I was drawing the thumbnail and streaming it in Discord, and had a friend (who doesn't like and hasn't played Souls) to guess what it was, and Dark Souls was their first guess. Iconic indeed.
The fact that most players will probably die multiple times on their first playthrough trying to get that item, just for it to be a ring of sacrifice, feels like excellent trolling on the part of the devs.
I know I did. It's a cute little "gotcha" moment with low consequences as you can get a near unlimited supply of them eventually. With a little "is it really worth it to get that item" introduction as well.
mostly about lore too. there's a reason you find Carim and velka items around firelink shrine (an extension of new londo) and in new londo. the earl of carim on orders of velka sent lots of his men to pillage new londo. in fact the red tearstone corpse is one such men that avoided the drakes only to find that the outside lever has been removed (if you observe the place with the corpse, it is the same as the place with the lever inside new londo) and he can't open the gate of new londo. but what is the purpose of that ring of sacrifice then? basically haven't you ever asked who opened the door to the elevator below the shrine? if they wanted to truly seal the city they would close all doors (such as the one next to the valley of drakes). basically the earl of carim men opened it to access the city but they died in new londo (cursebite ring ...)
This is a wonderful video and I had no clue I was watching a small creator the entire time. This is top tier content and an AMAZING analysis of souls games.
There's so many videos about Dark Souls / Bloodborne out there already, but I couldn't really find one focused on early game play conditioning, so I thought I'd make one. Glad you enjoyed!
They land They turn around to see behind themselves They see shiny by well, facing said cliff Immediately turn left, wander inside building, down into seemingly empty graveyard and run face first into resistant and bleeder skellies Repeatedly All that because they didn't talk to Crestfallen boy twice to get a hint
@@hugofontes5708 and if you add picking the master key as your gift not knowing its intended use is to break the game's progression system in favor of MURICA and you end up in Blighttown roughly 4 bosses early wanting to repeatedly die in the game and irl too...
I'm guilty of that. in Dark Souls 1 I didn't found path to hill and went to graveyard instead. Bashing my head against this bone wall and miserable attempts to pass further and thought this gonna be entire game difficulty. Nearly quit the game until I found the intended path
I like how it's designed to exactly do that. It's not as visible or as close from start compared to the areas with the cleric and the skellies. Usually when I play video games, I like to explore all nearby before going further. So my instinct was to explore the near areas and not go to the higher ones. There is also the well to the lower area with the ghosts, but when I went there it was so scary and not sure I wanted to move on, so I went up thinking this is for later. But my first instinct was to go the the graveyard and kept dying from the skellies and then I ragequit. I didn't play the game for a year then come back later to try again. Funny,. I was also very bad with the game, so now I've learned the game I have developed some tactics to tackle that skeleton area even if I arrived there without upgraded weapons. Now the game feels much easier and more fun than the very first time I played. That's in contrast with modern games that "don't want to confuse the players" so they close all paths and force you in a specific path that is also too linear, to avoid confusing the players. I appreciate what DS did to me, it gave me these choices and told me basically "if you have problem progressing in an area, maybe it's time to look around for other paths".
@@darkbugo7212 it's why I love open world games. I can get where I'm not supposed to be, fight enemies that are way tougher than normal, and get cool treasure. Can't do that with modern games, I agree.
I clicked on this expecting it to be a meme tutorial on how to get past the cliff but ended up pleasantly surprised at the in depth analysis of game design in a game i love so dearly. You have earnt a sub today sir.
Amazing video! Going to defend Bloodborne's 10 enemy encounter a little: it was my first game in the series and that place tought me not to run into a large group of enemies like you often do in other games but to approach them from the side and act more smart. But yeah, it was a little too brutal and took me over an hour the first time :)
I feel like it's trying to teach you to use your wits by using the environment to your advantage, you are a hunter after all and not some rage filled beast
@@nathancurnutt8074 exactly ironically that tutorial works better for a first time SOULSLIKES player than a player who maybe is new to bloodborne but has played souls games in the past for that reason. sure it might not be teachcing you the gameplay lessons that the game will egventually end up revoling around, but it is teaching you basics of the genre as a whole, and it's basics you'll only get if you pay enough attention.
Honestly its a very well designed set piece: shows you that the villagers absolutely hate the werewolved at first glance, and more importantly : you dont need to kill every monster every time. A lot of players will think its a check point game so theyll try to kill everything before moving on. But thats not how it rolls in bloodborne, the first lesson is learning to pick your fights
It was my first experience to the Souls series and personally, it made me love the genre. I mean yeah, if you go at the thing full throttle and try to attack the obvious mob of people all stuck together, you're gonna hae a tough time. That's pretty well spelled out for the player by the fact that they're currently burning the big ass monster that probably killed you at least once in the very start of the game. In reality, Bloodborne isn't about running down your enemies in a rage like we're in a hack and slash game, its slightly a horror game with everything but the boss battles taking careful consideration, just like OP posted about the Dark Souls cliff.
I am immediately reminded of LA-MULANA 2's extensive in-game tutorial zone followed by a gated-off "cliff" (Roots of Yggdrasil (arguably through to the Divine Fortress) contrasted against its predecessors' often confusing learn-as-you-go approach that stretches across the first four fields of the game (around one-fifth of the game).
Also, the Dark Souls cliff teaches the player three things about navigation: 1. The graveyard behind the shrine is filled with some _way_ tougher enemies, teaching them that if you can't deal with a difficult area yet you can (and probably should) just leave and come back. 2. The graveyard also has some pretty good early-game loot, teaching them that risking a more deadly area leads to greater reward (if they live that long). 3. The locked gate inside the aqueduct teaches them that this world is a lot bigger than it seems, and will only get bigger as they progress.
In defense of Bloodborne's opening: This is the first time in the series that enemies have proper patrol paths independent of the player character, and when coming down the stairs you're expected to realize you can let the Yharnamites walk past you so you can safely explore behind them, maybe get a sneak attack. Then, the crowd is an encounter that, much like the cliff, I think you're expected to evaluate before engaging to hammer home the idea of awareness. If you look closely, you'll notice the rifleman and dogs and the safe side path and get an idea of how you might approach the situation. Additionally, by this point you'll probably have picked up pebbles and molotov cocktails, providing you with a chance to experiment with them by taking out the rifleman from a range, pulling the dog away from the group, or dealing damage to multiple enemies at once. After this, the remaining enemies are a big enough group to allow players to try out the transform attack on their weapon, which if they checked they'll realize usually provides a solid crowd control option (at least from one form). Finally, while nearly a dozen enemies might be a bit much so early on, keep in mind that the player will approach and see the crowd very clearly. It is impossible to miss, and unlike in DS2 they aren't getting ambushed by a large group of enemies after opening a door. It should be obvious not to jump headlong into a group that large, and those who don't find it to be will learn quickly. It's not perfectly designed, but personally I think it's deliberately designed and showcases the intended gameplay loop: careful exploration and evaluation of your surroundings punctuated by high-intensity combat encounters. Anyway, great video. I had never really thought of the Dark Souls Cliff in such specific terms before, even if I did realize it was a teaching moment.
The video creator completely missed what the bloodborne tutorial is about, also you're supposed to go to the side path, so the crowd separates into small groups this teaches you to come up with a battle plan and sneak around instead of running in like a mad man. I hope people who watch this video wont now think bloodborne's tutorial is bad...
@@samhein321 He did not miss it, he in fact mentioned how taking the side path is the conclusion new players would most likely come to. The point he is making is that this sneaky tactic is not a part of Bloodborne's playstyle and instead rewards aggressive play, so it makes no sense to set the tutorial up in a way that deters aggressive play and promotes sneaking.
@@str0wnz0bby there are a TON of moments where sneaking up and plotting your attack is beneficial in Bloodborne. Being aggressive is only a good strategy once you know (and can control) what you're up against.
Have you played Demon's Souls? The original I mean. It plays like a beta version of Dark Souls. It can be ROUGH at times, but it's still a wonderful experience. Playing DeS and DS back to back and you can see where they identified enemies, level design, mechanics, etc, that people didn't enjoy in DeS (like for example the Moon Grass healing system), and replaced it with another system (Estus flask), but with more thought into how the players engage with these. Gives me a smile when gamedevs learn and you can see progress like this.
this just showed up on my feed, well made. Honestly makes me want to go back to dark souls 1 once again. its become basically an annual thing to play through it again for me. It's by far the best dark souls in my opinion
This video feels like it belongs in the Game Maker's Tool Kit but is so much more conversionally focused, making any realizations pointed out feel much more natural
Spot on analysis. Bloodborne was my first FromSoft game, and the 10 enemy encounter actually made me put down the game for a couple of months, before trying it again and falling in love with the series.
I know this cliff... I spent quite a while flailing around on my first playthrough before I noticed this cliff. Died to skeletons... died to ghosts... died to the crestfallen knight when I got frustrated... Then I did not know the cliff, could not pick its distinctive shape from the mountainside. I learned my lesson that day, and now? I know this cliff.
Bloodborne's opening is indeed one of the hardest I've ever played, but there is the most supreme satisfaction returning to that courtyard in NG+. This was excellent! The cliff has more depth than I originally thought.
NG+1 of Bloodborne is such a great feeling. It's like a revenge run for everything that stomped you during your first playthough. Then NG+2 and the old feeling returns.
Truly and honestly, this is my favourite video released about dark souls. Not only is it informative but it puts a finger on why ive struggled so hard to get into Bloodborne in comparison. Now that youve highlighted the campfire as an outlier. I think im gonna give that game another shot.
