Bloodborne
A fast, aggressive gothic action RPG from the makers of Dark Souls.
Where Bloodborne comes up3 episodes and tests
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testWhat Makes a Good Combat System?
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testThe World Design of Dark Souls | Boss Keys
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testHow Game Designers Protect Players From ThemselvesBloodborne shaped its combat to push players forward: almost no attack snapping forces careful positioning, limited quicksilver bullets cap parrying, and a rally mechanic returns health for striking soon after a hit. Its world is a branching, shortcut-filled miniature of Dark Souls' Lordran. Lesson: build mechanics that reward the behavior you want and limit the safe, passive strategies.
- 1Take a hitYou lose some health
- 2Strike back quicklyAttack an enemy right away
- 3Win back healthRegain some of what was lost
- 4Keep attackingRetreating to wait is less tempting
From Bloodborne combat design notes
What was said about Bloodborne
1How Bloodborne's combat shapes the way you fight
Bloodborne barely snaps to enemies, so players must stand in the right place. Bloodborne has almost no attack snapping, so players have to learn the size, range and shape of each attack and position themselves to land hits.
Stickiness is how much a character snaps to nearby enemies. High stickiness makes range irrelevant, as with Batman in Arkham Asylum, who snaps to enemies far away. Low stickiness adds a positioning dimension to every attack.
Limited quicksilver bullets stop parries from becoming a wait-and-counter strategy. Bloodborne caps how often you can parry by limiting quicksilver bullets, so parrying cannot be the answer to every enemy.
Parries feel great but can turn combat into a reflex test or, in the words of the source, "a waiting game". Other fixes in the same family are a tight window, a punishment for a missed parry, or a stun instead of a kill.
Bloodborne's rally mechanic rewards aggression and discourages backing off. After taking a hit, you can win back some health by striking an enemy quickly. This makes retreating to wait for an opening less tempting.
It pushes players to be more aggressive than they were in Dark Souls. "Players are less likely to back off and wait for an opening if they have a chance to win back some health with a quick, aggressive attack."
2Yharnam's world layout compared with Dark Souls
Yharnam is a branching miniature Lordran inside a more linear world. The city has optional bosses, backtracking and shortcuts to lamps, echoing the Dark Souls structure on a smaller scale.
It is never quite the same as the connected world of Dark Souls 1.
What Makes a Good Combat System?
It barely snaps to enemies, so you must stand in the right spot. Limited quicksilver bullets cap how often you can parry.
Bloodborne barely snaps to enemies, so players must stand in the right place. Bloodborne has almost no attack snapping, so players have to learn the size, range and shape of each attack and position themselves to land hits.
Stickiness is how much a character snaps to nearby enemies. High stickiness makes range irrelevant, as with Batman in Arkham Asylum, who snaps to enemies far away. Low stickiness adds a positioning dimension to every attack.
Limited quicksilver bullets stop parries from becoming a wait-and-counter strategy. Bloodborne caps how often you can parry by limiting quicksilver bullets, so parrying cannot be the answer to every enemy.
Parries feel great but can turn combat into a reflex test or, in the words of the source, "a waiting game". Other fixes in the same family are a tight window, a punishment for a missed parry, or a stun instead of a kill.
The World Design of Dark Souls | Boss Keys
Yharnam is a branching miniature Lordran inside a more linear world, with optional bosses, backtracking and shortcuts to lamps. It is never quite the same as Dark Souls 1's connected world.
Yharnam is a branching miniature Lordran inside a more linear world. The city has optional bosses, backtracking and shortcuts to lamps, echoing the Dark Souls structure on a smaller scale.
It is never quite the same as the connected world of Dark Souls 1.
How Game Designers Protect Players From Themselves
Its rally mechanic restores health if you strike soon after being hurt. That makes backing off to wait for an opening less tempting.
Bloodborne's rally mechanic rewards aggression and discourages backing off. After taking a hit, you can win back some health by striking an enemy quickly. This makes retreating to wait for an opening less tempting.
It pushes players to be more aggressive than they were in Dark Souls. "Players are less likely to back off and wait for an opening if they have a chance to win back some health with a quick, aggressive attack."
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