Bloodborne PSX Fan Game
Yes, Bloodborne Is Still Locked Behind PlayStation Bars (For Now Anyway)
Riding high off the success of its Souls series, FromSoftware released Bloodborne in 2015 as a separate title, drawing elements from Souls but leaving a mark in its own way. Bloodborne was unique in that it's heavily influenced by gothic lore and aesthetics. It is also heavily action-oriented, encouraging players to put on the offense as it's beneficial to the player's survival. Bloodborne was successful enough to warrant several DLCs as well as the fans pleading to Sony for a PC port. With the release of Bloodborne PSX, the fans finally have their wishes granted.
Well, not really, of course. The chance for Bloodborne having a PC port increases as Sony has recently begun to release their own titles on Steam, including Horizon Zero Dawn and God Of War. In the meanwhile, one dedicated fan decided to take matters into her own hands. Bloodborne has been released on the PC, but reimagined as a PSX "demake," answering the question fans never knew they needed an answer for. If Bloodborne was released on the PlayStation 1, how would it function?
The Dedication To PSX Retro Is Surreal
Players are greeted with a nostalgic PSX boot sequence upon starting up the game, plus several reminders that Bloodborne PSX is a fan game. It is in no way affiliated with Sony, FromSoftware, and any other official developers. Even the title of the "developer," FanSoftware is cute. Players will also be greeted to a very accurate CRT set-up and a certain "PSX" haziness that can only be experienced on an old tube television.
There are many graphical settings that can be altered to the player's liking. I'll come back to this later, as the "PSX settings" are meant to keep up with retro aesthetics. However, it's perfect and scarily accurate even down to the "load times" and "fps limitations." Upon starting a New Game, the introduction pans out similarly to Bloodborne's intro. The protagonist is tied to a gurney shortly before an operation is done on them. They wake up, with no weapons, and an entire town hunting the protagonist.
Fans Of Bloodborne Will Be Impressed With Its Consistency
Everything that happens in the opening 10 minutes, from waking up without a weapon to eventually dying and entering Hunter's Dream for the first time, happens in the original Bloodborne. This fangame wasn't made just with the "Bloodborne" title in mind, it truly is Bloodborne envisioned on the PSX. Players who are used to the original PS4 title will be able to connect the dots quickly as events that happened in the original take place in the fan game.
There are some limitations instilled in the game that are unique to this version, again, keeping the "PSX" gameplay intact. There is no analog support, with all action used with the digital pad as if a player was using a PSX controller. Aiming is used by holding a button, moving the aim with the d-pad, and releasing to fire a gun. It is with these limitations that offer a new way to enjoy Bloodborne while keeping the spirit alive.
The PSX And Dark Gameplay Goes Hand In Hand
When it comes to using the PSX's limitations to its advantage, games like Silent Hill and Nightmare Creatures used the PSX's lack of draw distance to build atmosphere. It was the minimalist approach that was enough to invoke emotions of despair and wonder at the time and Bloodborne PSX is no different. Compared to the original, the "PSX" version is noticeably dark, with enemies far in the distance despite hearing their voices in the distance.
The demake plays more like a modern game than most modern titles, fitting the "dark gothic" aesthetic. Playing this on a CRT with a classic PlayStation pad can truly pass this off as a PlayStation game. Someone should burn this on a PSX compatible disc and see if it can work that way, although I'm not too sure about the difficulty of this process. What makes this beautiful is that the game looks amazing with the "PSX" effects turned off.
Unlocked, Bloodborne PSX Is An Entirely New Game
Playing Bloodborne PSX in 1080p with an unlocked FPS is like night and day, offering two stark differences in gameplay. Playing the game with a solid uncapped FPS offers buttery smooth gameplay while playing it as a "PSX" title offers a sense of nostalgia. For a fan game, it's like playing two games in one.
For a fan title, Bloodborne PSX is an amazing title to try out. It's not the entire game, of course, but the attention to detail is paramount. With the latest 1.02 patch currently available, there are more updates on the horizon. Hopefully, the developers look at such a fangame with praise and that it doesn't get the "Nintendo" treatment.
The Bloodborne PSX fangame is currently available right now on PC.