Bloodbourne: The Old Hunters Review

It’s that time again. Time to dive head first into a hair tearing adventure that takes us into places we probably shouldn't go to learn things we probably shouldn't know. That’s right everybody, FromSotware’s eldritch masterpiece, Bloodborne, has once again swept long time fans of the series off their feet with the release of The Old Hunters expansion.

Warning, spoilers ahead (However, if you haven’t played Bloodborne you will be fine)

The expansion takes the player to a dimension called the Hunter’s Nightmare, where beast hunters who are “drunk on blood” will inevitably find themselves. The player enters the Nightmare to kill its source, which just so happens to be an infant child, but it’s an alien child so it’s okay to kill it. Can't say it really matters though, my purpose for being there was quickly forgotten after being stomped into the pavement repeatedly.

The areas provided in the expansion are all places seen in the main game, just twisted and horrific looking (Makes sense, since it’s in a nightmare), and all share one thing with each other, complete and utter brutality.

I’ve played through this game five times, but I was completely unprepared for the small slice of Hell that awaited me. Hunters, beasts, manic blob heads, fish-shark monsters and weird tick lady hybrid things all combine to create a crushing experience that pleased the heart of my inner masochist.

And when I saw the new bosses that I had to face off against, my heart grew three sizes that day. The bosses in the DLC (Downloadable content) are significantly stronger than in the main game. They have more health, hit harder and move faster.

The first boss, a demonic horse beast formerly known as Hunter Ludwig, provided a refreshing spike in difficulty for a Bloodborne veteran. About halfway through the fight, he pulls out a sword and gains an entirely new set of moves. All of the bosses in the DLC have a similar structure, gaining a new form to deal with, which keeps the fights fresh and enjoyable.

Now, with new beasts to hunt, it is only natural that new weapons be thrown into the mix. The weapons may be my favorite addition to the game. There’s a sword that turns into two swords, a club that turns into an oversized pizza cutter and my personal favorite, a sword that splits open into a bow. The variety and number of weapons has inserted a whole new realm of possibilities into a game that, honestly, was getting stale.

Unfortunately, despite everything good The Old Hunters has to offer, it isn’t perfect. Remember how I said the areas were unique and original? Yeah, the only problem is, there’s only three new areas to explore. It’s my only complaint but the exploration is one of the biggest aspects of my initial playthrough in any game, and the lack of it is very much felt.

I love hurling myself at near impossible boss monsters for hours on end as much as the next guy, but I also like to take a step back and explore from time to time, and when I’m able to pick an area clean of all items and secrets within an hour, I get disappointed.

I would talk about the story of the DLC, but like all FromSoft games, all the major events have taken place already, leaving what exactly happened and how it happened to the player’s interpretation. It’s a structure that allows the players story to be told without cutscenes and boring exposition breaking up the action, and it’s a structure that I have grown fond of.

The important thing about this DLC is that it gives the player more Bloodborne. It brings more of that struggle that defines the recent Fromsoft titles. It brings new content to the game that is original, enjoyable and not afraid to beat down anybody that doesn’t try their hardest to succeed, which is all I could ever ask for.