That's what I want to hear! Highly encourage you to experiment with all the different weapons too. First couple of run-throughs I used the Saw Cleaver and the Axe exclusively. Wasn't till later that I discovered my beloved Kirkhammer and Moonlight Greatsword!
and especially to trasnform the weapon, the cleaver in particular does nice sweeps when pressing L1 after an attack or dodge, very good for getting health back after getting hit by the enemy.
THIS is what I liked about Dark Souls the first, it does area design in such good interesting ways and keeps you guessing throughout. I wish the later titles in the series were more like this but I guess combat challenges are easier to design.
Very interesting video! I never considered the cliff to be teaching me how to play, but perhaps it did without me noticing. You made a lot of good points and it made sense to me. Good job!
I would argue that the mob around the bonfire in Boodborne is not as bad as you picture it. First, it is a lesson in what to expect later in the game, as I feel Bloodborne really likes to put you in situations where there are many different types of enemies that synergize with each other, but most are not that powerful, forcing you to decide who to deal with first. Then, I think it teaches even a more important lesson, that being learning when to use the different modes of your weapons. All three of the starting weapons have an alternate mode, which make the weapon longer and easier to deal with multiple enemies at longer range, and I don't think it's a coincidence that the starting weapons follow the same mechanism, even if later weapons don't make the alternate mode better at AoE. For me, the two werewolves before the Cleric Beast were worse, because of the limited space, and the fact that they don't stagger as easily as the townspeople.
After Rom there's a tonne of large groups of enemies to deal with as you mentioned and i remember during my first play through transforming my axe to deal with the enemies before and around the bonfire. Guess i should vouch for the validity of your argument.
Man those werewolves on the bridge still get me! I think the point I didn't really get over too well is the structure of that area. The fella with the gun on the wagon doesn't pose a HUGE threat, but he's pretty efficient at staggering you out of an attack or nipping away at that last bit of health. So if you go after him first, you fall into the agro range of the dog, and we all know how awful FromSoft dog creatures are. Additionally, up those stairs on the left are two more enemies who lock onto you, making it even harder to get in, kill the gunner, and get out. The whole situation is a bit overwhelming for new players, with so many variables to keep track of. Just after the bonfire courtyard are the steps to the great bridge where a smaller version of this scenario plays out, with dogs, a gunner, and regular enemies. Even though there are more dogs and less space, the encounter plays out better as a teaching tool because you can focus on one enemy/strategy without being swarmed by hundreds of other variables. As for teaching the player to trick their weapons? I didn't even think of that! I'll still stand by my point as 10+ enemies, some with ranged weapons, is probably too much for the inexperienced player.
@@casette5610 I also think the bonfire teaches you a lot about rally, since with so many lil guys you can get most, if not all, of your health back in one swing. I think the gunman up top is supposed to keep you from getting carried away with the mechanic, and remind you that wading into a group swinging is still going to get you killed. Like a more refining system, to make sure the tutorial doesn't teach you the *wrong* lesson. But no fuck the bridge wolves lol
I just wish it was taught that changing your trick-weapon's mode can be an attack. R1(or an actionable movememt such as a roll) with the saw cleaver followed by an L1 sends out the blade in a wide sweeping ark that does extra damage + stagger; it's great for our bonfire buddies in the starting area + the 2 wolves before Cleric Beast Like it'd be s.a.f. if in Dark Souls you could have a unique attack that involves swapping between your equipped weapons
@@superceilingfan9741 on point, and as said in other comments, it teaches you to not just bumrush a big-ass group of enemies, which to me was fundamental to get through the initial areas of the game as bloodborne was my first ever soulslike game, ironically i would have been more in line with cassette's take on bloodborne's tutorial if it wasn't. the real problem i got with bloodborne's tutorial is 2 main elements: 1: the tutorial messages for the most part are not in yharnam but in a very small space of the hunter's dream that you're unlikely to check, doubly so if you're playing online(didn't know you could parry with the gun until a friend had told me) 2: the fucking werewolves on the bridge man, they literally tell you to either cheese them with aggro range or to just mash R1 as stunlocking is the only effective way to deal with them, and only if you got enough damage to take out one before the other gets to you.
This video was an excellent exploration of gaming philosophy. As someone who enjoys (breaking) game level design, I would love to see where you would take a series of these videos. Well done.
The bloodborne starting area wants to teach you that you can transform your weapon for better crowd control as well. So the big groups -> crowd control the small jump scares that will damage you -> rally with base form It is also teaching you that splitting enemies with aggro is possible and is very useful -> pebbles, molotovs Just because BB has rally doesnt mean it is unfun to play more methodically depending on the situation. Its a game about hunting, and a good hunter uses the tools he has instead of just rushing into chaos.
My only issue is that the game doesn't give you any indication that a weapon can be tricked, aside from mashing buttons or experimenting. In the Hunter's Dream when collating your weapons for the first time, the tool-tips specifically say "Hunter weapons are wielded in the right hand" and "Firearms are wielded in the left hand". The earliest indication you get is from inspecting the weapon in your inventory and reading the full description (which most players probably won't do, and in some cases, aren't even aware you CAN do).
@@casette5610 I don't know. I just expect players to at least try all buttons out when starting a new game. Also trick weapons were a big part of the commercial material of the game.
As a mild defense of the Bloodborne courtyard, i think its more comparable to the asylum demon in dark souls. Sure, u could methodically take down all those guys, in the same way you could chip away at the demon with a broken sword, but you can also just run past, which is definitely how i originally got through.
In defense of Bloodborne's group of enemies you're meant to utilize items such as pebbles and molotovs to bait the enemies one by one instead of taking them head on.
This video is so good. I hadn't scrolled down and wholly expected a channel with a following akin to Gamemaker's Toolkit and was astounded by less than 700 subs. Please keep up this content, it rocks.
Thank you for your kind words! Truth be told I made this just to get an idea out of my head. Didn't expect it to get past 100 views, let alone 100,000!
I know this is gonna sound dopey but when I started playing dark souls, I noticed that it allowed me to move in ways that I was kinda of trained to do from practicing the martial art Aikido. Lets just say that Aikido is all about dodge rolling. Another thing Aikido is about is really precise positioning to try to unbalance an enemy, either by getting behind them(backstab), counter attacking(think parry and riposte) or some combination of both(think parry into a backstab). One finally thing Aikido is all about is using those positioning skills to be able to effectively fight multiple attackers almost as if they are one attacker. The idea here it to try to force them to get into each others way and to try to force them to attack at the same time. This is because an attacker is usually most vulnerable during or just after their attack. So if you're going to launch a counter attack, it's best to do so once you've dodged theirs or neutralized their attack using some other method(again, think parry) another way to think about it you want to stay just barely out of reach. So close that they actually think you are in reach. Another way to put it is that your apparent vulnerability is one of your greatest weapons. Kind of like dancing on the edge of a sword. I say all of that because I loved the big street fight and other multi enemy fights in Bloodborne. They were thrilling but still controllable. =)
There's a second really good tutorial immediately after the cliff in the form of the Undead Burg Bridge! My first time playing it took a hot sec to get passed the cliff and then an *even hotter sec* to triumph the bridge -- it teaches you that you need to play aggressively sometimes where the cliff taught you to play defensively!
That was a very nice video! Concise, well narrated, the edits and graphics highlighting the frame worked very well! Also the premise of a hidden and better tutorial after asylum is spot on, that area teaches you a lot in very little space.
When you start to see them in other games, it becomes really obvious, and I find games that don't do this are often slow to start, or you find a mechanic or feature half way through the game that you should have been using the whole time.
Wow, this is... some incredible quality analysis. I'm sure I'm not the first to suggest this, but it'd be fantastic to hear your thoughts on the intros of DSII, DSIII, Sekiro, and Elden Ring given how much those differ from one another (perhaps particularly DSII and Elden Ring)
I went to your channel to see more videos like this and noticed there were only two other videos you've made. Really surprising since the editing, the script and narration gave off the impression that you've done theese kind of videos for a long time. Good luck, looking forward to the next video!
I was about to make a comment basically saying the same thing, but it appears you've already done it. Nice to see that others are also surprised by the quality of this video.
Thank you very much! This was just a thought I had clattering around in my head for too long and I needed to put it out there. Wasn't really planning on doing more, but now....
Interesting detail about the location of ring of sacrifice which I would like to add. There are two ways of getting to that place, one is more dangerous and requires your to jump the cliff. Another requires you to drop down and lose some hp but generally is fail proof. After getting the ring you have several ways out. You can either equip the ring and die if you don't want to lose resources, take a risk and make a jump or use darksign if you already have nothing to lose. However, if you did explore area previously you might have some homeward bones in your inventory which will lead you to safety with no cost.
I always make the jump and jump back at this point with almost no fail. I used to fail it before, but now I got better at it. But your comment made me curious, so there is another way to approach it from falling above? It seemed inapproachable without the jump. Hmm.. I am going to try it although I need to look down and find the place, still new things to learn about DS. EDIT: Just checked it, omg how have I not seen this before? There is a notch in the cliff before the stairs, where the firebomb zombie was, previously it seemed like the bridge bottom lined up with the stairs, but it's an extra ledge wider, so sticking to the wall where the firebomb zombie was, and walk straight down you drop on the ledge instead of falling. It's fool-proof, how have I not seen it so many years I was replaying that area? I still learn from replaying DS1. Only good, I've become so good at doing the regular jump and then back.
That first plaza in central Yharnam really did shape my approach to the entire game. And since Bloodborne was my first Souls game, that affected my approach to the entire series. If I play co-op (my preferred style, since it’s faster and more fun), my friend and I run in and rush enemies down, not worrying so much about getting swarmed because we can split aggro and save each other when we get surrounded. But playing by myself, I take the Bloodborne approach: slowly walk around the perimeter, baiting or backstabbing enemies one at a time until they’re all dead. If I die, that means twenty minutes of retracing my steps killing the same guys the same way. It’s ironic, because like you pointed out, they intentionally designed Booodborne to be the fastest, most aggressive game-and then trained players to take it slow and cautious. Sometimes I enjoy this pacing, because it fits with the horror setting. But when I die after thirty minutes of slow stalking and careful engagements, I usually just sprint to the next shortcut.
