A new set of Bloodborne details have emerged from this week’s issue of Famitsu. The magazine covers when development began, targeted resolution/frame rate, and more.
Here’s the latest news about the game:
- Spring 2015 release window
- They started work on this right after finishing Artorias of the Abyss, targeting Sony’s new hardware
- The world and story is completely new, and the setting takes full advantage of the PS4′s capabilities
- They’re targeting 30fps at 1080p
- The keywords for the game is “blood” and “beast”
- There will be melee and long range weapons (guns) this time
- Character customization is confirmed
- There will be no map display in the game
- He wants combat to not just focus on action but also the strategic element
- The combat in the game is designed to feel like a life or death struggle
- There will be online elements of some sort, and it will involve players “discovering” together Source
Hello, PlayStation fans. This is Masaaki Yamagiwa from Japan Studio.
I am here to talk about a new Action RPG, Bloodborne, which will launch early 2015 exclusively for the PlayStation 4 console. Bloodborne is a new collaboration for us, being developed by FromSoftware and produced by SCE Japan Studio. This game will transport players to a dark and terror-filled gothic world, a world full of deranged beings and nightmarish creatures.
Bloodborne takes place in an ancient, forgotten city called Yharnam, known for an old medical remedy. Over the years, many hopeless and afflicted people have made long pilgrimages to Yharnam in search of help. As the main character, you are one of these travelers. However, you find that Yharnam is also cursed with a horrible endemic illness. You must navigate the perilous streets of this city, fighting off nightmarish creatures, malformed beasts and deranged mobs stricken with this horrific illness. Face your fears as you discover the secrets and mysteries of this dark and horrific world where danger, death and madness lurk around every corner.
In Bloodborne, the combat is based on intense life-threatening battles. One of the ways we are bringing that sense of danger to life is by keeping the deep strategic elements from Demon’s Souls, while also transitioning from the passive and block-and-attack style of Demon’s Souls to a quicker, more offensive and active combat style with close-range weapons and guns.
From the beautiful and melancholic architecture to the debris lining the street, Bloodborne will deliver an extremely rich and detailed world, all thanks to the power of the PlayStation 4 system. In addition, the PS4 system has allowed us to have an expanded draw distance, so we can show more of the world at any one time. New lighting effects allow us to add more atmosphere and tension to the game, making the horrifyingly detailed beasts and giant boss enemies you’ll be facing even more frightening.
I hope to be able to share more about our online features later this year, but I can say that we are developing new kinds of online experiences that allow users to share their adventures. We also look forward to giving fans new ways of playing and sharing thanks via the PS4 system’s Share capabilities.
Special message from Director Hidetaka Miyazaki
“Creating Bloodborne as a completely new game on the new PlayStation 4 hardware has allowed us to really push the envelope in myriad ways. That being said, in more ways than one, it also very much retains our distinct, signature style. As has been at the core of our development philosophy since Demon’s Souls, we make true games for people who love games. Please watch for more to come on Bloodborne, and thank you very much for your support.”
Patrick O'RourkePublished: June 12, 2014, 2:41 am
Updated: 3 hours ago
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During a closed-door presentation at E3, I had the opportunity to watch live in-game footage of Bloodborne, an upcoming PS4 exclusive developed by From Software and revealed during Sony’s press conference on Monday.
The game would have been the biggest surprise of Sony’s E3 press conference if it didn’t leak early under its development code name, Project Beast, a few weeks ago. It was widely believed Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator of hardcore gamer favourites, Dark Souls and Demon’s Souls, was working on new title for Sony’s PlayStation 4, but specifics about the game still hadn’t been revealed.
Surprisingly the demo, tucked away in a corner of Sony’s booth, featured a ridiculous level of security and neither photo, video or audio recording was permitted.
Bloodborne’s striking visuals include impressive lighting and blood effects as well as an atmosphere full of 19th century gothic darkness (there are even coffins and traps strewn everywhere). The game’s environment almost has a Silent Hill or old school Resident Evil feel to it and the bon fires scattered through the city’s streets feature some of the best fire effects ever seen in any video game.
Despite the impressive visuals, in its pre-alpha development state, Bloodborne suffers from significant slowdown issues. In fact, the lag the game’s current build suffers from could be why Sony has been so secretive about showing the project off at this year’s E3.
