are as follows

Vitality: 50 (hard stop)

Endurance: 40 (You stop gaining stamina after 40)

Strength and Skill: 25 (Soft cap) and 50 (Hard cap)

Bloodtinge: 25 (Soft) 50 (Hard)

Arcane: 25 (Soft) and 50 (Hard)

 

DLC: Better left off until the end game before the final boss

 

Chalice Dungeons: Save them for the end of the game and just try and try again my dude. You have to use the chalices earned at the end of each dungeon to create continually more difficult dungeons until you get the Phtumeru Ihyll Chalice. Beat the final boss in this dungeon and you are golden. The defiled chalice will be the hardest part of this platinum, your health is cut in half the entire dungeon so bosses can pretty much one shot you. Look up Defiled Chalice bosses if you want to decide now if you should try to go for the platinum.

 

Platinum: Look up the umbilical cord locations before you begin a playthrough to avoid having to replay the entire game you only need to consume, yes use like and item not just collect, 3 of the 4 in the game to . You can also use cloud saves to avoid multiple playthroughs if you want.

 

TL;DR 

Learn to roll THROUGH attacks, Sawblade is really good, save DLC and Chalice Dungeons for end game, look up umbilical cord locations before starting and use them before final boss to avoid multiple playthroughs. Cloud saves can give you the platinum in one playthrough.