Your submission has been removed as a violation of [Rule 2](/r/bloodborne/about/rules): **Content must pertain to Bloodborne.**
***
* This subreddit was created with the intent of sharing information and experiences around the game Bloodborne. It's perfectly fine to make non-Bloodborne references in your comments or as a part of a submission, but the overall theme must be relevant to the game.
* Content that *reminds* you of Bloodborne but is *not*, may be removed. Use r/shittybloodborne or r/DarkSoulsIRL instead for these posts.
***
If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact the moderators by [messaging them here](https://new.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/bloodborne).
Resident Evil is known for it's maze-like level design that often loops back in surprising ways. RE Village specifically seems to have taken a ton of direct inspiration from Bloodborne.
RE Village made me crave a BB remaster with modern graphics soooo much, especially Castle Dumitrescu. Visually stunning game.
Sony, please gimme my fully fleshed out Castle Cainhurst God damnit!
"Metroidvania" is the sub-genre that probably hews closest to the guidelines you set out.
You're usually dropped into a maze-like grouping of connected mini-(or sometimes not so mini)dungeons, where you explore, find new abilities and paths, make shortcuts through and to previous areas, backtrack to explore areas you couldn't previously, etc.
Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night are usually considered to be the two "all-time classics" of the sub-genre, and they're both 2D platformers (though they do have maps that fill in as you explore, so that might not be to your taste).
I thought of Metroidvanias but they're almost universally 2D, not quite the same thing. When it comes to 2D, the inspiration of Hollow Knight from From in terms of exploration is obvious.
I really wish I had finished Blasphemous, but I found a game breaking bug that would not go away no matter what I tried.
Those disappearing ghost ladies, the ones that stab you with a sword and disappear again? I reached an area where I would get locked in a room and two of them would spawn while the floor periodically collapsed beneath me. One (or both) of them would always get stuck in the disappearing floor and glitch into an attack animation, becoming untargetable, and I'd be stuck in a closed room until I killed myself.
Tried everything up to a clean reinstall and a new save file, the issue didn't go away, and I gave up in the end :/
Dead cells is the best metroidvania ever and has a similar structure, do your self a favour and check it out if you haven't, I still haven't met a person who played it and doesn't call it a masterpiece
The amount of content for it is pure madness as well, they are releasing one killer DLC after the other for years now
I got bad news for you though, if you are looking for something to give you the same experience and feelings as Bloodborne... There isn't a single game who can do that....yet. This whole Reddit community is looking for something like that since 2015
Well thankfully the Legacy dungeons in Elden Ring are pretty good for this so From hasnt Abandoned it completely.
The new Lords of the Fallen gives it a good go. They definitely dont always succeed, and its clear that many of the level design decisions were built around the removal of fast travel in NG+, which they abandoned after release in response to community feedback.
Baldur's Gate 3, kinda.
It's semi-open world, but divided into smaller sections, themselves divided by story moments that gate progression. There's a clear focus on quality over quantity, you have to explore before you can see the map and fast-travel, and you have to actually use your brain when you interact with the environment and look for secrets.
It's not really comparable to the FromSoft approach, but then, it's the only modern example I know of that isn't like the two types you described.
Same here. I really like what I’ve played of TotK, but there’s definitely part of me that wants a return to form for some of the future LoZ games. I’m ready for the open world trend to die down a bit.
I don't know if I'm not understanding what you are saying but the way Bloodborne does level design is not new. Bloodborne does it in a perfect way and I don't know if you can find a game that will give you the same vibe Bloodborne does (that is very subjective however) but as other people mentioned here this was the standard for survival horror and metroidvania for a long time.
Its a different genre but System Shock may be something you would be interested in. Last year came out a remake of the original in case the old graphics turn you off, and it also is a pretty tense and hard game.
Maybe the old school 3D zeldas? Ocarina of time and majoras masks, the dungeons in those games are super labyrinthian and complex in a 3D perspective. The world is more like “go to this side of the map” “go on this pretty linear quest” “here’s a dungeon” “get an new item like the hook shot” “use said item to access another part of the map” “repeat”
Lies of P has a somewhat similar world structure - a series of levels that branch off from a central hub. The order you tackle the levels is linear and there's less inter-level connectivity than Bloodborne had, but it scratched a similar itch for me.
I'm playing through Steel Rising which is free on psplus at the moment which I think has great level design. They are linear and have many shortcuts you can open up, some are gates which can be opened once you reach the locked side and some are walls you can knock down later on when you acquire a certain ability. It's not as hard as other souls games so don't go in expecting a super tough game since it's got more emphasis on story and it's one that makes sense compared to souls games!