In Bloodborne, the city of Yharham has been overrun by some sort of disease that has turned many of its citizens into crazed beasts. The creatures look and act like gangly looking zombies. Bloodborne’s fire effects are ridiculously impressive. Handout/Sony
The real-time demo had the ability to die disabled, which made it hard to tell how relentlessly difficult the final game will end up being, although Miyazaki repeatedly stated the player would have died already multiple times at certain points in the demo, particularly during an extremely challenging looking boss fight.
As expected, Bloodborne is very violent and blood splatters everywhere, especially on the game’s main protagonist. In fact, the entire game has a very wet look to it. Water constantly trickles between cobblestones and drips off the dark looking city’s roof tops.
One notable difference from the Dark Souls series is the fact that enemies in Bloodborne don’t wait around for you to attack them and instead relentlessly pursue the player. In general, the game seems to place a greater emphasis on attacking rather than defending. Miyazaki also mentioned isolating enemies is important to being successful in the game. Bloodborne’s bosses are gigantic. Handout/Sony
In Bloodborne you’re armed with a meat clever saw-like weapon that can be extended for extra range and a shotgun for closeup combat. Against certain enemies the shotgun seems to be very effective.
As expected, Hidetaka Miyazaki avoided many of the questions asked during the Q and A period of the presentation, particularly related to whether or not Bloodborne will include an online multiplayer mode.
“It’s a vision and I’m hoping we can add a fresh sense to the online space,” said Miyazaki through a translator.
Bloodborne is set to be released at some point in 2015 and is exclusive to the PlayStation 4.
A brand new game, currently being developed by FromSoftware, was announced along with an exciting new trailer during the Sony stage show at E3. We jumped at the chance to sit down with the game’s director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, and try to glean as much information as we could about this dark new title. Here are 11 things you need to know. 1. This is not a sequel
FromSoftware are perhaps most famous for creating Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls and Dark Souls II. Miyazaki himself was even the director of both Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, but he explained, “Players that have experienced the other games I have directed are going to see some familiarities, but this is not a sequel…you’re going to find something new in Bloodborne…your gameplay experience is going to be more intense…it will be heightened.” 2. Explore the unknown
Set in the fictional, sprawling city of Yharnham, the 19th century setting is dark and foreboding. FromSoftware are keeping the details of the story of Bloodborne under wraps, but Miyazaki did tell us, “One of the most important aspects we are focusing on whilst we make Bloodborne is the exploration of the unknown” – players will have a massive area of the city of Yharnham, and you’ll be encouraged to explore it to unravel “a universe laden with mystery.” 3. Something beastly this way comes
As you journey along the dingy alleyways, strange cloaked figures and deformed figures will lurch out of the darkness to attack you at almost every turn. On top of that, “there are moments, like the ominous banging of these gates in the city, where we’re telling you that some huge beast if coming.” 4. There’s something deeply wrong in Yharnham
On top of the bleak colour palette and shadows of the city, something else is amiss, “the city has been stricken by a plague, and those afflicted transform into hideous beasts” – what’s more, “the citizens around are unaware that they too are afflicted.” 5. Fight for your life
Miyazaki is known for creating games with an enjoyably challenging difficulty level, and Bloodborne will be no different, “You’re going to constantly feel terror because when you face each enemy, you will also face death. Every fight could be your last.” 6. A weapon in each hand
Bloodborne isn’t going to send you out to face the hordes unaided – players will arm themselves with a satisfyingly powerful shotgun in their left hand, as well as a scythe-like weapon in their right. 7. Passive aggressive
Whilst wading right into a crowd of enemies is clearly a strategy that will quickly have you in a body bag, trying to stay out of the fight isn’t necessarily going to work, “You’re going to have to face up to enemies quickly or else become overwhelmed.” 8. Your weapons transform as you use them
Miyazaki showed off a melee weapon that was part scythe, part saw. What was most interesting about it is that players can employ different techniques to cause the weapon to transform as you are fighting. This will be one of the key ways in which players will need to adapt their techniques to tackle bosses, and customise their characters to suit their style, “with each transformation of your weapon comes a different play style.” 9. Shifting enemies
During the level we were shown, the citizens of Yharnham were hunting the beasts that are plaguing the city. During one section, they crowded around a makeshift pyre to set alight a slain monster, allowing us to creep around the outskirts unnoticed. However this didn’t last long – soon a bell sounded from deep within the city and the rabble recommenced their hunt. Miyazaki said, “The game is going to challenge you as the environment changes and enemies move around the level in unexpected ways.” 10. Helpful fellow
As you fight through Yharnham, you’ll occasionally meet other hunters in trouble, and you can choose whether to help or not, “You have that option, if you’re compassionate… And those characters might even come back later to lend a hand and help even the odds.” 11. Up close and personal
For anyone hoping to keep enemies at (more than) arm’s length, hurting enemies whilst staying well out of their reach in order to stay alive, Bloodborne might already be one step ahead of you. Miyazaki confirmed “close range combat is going to be the focus of the game”, but also hinted at some of the tricks you’ll have up your sleeve…
Expect a ton of new information on Bloodborne in the coming months, right here on PlayStation.Blog.