I believe I ENB talked about how the intention for that big bonfire encounter in Bloodborne was to have the player circle around the right top side and go behind and run up the stairs. Avoiding the encounter rather than taking them on. If I remember correctly, he was invited to play the game early and Miyazaki was disappointed to see that he actually took the group head on, even if he did win.
Another subtle effect of the Cliff + Undead Burg: hollows are atypically aggressive for DS1 enemies with abrupt pounce-combo attacks that are not indicative of the rest of the game. This engenders caution and anticipation into new players with every new enemy they meet, which is overcome as the player perseveres and builds confidence. DS3 takes this design trick and says “what if _every enemy in the game_ had an abrupt pounce-combo?”
you know it is a good tutorial when you dont remember the tutorial at all, i do remember those messages on the floor on the beggining, the technical tutorial, but never put my mind on the cliff, that was the real tutorial all along amazing video, subbed! cheers
I like the analysis, right up until the criticism of the final fight of the bloodborne tutorial. I think you correctly identify the right way to handle the fight, taking the long way around the mob by going up the staircase off to the side, but don't realize the significance. The whole opening kind of establishes an arc of development for most players that I think pulls double or triple duty. It establishes some horror aesthetic vibes for the setting and mirrors how your charecter kind of just randomly woke up in the middle of a city of beasts and chthonic gods, but it also makes your growth going forward mean something by establishing your initial weakness early on and reminds you that despite the rally mechanic you're still mortal. Rallying isn't a get out of jail free card and thematically this fits as well, it's only beasts and blood drunk hunters that would or even could fight head on like that without being extremely evasive. If you're not them, in this universe that means making your aggression calculated.
I actually love videos like this that breakdown how a game teaches you to be good at. The souls games are one of those you kinda can't unlearn, like even when playing non souls games I'll stop and pan the camera outside of the room I'm in to check for ambushes. The games also taught me the benefit of being proactive, if you are the first to move you usually have advantage, sprinting in full tilt is actually usually the best strategy when you know where all the enemies are.
I feel like in bloodborne, the bonfire is like the graveyard in DS1. And looking beyond the bonfire to see that archway is like realizing you need to go uphill towards the cliff. Nice video.
i remember the burg so vividly, it was my first souls game and i spent at least 8-10 hours slogging through the burg and surrounding areas, cursing my friend for recommending and even enjoying such a frustrating experience. after that slog though, there was a "click" moment where i understood how to really play these games and ive been infatuated with the souls game ever since
Bro! Finally someone else pays attention to the cliff! Is just perfect. Only 5 enemies. Each with their own aggro and behavior. 1st hollow always jumps to close distance, 2nd wants to get close, bomber doesn't move, armored hollow has a very short aggro range, forcing you to get close, and finally, axe dude jump attacks from the stairs if you climb fast. Awesome video. Hope to see more.
I really liked this video. I never quite realised the importance of the cliff, but there it is, plain as day. I hope you'll get more viewers soon, you make good content worth anyone's time.
The design of The Cliff is so underrated, maybe the tightest couple hundred meters of the game world. There's a reason a lot of the best skill tutorials on RUclips are set there.
Bloodborne was my first FromSoft game. What that area with the burning beast taught me was that i shouldnt take them head on. There is a walkway that goes directly beside them. You can funnel a few at a time into a choke point. After those previous 4 Yharnamites at the bottom of the first staircase kicked my ass 10 times, i knew better than to approach 10 of them. It worked pretty well in my case. Taught me to take on as few enemies as possible at a time.
I did not see the cliff in my first run, I saw the crow and started in the graveyard... yeah, once I killed Pinwheel I had to go back all the way up and then I realized about the cliff 🤭
I cannot speak for the bloodborne segment of the video, but you elegantly explain the unconscious thoughts of the dark souls player as they journey up the cliff side up to the undead burg. Elden Ring also does the demon souls and bloodborne introduction of intentionally owning the player and placing them somewhere else, though not as confusing as demon's souls rendition of it. The video was well written, recorded and edited. Good job. I took a look at your channel to only see a meme edit and a short animation. You should make some more of these types of videos, you've got a talent for it. Though don't feel pressured to do so.
Bloodborne's opening zone really clicked for me, though. something about how it has you START in a Survival Horror scenario had me timidly watching the mobs patrol, grabbing their attention with pebbles to create combat on my terms rather than theirs, familiarizing myself with the dodge and rally and all the other Souls-y mechanical soup stuff but in the context of a desperate back-alley scrabble where I'm praying to end this quickly and quietly before more of them show up. because I'm not dueling these men-turned-beasts, I'm hunting them. idk I just think calling Bloodborne's opening zone a 'bad tutorial' in this way misses some things that it's doing to the player in the narrative / immersion sense. (full disclosure, I *do* have a Bloodborne bias, it's the first Fromsoft game I played that clicked. whereas DS1 is the Actual First One I played and the one that almost convinced me I would never 'get' Fromsoft Games, because I was frustrated and bored for the entire hour I played it)
Not thinking about it is the whole point! That's why Dark Souls is such a fantastic game. There are a few areas like the cliff later on in the game that serve as an introduction for a mechanic or new enemy type that allows the player a gentle approach toward something new, before throwing it in their face full force, which is why the difficulty curve is so perfect.
"The broken sword you start with does decent damage to enemies but next to no damage to the boss, leaving you with no choice but to flee" Me: *is that a challenge?*
Bloodborne teaches you patience when you're new and figuring out that area near the stairs for the first time. If you waited a moment, you would find out that the group patrols and you can flank them, forcing them to come at you from up the stairs as a means of crowd control. Another section that reminds me of the bonfire's 'what do I do here?' moment is when going to charnel lane for the first time with all the snipers. It is a definite roadblock, and running through either is technically an option, as is creating safezones by taking them out a few at a time.
I love Bloodborne. It was my first souls game, and the first game I got on my PS4. I had a really hard time with the Old Yharnam, but I knew it was meant to be hard. I never once felt like that section was a bad tutorial for the game. It taught me to pick my fights carefully by watching enemy patrols, using the right transform mode for the situation, only engaging when I can control my opponents position, avoiding ambushes by not rushing in. All of these lessons are useful throughout the whole game. I tried to take out all the enemies in the area before moving on so it was tough. However, it prepares you to fully explore and maintain awareness and engagement with the surroundings.
Thought this was going to be a joke video but it's just homie explaining the secret to growing and falling in love with souls games in an anecdotal format
The six lessons of darksouls: 1. Go in slowly You need to asess a situation before you can conquer it. Being slow and careful is crucial when learning enemy placements, agroes, or boss patterns. 2. Intuition Darksouls may be a game which requires technical skill like problem solving and so on but it's also a game which asks you to do things that takes intuition, while simply expecting you to either have or take the time to build that sixth sense. 3. Timing For any strategy to work, it requires timing. Being at the right place at the right time, having waited long enough to have the right amount of stamina and for enemies to have gotten into the right positions is the majority of the skill required in darksouls. Find the rythm and dance, never loose that rythm but break it when you need to. 4. Grace Do not think that a game of skill is mastered without respect for the challenges one faces. Darksouls teaches you to fight with dignity wether you win or die yet again, it is mercyful of you don't lose your grace when you fail but try again and get at least as far, and it is often unforgiving if you throw care to the wind and don't comit to your attempts. 5. Understanding Once you know a situation, it isn't allways clear what to do. Applying your knowledge of the situation, your capabilities, and your goals is a matter of understanding what they mean in relation to one another. 6. Discipline All thegrratest pleasures in life takes discipline. Playing music, excelling in a sport, composing poetry, and also playing darksouls. Patience, persistence, equanimity, exploration, composure, and concentration. It all takes discipline. These are the six lessonsnof dark souls, often abreviated: G.I.T.G.U.D.
I still very strongly remember the time I've spend on that cliff 10 years ago. I've spend quite some time there, even after having already completed Demon's Souls.
Great video to show a partner, friend, or family member learning video games. Many gamers don't realize how many skills game build on top of one another to the point of a gamer having a PhD in Shooters, a Masters in Adventure, and a least a BA in PRG. And then we hand God of War or Diablo or Apex Legends or Siege to our friends and say "gEt gUd" not even realizing how much a non gamer has gotta overcome, learn, and master to be able to be competent.
That Bloodborne tutorial starting area is pretty good analysis of how on paper really good games fell flat early on and may discourage new players continue playing a game
I saw the picture and immediately knew what stair that was, cool take. I think you can add to the lesson that if you try to reach the other stair in the graveyard, you get the indication to try another way. Same with the ghosts. But this staircase, though threatening, makes you feel that you can do it if you try. And thank you for clarifying why it took me awhile to get into Bloodborne. Even though I had to get used to the dash and the pace, it felt off at the beginning. All the ganking and the big guy with an axe I tried again and again to kill just to find out there was no reward for it. I almost platinumed it in my first playthrough, really love the game. But the beginning felt a little off.
