As a fan of old school Castlevania, the more I play Bloodborne, the more I notice parallels between the two. From podcasts to forums, I see other gamers drawing the same comparisons. Read on for a breakdown of the similarities I've noticed.
Fundamentals
Besides the obvious horror and gothic vibe the two share, there are fundamental game mechanics both rely on. In Castlevania, you commit to every jump or whip slash. There's no changing direction in mid-air or breaking out of the attack animation, to act brashly is to court certain death. Similarly, every move you execute in Bloodborne must have the same forethought put into it, you have to be very deliberate and aware of the vulnerabilities you expose with each move you make.
Both games tell a story through their setting, it's mostly discoverable and inferred by the player as they get a sense of it through the level design and artistic delivery. For example, Castlevania starts off in the courtyard, Simon Belmont then reaches the castle entrance, goes through the lobby, climbs to the roof and advances toward its highest tower. The background usually contains some hint of what you're heading for. Similarly, in Bloodborne there is a natural progression to the environments. You can also point out in the scenery the next area you will reach, and upon arrival look off in the distance and see where you came from.
Gods and Monsters
Bosses require a lot of observation and memorization to survive the encounter, and once mastered, you can usually get by taking very few hits. As for the individual enemies, there are a lot of commonalities here too.
Cloaked ghouls slowly plod towards you, giving you a pretty easy kill. Let them gang up on you from different directions and you might have a harder time.
Mud zombies love to crawl around in the filth and swipe at you with their only appendages.
These jerks will fly right for you at high speed in Castlevania. Bloodborne's crows are much larger and less mobile, but will still try to drop down and maul you when they get the chance.
Giant poisonous arachnids will drop down on silken strands and shoot webbing at you.
If a Franken-beast spots you, it will lumber forward and then try to club you repeatedly with whatever blunt instrument is handy, or knock you down flat with a boulder. You'll face Frankenstein's monster in Castlevania 3, and he'll try and drop as many rocks on you as possible.
This cyclops would like to cave your head in with a mallet in Castlevania 3. In Bloodborne, a cyclops rushes forward and tries to mash you with a cinder block.
The Cleric Beast, Bloodborne's first boss, bears a striking resemblence to the starting stage's gatekeeper in Castlevania Bloodlines.
These basic baddies are just around to distract you and catch you off guard if you're not paying attention.
You'll find werewolves skulking around in the forests of Castlevania 2. Bloodborne's werewolves patrol the area and leap towards you, jaws agape.
What a Horrible Night to have a Curse
Taking place mostly during the night, the moon constantly looms overhead as you visit the various locales. Bloodborne could be a type of 3D MetroidVania, with intertwining areas that lead back into each other from other angles, letting you open up more and more of the map. Each distinct area comes together to form a cohesive world that lets you run around from end to end.
Cathedrals are present in each game, a primary requisite of any gothic horror.
Foreboding forests with lakes and marshes will swallow whole any hero who dares linger in one spot too long.
A horror movie cliché, but one that would be foolish to omit. The mist-laden cemetery always has a few surprises.
Dingy underground waterways are as gross as the monsters that lurk within.
The always dreary towns are full of corrupt denizens who treat any stranger with hostility.
Likenesses are not limited to areas and enemies either, Alfred looks just like a vampire hunter if you ask me.
What arsenal is complete without these fiend slaying items and weapons?
Is Bloodborne a Spiritual Successor?
I wouldn't go as far as to say that Bloodborne is the new Castlevania, but perhaps both draw inspiration from the same material so it's not hard to see a lot of similarities. Konami has its work cut out for it trying to mirror the achievements of its 2D precursors, but there are a few things to be learned by examining From Software's successful title. How do you think a 3D Castlevania should take shape? Are there any other parts of Bloodborne that you think would lend themselves to Castlevania, or vice versa? Let us know what you think!
