I know it’s a lot but it has to be the Forbidden Woods first. Second, Forbidden Woods. Third, all the chalice dungeons. No but seriously second could be Mergo’s Loft.
Wow, absolutely gobsmacked when I checked the views on this video. The production quality is top notch and you have a really soothing voice, and it's nice to see some positivity towards a level that's often picked on (while still acknowledging why people might not enjoy it). Hope to see you and yoir videos around!
"Every area in Bloodborne looks the same" I've heard this complaint many times. It makes no sense; you would have to ignore 90% of the game to believe that.
My understanding is that in pre-release, the game actually would have started in Charnel Lane, at the back. Looking at it through that lens, things like it being "just a smaller version of a BB level" and its incredible overall production value make more sense I think.
As a new indie game developer , learning how to do it as I go.. the number one most difficult thing in making games is levels... it's legit unbelievably challenging and it doesn't matter how much you spend on realistic models and environments, its scale and how it feels
It’s exactly true that the level is brilliantly designed. I can literally feel my nervous system going “oh god…. Not here…” every time I pass through the entry tunnel. It instills this sickening dark and wicked vibe that I think is genius.
I have always loved Hemwick Charnel Lane. The atmosphere is crazy. I highly appreciate the combination of the architectural design with the more organic environment. The level design in terms of gameplay, as well as art, is phenomenal. And I don't dislike the bossfight. I just think it's far from being the best. I always play FromSoft games (or games in general) for the art and story. So I really don't mind most levels or bosses that the community hates. Great analysis! I love these sorts of videos! Especially about Bloodborne!!
Hey leep, can you make a video on blighttown from ds1, I think it's one of the best levels from has designed unfortunately ppl hate it for fps(perfectly understandable on original consoles) and for it having a swamp and being inconvenient. I think considering how many ppl hate it, fromsoftware succeeded at designing it unlike lost izalith blighttown is very carefully crafted with its layout that is so confusing (even after playing through it 3 times I'm still confused) and it might be one of the very few levels very every enemy is unique and never found anywhere else in the entire game. Those guys carrying half eaten corpses are so terrifying infact some of my fav enemy design from fromsoftware. I think blighttown deserves love
As others have said HCL was also one of my fave areas from Bloodborne (Old Yharnham as well). 2:56 this view was amazing seeing it first time. Smoke rising from crooked chimneys, the pointy shaped roofs of the houses/buildings are very distinct and I believe not seen anywhere else in the game. Then the leaves on the ground, gravestones everywhere and just the general vibe of the level. The horse stables with the rotting horse corpse laying there, so many small details. This was also the very first area shown in the ‘Project Beast’ leaked video 8:41 I clearly remember that huge cool looking gate with its twisted metal rungs.
I started my maybe 10th BB run a week or so ago and just the other day I was walking around Hemwick and taking close note to some of the environmental stuff. Probably not my favorite area but it's one I do enjoy traveling through each run.
Agreed with you man. Hemwick is in my top 3 favorite areas in the entire game. Every Halloween, I go to central yarnham and hemwick chernal lane for the 🎃vibes🎃
I absolutely love Hemwick Charnel Lane and the diversity put in such a small level. It's one of the areas where enemy placement in specific environments (and environment diversity in general) just shines. There's also the aspect of time changing the difficulty of the area, as the Mad Ones only spawn at night. On the other side, I absolutely hate the Forbidden Woods, especially the second half, because it is so open and twisted and confusing in its design- which is definitely on purpose and it's supposed to have that effect, but I just don't find it enjoyable to play through the level (again, my main problem is the second half, past the Windmill, everything up until the windmill, including the mill itself, is OK to downright fantastic imo).
I'm pretty sure Mad Ones spawn at any time as long as you have enough insight, which people typically have enough after defeating Vicar Amelia, which is why it seems like they only spawn at night, since it turns night after defeating her.
@@M4ximi11i0n this is also directly related to the woman in the window saying she "just can't wait"- she is likely referring to the ritual summoning the mad ones
It's been a while since I played Bloodborne but part of the reason Wemwick Charnel Lane isn't anywhere near one of my favourite areas is that besides the atmosphere its kind of forgettable at least gameplay-wise. Most of the enemies are ones you have encountered repeatedly at this point and will have gotten pretty good at dealing with on my first playthrough I only turned back to the lantern once and that was to restock on vials before the boss. Every subsequent playthrough I can do the entire area in one go. This is especially easy if you remember to get rid of all your insight before the witches fight or discover that you can hit the second one before phase 2. This contrasts strongly when you compare it to the two other paths besides the entrance to Charnel Lane. One is Amelia who as a boss serves as a wall before the second act of the game in the woods (she is also the most difficult boss up to this point if the player hasn't upgraded their damage output because they are on a second faster run or because they missed old yharman and spent all their echoes on the emblem for the gate) enough due to the healing (i know about numbing mist butit iss pretty hard to get a hold of some before the fight unless you are looking for it)). Amelia massively changes the world too with price increases for key items and the day-night cycle progressing. The other path leads to one of the toughest hunter encounters yet; both of which are unique enemies that are challenging and fun to fight. So if you include gameplay challenge as a significant factor in level design which most soulsborne players do Charnel lane pales. This has a compound effect as you die less/ spend less time their the shortcuts are less memorable and the design has less time to set it. So even its best features are subtracted from. This post probably has some mistakes somewhere as I say its been a while since I played.