I never really considered Bloodborne to have a tutorial section. When it comes to the 10 enemy encounter however, I don't think it's a lesson in combat so much as situational awareness: >look for alternate paths so that you don't have to take everyone at once >take in your surroundings at different angles to spot new paths and ambushes >take your time in the approach >commit hard to fights or risk getting caught by a patrol >move into the enemy instead of away or risk getting encircled >keep note of targets that are easy to kill but can ruin your day if they're not prioritized >plan your path through observation Taken at face value, this encounter is a setpiece, but all of its components are core to the game. For example, take the room in Mergo's Loft with the elevator that leads down to the Brain of Mensis. Let's look at the examples I listed above: >look for alternate paths so that you don't have to take everyone at once Stairs on the leftmost wall let you separate yourself from a clump of the small attendants. >take in your surroundings at different angles to spot new paths and ambushes You'll note the drop into the abyss, the large attendants, the narrow path that screams ambush, and the screens that hide the archers. >take your time in the approach The attendants are weak but can force you into the large mobs' attacks. Some can be ignored at the top of the staircase, and the large mob at the bottom is best fought where you have the room to avoid his deceptively long reach. >commit hard to fights or risk getting caught by a patrol Kill the attendants fast, and kill them all to avoid getting headbutt while fighting the big attendant. Some small mobs will trickle down from the upper floor and surround you if you don't take out the big mob quickly. >move into the enemy instead of away or risk getting encircled The attendants are slow and can be easily killed before they begin to coalesce into a group. The big attendant will punish you for dodging away from him one way or another: you'll get clipped or forced into a more dangerous position. And if you don't kill the archers fast enough, you'll get wombo'd by the other archers and the second big attendant. >keep note of targets that are easy to kill but can ruin your day if they're not prioritized Everything about the archers including their line of sight. >plan your path through observation Attack the wrong archer first, and you'll get caught in a crossfire. Commence your attack from the wrong angle, and you'll stunlocked by the archers' rhythm. Note the blind spots offered by certain screens and other screens that only give an illusion of safety. It's all there. Yes, BB encourages aggression, but untempered aggression is the reckless behavior of the beasts you hunt. Intelligent, measured violence distinguishes the hunter from his quarry.
If you've the endurance for a 90 minute video, hbomberguy's analysis of Bloodborne goes into a concept called "play conditioning", which examines the way a game is structured for the player to use the mechanics they've introduced. I look at games completely differently after watching that video.
THANK YOU. I love Fromsoft now, but my first game was Bloodborne. I somehow completely missed the rally mechanic explaination because it was just one written instruction among many in the Hunter's dream. I also knew that "From games are all about dodging?", so I quickly took the lesson from the death corridor to be careful and kite enemies. I died many times, but then I had the run. I took out every single enemy, one by one, using every single one of my flasks. I went into the next area tense, looking desperately for a lantern, thinking "Please, game, please let me save, dont make me do that again". I took out the birds, and the giant at the door, managing a stealth kill. Then I went up the stairs, "come on, there must be a lantern soon". I spied the werewolves on the bridge and prepared myself with a firebomb because I remembered reasing in the item description that beasts are weak to fire. I threw it, and immediately died to both of the werewolves. So, obviously, I stopped playing Bloodborne. It never occured to me to run through the area without clearing out all enemies because I thought they would just follow me. Assuming the rest of the game was like that, I thought people who liked Bloodborne were masochists, and that it wasn't a game for me. Because I had just spent an hour and a half in a grueling, completely unfun murder corridor and was rewarded with a big fat f u and absolutely no progress. I would complain about this and people would call me insane. Later, I played Dark Souls 1, which I liked. It seemed very gentle and slow paced in comparison, and I also loved that after the asylem you get rewarded with beautiful scenery and some greenery. Sekiro and Elden Ring are some of my favourite games of all time and now I trust anything fromsoftware puts out, I'm planning to play Armoured Core. I even went back and played Bloodborne again, with a friend, and got past the death corridor, and guess what, I enjoy the rest of the game. The opening is just objectively crap for a new player like me. I could have very easily never played any other From games because at that time Bloodborne was considered the "best one" and looking just at its opening, I couldnt fathom why ANYONE could enjoy that torture.
So great to hear you came back for another go! I had a similar experience with Sekiro. It took me 3 or 4 attempts over the course of a few months to actually finish it (and I only did so due to a bet), but once it clicked for me it went from the bottom on my list of FromSoft titles, right to the top! Now I play through it every couple months because once I got over one massive hurdle, I started to enjoy it way more.
@@casette5610 Thank you :3 It was really vindicating to hear you say what I've been saying about Bloodborne for a while. Sekiro was my first Fromsoft game I really enjoyed. It appealed to my platformer roots and I made full use of Stealth and parkour right up until Genishiro, when I was forced to relearn the combat. It's so cinematic once you get it, though!
I actually didn't mind the big mob at the beginning of Bloodborne too much. It was frustrating, but it taught me to grit my teeth and persevere. That carried me through the game.
Fromsoft Souls like have in my opinion the perfect tutorials the let you know how every encounter is going to be like with simple easy to understand environmental layout and enemy placement
The great thing about Bloodborne is that any of the weapons you find are powerful enough to take you to the end game, even the three starter ones. In fact, the Hunter Axe has the highest rally potential of any weapon in the game, which makes the bullying of trash mobs not only fun, but rewarding!
one of my favorite boss battles. Fair but difficult, with so many ways of tackling it. Not too bad of a run from the bonfire too. Possibly one of the more melancholy boss sound tracks too.
I love it too! I was going to go into more detail about how the Burg takes everything from the Cliff and builds and expands on it , but I wasn't able to find a way to put it into the script.
As somebody who is generally not very "good" at games, the cliff was my initiation and trial by fire. I died an embarrassing number of times to those cliff enemies (couple dozen times maybe?), but once I was able to deal with the cliff, I was able to deal with all of dark souls (and all other from games!). I thought that was just because they happen to be the first enemies of the game... how wrong I was. Kudos fromsoft.
The encounter in Bloodborne is actually set up perfectly - it gives you the option to take the side walkway and pickup pebbles which shows you that you can use it to pull groups of enemies. It also gives you enemies that drop bullets, another tool you can use to pull enemies. It demonstrates trick attacks can be used to dispatch multiple enemies at once. Etc.
I would argue that the Bloodborne tutorial is great for teaching players to be a hunter, though understandably obtuse for those unwilling or unable to pick up on that. A hunter is keenly aware of their surroundings (finding that upper path to the right of the bonfire), uses every tool available in their arsenal (like the molotovs from before the first ladder and/or off to the side of the steps beyond the lantern), is calculated in their strikes (unlike the bumbling streetwalkers that stalk Central Yharnam), and never allows themselves to be surrounded by dangerous prey. If the player spends some time experimenting with their weapons, reading what the messengers have to say, and absorbing their situation, then it's not unlikely that, if they think like a hunter, they'll figure out that a large group of dullards with sharp claws and fangs might be easily dispatched by flanking them and tossing some molotovs into the crowd, then picking them off with the crowd control afforded by their tricked weapon after funneling them into the raised sidewalk off to the side. The difficulty of the area is admittedly high, and I had a lot of trouble myself, but learning to think like a hunter, taking every opportunity to agress on my opponents without recklessly tearing away and leaving myself open to be punished (essentially reducing myself to their level where they'll always win by numbers) was essential to learning how to properly handle what Bloodborne had in store for me.
Never realized how iconic the cliff really is
I was drawing the thumbnail and streaming it in Discord, and had a friend (who doesn't like and hasn't played Souls) to guess what it was, and Dark Souls was their first guess. Iconic indeed.
Real
The fact that most players will probably die multiple times on their first playthrough trying to get that item, just for it to be a ring of sacrifice, feels like excellent trolling on the part of the devs.
I know I did. It's a cute little "gotcha" moment with low consequences as you can get a near unlimited supply of them eventually. With a little "is it really worth it to get that item" introduction as well.
@@casette5610 yes 100% needed. Not because of the item itself but I can't leave back loot and then sleep normally
mostly about lore too. there's a reason you find Carim and velka items around firelink shrine (an extension of new londo) and in new londo. the earl of carim on orders of velka sent lots of his men to pillage new londo. in fact the red tearstone corpse is one such men that avoided the drakes only to find that the outside lever has been removed (if you observe the place with the corpse, it is the same as the place with the lever inside new londo) and he can't open the gate of new londo. but what is the purpose of that ring of sacrifice then? basically haven't you ever asked who opened the door to the elevator below the shrine? if they wanted to truly seal the city they would close all doors (such as the one next to the valley of drakes). basically the earl of carim men opened it to access the city but they died in new londo (cursebite ring ...)
You can just walk across the small gap by hugging the wall instead of trying to make a jump.
That's what I felt in my first run back in 2012. :D
That cliff is genuinely one of the most memorable dark souls section for me. It's just a core memory at this point
This is a wonderful video and I had no clue I was watching a small creator the entire time. This is top tier content and an AMAZING analysis of souls games.
There's so many videos about Dark Souls / Bloodborne out there already, but I couldn't really find one focused on early game play conditioning, so I thought I'd make one. Glad you enjoyed!
WHAT? I tought the same. I guess yt's algorithm has improved a little bit to recomend small channels, it's been happening to me a lot lately
@@casette5610you killed it man. Excellent video please keep it up you got potential
We shall look upon their career with great interest
It's only the audiences that are small or big.
The problem with the cliff is how often players dont even see it at first despite being the intended path
They land
They turn around to see behind themselves
They see shiny by well, facing said cliff
Immediately turn left, wander inside building, down into seemingly empty graveyard and run face first into resistant and bleeder skellies
Repeatedly
All that because they didn't talk to Crestfallen boy twice to get a hint
@@hugofontes5708 and if you add picking the master key as your gift not knowing its intended use is to break the game's progression system in favor of MURICA and you end up in Blighttown roughly 4 bosses early wanting to repeatedly die in the game and irl too...
I'm guilty of that. in Dark Souls 1 I didn't found path to hill and went to graveyard instead. Bashing my head against this bone wall and miserable attempts to pass further and thought this gonna be entire game difficulty. Nearly quit the game until I found the intended path
I like how it's designed to exactly do that. It's not as visible or as close from start compared to the areas with the cleric and the skellies.
