Bloodborne Tips And Tricks Guide

You may be itching to start playing Bloodborne as soon as possible, but be prudent. Recklessly jumping into the game will get you killed, over and over again. Whether you’re a seasoned Souls veteran or new to From Software’s offering, read through this guide for some basic tips and tricks that will make your early game as painless as can be.

General Advice

• The Hunter’s Dream acts as a hub, connecting real world places and being a safe zone.
• The fireplace in it is used for weapon enhancement and repairs.
• Gehrman, the NPC inside the dream, will give you hints every time you talk to him – listen to what he says.
• The doll inside the dream is used for leveling up your character. You need Blood Echoes to level up.
• Lanterns are this world’s equivalent of bonfires – you use them to save your progress. Keep an eye out for them, they’re easy to miss.
• Blood Echoes are the currency used for buying and upgrading items (akin to the souls in the Souls games).
• When you die, you lose your Echoes. Retrieving them might not be as easy as you’d think. If you die to an enemy, he’ll absorb them, and you’ll need to defeat him in order to get them back. You’ll recognize him by his glowing, purple eyes.
• Buildings with lit windows have NPCs you can talk to. Just stand next to the windows and press the appropriate button.
• The day/night cycle affects how enemies behave.
• When you hear a bell ringing, that means a hunt has begun, so the townsfolk will skedaddle.
• The Hunter’s Mark grants you one free resurrection – you’ll wake up at the active lantern without losing any Echoes (like the Ring of Sacrifice in Dark Souls). You can get it from the female veteran hunter you’ll encounter early on.

Combat Advice

• You can carry one weapon in each hand and switch between them at will.
• If you catch an enemy off guard (either by hitting them with a charged attack from the back, or shooting them as they try to land a hit), you can perform a “visceral attack” and kill them in an instant.
• Don’t put too much faith in shields. If you do, enemies will adapt to that and you’ll be easy to overwhelm.
• You can also block attacks with your weapons and torch.
• Dodge all the time. Seriously. Dodging is your best friend.
• The Cleric Beast (one of the early bosses) has two weak spots – the head and the left arm.

Sadly, this being a From Software game, nothing can really stop you from dying a lot. That’s just the way these things work. Heed our advice and you might not die as much. Happy hunting!