Hemwick is the level where Bloodborne "clicked" for me, the one where I said, "oh wow, I finally love this game!" so it'll always be one of my favorites. Come to think of it, this video perfectly explained *why* it's the level where I fell in love with the game.
I appreciate how you went into some of the level's potential downsides at the end. Through the video, I was wondering if you could compare it with other levels to explain how it might have fallen so low on the poll - and you did so honestly and in detail, despite you being one of your favorites. If anything, that only helped me to appreciate the level for what it is and the risks it takes even more.
I think the architecture plays a big part - the insanely detailed architecture of almost every other area is so fascinating and dense that the plain wood and stone buildings in hemwick seem dull, there's not much interesting detail in hastily nailed together planks or stone walls. I do like the area a lot, but aesthetically it's mostly brown, lots of dirt and wood and cloth. Great video, though, glad to see this area get some well-deserved attention!
Least fav location: forbidden woods. I have a deep rooted fear of snakes, so the entire area had me on edge and jumpscared me so much easier than many "real" jumpscares from enemies
Fantastic video, my friend. I always remember the view from the Hemwick lamp, of the gnarled trees and and crooked towers as the moment when I was really enjoying the shit out of Bloodborne.
I love Hemwick Charnal Lane. I spent my teen years in a little, little town about an hour east of Pittsburgh. When I visit Hemwick and it’s the day, it reminds me of a spooky version of that town.
hemwick is one of my favourite levels and i don’t know how people don’t like it. for me the level was actually one of the least scary ones. even levels like central yharnam were more scary for me at the start of my play through and had me peeking around every corner to see if id get jumped or not. hemwick wasnt scary for me because it was really open and you could clearly see the sky, making it brighter than most other levels. but the jump scares had me screaming tho. also i found that the enemies were sparse and relatively far apart from other groups of enemies, which made the level less stressful and more enjoyable. i despise old yharnam because you could never catch a break from enemies. even though hemwick was really short and the boss wasn’t great, i still enjoyed the level itself a lot. great video btw
Many of us have played the game so many times the experience has been streamlined. Hemwick for me is something that needs to be done quick and early to get the workshop tool. My first playthrough was another story entirely. Then, I had no clue what insight was and hadn't spent any of it and having those things spawn in hemwick, at night, and kicking my butt escalated the entire experience. Very much a horror game then! Honestly suprised you didn't mention the insight part.
IMHO, the issue with this level is that it comes out of left field (quite literally, in fact). It is a good level by itself but it doesn't mesh organically with the rest of the world. You take a detour from (what appears to be) the main cathedral of a big city and, after going through a small cave... you end up in a small rural area? I know the entire point of the game is that you are in a nightmare and the geography doesn't make any sense... but whereas the transition to the Forbidden Woods feels "gradual", the same can not be said of Hemwick Charnel Lane.
I enjoyed henwick charnel lane (im in the middle of my first playthrough after loving the game for years). The atmosphere is completely unique and i found that it wasnt as stress inducing as the other levels. It honestly felt like a cautious jaunt
Amazing video! HCL is not one of my personal favorite levels, though as you say that's probably mostly because of the boss that isn't much fun to fight, especially after the play through. Luckily, you also have a video assay about Central Yharnam, which is one of my favorite areas in all of SoulsBorne and IMHO one of the greatest intros to games ever
The reason for Hemwick being so far down in the ranking is because sometimes the fans just don’t know what’s good , but also because every area in Bloodborne is just that well designed. Would love to see a video about another hated area, the forbidden woods, the best forest From has ever made.
One of my favorite too, and leading to another favorite Cainhurst. I love the vibes with the old ladies commoners leading to a castle. I agree 100%, sadly most players simplify fromsoft areas to their bosses, and the witches arent that great.