Usually when I play video games, I like to explore all nearby before going further. So my instinct was to explore the near areas and not go to the higher ones. There is also the well to the lower area with the ghosts, but when I went there it was so scary and not sure I wanted to move on, so I went up thinking this is for later.
But my first instinct was to go the the graveyard and kept dying from the skellies and then I ragequit. I didn't play the game for a year then come back later to try again. Funny,. I was also very bad with the game, so now I've learned the game I have developed some tactics to tackle that skeleton area even if I arrived there without upgraded weapons. Now the game feels much easier and more fun than the very first time I played.
That's in contrast with modern games that "don't want to confuse the players" so they close all paths and force you in a specific path that is also too linear, to avoid confusing the players. I appreciate what DS did to me, it gave me these choices and told me basically "if you have problem progressing in an area, maybe it's time to look around for other paths".
@@darkbugo7212 it's why I love open world games. I can get where I'm not supposed to be, fight enemies that are way tougher than normal, and get cool treasure.
Can't do that with modern games, I agree.
I clicked on this expecting it to be a meme tutorial on how to get past the cliff but ended up pleasantly surprised at the in depth analysis of game design in a game i love so dearly. You have earnt a sub today sir.
Thank you for the feedback! There are definitely some issues with the script and pacing but I'm glad you enjoyed!
12 years later and this game hasn't stopped giving. That's why it's the GOAT
Amazing video! Going to defend Bloodborne's 10 enemy encounter a little: it was my first game in the series and that place tought me not to run into a large group of enemies like you often do in other games but to approach them from the side and act more smart. But yeah, it was a little too brutal and took me over an hour the first time :)
I feel like it's trying to teach you to use your wits by using the environment to your advantage, you are a hunter after all and not some rage filled beast
@@nathancurnutt8074 exactly
ironically that tutorial works better for a first time SOULSLIKES player than a player who maybe is new to bloodborne but has played souls games in the past for that reason.
sure it might not be teachcing you the gameplay lessons that the game will egventually end up revoling around, but it is teaching you basics of the genre as a whole, and it's basics you'll only get if you pay enough attention.
Honestly its a very well designed set piece: shows you that the villagers absolutely hate the werewolved at first glance, and more importantly : you dont need to kill every monster every time. A lot of players will think its a check point game so theyll try to kill everything before moving on. But thats not how it rolls in bloodborne, the first lesson is learning to pick your fights
It was my first experience to the Souls series and personally, it made me love the genre. I mean yeah, if you go at the thing full throttle and try to attack the obvious mob of people all stuck together, you're gonna hae a tough time. That's pretty well spelled out for the player by the fact that they're currently burning the big ass monster that probably killed you at least once in the very start of the game. In reality, Bloodborne isn't about running down your enemies in a rage like we're in a hack and slash game, its slightly a horror game with everything but the boss battles taking careful consideration, just like OP posted about the Dark Souls cliff.
Oho, I remember that long hour, too.
Bloodborne was my first souls game, as well.
I am immediately reminded of LA-MULANA 2's extensive in-game tutorial zone followed by a gated-off "cliff" (Roots of Yggdrasil (arguably through to the Divine Fortress)
contrasted against its predecessors' often confusing learn-as-you-go approach that stretches across the first four fields of the game (around one-fifth of the game).
Also, the Dark Souls cliff teaches the player three things about navigation:
1. The graveyard behind the shrine is filled with some _way_ tougher enemies, teaching them that if you can't deal with a difficult area yet you can (and probably should) just leave and come back.
2. The graveyard also has some pretty good early-game loot, teaching them that risking a more deadly area leads to greater reward (if they live that long).
3. The locked gate inside the aqueduct teaches them that this world is a lot bigger than it seems, and will only get bigger as they progress.
And the elevator shaft that leads to the Undead Parish can be dropped into for some sweet early game goodies too!
@@casette5610
Exactly! The game is known for its combat, yet searching around in the enemyless nooks and crannies will carry you far!
@@casette5610 Yeah, there's also the well right next to the bonfire that has some amazing stuff for newbies when they jump into it
Imagine calling the graveyard's loot "good early game" despite having the Zweihander, the most overpowered weapon of them all. Smh my fucking head.
@@smtmonke
Not really. A lot of other weapons have better base stats.
In defense of Bloodborne's opening:
This is the first time in the series that enemies have proper patrol paths independent of the player character, and when coming down the stairs you're expected to realize you can let the Yharnamites walk past you so you can safely explore behind them, maybe get a sneak attack. Then, the crowd is an encounter that, much like the cliff, I think you're expected to evaluate before engaging to hammer home the idea of awareness. If you look closely, you'll notice the rifleman and dogs and the safe side path and get an idea of how you might approach the situation.
Additionally, by this point you'll probably have picked up pebbles and molotov cocktails, providing you with a chance to experiment with them by taking out the rifleman from a range, pulling the dog away from the group, or dealing damage to multiple enemies at once. After this, the remaining enemies are a big enough group to allow players to try out the transform attack on their weapon, which if they checked they'll realize usually provides a solid crowd control option (at least from one form).
Finally, while nearly a dozen enemies might be a bit much so early on, keep in mind that the player will approach and see the crowd very clearly. It is impossible to miss, and unlike in DS2 they aren't getting ambushed by a large group of enemies after opening a door. It should be obvious not to jump headlong into a group that large, and those who don't find it to be will learn quickly.
It's not perfectly designed, but personally I think it's deliberately designed and showcases the intended gameplay loop: careful exploration and evaluation of your surroundings punctuated by high-intensity combat encounters.
Anyway, great video. I had never really thought of the Dark Souls Cliff in such specific terms before, even if I did realize it was a teaching moment.
Based
The video creator completely missed what the bloodborne tutorial is about, also you're supposed to go to the side path, so the crowd separates into small groups
this teaches you to come up with a battle plan and sneak around instead of running in like a mad man.
I hope people who watch this video wont now think bloodborne's tutorial is bad...
Dark souls 2 did have patrolling enemies.
@@samhein321 He did not miss it, he in fact mentioned how taking the side path is the conclusion new players would most likely come to. The point he is making is that this sneaky tactic is not a part of Bloodborne's playstyle and instead rewards aggressive play, so it makes no sense to set the tutorial up in a way that deters aggressive play and promotes sneaking.
@@str0wnz0bby there are a TON of moments where sneaking up and plotting your attack is beneficial in Bloodborne. Being aggressive is only a good strategy once you know (and can control) what you're up against.
Always love when people find new little bits of these games to talk about. Greatly illustrated too, never even thought of the cliff like that.
FS has mastered the art of level design. It's so good, it feels like something a GM tinkered over and over again for a D&D game.
Have you played Demon's Souls? The original I mean. It plays like a beta version of Dark Souls. It can be ROUGH at times, but it's still a wonderful experience. Playing DeS and DS back to back and you can see where they identified enemies, level design, mechanics, etc, that people didn't enjoy in DeS (like for example the Moon Grass healing system), and replaced it with another system (Estus flask), but with more thought into how the players engage with these. Gives me a smile when gamedevs learn and you can see progress like this.
To be fair, dark souls is their hgh point regarding level design, with bloodborne coming in second
this just showed up on my feed, well made. Honestly makes me want to go back to dark souls 1 once again. its become basically an annual thing to play through it again for me. It's by far the best dark souls in my opinion
This video feels like it belongs in the Game Maker's Tool Kit but is so much more conversionally focused, making any realizations pointed out feel much more natural
This footage makes me so nostalgic for the first time I played Dark Souls. I’ll never forget it. It was one of the most impactful events of my life
Spot on analysis. Bloodborne was my first FromSoft game, and the 10 enemy encounter actually made me put down the game for a couple of months, before trying it again and falling in love with the series.
I know this cliff... I spent quite a while flailing around on my first playthrough before I noticed this cliff.
Died to skeletons... died to ghosts... died to the crestfallen knight when I got frustrated... Then I did not know the cliff, could not pick its distinctive shape from the mountainside.
I learned my lesson that day, and now?
I know this cliff.
Bloodborne's opening is indeed one of the hardest I've ever played, but there is the most supreme satisfaction returning to that courtyard in NG+. This was excellent! The cliff has more depth than I originally thought.
NG+1 of Bloodborne is such a great feeling. It's like a revenge run for everything that stomped you during your first playthough. Then NG+2 and the old feeling returns.
Truly and honestly, this is my favourite video released about dark souls. Not only is it informative but it puts a finger on why ive struggled so hard to get into Bloodborne in comparison. Now that youve highlighted the campfire as an outlier. I think im gonna give that game another shot.
That's what I want to hear! Highly encourage you to experiment with all the different weapons too. First couple of run-throughs I used the Saw Cleaver and the Axe exclusively. Wasn't till later that I discovered my beloved Kirkhammer and Moonlight Greatsword!
and especially to trasnform the weapon, the cleaver in particular does nice sweeps when pressing L1 after an attack or dodge, very good for getting health back after getting hit by the enemy.
The best thing DkS teaches you about with that cliff, after countless corpse runs, is that you don't have to fight every enemy everytime.
"It's completely unmissable"
Me, spending hours trying the graveyard first.
THIS is what I liked about Dark Souls the first, it does area design in such good interesting ways and keeps you guessing throughout. I wish the later titles in the series were more like this but I guess combat challenges are easier to design.
Sometimes I really wish I could experience all of these games again for the very first time. There truly is no time like your very first time.
Very interesting video! I never considered the cliff to be teaching me how to play, but perhaps it did without me noticing. You made a lot of good points and it made sense to me. Good job!
