FromSoftware fans all agree that Bloodborne brought in a new combat system to the Soulsborne lineup that created a new schema for future games. While Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls were more favorable fighters, taking time to block attacks before retaliating, Bloodborne wanted players to dash into the fray.
Agility and aggressiveness are essential parts of the game, requiring the player to be aware of their surroundings and exploit even the smallest openings to land an attack. This was a major shift from combat in the Souls series, and the inspiration for this move came to Miyazaki from a movie released in the 80s!
Bloodborne’s Combat Mechanics Punish Passive Fighting Styles
In a 2014 interview with Japanese outlet 4Gamer, Hidetaka Miyazaki, the President of FromSoftware, spoke in-depth about Bloodborne’s combat system. When asked why Miyazaki strayed from his core fantasy settings to gothic horror, he claimed it was to match the new gameplay he had in mind. The combat in the Souls series can be described as passive, but Miyazaki described Bloodborne combat as “the feeling of fighting for one’s life.”
For the Souls games, Miyazaki wanted to recreate the feeling of fighting with a sword and shield, similar to the 1981 movie Excalibur. Fantasy movies feature a lot of sword-and-shield combat where fighters typically wait for a moment to strike after blocks. Miyazaki wanted Bloodborne’s fights to be more active and make the players feel like they were struggling to get out of a dangerous situation.
The game rewards aggressive fighting styles far more than passive ones. The rally system, which creates a temporary window for players to recoup health lost to damage by hitting the enemy, is designed to keep the gamer in the fray instead of pulling back to create space. There is a wooden shield item that can be equipped on the off-hand, but it’s next to useless. Players are better off with a gun that can create windows for visceral attacks.
Aggressive Fighting Styles Still Require Planning and Thought
Bloodborne’s fast-paced fighting doesn’t mean mindless slashing in the hopes of powering through. Instead of a rolling evade, the game now featured a multi-directional dash, keeping the player on their feet to land a hit with some elite footwork. A sequel to Bloodborne will need to carry on the legacy of this combat system while adding new mechanics to keep things interesting.
Sekiro too followed a similar combat strategy, requiring players to focus on parries and relentless attacks to whittle down the enemy’s stance. It’s remarkable to see how comfortable Miyazaki was to quickly change tracks and offer a variety of combat systems in his games.
Elden Ring offers greater freedom to the player when it comes to choosing their fighting style. The long list of weapons allows for both aggressive, passive, or even ranged gameplay to be effective. With Shadow of the Erdtree featuring some entirely new weapon types, we can expect the combat options to expand even further.
What did you think of Bloodborne’s combat system? Let us know in the comments!
