Bloodborne releases worldwide this Friday so everyone will be able to adventure through the city of Yharnam and fight its mutated terrors. Seeing as we have had some time with the game and being Souls veterans, we’d thought we’d compile a short guide to help any players who are finding their first trip through Yharnam a bit overwhelming.

Prepare to die. A lot.

This is just second nature to any hardcore Souls fan but you are going to die many times whilst playing Bloodborne. The game even requires you to die at the very beginning in order to get your first weapon so don’t worry. Take each death in stride and try to learn from it. You may lose some Blood Echoes but thanks to the new retrieval system, all is not lost even if you die twice.

Enemies can pick up your Blood Echoes.

This is a change that will effect everyone. Seeing as the inhabitants of Yharnam are a lot more aggressive and mobile, they have a tendency to wander around the world map, even after you die. Due to this change, enemies can walk over and pick up your bloodstain and thus your Blood Echoes. You can tell if an enemy has your Echoes due to their glowing white eyes when they turn to face you. Enemies will actually retain your Blood Echoes over a short period, so as long as you kill them within a time limit, you can still pick up your hard earned XP even if you die multiple times. However, if they are left on the ground, they will still decay after one death. Also note, bosses cannot pick up your Blood Echoes, only normal enemies can.

Being aggressive is healthy!

Bloodborne’s health system is slightly different to the Souls series, as health does not instantly disappear off your health bar when you get hit. Instead, the silver dot indicating your current health will move, while the damage taken will gradually tick down over a few seconds until it reaches that silver dot. If you go on the offensive and start attacking in that tick down period, you will actually regain your lost health if you hit an enemy. Even if you kill said enemy, you will keep regaining health until you finish that string of attacks so keep swinging! Hostiles in Yharnam are very aggressive compared to those found in Lordran or Drangleic, but this also means they can be staggered much easier. So, if all looks bleak, sometimes going down swinging might actually save your life.

Stealth is sometimes as effective though.

While it does pay to be aggressive, sometimes the forces of Yharnam are just too great. Thanks to the roaming enemies though, it means that stealth is the better option in some situations. Make sure to hold back at times to let patrols pass by, before sneaking behind enemies to get to the next safe zone. It may not stay safe for that long mind you.

Even if they look big and hit hard, keep swinging for that extra bit of health.

Pick the Pistol for caution, Blunderbuss for bravery.

When you get your first melee weapon, you also have the choice of picking your sidearm. If you are new to a Souls game or are just a bit cautious on your first outing, pick the Pistol as your weapon. Its longer range allows you to aggro individual enemies much easier and whittle down large groups one by one. However, you do have the tradeoff of it being the more precise weapon for scoring staggers on attacking foes. The Blunderbuss on the other hand has a very short range but is better for scoring staggers on marauding enemies. If you are used to parrying in other Souls games or prefer the heat of battle, pick the Blunderbuss.

You need Insight to level up. Make sure to save it!

Insight is Bloodborne’s version of humanity, with the key difference of it not being lost when you die. You receive Insight for beating bosses, consuming Madmen’s Knowledge or engaging in jolly co-operation with other players. In order to level up, you need 1 point of Insight to summon a specific NPC so don’t panic on not being able to level up once you enter the Hunter’s Dream. Once you beat the first boss, you will have enough Insight to start to level up your skills. Insight also acts as a form of currency, with it being used in a specific shop in the Hunter’s Dream to buy special items and as the way to summon players into your world if you need help. As a precaution, I would not spend any Insight until you have over 10 points. This way, you can access the Insight Shop in the Hunter’s Dream which allows you to buy the items required to invade and be summoned by other players, by the time you have beaten the 2nd boss. Then, you can spend it to your heart’s content.

Make sure to grind Blood Vials whenever you can.

Blood Vials are your main source of healing in Bloodborne, being similar to Lifegems or Healing Grass in previous Souls games. You will run out of them very quickly once you get to a tough area so make sure to grind out as many as you can, whenever you can. Most humanoid enemies drop them and the game will automatically store any excess Blood Vials in your Storage Box, should you reach the starting item cap of 20. You will also auto replenish your stocks of Blood Vials when you respawn at a Messenger Lamp, assuming you have any left in storage. This applies to Quicksilver Bullets and any other consumable so make sure to have a surplus where ever possible. However, the game has a soft limit on consumable item drops, with enemies beginning to drop Shining Coins if they have dropped a certain amount of items. If enemies start consistently dropping Shining Coins, they are probably out of Blood Vials or other consumables so consider looking elsewhere.

Grab the Tiny Music Box.

This is a very specific tip if you are struggling on the 2nd boss. Around the sewer area in Central Yharnam, there will be an NPC near a ladder and a gate which you can open to make a shortcut. If you talk to this NPC, they will give you a Tiny Music Box as part of their questline. If you use this item during the 2nd boss, you will have a much easier time if you are finding it difficult to approach them to attack.

Keep an eye on the sky.

As you quest through Yharnam and defeat the first couple of bosses, the weather and time of day will start to change, giving way to certain events and new roaming enemies. Be wary of these changes, as you may stumble across bigger and badder enemies as a result of you defeating a boss, with these new enemies possibly leading you to mysterious new locations. Keep your eyes peeled for any mobs which don’t look quite in keeping with the rest of your surroundings.

Hopefully, the tips given in this very short guide will make the first few hours of Bloodborne not as painful as they might otherwise have been. Make sure to read any notes you find from other players, leave your own and help any other struggling Hunters out as they quest through the festering city of Yharnam. Expect more Bloodborne coverage and our full review of the game very soon.