I would argue that the mob around the bonfire in Boodborne is not as bad as you picture it. First, it is a lesson in what to expect later in the game, as I feel Bloodborne really likes to put you in situations where there are many different types of enemies that synergize with each other, but most are not that powerful, forcing you to decide who to deal with first. Then, I think it teaches even a more important lesson, that being learning when to use the different modes of your weapons. All three of the starting weapons have an alternate mode, which make the weapon longer and easier to deal with multiple enemies at longer range, and I don't think it's a coincidence that the starting weapons follow the same mechanism, even if later weapons don't make the alternate mode better at AoE. For me, the two werewolves before the Cleric Beast were worse, because of the limited space, and the fact that they don't stagger as easily as the townspeople.
After Rom there's a tonne of large groups of enemies to deal with as you mentioned and i remember during my first play through transforming my axe to deal with the enemies before and around the bonfire. Guess i should vouch for the validity of your argument.
Man those werewolves on the bridge still get me! I think the point I didn't really get over too well is the structure of that area. The fella with the gun on the wagon doesn't pose a HUGE threat, but he's pretty efficient at staggering you out of an attack or nipping away at that last bit of health. So if you go after him first, you fall into the agro range of the dog, and we all know how awful FromSoft dog creatures are. Additionally, up those stairs on the left are two more enemies who lock onto you, making it even harder to get in, kill the gunner, and get out. The whole situation is a bit overwhelming for new players, with so many variables to keep track of. Just after the bonfire courtyard are the steps to the great bridge where a smaller version of this scenario plays out, with dogs, a gunner, and regular enemies. Even though there are more dogs and less space, the encounter plays out better as a teaching tool because you can focus on one enemy/strategy without being swarmed by hundreds of other variables.
As for teaching the player to trick their weapons? I didn't even think of that! I'll still stand by my point as 10+ enemies, some with ranged weapons, is probably too much for the inexperienced player.
@@casette5610 I also think the bonfire teaches you a lot about rally, since with so many lil guys you can get most, if not all, of your health back in one swing. I think the gunman up top is supposed to keep you from getting carried away with the mechanic, and remind you that wading into a group swinging is still going to get you killed. Like a more refining system, to make sure the tutorial doesn't teach you the *wrong* lesson.
But no fuck the bridge wolves lol
I just wish it was taught that changing your trick-weapon's mode can be an attack.
R1(or an actionable movememt such as a roll) with the saw cleaver followed by an L1 sends out the blade in a wide sweeping ark that does extra damage + stagger; it's great for our bonfire buddies in the starting area + the 2 wolves before Cleric Beast
Like it'd be s.a.f. if in Dark Souls you could have a unique attack that involves swapping between your equipped weapons
@@superceilingfan9741 on point, and as said in other comments, it teaches you to not just bumrush a big-ass group of enemies, which to me was fundamental to get through the initial areas of the game as bloodborne was my first ever soulslike game, ironically i would have been more in line with cassette's take on bloodborne's tutorial if it wasn't.
the real problem i got with bloodborne's tutorial is 2 main elements:
1: the tutorial messages for the most part are not in yharnam but in a very small space of the hunter's dream that you're unlikely to check, doubly so if you're playing online(didn't know you could parry with the gun until a friend had told me)
2: the fucking werewolves on the bridge man, they literally tell you to either cheese them with aggro range or to just mash R1 as stunlocking is the only effective way to deal with them, and only if you got enough damage to take out one before the other gets to you.
This video was an excellent exploration of gaming philosophy. As someone who enjoys (breaking) game level design, I would love to see where you would take a series of these videos. Well done.
Great analysis of a thought most dismiss in a moment. The segways between points is really succinct and subtle just like Darksouls game design.
The bloodborne starting area wants to teach you that you can transform your weapon for better crowd control as well.
So the big groups -> crowd control
the small jump scares that will damage you -> rally with base form
It is also teaching you that splitting enemies with aggro is possible and is very useful -> pebbles, molotovs
Just because BB has rally doesnt mean it is unfun to play more methodically depending on the situation.
Its a game about hunting, and a good hunter uses the tools he has instead of just rushing into chaos.
My only issue is that the game doesn't give you any indication that a weapon can be tricked, aside from mashing buttons or experimenting. In the Hunter's Dream when collating your weapons for the first time, the tool-tips specifically say "Hunter weapons are wielded in the right hand" and "Firearms are wielded in the left hand". The earliest indication you get is from inspecting the weapon in your inventory and reading the full description (which most players probably won't do, and in some cases, aren't even aware you CAN do).
@@casette5610 I don't know. I just expect players to at least try all buttons out when starting a new game. Also trick weapons were a big part of the commercial material of the game.
This is just perfect. I JUST started DS Remastered and was JUST stuck right there. Thanks to this video I might just not quit DS
KEEP GOING! Once you fall into the cycle of persistence that leads to success it'll open up an entire SERIES of crazy good games to enjoy!
As a mild defense of the Bloodborne courtyard, i think its more comparable to the asylum demon in dark souls. Sure, u could methodically take down all those guys, in the same way you could chip away at the demon with a broken sword, but you can also just run past, which is definitely how i originally got through.
The cliff is where I became a Parry King back in my early days of Soulsing. It's truly a tutorial of all time
Always happy to watch yet another video on how DS is a masterpiece in game design.
In defense of Bloodborne's group of enemies you're meant to utilize items such as pebbles and molotovs to bait the enemies one by one instead of taking them head on.
This video is so good. I hadn't scrolled down and wholly expected a channel with a following akin to Gamemaker's Toolkit and was astounded by less than 700 subs. Please keep up this content, it rocks.
Thank you for your kind words! Truth be told I made this just to get an idea out of my head. Didn't expect it to get past 100 views, let alone 100,000!
AMAZING observation and analysis!!
It's designs like this that I hope devs reflect on and continue to implement.
I know this is gonna sound dopey but when I started playing dark souls, I noticed that it allowed me to move in ways that I was kinda of trained to do from practicing the martial art Aikido.
Lets just say that Aikido is all about dodge rolling.
Another thing Aikido is about is really precise positioning to try to unbalance an enemy, either by getting behind them(backstab), counter attacking(think parry and riposte) or some combination of both(think parry into a backstab).
One finally thing Aikido is all about is using those positioning skills to be able to effectively fight multiple attackers almost as if they are one attacker. The idea here it to try to force them to get into each others way and to try to force them to attack at the same time. This is because an attacker is usually most vulnerable during or just after their attack. So if you're going to launch a counter attack, it's best to do so once you've dodged theirs or neutralized their attack using some other method(again, think parry)
another way to think about it you want to stay just barely out of reach. So close that they actually think you are in reach. Another way to put it is that your apparent vulnerability is one of your greatest weapons. Kind of like dancing on the edge of a sword.
I say all of that because I loved the big street fight and other multi enemy fights in Bloodborne. They were thrilling but still controllable. =)
There's a second really good tutorial immediately after the cliff in the form of the Undead Burg Bridge! My first time playing it took a hot sec to get passed the cliff and then an *even hotter sec* to triumph the bridge -- it teaches you that you need to play aggressively sometimes where the cliff taught you to play defensively!
That was a very nice video! Concise, well narrated, the edits and graphics highlighting the frame worked very well! Also the premise of a hidden and better tutorial after asylum is spot on, that area teaches you a lot in very little space.
When you start to see them in other games, it becomes really obvious, and I find games that don't do this are often slow to start, or you find a mechanic or feature half way through the game that you should have been using the whole time.
Wow, this is... some incredible quality analysis. I'm sure I'm not the first to suggest this, but it'd be fantastic to hear your thoughts on the intros of DSII, DSIII, Sekiro, and Elden Ring given how much those differ from one another (perhaps particularly DSII and Elden Ring)
Why did i think from the title and thumbnail this is a tutorial on how to draw the dark souls cliff
I went to your channel to see more videos like this and noticed there were only two other videos you've made. Really surprising since the editing, the script and narration gave off the impression that you've done theese kind of videos for a long time. Good luck, looking forward to the next video!
I was about to make a comment basically saying the same thing, but it appears you've already done it. Nice to see that others are also surprised by the quality of this video.
Thank you very much! This was just a thought I had clattering around in my head for too long and I needed to put it out there. Wasn't really planning on doing more, but now....
I need more of these videos in my life. Any more of these ideas that are rattling around in there?
Interesting detail about the location of ring of sacrifice which I would like to add.
There are two ways of getting to that place, one is more dangerous and requires your to jump the cliff. Another requires you to drop down and lose some hp but generally is fail proof.
After getting the ring you have several ways out. You can either equip the ring and die if you don't want to lose resources, take a risk and make a jump or use darksign if you already have nothing to lose. However, if you did explore area previously you might have some homeward bones in your inventory which will lead you to safety with no cost.
I always make the jump and jump back at this point with almost no fail. I used to fail it before, but now I got better at it. But your comment made me curious, so there is another way to approach it from falling above? It seemed inapproachable without the jump. Hmm.. I am going to try it although I need to look down and find the place, still new things to learn about DS.
EDIT: Just checked it, omg how have I not seen this before? There is a notch in the cliff before the stairs, where the firebomb zombie was, previously it seemed like the bridge bottom lined up with the stairs, but it's an extra ledge wider, so sticking to the wall where the firebomb zombie was, and walk straight down you drop on the ledge instead of falling. It's fool-proof, how have I not seen it so many years I was replaying that area? I still learn from replaying DS1. Only good, I've become so good at doing the regular jump and then back.
@@darkbugo7212 There is! You can drop off small ledge on top. This is how I did it for the first time I ever played the game.
That first plaza in central Yharnam really did shape my approach to the entire game. And since Bloodborne was my first Souls game, that affected my approach to the entire series.
