Highlights
- Bloodborne is still hailed as one of FromSoftware’s best games due to its unique visuals, atmosphere, and fast-paced combat.
- The Old Hunters DLC is considered one of the best FromSoftware expansions, offering new locations and challenging boss fights.
- Elden Ring’s upcoming DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, is expected to follow in The Old Hunters’ footsteps with a similar amount of content and a comparable scope.
Despite being nearly a decade old, and despite the developer releasing three Souls-adjacent games since its debut, Bloodborne is still considered one of, if not the best game FromSoftware has ever made. A true Lovecraftian nightmare in the best possible way, Bloodborne‘s incredibly unique visual aesthetic, atmosphere, and music have kept it standing apart from its other FromSoft siblings, and its fast-paced, high-risk high-reward combat kept it distinct.
But FromSoftware wasn’t content with leaving its masterpiece there. Just seven months after its initial launch, Bloodborne received a major expansion titled “The Old Hunters.” And while the vast majority of FromSoft’s Souls titles have DLC expansions, Bloodborne‘s Old Hunters might be the one most comparable to Elden Ring‘s upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree expansion when all is said and done.
14 Soulslike Games That Are More Like Bloodborne Than Dark Souls
Despite its similarities to Dark Souls, Bloodborne offers a slightly different playstyle that influenced a number of other Souls-likes.
Bloodborne’s Old Hunters DLC Might Be The Best Indicator for Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree
Bloodborne’s Old Hunters DLC Added a Ton of New Content
Released in November 2015, Bloodborne‘s Old Hunters DLC is widely considered to be the greatest FromSoftware expansion currently released, and for good reason. The Old Hunters sees players dive into a nightmare realm that only continues to devolve into madness the further they get through it.
One of The Old Hunters’ most impressive features is its four new locations, each one offering a drastically different setting, but still making complete thematic sense. From the gorgeously gothic Astral Clocktower to the unabashedly Lovecraft-inspired Fishing Hamlet, Bloodborne‘s Old Hunters DLC features some of the most memorable locations in the entire game and the same can be said for its collection of bosses.
Though the Living Failures is an aptly-named disappointment, the remaining four exclusive boss fights in Bloodborne‘s Old Hunters DLC are truly outstanding, and remain fan favorites even all these years later. From the horrific visual design of Ludwig to the dazzling spectacle of Lady Maria’s moveset and the infamously difficult Orphan of Kos, Bloodborne‘s Old Hunters expansion is packed with stellar boss fights, proving that FromSoftware is capable of delivering both quantity and quality simultaneously with its DLCs.
While Dark Souls and its sequels all received at least one DLC expansion each, none were quite so expansive as Bloodborne‘s Old Hunters DLC. Dark Souls‘ Artorias of the Abyss DLC technically contains more locations than The Old Hunters, but many of them blend together and though Dark Souls 3‘s DLCs contain some of the best boss fights in the entire game, they’re few and far between. Bloodborne‘s DLC, on the other hand, is still considered to be the most complete package of the bunch.
Based on what fans have seen so far from the one gameplay trailer, it seems as though Elden Ring‘s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC might be taking some big cues from Bloodborne‘s Old Hunters expansion, at least when it comes to the sheer amount of content it’s bringing to the game. Though its exact additions haven’t been confirmed yet, Miyazaki himself has stated that Shadows of the Erdtree’s map will be approximately the same size as Elden Ring‘s Limgrave and that it’ll contain over 10 new boss fights.
Along with this, players can expect a slew of new weapons, Weapon Skills, and spells.
Bloodborne
Bloodborne is a horror and combat-themed game that is available for under $20. Designed for the hardcore gamer with the ability to keep going for hours no matter how much they fail at some areas of the game.
- Released
- March 24, 2015
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
- How Long To Beat
- 33 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
