Chapter 1044: When Did I Say There Were Shields?
Although everyone had long known that *Bloodborne* was a Souls-like game, they still found it quite novel when seeing these scenes. In truth, the essence of Souls-like games lies in the combat system and level design; whether these aspects can be executed to perfection determines if a Souls-like game retains its authentic flavor. This is also why players completely reject Souls-like games not produced by Chen Mo—because whether it’s the combat, levels, or story, something always feels off. *Dark Souls* is a game with an extremely distinct personal style, and it’s very difficult to imitate; attempts often end up like a failed copy, more ridiculous than the original.
But seeing *Bloodborne* made many players recall the feeling they had when first encountering *Dark Souls*—suffocating, despairing, dark—yet the soul of Souls-style combat remained deeply rooted in every aspect of the game. In other words, *Bloodborne* essentially swapped out the entire world setting and story, while the combat system and level design largely followed the classic approach of *Dark Souls*, with only some innovations in details.
Chen Mo looked at the reporters in attendance. “Okay, everyone can now ask questions freely. Later, we’ll release a gameplay video, and you can take a closer look at *Bloodborne*’s combat then.”
As soon as Chen Mo finished speaking, the reporters below raised their hands in unison, ready with their prepared questions.
One reporter stood up. “Mr. Chen Mo, compared to *Dark Souls*, how difficult is *Bloodborne*? Is it harder or easier?”
Many reporters in the audience couldn’t help but smile knowingly—this question hit the nail on the head. Previously, when asked if *Dark Souls* was hard, Chen Mo could dodge the question and muddle through. But now, comparing *Bloodborne* to *Dark Souls* provided a benchmark, making it harder to evade.
Chen Mo smiled. “Their combat styles are slightly different. If you prefer *Dark Souls*’ combat, you might find *Bloodborne* harder, or vice versa. Of course, I know you won’t be satisfied with that answer. I can say this: for most people, *Bloodborne*’s design is probably more forgiving.”
The reporters pricked up their ears.
The reporter who stood up said, “Mr. Chen, you’re setting a trap again. You only said the ‘design is more forgiving,’ but you didn’t say that a forgiving design means lower difficulty.”
Chen Mo was taken aback. Huh? The reporters this year seemed sharper—they weren’t as easy to fool as before.
Chen Mo explained, “The design being more forgiving is a fact. Let me give two simple examples. First, when a player is hit by a monster, they enter a special ‘virtual health’ state. As long as they counterattack and deal damage to the monster, they can recover the lost health, so the reward for counterattacking is greatly increased. Second, players can carry up to 20 blood vials at all times, and killing monsters replenishes them, so the margin for error is naturally higher.”
A reporter asked, “This design… a blessing for greedy players?”
Chen Mo smiled. “Exactly. In fact, in *Bloodborne*, we encourage players to be aggressive. Appropriate recklessness can speed up the game and enhance the player’s enjoyment. In *Dark Souls*, being greedy is a high-risk, low-reward behavior—sometimes just one extra swing costs a huge chunk of health, making it not worth it. That’s why new players often feel the pace is slow in *Dark Souls*.”
“But *Bloodborne* incorporates many designs that encourage players to attack. The most prominent is recovering health by counterattacking after taking damage, turning greed into a high-risk, high-reward behavior, making the game less tedious.”
Immediately, a reporter excitedly raised their hand. “Mr. Chen Mo, please tell us more about *Bloodborne*’s advantages over *Dark Souls*!”
Chen Mo cleared his throat twice. “First, I need to criticize this reporter. Your question is a very leading one, implying that *Bloodborne* is much better than *Dark Souls*. I’ve repeatedly emphasized that these two games are different, but I’ve never said *Bloodborne* is superior to *Dark Souls*—it’s a matter of personal opinion.”
“However, I can indeed point out one major advantage of *Bloodborne*: it’s stylish.”
The reporters below: “???”
Chen Mo looked surprised. “What? You didn’t notice that? Did I show the trailer and game art for nothing? Take a closer look.”
He waved his hand, and the big screen immediately displayed several stylish hunter outfits from *Bloodborne*.
“See, this time our costume design draws from Victorian-era Baroque style, with some elements like steampunk. Top hats, canes, hunter coats, face-covering hats, and plenty of lace, tulle, ribbons, bows, stand-up collars, high waists, and princess sleeves. Combined with the overall slender character models, it emphasizes a stylish look.”
“Moreover, there are no heavy armors in this design—no Onion Knight armor or Havel’s armor. All clothes are form-fitting and stylish. I think this is an epic-level enhancement.”
The reporters were dumbfounded.
What the hell is an “epic-level enhancement”?! Who plays this kind of game to see if their character looks stylish?!
Besides, with the Matrix Game Pod’s first-person VR, fights are bloody and intense—who has the leisure to check if their clothes look good?
Well, maybe some do, but how is that an “epic-level enhancement”?
Suddenly, a reporter realized something. “Wait, Mr. Chen, you said there won’t be heavy armor like Onion Knight armor, only these beautiful hunter outfits… Does that mean we used to have heavy armor, but now there’s no option for it at all?!”
Chen Mo nodded. “That’s right.”
The reporter was stunned. “Wait, before, going without armor was like a sheet of paper, and wearing armor was like a folded sheet of paper. Now we don’t even have the chance to fold the paper?”
Chen Mo spread his hands. “Oh, come on. You yourselves said wearing heavy armor is like folding a sheet of paper, so it clearly has no real effect, right? So I just got rid of it and replaced it with stylish outfits. With lighter load, your dodging and rolling are more agile, making it easier to avoid monster attacks. Isn’t that great?”
The reporter was shocked. “But wearing this outfit with a big shield would look ridiculous!”
Chen Mo chuckled. “When did I ever say this game has shields?”