Chapter 505: Souls Scholars (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

Shortly after the release of Bloodborne, major gaming media outlets, both domestic and international, enthusiastically published their game reviews, consistently giving it high scores.

Various media outlets praised Bloodborne, and game designers analyzed its related systems. Particularly in the combat system, Bloodborne clearly differed from Dark Souls.

However, the question of why it still felt so 'Souls-like' to players was a point of concern for many gaming industry designers. After all, following Dark Souls, many companies online also jumped on the bandwagon, launching similar games, but none could reach the heights of Dark Souls.

This wasn't just about game difficulty, plot design, or character design; the most crucial point was that these games failed to create that unique atmosphere. Bloodborne and Dark Souls both crafted worlds filled with despair, oppression, and suffering, where every character's ending seemed to be one of hopelessness, an oppressive and desperate feeling that suffocated players.

Yet, within this despair, there were also pockets of warmth.

For instance, many players in Dark Souls remember Patches helping the protagonist steal items before ultimately dying, Siegward of Catarina's friendship with Yhorm the Giant, and Solaire's sun-like spirit. The same was true in Bloodborne, with Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower, who cared for patients and lived in regret; the Hunter Machine Gunner who protected the people of Old Yharnam; and Ludwig, who, despite transforming into a monster, still retained his honor and faith.

These stories captivated players, deepening their sense of immersion and sparking significant debate within the player community regarding Bloodborne's plot and endings.

Among the most debated topics was which of the game's three endings was the 'best' choice.

Choosing the Yharnam Sunrise ending seemed safe, but from various subtle hints and implications, many players utterly disbelieved it to be a good ending. As for replacing Gehrman as the new surrogate, that naturally goes without saying; aside from players who didn't consult guides or were too lazy to collect the three umbilical cords, few would actively choose this ending.

It wasn't that players were reluctant to kill Gehrman, but purely because they didn't want to be a puppet for the Moon Presence.

The third ending, too, was difficult to label as definitively good or bad, much like the End of Fire or becoming the Lord of Hollows in Dark Souls.

Some players believed that seemingly defeating the Moon Presence might just be part of a larger scheme, where the Great One tests the hunter's strength through combat to eventually descend and reincarnate through their physical body.

Others felt that the player, becoming a Great One, might not be so bad for the world, akin to the fair dealings of Kos. However, it could also be like the Moon Presence, as the actions of Great Ones are often beyond human comprehension and reach.

Of course, more players simply stated they hadn't thought that much, merely emitting a peculiar sound: 'My Doll Sister... hehehehehe... my Doll Sister... (drooling.jpg)'

Just like with Dark Souls before it, many players began to transform into archaeologists, delving into and researching the plot of Bloodborne.

More and more intricate details were unearthed by players, especially as clues from the Chalice Dungeons were dug up.

The entire framework of the game became even more complete. Numerous posts titled 'A Brief Discussion on Bloodborne's Plot' appeared online.

Players, driven by curiosity, clicked in, and were instantly bewildered.

This is your 'brief discussion'?

Are you writing a thesis?

A 'brief discussion' of thirty to forty thousand words? Videos with two to three hours of 'brief discussion'?

The arguments presented were all different, yet each seemed to possess absolute evidence.

For example, some 'archaeologists' believed that the background of Bloodborne alluded to Europe's unprecedented three great plagues.

By searching for various clues within the Chalice Dungeons, key plot points could be uncovered: the first outbreak of the Beast Scourge in Loran led to its destruction, the second outbreak occurred in Old Yharnam, and the third outbreak happened in the Upper Cathedral Ward, thus giving rise to what was known as The Night of the Hunt.

Similarly, European history saw three great plagues of unprecedented scale. In the game's Yharnam, aside from hunters, no one else could be seen, subtly hinting at history.

This is supported by a clue found in the game: 'The Night of the Hunt. The great bridge to Cathedral Ward has been sealed. The Healing Church intends to abandon us, just as they torched Old Yharnam on that moonlit night.'

This alludes to the shocking Great Fire of London, which occurred the year after the Great Plague, affecting three-quarters of the city and burning down numerous houses.

The Healing Church in the game might correspond to the Anglican Church, which was the dominant faction controlling parishes during the plague. Furthermore, all common church members in Yharnam's main district vanished without a trace, and from the map and the Cleric Beast encountered in the upper ward, it can be inferred that the main clergy retreated to the upper district, mirroring London during the plague.

Of course, some players offered alternative arguments, suggesting that the Beast Scourge in the game didn't correspond to the Plague, but rather another disease: Syphilis.

For example, Ludwig in the game alluded to the famous musician: Ludwig van Beethoven.

Like one of Beethoven's well-known compositions: Moonlight Sonata.

Also, Beethoven's progressively worsening ear ailment in real life, which left the gravely ill musician without his most crucial sense, hearing, inevitably brings to mind the Healing Church's first hunter, Holy Blade Ludwig, who, despite his transformation into a hideous monster, still strove to maintain the dignity and elegance of a Church hunter during combat.

Of course, the idea that Beethoven died of Syphilis is merely speculation; from a more rigorous perspective, Beethoven more likely died from liver cirrhosis and lead poisoning.

This primarily reflects the common phenomenon of Syphilis during the Victorian era, and the most prevalent treatment method for Syphilis at the time involved toxic metals like lead and mercury.

Meanwhile, the Healing Church's use of Yharnam's common citizens for research into the Great Ones and blood, leading to the Beast Scourge, actually alludes to the USA's infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study.

These hardcore researchers meticulously dug up every clue in Bloodborne, causing heated arguments online.

They also attracted their respective supporters, each trying to make their views prevail over the other.

Of course, for casual players, it was just for entertainment. Why argue?

They were either stuck on the Blood-starved Beast or the Darkbeast Paarl in Yahar'gul, Unseen Village! (End of Chapter) <>