Bloodborne
Games review
As of Jul 9, 2026, Bloodborne is rated 91/100 on OpenCritic (112 critic reviews), and 92/100 on Metacritic (100 critic reviews). Each source is shown in its own units, never blended into one score.
Is Bloodborne worth it in 2026?
Bloodborne holds a 91 on OpenCritic across 112 critic reviews and a 92 on Metacritic across 100 critic reviews, scores that reflect a genuine critical consensus, not a lucky average. Ten of the sampled reviews independently cite the challenging, rewarding gameplay loop as a core strength, while the gothic art direction and atmospheric world design are praised as purposeful and coherent rather than decorative. The souls formula receives a meaningful overhaul here, bringing a freshness to familiar mechanics and a brand new setting that changes how the game fundamentally feels to play. The one documented complaint is technical in nature, and at least one reviewer said this friction kept the score from going higher, so it is worth taking seriously even if it did not dent the overall consensus.
PS4 owners who want a punishing, atmospheric action RPG with a distinctive Lovecraftian gothic identity and the patience to learn from repeated failure, reviewers specifically called it a system seller for dedicated gamers who do not yet own a PS4.
At least one reviewer flagged technical issues as a genuine irritant significant enough to affect their score, so expect some friction on that front.
ReviewPond's conclusion, drawn only from the verified scores and review themes below. Not a paid or editorial opinion.
Different sources measure different things, so each is shown in its own units and never merged into one number.
Pros
- challenging rewarding gameplay10
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- Bloodborne delivers an exhausting and exhilarating journey into the depths of madness.
- The structure underlying Bloodborne is not just original but coherent, and because of this the impact of everything it does is commensurately greater. This is total design. It feel...
- A fantastic game that holds its own against Dark Souls. A brand new setting and new gameplay mechanics add a freshness to the Souls formula. There's a lot to explore and experience...
- fresh take on souls formula4
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- A fantastic game that holds its own against Dark Souls. A brand new setting and new gameplay mechanics add a freshness to the Souls formula. There's a lot to explore and experience...
- Bloodborne is a shrewd turn from its souls lineage
- Refreshingly, Bloodborne knows what it is, and doesn't stray too far from the Souls formula, but its few alterations make for a fresh experience that will challenge even the most ha...
- excellent art direction4
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- Bloodborne's excellent action, beautiful artistry, and religious melodrama make it another must-play in the Demon's Souls tradition.
- Thrilling and masterfully crafted, Bloodborne is a gorgeous, grim and gruelling adventure,and unarguably the first essential exclusive of this generation.
- FromSoftware gives us another lesson in how to deliver an experience with satisfaction proportional to the frustration it makes us feel. Add a superb art direction to it and play...
- atmospheric world design4
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- The structure underlying Bloodborne is not just original but coherent, and because of this the impact of everything it does is commensurately greater. This is total design. It feel...
- An unsettling, Lovecraftian adventure through nightmares that constantly tests and enthralls the player. Just when you think you have things figured out, new elements come into pla...
- Thrilling and masterfully crafted, Bloodborne is a gorgeous, grim and gruelling adventure,and unarguably the first essential exclusive of this generation.
- ps4 system seller3
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- Bloodborne is the system seller for all dedicated gamers that don't already own a PS4.
- I give Bloodborne a resounding Buy in my Buy/Hold/Sell rating scale. This is the first true system-seller for the PS4, the first game that convinces me that the PS4 is a system wor...
- Yet, while it does have a few actual shortcomings, if you're willing to embrace its challenge and ruthless fairness, Bloodborne is most probably the best game released on PS4 so fa...
Cons
- technical issues1
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- Bloodborne is a fascinating, poetic, disturbed and potentially endless journey. Annoying uploads and some other problems prevent him from getting even closer to the 10 in the repor...
Themes and quotes are drawn from 20 sampled reviews with text; the scores above reflect all 212 ratings. Counts are how many of the sampled reviews mention each point.