Some differences set Elden Ring and Bloodborne apart, but both also share similarities that make them easy to compare.
Every few years, a game takes over the internet and quickly becomes a title that gamers will talk about for many years. With the hype around Elden Ring Runes showing no signs of stopping two months after its release, we can assume it’s already been mentioned in ‘greatest of all time’ conversations and arguments. Fortunately, the hype is well-deserved; Elden Ring is an experience that’s begging to be played – even for those that haven’t dabbled with past Soulsbourne games. It contains the DNA of many of FromSoftware’s past projects, and with no immediate plans on the horizon for a Bloodborne sequel, it’s the best that fans can hope for. That said, both games aren’t identical, and there are differences between the two.
Say Hello to My Little Friend
Part of Bloodborne’s unique aesthetic and gameplay is that a weapon slot – the left hand – is almost always reserved entirely for guns. You can wield a few other things in the left hand, but players often carry guns as part of the game’s gun-and-sword combat.
Meanwhile, Elden Ring takes a step back from this and conforms to a more swords-and-magic approach. There’s a clear difference alone in gameplay. Bloodborne guns weren’t used for ranged combat but as parrying tools; even Elden Ring weapons and magic don’t play a similar role.
Shields Play a More Prominent Role in Elden Ring
A deliberate part of Bloodborne’s grand design is that it forces players to treat it differently from other Dark Souls games. Bloodborne fosters a reflex-focused, aggressive combat style rather than something more defensive and patience-focused. And part of that “design” is how the game only features two shields. The first shield you get is a plank of wood, and it’s almost useless and deliberately included as a mere affectionate potshot at Dark Souls players. The second shield, known as the Loch Shield, is slightly more helpful as it can guard against spells but not against physical attacks.
If we look at Elden Ring, shields are present – almost as if with a vengeance. This accompaniment to the swords and staffs is instrumental and even central to some new combat mechanics.
Bloodborne Isn’t Open World
The areas in Bloodborne are pretty open, but this doesn’t extend the world design. Some would argue that Bloodborne didn’t need to be an open-world – each nook and cranny in the game are incredibly flexible and intricate. There are often routes through them and countless shortcuts and secrets that tie the areas together. Although Bloodborne’s areas provide alternate routes, it’s not an open world. You can say that this design is more akin to a series of interlinked corridors. While it provides vastly less freedom than Elden Ring, it provides a more focused experience via more linear routes.
Over on Elden Ring’s side of things, we have the Lands Between, a vast domain ruled by Queen Marika the Eternal. The constituent lands include six vast areas, each ruled by a demigod. In Elden Ring, you get to honestly figure out who your character is and what you want them to be. Depending on the choices you make, you’ll impact everything else.
Aesthetics
The Lands Between of Elden Ring is different from Yharnam; they have a medieval fantasy aesthetic away from the more steampunk-inspired Bloodborne. Bloodborne is a heavily gothic-esque version of London’s Victorian era.
Meanwhile, Elden Ring is the modern depiction of dark age mythology and takes a lot of inspiration from romanticism; think of it as a modern fairy tale. Modern fantasy aesthetics are based on Germanic tradition, but it is usually more overtly Christian. Elden Ring is not and is much closer to the pagan roots of western fantasy. Elden Ring is to the pagan Saga of the Völsungs what traditional fantasy like Tolkien is to the more Christian Nibelungenlied. It is the amalgamation of getting R.R.Martin on board since A Song Of Ice And Fire share the same characteristics regarding their aesthetic and metaphysical aspects.
Final Thoughts
Since Elden Ring is a FromSoftware title, it’s only natural that it’ll incite comparisons from their previous games. It matches earlier FromSoftware gameplay, visuals, and mechanical designs, making it unavoidable for fans to dissect the distinctions between both games. Do you prefer Bloodborne’s style, world, and gameplay? Or does the latter take the top spot for you as it gives more importance to Elden Ring weapons and armor? Let us know down below!
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