If I play co-op (my preferred style, since it’s faster and more fun), my friend and I run in and rush enemies down, not worrying so much about getting swarmed because we can split aggro and save each other when we get surrounded. But playing by myself, I take the Bloodborne approach: slowly walk around the perimeter, baiting or backstabbing enemies one at a time until they’re all dead. If I die, that means twenty minutes of retracing my steps killing the same guys the same way.
It’s ironic, because like you pointed out, they intentionally designed Booodborne to be the fastest, most aggressive game-and then trained players to take it slow and cautious. Sometimes I enjoy this pacing, because it fits with the horror setting. But when I die after thirty minutes of slow stalking and careful engagements, I usually just sprint to the next shortcut.
I believe I ENB talked about how the intention for that big bonfire encounter in Bloodborne was to have the player circle around the right top side and go behind and run up the stairs. Avoiding the encounter rather than taking them on.
If I remember correctly, he was invited to play the game early and Miyazaki was disappointed to see that he actually took the group head on, even if he did win.
This explains why even late gameI approach the cliff with caution, and have been stung by it when I rushed it. I love it
This brought back memories of my first playthrough
I have more nostalgia for this cliff than any other thing in gaming
Another subtle effect of the Cliff + Undead Burg: hollows are atypically aggressive for DS1 enemies with abrupt pounce-combo attacks that are not indicative of the rest of the game. This engenders caution and anticipation into new players with every new enemy they meet, which is overcome as the player perseveres and builds confidence.
DS3 takes this design trick and says “what if _every enemy in the game_ had an abrupt pounce-combo?”
you know it is a good tutorial when you dont remember the tutorial at all, i do remember those messages on the floor on the beggining, the technical tutorial, but never put my mind on the cliff, that was the real tutorial all along
amazing video, subbed! cheers
What an incredible video. DS1 is my favorite fromsoft game, so videos appreciating what it got right mean a lot to me.
I like the analysis, right up until the criticism of the final fight of the bloodborne tutorial. I think you correctly identify the right way to handle the fight, taking the long way around the mob by going up the staircase off to the side, but don't realize the significance.
The whole opening kind of establishes an arc of development for most players that I think pulls double or triple duty. It establishes some horror aesthetic vibes for the setting and mirrors how your charecter kind of just randomly woke up in the middle of a city of beasts and chthonic gods, but it also makes your growth going forward mean something by establishing your initial weakness early on and reminds you that despite the rally mechanic you're still mortal. Rallying isn't a get out of jail free card and thematically this fits as well, it's only beasts and blood drunk hunters that would or even could fight head on like that without being extremely evasive. If you're not them, in this universe that means making your aggression calculated.
Goddamn, the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack never made DS so lovely and comfortable before
I actually love videos like this that breakdown how a game teaches you to be good at. The souls games are one of those you kinda can't unlearn, like even when playing non souls games I'll stop and pan the camera outside of the room I'm in to check for ambushes. The games also taught me the benefit of being proactive, if you are the first to move you usually have advantage, sprinting in full tilt is actually usually the best strategy when you know where all the enemies are.
I feel like in bloodborne, the bonfire is like the graveyard in DS1. And looking beyond the bonfire to see that archway is like realizing you need to go uphill towards the cliff. Nice video.
i remember the burg so vividly, it was my first souls game and i spent at least 8-10 hours slogging through the burg and surrounding areas, cursing my friend for recommending and even enjoying such a frustrating experience. after that slog though, there was a "click" moment where i understood how to really play these games and ive been infatuated with the souls game ever since
Bro! Finally someone else pays attention to the cliff! Is just perfect. Only 5 enemies. Each with their own aggro and behavior. 1st hollow always jumps to close distance, 2nd wants to get close, bomber doesn't move, armored hollow has a very short aggro range, forcing you to get close, and finally, axe dude jump attacks from the stairs if you climb fast.
Awesome video. Hope to see more.
I really liked this video. I never quite realised the importance of the cliff, but there it is, plain as day.
I hope you'll get more viewers soon, you make good content worth anyone's time.
RUclips never fails to surprise me by recommending great videos from small channels. It was a pleasure, hope to see more from you.
me being the intellectual I am, jumped off the cliff after that guy
Intellect build
The design of The Cliff is so underrated, maybe the tightest couple hundred meters of the game world.
There's a reason a lot of the best skill tutorials on RUclips are set there.
Bloodborne was my first FromSoft game. What that area with the burning beast taught me was that i shouldnt take them head on. There is a walkway that goes directly beside them. You can funnel a few at a time into a choke point. After those previous 4 Yharnamites at the bottom of the first staircase kicked my ass 10 times, i knew better than to approach 10 of them. It worked pretty well in my case. Taught me to take on as few enemies as possible at a time.
I did not see the cliff in my first run, I saw the crow and started in the graveyard... yeah, once I killed Pinwheel I had to go back all the way up and then I realized about the cliff 🤭
I cannot speak for the bloodborne segment of the video, but you elegantly explain the unconscious thoughts of the dark souls player as they journey up the cliff side up to the undead burg.
Elden Ring also does the demon souls and bloodborne introduction of intentionally owning the player and placing them somewhere else, though not as confusing as demon's souls rendition of it.
The video was well written, recorded and edited. Good job. I took a look at your channel to only see a meme edit and a short animation. You should make some more of these types of videos, you've got a talent for it. Though don't feel pressured to do so.
Bloodborne's opening zone really clicked for me, though. something about how it has you START in a Survival Horror scenario had me timidly watching the mobs patrol, grabbing their attention with pebbles to create combat on my terms rather than theirs, familiarizing myself with the dodge and rally and all the other Souls-y mechanical soup stuff but in the context of a desperate back-alley scrabble where I'm praying to end this quickly and quietly before more of them show up. because I'm not dueling these men-turned-beasts, I'm hunting them.
idk I just think calling Bloodborne's opening zone a 'bad tutorial' in this way misses some things that it's doing to the player in the narrative / immersion sense. (full disclosure, I *do* have a Bloodborne bias, it's the first Fromsoft game I played that clicked. whereas DS1 is the Actual First One I played and the one that almost convinced me I would never 'get' Fromsoft Games, because I was frustrated and bored for the entire hour I played it)
im a big soulsborne fan and never even thought about that.
good video, hope this gains traction my dude.
Not thinking about it is the whole point! That's why Dark Souls is such a fantastic game. There are a few areas like the cliff later on in the game that serve as an introduction for a mechanic or new enemy type that allows the player a gentle approach toward something new, before throwing it in their face full force, which is why the difficulty curve is so perfect.
"The broken sword you start with does decent damage to enemies but next to no damage to the boss, leaving you with no choice but to flee"
Me: *is that a challenge?*
Broken sword run best run
Really well made video and great narration! Hope more people find you out.
Bloodborne teaches you patience when you're new and figuring out that area near the stairs for the first time. If you waited a moment, you would find out that the group patrols and you can flank them, forcing them to come at you from up the stairs as a means of crowd control.
Another section that reminds me of the bonfire's 'what do I do here?' moment is when going to charnel lane for the first time with all the snipers. It is a definite roadblock, and running through either is technically an option, as is creating safezones by taking them out a few at a time.
i am. so glad i'm not the only one who struggled on the bloodborne tutorial area.. 😭i was SHOCKED when i played it for the first time
I love Bloodborne. It was my first souls game, and the first game I got on my PS4. I had a really hard time with the Old Yharnam, but I knew it was meant to be hard. I never once felt like that section was a bad tutorial for the game. It taught me to pick my fights carefully by watching enemy patrols, using the right transform mode for the situation, only engaging when I can control my opponents position, avoiding ambushes by not rushing in. All of these lessons are useful throughout the whole game. I tried to take out all the enemies in the area before moving on so it was tough. However, it prepares you to fully explore and maintain awareness and engagement with the surroundings.
Damn this is very good. I didn't notice how much the cliff taught me and I never saw it pointed this clearly. Great video!
Excellent video, subscribed. Would love to see similar stuff to this on other IPs!
Nice video man. Better than like 80% of videos I watch everyday lol. Keep up the good work
Great video brudda, really seems like you put a lot time and effort into the scripting/practice/editing.
Thought this was going to be a joke video but it's just homie explaining the secret to growing and falling in love with souls games in an anecdotal format
The six lessons of darksouls:
1. Go in slowly
You need to asess a situation before you can conquer it. Being slow and careful is crucial when learning enemy placements, agroes, or boss patterns.
2. Intuition
Darksouls may be a game which requires technical skill like problem solving and so on but it's also a game which asks you to do things that takes intuition, while simply expecting you to either have or take the time to build that sixth sense.
3. Timing
For any strategy to work, it requires timing. Being at the right place at the right time, having waited long enough to have the right amount of stamina and for enemies to have gotten into the right positions is the majority of the skill required in darksouls. Find the rythm and dance, never loose that rythm but break it when you need to.
4. Grace
Do not think that a game of skill is mastered without respect for the challenges one faces. Darksouls teaches you to fight with dignity wether you win or die yet again, it is mercyful of you don't lose your grace when you fail but try again and get at least as far, and it is often unforgiving if you throw care to the wind and don't comit to your attempts.
5. Understanding
Once you know a situation, it isn't allways clear what to do. Applying your knowledge of the situation, your capabilities, and your goals is a matter of understanding what they mean in relation to one another.
6. Discipline
All thegrratest pleasures in life takes discipline. Playing music, excelling in a sport, composing poetry, and also playing darksouls. Patience, persistence, equanimity, exploration, composure, and concentration. It all takes discipline.
These are the six lessonsnof dark souls, often abreviated:
G.I.T.G.U.D.
