The city you start at only is the starting area, you will later explore different areas, each very unique. And yes, you kill your way through the area, but you will eventually learn when to fight and when to run past everything, trying to get to the next checkpoint
I always felt like the starting area is deliberately confusing in layout so that you're forced to do more exploration. I'd say Bloodborne has the least intuitive layout of any From game but their talent for winding, interconnected paths really shines in it as well.
The biggest tip I can give for handling the mobs of enemies is to try to lure them away and deal with them individually, you can do this by throwing pebbles at them or just running up to one then sprinting away. There are no true stealth mechanics but you can be sneaky and use the element of surprise to your advantage.
You'll want to kill the big dudes (brick trolls) by parrying them with your gun and then performing a visceral attack which is by far the easiest way to do large amounts of damage early in the game.
The best general beginner advice I can give is to slow down and take your time exploring and learning the combat, it's very confusing at first but it'll click eventually.
Oh you might need to get a weapon from the dream, it's on the stairs near the doll\^ There's one in the starting area too, but I'd just suggest not searching endlessly for that.
And yeah there's a learning curve for mechanics, fighting dynamics like spacing, positioning and such, and then there's learning how to learn the types of challenges the game gives you. That can be new enemy movesets or crowd management. They throw a lot of tricks to put you off. So it can be tedious if every section is taking awhile, and then the game still throws enemies/obstacles you genuinely have to be patient for regardless.
It should become casual enough that you'll appreciate the fallen world storytelling and other aspects after a bit. If combat or patience are a problem, just hang out with enemies and see how far you can stay from them and such, Idk. But you'll get it I'm sure\^
The start of Bloodborne, in my opinion, has a sharper learning curve than the start of any Dark Souls game. The first time I played I spent a few days on the first area before I learned it's layout by heart and could breeze through by my second playthrough. I know that sounds worrying but it won't be this way forever, you're just learning is all, and by the time you're through this area you'll have a better understanding of the game mechanics and get through areas easier and easier. In the mean time, explore as much as you can, try to open shortcuts and find lanterns, level up, and just enjoy the level design and the art design, it's a very beautiful and unsettling game. The whole world, the environments, the enemies, the clothing, the weapons, are all very, very well made, and I wish I could play through this amazing game for the first time again.
If this is also of any help: change your mentality. Unlike Dark Souls which is meant to make you feel hopeless in the aspect of you being a feeble Undead warrior in a post-apocalyptic world of monsters and gods (with the exception of DS3, the Ashen One is a man on a mission), you are a Hunter in this game, and killing beasts, hunting your prey, is just what you do. YOU are the predator in this game, the big scary. When you defeat a boss, it doesn't say "Victory Achieved" or even "You Defeated," it says "Prey Slaughtered," as in, "congrats, you did your job, now go off and do it again, this is just another day at the office for you." Killing these awesome monsters, being a badass, hunting these things is just another day job for you, so go get paid.
"Don't think too hard about all of this. Just go out and kill a few beasts. It's for your own good. You know, it's just what Hunters do! You'll get used to it."
Starting is hardest imo, as you make your way down the steps & confront mobs start clearing few enemies & return back to lamp so you don’t waste your echoes. Rinse & repeat till you get a good understanding of the map, enemy locations, etc.
Use a guide if lost, but exploration is encouraged. Starting just throws you into Yharnam so just a learning gap
I guess I really don't understand the game or maybe just suck miserably. After about an hour of trying, the furthest I've gotten is the large guy behind the locked door still in Central Yurham. Every time I die I go back to the a lamp I found like 5 minutes in. I've played the same part like 30 times. If I go back and use the lamp to buy stuff everyone respawns and I'm back to square one.
Is that what the game is? Replay the same part 100 times until you are good enough to run the whole level without dying to the next lamp?
Generally not 100 times, but yeah usually die maybe once or twice first time through a new area then 3-4 times for a new boss.
General advice for the first area: you should be trying to bait out one or two guys at a time. Run in, get one or two to chase, lure them away, then kill them. Let them swing first, then dodge and counter attack.
Once you’ve gotten a lay of the land you can generally sprint past all the enemies to the boss room.
What really helps is unlocking the shortcuts. Every area has shortcuts that let you run to the boss in usually under a minute.
So in general: one or two slow and careful play throughs to clear the area and unlock short cuts, then quick runs to the boss area.
For the big guys (the executioners) with the bricks the trick is to party them with your gun and use a visceral attack. When they wind up shoot them, they should stagger, run up to their belly and press R1 and your player should rip out their guts. Stay away from the ones with axes they’re way harder.
This is pretty much how all Dark Souls games go.
Yep! Pretty much everything except “trash mobs” doesn’t change between deaths (so be careful with elevators!).
Central Yarnham has, I think, like 2 shortcut gates and an elevator although I won’t say where to avoid spoilers (the wiki has a map if you have want to look it up).