Even before its official announcement at E3 Bloodborne turned a lot of heads. It was still called “Project Beast,” exposed by a blurry leak, and many were already looking at it as one of the biggest games of E3. This doesn’t seem to phase Game Director Hidetaka Miyazaki, as he explained on Famitsu.
Miyazaki-san was asked if he’s in any way worried about making a game that has sparked high expectations worldwide, since so far it’s one of the few Japanese PS4 games competing on the western stage.
I’m not particularly worried about that. As far as I’m concerned, whether it’s for overseas or for Japan, I make games to please people that love games. That’s it. That hasn’t changed even with this new title. After that, I’ll let the folks at the publisher Sony do their best. (laughs)
Since this is a new game on a completely new hardware, this is a title that presents many challenges to us. yet, I think this is a game very much in line with what we are. The fundamental production philosophy didn’t change from the times of Demon’s Souls and it’s making “a real game for those that love games.”
Miyazaki-san also mentioned his impressions about working with PS4:
PlayStation 4 is a console beyond expectations. While this game is still being developed, It’s very exciting to imagine its final form, and I think that this hardware makes this kind of game possible.
When asked if the unique features of the PS4, like Share, will be implemented into the game, he answered:
I think Share is an attractive feature. We’re still considering how to concretely take advantage of it with Sony.
Personally, I’m very eager to see and hear more about Bloodborne. It was unveiled in the most unorthodox way possible, but it has quickly caught the attention of many, including mine. It’s refreshing to hear that despite the attention and the new hardware, Miyazaki-san intends to apply his usual development philosophy that brought us awesome games in the past.
The upcoming PS4 exclusive Bloodborne impressed many at E3, and today Game Director Hidetaka Miyazaki shared more information about the game in an interview on Dengeki Online.
Miyazaki-san explained that the game will have more variation in animation compared to his previous games, thanks to the fact that it’s on PS4 and there’s more memory available for this kind of details. He also mentioned that one of the unique elements of the game will be the ability to enhance weapons, but further details about that are still a secret.
We also learn that the game will be playable offline, even if of course that will lock players out of its online features. That said, Miyazaki-san thinks that as a general trend, even thanks to DLC, the ratio of online features in games is raising.
Even more interestingly, Miyazaki-san explained at length what we can expect from one of the central elements of his production: death.
We are still conducting final reviews of the death penalty, though we don’t plan on making it quite so severe. While death will occur often in this game, it’s important that it both does not place too much stress on the players and still makes them want to take on the challenge again, so we are regulating the death penalty with these things in mind.
This is a bit off-topic, but to make sure the player still wants to give it another go, it’s also vital to give them a wide breadth of options in battle. The intention with our design is to provide a rich system that includes weapons such as guns and traps, among others. And while I said you will die plenty in this game, we similarly want to give the player the rush of nearly dying or thinking they are about to die, so we are always considering the best ways to govern this balance.
If you’re wondering whether the game will be released in your country at the same time as all others, you shouldn’t worry, because Miyazaki-san finally mentioned that the current plan is to have a simultaneous worldwide release.
[Translation: Tim Roy]
Bloodborne is due to release on PlayStation 4 during the fourth quarter, Sony's official E3 brochure has revealed, suggesting it'll land in stores some time between January-March 2015.
From Software's new action IP was formally revealed during Sony's E3 Press Conference last week following several leaks which saw early screenshots and video footage appear online.
The game is said to be similar to From Software's hit Souls series, although Steve reckons it also takes cues from fan favourite horror Resident Evil 4.
To find out what he thought of it after checking it out at E3, head through to his impressions. Source: E3 Brochure SCEE 2014
Patrick O'RourkePublished: June 12, 2014, 2:41 am
Bloodborne’s fire effects are ridiculously impressive. Handout/Sony
Bloodborne’s bosses are gigantic. Handout/Sony
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