Chapter 503: The Masochistic Craze (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

Online, Bloodborne was endlessly roasted by countless players.

"'So, in the Dark Souls prequel, you couldn't teleport in the early game, and here in Bloodborne, though you can teleport, there's no damn lantern teleportation!'"

"'My mentality collapsed after dying once in the Forbidden Forest!'"

"'That's nothing. The most crucial point is that the mobs in the game are too disgusting. I feel like I didn't die from the game's difficulty, but from being scared to death!'"

"'Hahaha... hahaha... Doll Sister... Vicar Amelia...'"

"'Sigh, drag that bro upstairs out, he probably went mad from too much Insight staring directly at the Great Ones.'"

"'By the way, are there any master players who can make a strategy guide! I'm already mentally blurred from being thrashed by the Blood-starved Beast!'"

"'Bro, who's being thrashed by the Blood-starved Beast, check out a stimulant item. Also, you can summon an NPC to the left of the main gate, the same young man who gave you the Blessed Balm, like a Paladin.'"

"'Found a way to enter a hidden map! After defeating Vicar Amelia, touch Laurence's Skull, then go back to the Workshop to get the Blood-Red Hunter's Eye, and then go to Amygdala's location in the Cathedral Ward, and you can be grabbed into a Nightmare!'"

"'Saw a master player streamer go in yesterday, and he suffered miserably! Better level up a bit more before going there.'"

The continuous suffering had already made many Hunters feel a bit mentally disoriented.

Of course, after a brief setback, the new Hunters complained incessantly, but some Hunters who had "re-specialized" from veteran Undead were even more excited, feeling a greater thrill.

After all, isn't this kind of challenge exactly what Souls-like games demand?

The original Dark Souls had already been thoroughly studied by many master players, with guides everywhere. This made some later players wonder if the game's difficulty was "just this"? Although it was indeed a bit hard, it wasn't as difficult as everyone claimed!

But only players who had experienced the early-game progression truly understood how difficult a Souls-like game was at the very beginning.

And clearly, Bloodborne successfully achieved this, once again bringing that ultimate heart-pounding sensation to all players.

Even though Undead had become Hunters, and secondary weapons had changed from shields to guns.

Still, many elements remained the same as Dark Souls.

Of course, not referring to things like jumping or being mute, but rather to difficulty and malicious intent.

It could be said that, to some extent, the difficulty brought by Bloodborne made many players feel it was even harder than the Dark Souls prequel from years ago.

After all, the Dark Souls prequel back then still followed Dark Souls' combat system; although there were slight differences, it was essentially the same template.

But Bloodborne was completely different, encouraging players to be more aggressive. Especially with some BOSSes having Gun Parry mechanics and others not, the difficulty in fighting them was truly on two different levels.

Unsurprisingly, Bloodborne sparked a masochistic craze among the player base.

Moreover, its popularity on live streaming platforms and video websites was very high, as the game's topic was excellent and it was quite suitable for live streaming.

However, an interesting point was that while both the PC and VR versions of Bloodborne had high sales.

A significant number of players chose the PC version instead of the VR version.

In terms of multiplayer content, there was actually no difference between the PC and VR versions.

Players could still connect online by ringing bells, share Chalice Dungeon data and glyphs, and see each other's notebook messages.

But in terms of actual gameplay experience, the VR version of Bloodborne was actually much superior to the PC version.

If this were about any other game, it would certainly attract considerable attention and discussion from numerous designers in the gaming industry.

But when it came to Bloodborne, neither the players nor the game designers in the industry were surprised in the slightest.

Because the VR version of this game was simply out of this world!

Imagine using the highest-grade Huanyu VR. When you encounter a Brain Sucker, and it grabs you and starts sucking your brain, the massage force feedback on your head begins to simulate the corresponding pressure, as if a pair of little hands were gently pressing your head. Just ask yourself if you'd panic!

Bloodborne's popularity continued to soar, but many casual players, especially those drawn in by the hype or the renowned Souls-like games but fundamentally unsuited for this genre, were turned away midway. They opted to follow the rest of the story through live streams and videos instead.

After all, as a high-difficulty hardcore game, truly masochistic players were still quite rare.

Of course, for hardcore players, it was an absolute carnival.

Because Bloodborne perfectly met their demands.

Growing through constant suffering could be said to be the most captivating aspect of Souls-like games.

When the Dark Souls series concluded, many players expressed great regret, because after playing such games, other action games always seemed to lack a certain thrilling sense of adventure.

And now, they had rediscovered that thrilling, step-by-step cautiousness and sense of challenge.

The only problem, of course, was that this tension and excitement were a little too much.

Just looking at the monsters in the game made their SAN points plummet, and many hardcore players weren't deterred by the difficulty, but rather scared away by the monsters.

Also as a Souls-like game, in addition to interconnected maps, maliciously designed traps, and arduous BOSS battles.

The fragmented storytelling also deeply captivated players.

This was because, from its initial design, Souls-like games intentionally separated the entire game's story and worldview, leaving players to fill in the blanks mentally.

It could be said that everyone had their own Dark Souls and Bloodborne story in their minds.

Just like "a thousand spectators have a thousand Hamlets."

Although this would ultimately lead to situations where "only my Hamlet is correct, and everyone else is an idiot."

But it was precisely this that made players so obsessed with the stories of Souls-like games.

At the same time, just like memorable NPCs in Dark Souls such as Solaire of Astora, Siegward of Catarina, and Patches.

In Bloodborne, the vivid characters and BOSSes that left a deep impression on players could entirely rival, and even surpass, those from both Dark Souls titles; almost every NPC and BOSS that appeared left a lasting mark on players.

The main reason for this was the narrative approach to the story.

Dark Souls essentially narrated a history, from the birth of the First Flame to its impending end, with players' timelines spanning tens of millions of years.

Bloodborne, on the other hand, was different. It used Yharnam as a focal point to tell everything a Hunter experienced, revealing the story behind the city of Yharnam. From this perspective, the connections between various NPCs and character development could be more vivid.

Of course, in terms of weight and epicness, Bloodborne clearly couldn't compare to Dark Souls.

But both Dark Souls and Bloodborne shared a common characteristic.

That was: despair.

In Dark Souls, Patches, the Crestfallen Warrior, Sister Friede, the White Spider Maiden, and Gwyn's family were all steeped in the colors of despair.

And in the world of Bloodborne, it was the same.

What ultimately awaited was an endless sense of despair.

(End of Chapter) <>