Great analysis! The sort of run-down rural paranormal vibe has always been one of my favorite aesthetics in horror, so I do love this area (even if I wish it was a bit longer and had a more fun boss). I’d be interested to see your analysis of Nightmare of Mensis, cuz that’s another favorite of mine that I’ve always thought was a bit underrated
Awesome video! Hemwick definitely gets bashed for it's boss however I really enjoy this area for what it is. I also love how tight it feels and isn't just giving you a bigger area for the sake of it. Also Elden Ring drew several points of inspiration from this level whether intentional or not. The cainhurst tombstone action is so similar to the map tombstones in ER as well as the witches themselves.
This is one of my favorite locations. I nearly died the last time I came through it, but prevailed in a single setting. Also like the bonus Cainhurst castle, which clearly is a nod to Castlevania.
There is so much to appreciate about your videos, and thank you for making them! This was an excellent breakdown of HCL. I love your focus on reasoned analysis of game design, even when it comes to less liked parts of the game. I would agree that the boss is one of the biggest detractors from people’s overall opinion of the level. However, it also points out the one thing about this level that I think this video unfortunately missed: The mad ones. They are an *awesome* enemy that is almost missable. They are one of the few gameplay elements that most players will encounter which are directly affected by insight, and imo the most interesting. While for most of the game it’s a currency and a minor element of resource management (frenzy/beast bars), it is otherwise connected mostly to aesthetic and small Easter eggs. HCL eschews that idea entirely. The mad ones increase the horror element of the area exponentially. They are large and imposing, wildly aggressive once you get close, and completely different from anything else in the area. Even just seeing them rise from the ground is an event in and of itself. Plus, they are stationed at sections of the level which already apply pressure to the player. First at the gate after the woods, super far away from other lamps and with the new one just out of reach. Then in the midst of an ambush of some of the most dangerous enemies in the zone. *Then* as an obstacle to collecting a wandering madness that is pretty far into the level and annoying to get back to. But they only show up if you have enough insight. 15 for the zone and at least 1 for the boss, guaranteeing their presence for the boss the first time, but avoidable during further attempts if you know this. Granted, if you know about this effect then you likely already aren’t dying much to witches. Put all of that together and you get a unique experience of the game that makes the zone really stand out. Also they’re great for early game blood echo farming if you’re playing offline and feel behind. As a final note, thanks for showcasing the Stake Driver! It’s refreshing to see footage that isn’t just more Saw Cleaver.
Very cool addition to the discussion on this level, thanks for sharing! (And I love the stake driver, just wish I had the patience to actually learn how to use it effectively)
Id like you to make a video specifically about shortcuts and how to make them more unique than the typical elevators,locked door that doesnt open from this side or a kickable ladder.
Please do more levels for this series, I am so hooked. Not sure if it’s possible, but I’m a huge fan of the chalice dungeons and the atmosphere they have with their enemy and environment variety compared to the main game, otherwise the dlc research hall would be cool to see too 😍
In my opinion.. this game has no bad area... it's complete and super awesome... now after 8 years from the start of the game we still playing this masterpiece
Hemwick Lane is my favorite point of pacing in Bloodborne by far. Easily the most memorable area in the game for me. In my opinion, you have to visit at night both for the lighting and vistas being more interesting and the more interesting enemy variety.
Well, look at that, my obsession with bloodborne has brought me to another under appreciated essay channel Excellent video, and I just watched the one on Central Yharnam too. Me subscribe. ++, I’m also shocked Hemwick was so disliked in that ranking I always consider this a prelude to Cainhurst, tied for my favored area of the game (with upper Cathedral Ward)
The level design is so good at what it does that People os terrified by it and does not really want to go in there again and that makes absolute sense for a normal person. Its really good and Perturbating and you dont want to watch it again even thought you know the movie is great
Just a head up from a long time souls player, it’s not that people don’t like the area per say it’s more the specific enemy types and the boss of the area are super creepy but not very engaging and come off as more of a chore to play through each time. That being said I love this video man it’s so cool to see people analyzing other things about the games I love that I mark not have realized on my own 🤙🏿
The Witches of Hemwick boss fight is cleary my least favorite part of it. But it also doesn't drag down my appreciation of this area too much. It's always a pleasure to make this detour. And I always do it befoire Vicar Amelia. I just love that sunset sky so much, and especially for Hewmick Charnel Lane. I honestly don't really know if there's an area I don't like... My least favorite (that I still enjoy), miiight be... Yahar'gul... Maybe... 😅 And I couldn't chose a favorite... Hewmick, Central Yharnam, research hall, Cainhurst... No idea... :P Great video ! That was a really pleasant watch !
I am, conflicted about hemwick charnel. I think before I have seen the video that hemwick charnel's level mad ones should be forced with no insight requirement. They make the area much more interesting. Otherwise I don't think I know why I don't enjoy it as much as the rest of the areas.
I wouldn't change a single location in this masterpiece. The only this I wish was different is that Micolash was a better fight. I think it would have been better if he ran from you only to appear randomly near and aggress the crap out of you.