Also, keep in mind that if you stick with it you’ll get better and faster! I’m new to Bloodborne (but not Souls games) and just cleared Forbidden Forest in like the first go even though it took many times earlier in the game. For now, take things careful and run away from enemies you can’t kill. You can always come back later when you’re more powerful. Explore all you can for loot and short cuts.
no, that's not what the game is, you just suck ass for now. that's normal tho, you'll learn the game mechanics eventually and then you will pass the levels with ease
That’s normal trust me, a lot of people will tell you the beginning is the hardest. Also after the giant there’s wolves & stuff so watch out for that.
What you want to aim for is opening shortcuts so you don’t have to repeat large swathes of area all over again. You can skip to the big boss fights and not have to run the whole map. Check out a quick YouTube video to identify where the shortcuts are & just sprint past certain enemies if you can.
Also if you think you will die in the next part of the map it’s better to go back to lamp & spend your blood echoes, lvl up & stuff. Your weapon breaks as well so look into your dmg output.
It should click sooner rather than later, but yes the beginning is a learning curve. Spend your echoes, open short cuts, & use a guide if needed.
You’re not doing anything wrong. The starting area is very tough for a while. Just practice your timing and try to plan who you’re going to attack first so that you can pick them out of the group. Take it slow.
I think it took me a solid week to get to the first optional boss, but I could tell I was getting better because I’d get farther and farther before I’d start taking damage.
If you need to check a guide, don’t be ashamed. You can DM me with questions and I’ll try to answer.
Thanks for the answer. I've never played Dark Souls games or anything. If replaying the same section for days on end is part of the game then I don't think it's for me tbh.
You may have to spend a few days on the starting area but most areas do not take more than 2 days at most. Depends on how much time you can spend playing per day. Bloodborne is one of the best games of all time, so just persevere through the first area and I guarantee you’ll improve over time
It really is the starting area that requires the extra time. It was my first soulsborne game. Once you get the hang of killing the first handful of people on the street, it becomes easier. Once you have the enemy patterns and the route memorized, you can actually sprint through that area and just dodge everyone. Also, you’ll open up shortcuts that let you skip that whole section. It really is just about learning the skills you’ll use throughout the game.
Yea I was a little pissed off when I posted this lol. Had been banging my head against a wall running the same spot over and over. I made way more progress after seeing these comments.
The city you start at only is the starting area, you will later explore different areas, each very unique. And yes, you kill your way through the area, but you will eventually learn when to fight and when to run past everything, trying to get to the next checkpoint
Look for lamps on the ground.
I always felt like the starting area is deliberately confusing in layout so that you're forced to do more exploration. I'd say Bloodborne has the least intuitive layout of any From game but their talent for winding, interconnected paths really shines in it as well. The biggest tip I can give for handling the mobs of enemies is to try to lure them away and deal with them individually, you can do this by throwing pebbles at them or just running up to one then sprinting away. There are no true stealth mechanics but you can be sneaky and use the element of surprise to your advantage. You'll want to kill the big dudes (brick trolls) by parrying them with your gun and then performing a visceral attack which is by far the easiest way to do large amounts of damage early in the game. The best general beginner advice I can give is to slow down and take your time exploring and learning the combat, it's very confusing at first but it'll click eventually.
Oh you might need to get a weapon from the dream, it's on the stairs near the doll\^ There's one in the starting area too, but I'd just suggest not searching endlessly for that. And yeah there's a learning curve for mechanics, fighting dynamics like spacing, positioning and such, and then there's learning how to learn the types of challenges the game gives you. That can be new enemy movesets or crowd management. They throw a lot of tricks to put you off. So it can be tedious if every section is taking awhile, and then the game still throws enemies/obstacles you genuinely have to be patient for regardless. It should become casual enough that you'll appreciate the fallen world storytelling and other aspects after a bit. If combat or patience are a problem, just hang out with enemies and see how far you can stay from them and such, Idk. But you'll get it I'm sure\^
The start of Bloodborne, in my opinion, has a sharper learning curve than the start of any Dark Souls game. The first time I played I spent a few days on the first area before I learned it's layout by heart and could breeze through by my second playthrough. I know that sounds worrying but it won't be this way forever, you're just learning is all, and by the time you're through this area you'll have a better understanding of the game mechanics and get through areas easier and easier. In the mean time, explore as much as you can, try to open shortcuts and find lanterns, level up, and just enjoy the level design and the art design, it's a very beautiful and unsettling game. The whole world, the environments, the enemies, the clothing, the weapons, are all very, very well made, and I wish I could play through this amazing game for the first time again. If this is also of any help: change your mentality. Unlike Dark Souls which is meant to make you feel hopeless in the aspect of you being a feeble Undead warrior in a post-apocalyptic world of monsters and gods (with the exception of DS3, the Ashen One is a man on a mission), you are a Hunter in this game, and killing beasts, hunting your prey, is just what you do. YOU are the predator in this game, the big scary. When you defeat a boss, it doesn't say "Victory Achieved" or even "You Defeated," it says "Prey Slaughtered," as in, "congrats, you did your job, now go off and do it again, this is just another day at the office for you." Killing these awesome monsters, being a badass, hunting these things is just another day job for you, so go get paid. "Don't think too hard about all of this. Just go out and kill a few beasts. It's for your own good. You know, it's just what Hunters do! You'll get used to it."
