Bloodborne: The Old Hunters Reviews
Generous, artful and brutally hard, The Old Hunters is the perfect send-off for a modern masterpiece.
The Old Hunters is another shot in the arm of the same serum that coursed through Bloodborne's veins. Though diehards may pillage its secrets quickly, my approximate 15 hours spent delving its depths and gleefully employing each new destructive tool felt satisfyingly dense. The Old Hunters is an impressive return to From Software's oppressive and rewarding universe, and while it retreads much of the same path, it's very much a path worth taking.
Ultra-challenging and demanding of your time, The Old Hunters isn't for the easily intimidated. But its morsels of lore, imaginative weapons, and engaging battles are all the reward you need.
An excellent expansion to what is not only the best game of the year, but one of the best action games of all-time.
An essential add-on to the core game, offering significant challenges and new ways to play the game through weapons and other goodies to suit all playstyles
There's beauty in both success and failure in Bloodborne. A one-second lapse in concentration can place you at the receiving end of a fatal combo but if you can maintain a persistent presence of mind, a triple-digit killstreak is not unheard of. Being tested by new foes in these new lands is an unquestionable joy, as is the ability to bring these newfound armaments and treasures into the main game. The Old Hunters is Bloodborne from another time and place, and with more difficult bosses and confounding stories to unravel, it's a fitting complement to the original, gruesome adventure.
From Software has always excelled when it comes to DLC, and The Old Hunters is no exception. It's simply some of the best Bloodborne content you'll ever find, especially if you blazed through the game last Spring and need a valid reason to relive the nightmare all over again.
The Old Hunters aims to deepen the experience of the original by taking the good ideas in Bloodborne and expanding on them. And on those terms it's a success. Still, anyone that hoped for an easier time or more story, a reason to play will be disappointed, but I doubt anyone who has finished Bloodborne would still be thinking of those things. Then again, I sort of did, as a gamer that loves the Lovecraftian vibe FromSoftware supplies, but was tired of dying over and over. The bottom line is that any worthwhile DLC should be for fans first, right? If so, that's where The Old Hunters shines.
While I'm glad I had an excuse to drop into the world of Yharnam once again, there's a part of me that feels disappointed that this will be the last, and only add-on for Bloodborne.
If you haven't played Bloodborne yet, this is the perfect time to start. If you've already sliced your way through the bloody streets of Yharnam, The Old Hunters gives you plenty of good reasons to come back for more. I give the expansion a resounding Buy in my Buy/Hold/Sell scale. It's worth every penny and every bloody, grueling minute of your time.
From Software has always excelled when it comes to DLC, and The Old Hunters is no exception. It's simply some of the best Bloodborne content you'll ever find, especially if you blazed through the game last Spring and need a valid reason to relive the nightmare all over again.
The Old Hunters faithfully adds to the gothic adventure of Bloodborne, and reminds you how delightfully wicked that bunch at From Software really are.
The Old Hunters is for better or worse, more Bloodborne. If you're looking for a reason to return to Yharnam, this is a worthy expansion for the game. It'll give you just about everything you've come to expect from From Software RPGs — new enemies to fight, new weapons and items to uncover, a big new map to explore, and of course, the soul crushing defeats.
For the most part, The Old Hunters feels like a tight, good bit of content that fans of the original game will thoroughly enjoy. The Old Hunters ratchets up Bloodborne's difficulty quite a bit. But in doing so, the satisfaction of beating bosses only gets stronger. Found throughout the confines of the expansion are a host of new weapons and armor, all of which are welcome additions. The visual design is stronger than ever, as well. From Software has confirmed that there are no current plans for future Bloodborne expansions, meaning The Old Hunters is more than likely the bow on top of Miyazaki's 2015 project. If that is the case, it is a solid outing for one of the best games of 2015.
The Old Hunter's is a great expansion for die hard fans of Bloodborne. It brings a good amount of fresh content to the game without doing anything to alter the formula. It's more of the same, which is a good thing. Just be prepared for the difficulty as it is as unrelenting as ever.
I can't really stress how much I love this expansion though. It provided more of what people loved about Bloodborne; fantastic music, cool trick weapons, and monstrous bosses that will kick your ass.
The Old Hunters is a worthwhile expansion to one of the best games of the year and a shining example of how DLC should be made.
A brilliant expansion to an already unmissable gaming experience.
It's great to see some new areas and bosses for Bloodborne, but as it stands I don't find it necessary. Most that love Bloodborne will eat this new content up with a silver spoon wanting more. I'm content with what the base game offered, and find it almost unnecessary, but I do appreciate what is offered for those wanting more reasons to jump back into the world of monsters and hunters.
Bloodborne: The Old Hunters is much more of the same from what is already an outstanding game. The new environments and boss encounters add hours to the main experience, but it's the deluge of additional equipment that will keep veterans most occupied. If you've been yearning for a reason to return to Yharnam, then this DLC practically demands your Blood Echoes. Just remember that the life of hunter is defined by death – and you're going to die a lot.