I think a lot of the low score can just be attributed to the fact that people's main association with Hemwick is the witches, not the zone. They just see a name on a list they don't really remember much of, but that the name is something they didn't like. A great zone overshadowed completely by a wet fart of a boss at the end.
I was just thinking this. And maybe a hot take, but although the witches is a dumb boss fight, the boss arena is just absolutely phenomenal atmosphere and creepy vibes
what? hemwick is really high on my favourite level-list for Bloodborne! but then: I like the Forbidden Woods as well... nearly everyone seems to hate it.
Forbidden Woods is an interesting one... I don't particularly enjoy it (the second half mostly) but at the same time I think it accomplishes pretty much exactly what it sets out to do.
Hemwick ranks very high for me, though I think the main reason is that the rest of Bloodborne is just that amazing that a good level is just not good enough.
Honestly great video while I still find hemwick to be pretty linear its tied with cainhurst for my favorite level asthetically in the game (especially with the noon skybox) and I felt surprised no one acknowledged it in the video and I am happy you did Now I understand that you might not feel the same way but I would love a video on forbidden woods since I think its one of the best levels from has ever designed
I love all of the areas equally but I do understand why people might feel indifferent to this one. How you enter a level is so important and here you’re essentially put into an area that gets you easily overwhelmed by the most unfair feeling positioning of guns and dogs. It’s an area you should just run through quite frankly.
I would rather grind in Hemwick for several hours than ever have to re-experience finding my way through the forbidden woods the first time (as a lot gremlin no less) 😬
Hemwick is aesthetically top tier with its layout, ambience, enemies, and environmental story telling... but falls flat with the boss at its end. If Hemwick had a good boss, even a mid tier boss, itd be an elite sequence.
I always got a hillybilly horror and folk horror vibe from Hemwick. As I live in a place with a lot of crazy homeless and drug addicts, this zone had a lot of versemilitude to it honestly.
As almost everyone here is just sucking HCL off, I’ll give some pointers as to why some people may not like it. First of all, Bloodborne has so many awesome levels that a mediocre one tends to be left last. Secondly, I personally dislike the enemies in this area very much. Overall I prefer beasts more, and honestly these witches just tended to be very annyoing (looking at you hot glowy stick enemies 😂).
Hemwick is also a bit 'ugly' compared to other areas. Central Yharnam and Cainhurst have a elegant, refined look to them, whereas, as you say, Hemwick looks crooked and countryside-esque. I don't think it's a bad thing, some places should look 'ugly' (e.g. a sewer), but that would cause people to not think of it fondly.
Visually and themetically this is one of my favorite areas in the game, but ut just felt increadibly short and easy to me. I know it's possible to get there much earlier but most players will most likely enter it after beating the BSB or even Vicar Amelia and at tjat point it's not challengin anymore. Also the boss is kinda part of the identity of any area imo. It's the final part and a "reward" in a way. While the idea behind the witch is kinda cool it unlimetly is a pretty lame boss after the first attempt.
I gotta say tho, the idea of the gun toting enemies being hunters (of the game hunting sort) is odd considering they all wear top hats. Not what I consider hunting attire.
I would disagree that Bloodborne isn't a horror game. I think it's a horror game that plays like a Soulslike. I think it's easy to assume that horror games need to make you slow and suck at combat and really only good at running away from an unbeatable monster (at least, based on my experience bouncing off of a lot of other horror games), but I don't think that's mandatory. You can be a godslaying badass like a FromSoft protagonist controlled by someone who "git gud"-ed, and, as Bloodborne amply demonstrates, still wind up with only horrific endings to a night of agonizing, mind-rending terror. Hell, by letting you run around murderering gods, it demonstrates a degree of impotence before phenomenonal cosmic power Lovecraft could only dream of. The steamship could only ineffectually ram Cthulhu, but the protagonist of Bloodborne can cut down countless old gods and still have no better choices than "wake up, and try to convince yourself this was just a bad dream" or "become one of the Old Ones yourself."
I like this take, thanks for sharing. I went back and forth on whether or not to include that line in the script. It sounds like you and I have similar feelings on other horror games (that is, I dislike a lot of the traditional tropes and standards in that genre), so I can definitely appreciate the "horror game that plays like a Soulslike" perspective. Bloodborne is certainly one of the most hopeless games I've played and as you've pointed out that can result in a pretty unique brand of terror.
For me, there's a level that's even worse: forbidden woods. Too long, too convoluted that even after multiple plays, I don't have a clear mental map. But this charnel? Just boring. There is nothing really interesting here. I agree with you that it shows From Software's brand of level design, but everywhere else, the same bran shines even more, or the bosses, visuals, enemies and themes are.more engaging.