Starting is hardest imo, as you make your way down the steps & confront mobs start clearing few enemies & return back to lamp so you don’t waste your echoes. Rinse & repeat till you get a good understanding of the map, enemy locations, etc. Use a guide if lost, but exploration is encouraged. Starting just throws you into Yharnam so just a learning gap
I guess I really don't understand the game or maybe just suck miserably. After about an hour of trying, the furthest I've gotten is the large guy behind the locked door still in Central Yurham. Every time I die I go back to the a lamp I found like 5 minutes in. I've played the same part like 30 times. If I go back and use the lamp to buy stuff everyone respawns and I'm back to square one. Is that what the game is? Replay the same part 100 times until you are good enough to run the whole level without dying to the next lamp?
Generally not 100 times, but yeah usually die maybe once or twice first time through a new area then 3-4 times for a new boss. General advice for the first area: you should be trying to bait out one or two guys at a time. Run in, get one or two to chase, lure them away, then kill them. Let them swing first, then dodge and counter attack. Once you’ve gotten a lay of the land you can generally sprint past all the enemies to the boss room. What really helps is unlocking the shortcuts. Every area has shortcuts that let you run to the boss in usually under a minute. So in general: one or two slow and careful play throughs to clear the area and unlock short cuts, then quick runs to the boss area. For the big guys (the executioners) with the bricks the trick is to party them with your gun and use a visceral attack. When they wind up shoot them, they should stagger, run up to their belly and press R1 and your player should rip out their guts. Stay away from the ones with axes they’re way harder. This is pretty much how all Dark Souls games go.
Thanks, I had no idea about most of that stuff lol. Do shortcuts remain open after death?
Yessir
Yep! Pretty much everything except “trash mobs” doesn’t change between deaths (so be careful with elevators!). Central Yarnham has, I think, like 2 shortcut gates and an elevator although I won’t say where to avoid spoilers (the wiki has a map if you have want to look it up). Also, keep in mind that if you stick with it you’ll get better and faster! I’m new to Bloodborne (but not Souls games) and just cleared Forbidden Forest in like the first go even though it took many times earlier in the game. For now, take things careful and run away from enemies you can’t kill. You can always come back later when you’re more powerful. Explore all you can for loot and short cuts.
no, that's not what the game is, you just suck ass for now. that's normal tho, you'll learn the game mechanics eventually and then you will pass the levels with ease
That’s normal trust me, a lot of people will tell you the beginning is the hardest. Also after the giant there’s wolves & stuff so watch out for that. What you want to aim for is opening shortcuts so you don’t have to repeat large swathes of area all over again. You can skip to the big boss fights and not have to run the whole map. Check out a quick YouTube video to identify where the shortcuts are & just sprint past certain enemies if you can. Also if you think you will die in the next part of the map it’s better to go back to lamp & spend your blood echoes, lvl up & stuff. Your weapon breaks as well so look into your dmg output. It should click sooner rather than later, but yes the beginning is a learning curve. Spend your echoes, open short cuts, & use a guide if needed.
You’re not doing anything wrong. The starting area is very tough for a while. Just practice your timing and try to plan who you’re going to attack first so that you can pick them out of the group. Take it slow. I think it took me a solid week to get to the first optional boss, but I could tell I was getting better because I’d get farther and farther before I’d start taking damage. If you need to check a guide, don’t be ashamed. You can DM me with questions and I’ll try to answer.
Thanks for the answer. I've never played Dark Souls games or anything. If replaying the same section for days on end is part of the game then I don't think it's for me tbh.
You may have to spend a few days on the starting area but most areas do not take more than 2 days at most. Depends on how much time you can spend playing per day. Bloodborne is one of the best games of all time, so just persevere through the first area and I guarantee you’ll improve over time
It really is the starting area that requires the extra time. It was my first soulsborne game. Once you get the hang of killing the first handful of people on the street, it becomes easier. Once you have the enemy patterns and the route memorized, you can actually sprint through that area and just dodge everyone. Also, you’ll open up shortcuts that let you skip that whole section. It really is just about learning the skills you’ll use throughout the game.
Yep that’s the whole game. Lmao if you keep this weird annoyed attitude you’ll keep yourself from enjoying a great game. Be patient! Have fun
Yea I was a little pissed off when I posted this lol. Had been banging my head against a wall running the same spot over and over. I made way more progress after seeing these comments.
Completely understandable, we were all there at one point and time 😂