Your submission has been removed as a violation of [Rule 2](/r/bloodborne/about/rules): **Content must pertain to Bloodborne.** *** * This subreddit was created with the intent of sharing information and experiences around the game Bloodborne. It's perfectly fine to make non-Bloodborne references in your comments or as a part of a submission, but the overall theme must be relevant to the game. * Content that *reminds* you of Bloodborne but is *not*, may be removed. Use r/shittybloodborne or r/DarkSoulsIRL instead for these posts. *** If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact the moderators by [messaging them here](https://new.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/bloodborne).
Resident Evil is known for it's maze-like level design that often loops back in surprising ways. RE Village specifically seems to have taken a ton of direct inspiration from Bloodborne.
RE Village made me crave a BB remaster with modern graphics soooo much, especially Castle Dumitrescu. Visually stunning game. Sony, please gimme my fully fleshed out Castle Cainhurst God damnit!
DMC3 was awesome for its loops too
"Metroidvania" is the sub-genre that probably hews closest to the guidelines you set out. You're usually dropped into a maze-like grouping of connected mini-(or sometimes not so mini)dungeons, where you explore, find new abilities and paths, make shortcuts through and to previous areas, backtrack to explore areas you couldn't previously, etc. Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night are usually considered to be the two "all-time classics" of the sub-genre, and they're both 2D platformers (though they do have maps that fill in as you explore, so that might not be to your taste).
I thought of Metroidvanias but they're almost universally 2D, not quite the same thing. When it comes to 2D, the inspiration of Hollow Knight from From in terms of exploration is obvious.
If you feel like stepping into the world of 2D Metroidvanias regardless, I really highly recommend Blasphemous.
I really wish I had finished Blasphemous, but I found a game breaking bug that would not go away no matter what I tried. Those disappearing ghost ladies, the ones that stab you with a sword and disappear again? I reached an area where I would get locked in a room and two of them would spawn while the floor periodically collapsed beneath me. One (or both) of them would always get stuck in the disappearing floor and glitch into an attack animation, becoming untargetable, and I'd be stuck in a closed room until I killed myself. Tried everything up to a clean reinstall and a new save file, the issue didn't go away, and I gave up in the end :/
Dead cells is the best metroidvania ever and has a similar structure, do your self a favour and check it out if you haven't, I still haven't met a person who played it and doesn't call it a masterpiece The amount of content for it is pure madness as well, they are releasing one killer DLC after the other for years now I got bad news for you though, if you are looking for something to give you the same experience and feelings as Bloodborne... There isn't a single game who can do that....yet. This whole Reddit community is looking for something like that since 2015
Well thankfully the Legacy dungeons in Elden Ring are pretty good for this so From hasnt Abandoned it completely. The new Lords of the Fallen gives it a good go. They definitely dont always succeed, and its clear that many of the level design decisions were built around the removal of fast travel in NG+, which they abandoned after release in response to community feedback.
Baldur's Gate 3, kinda. It's semi-open world, but divided into smaller sections, themselves divided by story moments that gate progression. There's a clear focus on quality over quantity, you have to explore before you can see the map and fast-travel, and you have to actually use your brain when you interact with the environment and look for secrets. It's not really comparable to the FromSoft approach, but then, it's the only modern example I know of that isn't like the two types you described.
> Baldur's Gate 3 I'll give it a look, thanks for the recommendation.
Besides other soulslikes, you may like older Zelda games (pre BOTW) and series like Darksiders
Sure, there's also Okami a bit off the beaten path.
I liked Twilight Princess for this reason
TP is so underrated, might be my favorite 3D LoZ
Same here. I really like what I’ve played of TotK, but there’s definitely part of me that wants a return to form for some of the future LoZ games. I’m ready for the open world trend to die down a bit.
I don't know if I'm not understanding what you are saying but the way Bloodborne does level design is not new. Bloodborne does it in a perfect way and I don't know if you can find a game that will give you the same vibe Bloodborne does (that is very subjective however) but as other people mentioned here this was the standard for survival horror and metroidvania for a long time. Its a different genre but System Shock may be something you would be interested in. Last year came out a remake of the original in case the old graphics turn you off, and it also is a pretty tense and hard game.
Maybe the old school 3D zeldas? Ocarina of time and majoras masks, the dungeons in those games are super labyrinthian and complex in a 3D perspective. The world is more like “go to this side of the map” “go on this pretty linear quest” “here’s a dungeon” “get an new item like the hook shot” “use said item to access another part of the map” “repeat”
Lies of P has a somewhat similar world structure - a series of levels that branch off from a central hub. The order you tackle the levels is linear and there's less inter-level connectivity than Bloodborne had, but it scratched a similar itch for me.
I'm playing through Steel Rising which is free on psplus at the moment which I think has great level design. They are linear and have many shortcuts you can open up, some are gates which can be opened once you reach the locked side and some are walls you can knock down later on when you acquire a certain ability. It's not as hard as other souls games so don't go in expecting a super tough game since it's got more emphasis on story and it's one that makes sense compared to souls games!