Bloodborne’s flaws are part of what makes it so special

Players have been demanding a Bloodborne remaster for years. For many, it remains the best game FromSoftware ever made, and one of the few games in its modern offerings to have yet received a significant remaster or remake. It’s also exclusive to the PS4, meaning that not only is it limited to an older platform, but it’s also hampered by technical issues that prevent it from being a true masterpiece. It doesn’t run, it doesn’t look good and even playing on the PS5 isn’t ideal.

But as someone who played Bloodborne in the worst possible conditions during its launch window, I was still completely blown away by everything it achieved. It presents a world so dense in its atmosphere and so imaginative in its overall design that you can’t help but be entranced by it. I remember going to the gym with a close friend at university as we talked about top builds and how they compared to previous FromSoft games with their focus on ruthless aggression.

Bloodborne’s original form is a beautiful time capsule

And this came after several weeks of playing through the campaign indoors while slaving away on a weak 720p monitor and a non-existent internet connection. I had little resources to fix the game’s previous launch problems, so I had to endure loading screens that lasted almost 40 seconds every time, and every time I died fighting bosses I was unable to summon help, no matter how hard I tried tried it. I experienced Bloodborne passionately and enjoyed every single second of it.

The PS4 version also suffers from uneven frame pacing, performance issues, and a 1080p presentation with rotten environments with jagged edges and aliasing. It can be hard to see on a modern 4K display, and aside from the PS5 Pro’s automatic upscaling, no official patches have been released to take advantage of new hardware.

A community has formed to emulate Bloodborne on PC for better graphics and performance, or use modding software to unlock the framerate on console to see how much it can be pushed. Instead of turning to another game, people are standing by Bloodborne because of what it is just so good. A game so masterful that people are willing to put its flaws aside. At the same time, however, the desire for a remaster has never been as great as it is today.

Thanks to a recent conspiracy, the remaster fire has been fueled even further. As part of a recent live-action trailer, fans suspect that a PlayStation announcement could be made on December 3rd. On the same day, Bloodborne will undergo online maintenance, meaning multiplayer will be unavailable for a short period of time. The fact that both things are happening at the same time simply cannot be a coincidence and fans believe that a Bloodborne-related project needs to be announced. Maybe a PC version, a PS5 Pro patch, or even a full remaster. I’m impressed by their confidence, even though industry people like Jeff Grubb have already told them not to get their hopes up.

If Bloodborne ever gets remastered, I’ll miss what it used to be

Don’t get me wrong, I would love a Bloodborne remaster with 4K picture quality and 60 frames per second, not to mention the rush I would get if I had the chance to do it again with a new list of trophies to play. It still looks incredible today, and its artistic design shines despite technical limitations. Now imagine what Bloodborne could look like if these obstacles were removed. I’m getting dizzy just thinking about it.

But it also reminds me of Dark Souls Remastered, which more than doubled performance on consoles and eliminated many of the nasty problems that plagued the PS3 and Xbox 360. But I loved those original versions despite their screen tearing and erratic performance. I’ll never forget my first experience playing through Dark Souls and Bloodborne and how I let those flaws fade into the background because playing them was magical.

When a remaster comes out, the original PS4 version is labeled as inferior, as if playing it was always a chore and the memories we made while playing it weren’t even worth remembering. But they were, and it would be foolish to claim otherwise. Bloodborne’s comeback will be a double-edged sword. Part of me will shout its brilliance from the rooftops while the other will mourn its original flawed state, which is in danger of being forgotten.

Bloodborne is a PlayStation 4 exclusive title developed by Dark Souls and Elden Ring creator FromSoftware and released in 2015. A critically acclaimed action RPG, you must traverse the city of Yharnam to find a cure for a mysterious illness.