FromSoftware’s gothic horror RPG Bloodborne has come to PC as a fan-made PS1 demake.
BloodbornePSX recreates a portion of the Soulslike in the style of classic PlayStation games, deliberately downgrading its graphics to include all the low-res textures, sparse polygons, and blocky environments you would expect from a game that released in the late ‘90s.
Lilith Walther, the demake’s creator and lead programmer at indie studio Heartstrings, announced the game’s release on Twitter (thanks, Polygon), alongside a trailer demonstrating its pixelated, pared-down visuals.
They’ve been working on the game for 13 months and released it for free online. The length of the demake is unclear, although its trailer shows off the Cleric Beast and Father Gascoigne boss fights, and its description says you’ll be able to find “10 unique hunter weapons”.
It even comes with a selection of in-game cheats to use if you’re struggling and has its own cover art illustrated in the style of a PS1 game. You could play with a mouse and keyboard, or plug in a gamepad, just like the original PS1, though, there’s no analog stick support.
Analysis: in the absence of Bloodborne 2, this fits
Walther's demake is mightily impressive. Not only does it recreate the original movesets of the two bosses and the tactical hit-and-roll combat of the game, but it even manages to retain Bloodborne's twisted gothic atmosphere through a handful of polygons. In fact, its inferior graphics might accentuate that horror, in the same way early Resident Evil games played off their primitive visuals to maximize their twisted designs.
But the demake is especially welcome in the absence of any sight of a proper sequel. FromSoftware has moved onto several projects since Bloodborne released back in 2015, including two original IPs in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Elden Ring. With no official mention of a sequel, or rumors circulating that one is in the works behind the scene, this might be as close as we ever get.
Here's hoping neither Sony nor FromSoftware shut down the project for copyright infringement. There's little to suggest they will. The demake has been public for several months, and both companies have allowed Yarntown, a Zelda reimagining of Bloodborne, to stay up.
