From Software is a video game developer notorious for the extreme difficulty of its titles. Demons’ Souls, Dark Souls and Dark Souls II are all games that have been lauded for their soul-destroying enemies and dark and atmospheric medieval locales. In an age where developers spoon-feed players and make games accessible and overly easy, these titles were pledges of rebellion against the statusquo in gaming. They have attracted a slew of like-minded gamers who appreciate the challenges that these titles present.

Bloodborne is the latest game to emerge from the workshop of From Software. It has been designed in the same vein as the above mentioned games. The premise pits the player against the terrible city of Yharnam, a Victorian-style metropolis rich with Gothic motifs and vast cathedrals casting sinister shadows under a gibbous moon. The city is known to house a blessed panacea within its cyclopean walls and the player seeks this medicine to cure himself of a dreadful disease. But a more deadly affliction has come to the streets of Yharnam, an illness that transforms its victims into hideous monsters hostile to all that walk the streets.

There is horror in this game. The leprous moonlight illuminates decaying edifices and dark alleys resend the shadows cast from your torch which in their turn leer menacingly above you. Here you will find tentacled abominations, decaying hounds with eyes like red embers, dreadful zombie ministers and depraved cultists, all set against a macabre and uncanny urban environment. Combat is little changed from previous games from this developer – your enemies fight intelligently and hit hard. A notable change is the absence of shields, or indeed of any blocking combat element. Here the player must control distance and utilize evasion for defence. This makes for a much faster and more brutal style of combat than that found in Dark Souls.

You can find Bloodborne on bidorbuy.