I still very strongly remember the time I've spend on that cliff 10 years ago. I've spend quite some time there, even after having already completed Demon's Souls.
Great video to show a partner, friend, or family member learning video games. Many gamers don't realize how many skills game build on top of one another to the point of a gamer having a PhD in Shooters, a Masters in Adventure, and a least a BA in PRG. And then we hand God of War or Diablo or Apex Legends or Siege to our friends and say "gEt gUd" not even realizing how much a non gamer has gotta overcome, learn, and master to be able to be competent.
Great video. Quality analysis and graphics. Keep it up! Subbed
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed. TBH this one was just kind of thrown together, so if I do another hopefully it'll be even better!
Great video. Every fromsoft game either shows you or tells you how the approach it right at the beginning
That Bloodborne tutorial starting area is pretty good analysis of how on paper really good games fell flat early on and may discourage new players continue playing a game
I saw the picture and immediately knew what stair that was, cool take. I think you can add to the lesson that if you try to reach the other stair in the graveyard, you get the indication to try another way. Same with the ghosts. But this staircase, though threatening, makes you feel that you can do it if you try.
And thank you for clarifying why it took me awhile to get into Bloodborne. Even though I had to get used to the dash and the pace, it felt off at the beginning. All the ganking and the big guy with an axe I tried again and again to kill just to find out there was no reward for it.
I almost platinumed it in my first playthrough, really love the game. But the beginning felt a little off.
I never really considered Bloodborne to have a tutorial section. When it comes to the 10 enemy encounter however, I don't think it's a lesson in combat so much as situational awareness:
>look for alternate paths so that you don't have to take everyone at once
>take in your surroundings at different angles to spot new paths and ambushes
>take your time in the approach
>commit hard to fights or risk getting caught by a patrol
>move into the enemy instead of away or risk getting encircled
>keep note of targets that are easy to kill but can ruin your day if they're not prioritized
>plan your path through observation
Taken at face value, this encounter is a setpiece, but all of its components are core to the game. For example, take the room in Mergo's Loft with the elevator that leads down to the Brain of Mensis.
Let's look at the examples I listed above:
>look for alternate paths so that you don't have to take everyone at once
Stairs on the leftmost wall let you separate yourself from a clump of the small attendants.
>take in your surroundings at different angles to spot new paths and ambushes
You'll note the drop into the abyss, the large attendants, the narrow path that screams ambush, and the screens that hide the archers.
>take your time in the approach
The attendants are weak but can force you into the large mobs' attacks. Some can be ignored at the top of the staircase, and the large mob at the bottom is best fought where you have the room to avoid his deceptively long reach.
>commit hard to fights or risk getting caught by a patrol
Kill the attendants fast, and kill them all to avoid getting headbutt while fighting the big attendant. Some small mobs will trickle down from the upper floor and surround you if you don't take out the big mob quickly.
>move into the enemy instead of away or risk getting encircled
The attendants are slow and can be easily killed before they begin to coalesce into a group. The big attendant will punish you for dodging away from him one way or another: you'll get clipped or forced into a more dangerous position. And if you don't kill the archers fast enough, you'll get wombo'd by the other archers and the second big attendant.
>keep note of targets that are easy to kill but can ruin your day if they're not prioritized
Everything about the archers including their line of sight.
>plan your path through observation
Attack the wrong archer first, and you'll get caught in a crossfire. Commence your attack from the wrong angle, and you'll stunlocked by the archers' rhythm. Note the blind spots offered by certain screens and other screens that only give an illusion of safety.
It's all there. Yes, BB encourages aggression, but untempered aggression is the reckless behavior of the beasts you hunt. Intelligent, measured violence distinguishes the hunter from his quarry.
Got too used to DS1 so kinda forgot what it felt like on my first playthrough. But your points definitely seem to match what I felt then
I enjoyed this video, I would watch more videos looking at very specific parts of games and how they impact/teach players
If you've the endurance for a 90 minute video, hbomberguy's analysis of Bloodborne goes into a concept called "play conditioning", which examines the way a game is structured for the player to use the mechanics they've introduced. I look at games completely differently after watching that video.
THANK YOU. I love Fromsoft now, but my first game was Bloodborne. I somehow completely missed the rally mechanic explaination because it was just one written instruction among many in the Hunter's dream. I also knew that "From games are all about dodging?", so I quickly took the lesson from the death corridor to be careful and kite enemies. I died many times, but then I had the run. I took out every single enemy, one by one, using every single one of my flasks. I went into the next area tense, looking desperately for a lantern, thinking "Please, game, please let me save, dont make me do that again". I took out the birds, and the giant at the door, managing a stealth kill. Then I went up the stairs, "come on, there must be a lantern soon". I spied the werewolves on the bridge and prepared myself with a firebomb because I remembered reasing in the item description that beasts are weak to fire. I threw it, and immediately died to both of the werewolves.
So, obviously, I stopped playing Bloodborne. It never occured to me to run through the area without clearing out all enemies because I thought they would just follow me. Assuming the rest of the game was like that, I thought people who liked Bloodborne were masochists, and that it wasn't a game for me. Because I had just spent an hour and a half in a grueling, completely unfun murder corridor and was rewarded with a big fat f u and absolutely no progress. I would complain about this and people would call me insane.
Later, I played Dark Souls 1, which I liked. It seemed very gentle and slow paced in comparison, and I also loved that after the asylem you get rewarded with beautiful scenery and some greenery. Sekiro and Elden Ring are some of my favourite games of all time and now I trust anything fromsoftware puts out, I'm planning to play Armoured Core. I even went back and played Bloodborne again, with a friend, and got past the death corridor, and guess what, I enjoy the rest of the game. The opening is just objectively crap for a new player like me. I could have very easily never played any other From games because at that time Bloodborne was considered the "best one" and looking just at its opening, I couldnt fathom why ANYONE could enjoy that torture.
So great to hear you came back for another go! I had a similar experience with Sekiro. It took me 3 or 4 attempts over the course of a few months to actually finish it (and I only did so due to a bet), but once it clicked for me it went from the bottom on my list of FromSoft titles, right to the top! Now I play through it every couple months because once I got over one massive hurdle, I started to enjoy it way more.
@@casette5610 Thank you :3 It was really vindicating to hear you say what I've been saying about Bloodborne for a while.
Sekiro was my first Fromsoft game I really enjoyed. It appealed to my platformer roots and I made full use of Stealth and parkour right up until Genishiro, when I was forced to relearn the combat. It's so cinematic once you get it, though!
I actually didn't mind the big mob at the beginning of Bloodborne too much. It was frustrating, but it taught me to grit my teeth and persevere. That carried me through the game.
Fucking awesome video, i love the cliff and the undead burg, they're my favorite starting zones of any game.
A very well done analysis, realizing just now that I went through almost all the steps you mentioned😅😅
Fromsoft Souls like have in my opinion the perfect tutorials the let you know how every encounter is going to be like with simple easy to understand environmental layout and enemy placement
I played bloodborne with the hunters axe and the 10 enemy encounter taught me how easy it is to bully trash mobs in that game lol
The great thing about Bloodborne is that any of the weapons you find are powerful enough to take you to the end game, even the three starter ones. In fact, the Hunter Axe has the highest rally potential of any weapon in the game, which makes the bullying of trash mobs not only fun, but rewarding!
I am so glad that I'm not the only person who gave up on Bloodborne because of that starting street.
one of my favorite boss battles. Fair but difficult, with so many ways of tackling it. Not too bad of a run from the bonfire too. Possibly one of the more melancholy boss sound tracks too.
the whole entirety of undeadburg is just amazingly designed
I love it too! I was going to go into more detail about how the Burg takes everything from the Cliff and builds and expands on it , but I wasn't able to find a way to put it into the script.
@@casette5610 ah I see. Great video btw :D
As somebody who is generally not very "good" at games, the cliff was my initiation and trial by fire. I died an embarrassing number of times to those cliff enemies (couple dozen times maybe?), but once I was able to deal with the cliff, I was able to deal with all of dark souls (and all other from games!). I thought that was just because they happen to be the first enemies of the game... how wrong I was. Kudos fromsoft.
The encounter in Bloodborne is actually set up perfectly - it gives you the option to take the side walkway and pickup pebbles which shows you that you can use it to pull groups of enemies. It also gives you enemies that drop bullets, another tool you can use to pull enemies. It demonstrates trick attacks can be used to dispatch multiple enemies at once. Etc.
I would argue that the Bloodborne tutorial is great for teaching players to be a hunter, though understandably obtuse for those unwilling or unable to pick up on that. A hunter is keenly aware of their surroundings (finding that upper path to the right of the bonfire), uses every tool available in their arsenal (like the molotovs from before the first ladder and/or off to the side of the steps beyond the lantern), is calculated in their strikes (unlike the bumbling streetwalkers that stalk Central Yharnam), and never allows themselves to be surrounded by dangerous prey.
If the player spends some time experimenting with their weapons, reading what the messengers have to say, and absorbing their situation, then it's not unlikely that, if they think like a hunter, they'll figure out that a large group of dullards with sharp claws and fangs might be easily dispatched by flanking them and tossing some molotovs into the crowd, then picking them off with the crowd control afforded by their tricked weapon after funneling them into the raised sidewalk off to the side. The difficulty of the area is admittedly high, and I had a lot of trouble myself, but learning to think like a hunter, taking every opportunity to agress on my opponents without recklessly tearing away and leaving myself open to be punished (essentially reducing myself to their level where they'll always win by numbers) was essential to learning how to properly handle what Bloodborne had in store for me.
I thought this was going to be a meme video but this was really thoughtful
I've probably spent five hours trying to get past the tutorial and those two werewolves. And all this coming right out of Dark Souls 1 and 2.