After 9 Years Bloodborne’s Community Is Still Not Sure What Bloodborne Is Even About.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 พ.ค. 2024
- At the very beginning of Bloodborne we find a note right next to us.
“Seek paleblood to transcend the hunt.”
This note here, is basically the only objective we are given throughout the game.
Finding pale blood and transcending the hunt is pretty much Bloodborne's winning state.
The only problem - I’ve beaten the game half a dozen times at this point, yet I still have absolutely no idea what seeking paleblood is even supposed to mean.
So when I sat down and began working on this retrospective I set myself a simple goal.
I wanted to work out what the objective of the game means in the context of the game’s lore.
And this small little goal, sent me down a very deep rabbit hole.
The thing is.
As it turns out, Pale-blood is one of the biggest mysteries in the entire lore of Bloodborne.
There just is no obvious answer to the question what the note refers to.
And that’s really interesting isn’t it.
The very first thing we are told to do in bloodborne, the very first objective we are given and the clearest goal that the game ever gives us, is still a mystery to its community almost a decade after the game came out.
You know, it’s been 9 years yet people are still not entirely sure what the game is even about.
In this video we will embark on a journey to solve this mystery. We will take a look back at Bloodborne and it's themes and finally try to solve this mystery.
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====== Timestamps-----------
00:00:00 - Intro
00:03:31 - Bloody Viles (Bloodborne’s Premise and Healing System)
00:15:39 - The Trailer (Bloodborne’s Themes Analysis)
00:24:25 - The Genealogy of Blood Transfusion (Lore Discussion)
00:32:13 - Boss Fights
00:52:55 - The Origins Of Bloodbonre’s Madness (Inspiration)
01:05:38 - The Birth Of God (Bloodborne’s Philosophy)
====== Credits for the Music
Bloodborne OST - The Orphan Of Kos
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time OST - “Gerudo Valley”
Additionally the video uses licensed music from productioncrate.com and motionarray.com - เกม
![Mirrr x BUS5 - กี่เหตุผล (1000REASONS) [Live Session]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/6Ta00hFr2qU/mqdefault.jpg)
paleblood is explicitly the moon presence. there's a note in the lecture hall that says "The nameless moon presence beckoned by Laurence and his associates. Paleblood."
In Japanese its arguably even more explicit
If the moon presence is nameless, why call it Paleblood.
@@destihado1just search the actual Japanese translation, a lot of words/text were changed and made thinks more muddy for English speakers…
@@destihado1 Because it doesn't have a name? 😂
Paleblood is simply a moniker, because of how it makes the moon appear like blood. The boss bar is just a nameless description, "Moon Presence" so it has no true name.
The Doll refers to the Moon Presence as ‘Flora’.
“O Flora, of the moon, of the dream.
O little ones, O fleeting will of the ancients…
Let the Hunter be safe, let him/her* find comfort.
And let the dream, his/her* captor…
…foretell a pleasant awakening…
…be, one day, a fond, distant memory…”
This isn’t to say you’re incorrect, Paleblood also refers to the Moon Presence, just another interesting fact.
*If your character is male, the Doll says him and his, if your character is female, she says her.
That ending note about plagarism and how we see derivative work was honestly such a great way to finish the video. Bloodborne really is an example of how to make something better than the sum of its parts (and wow, those are quite some parts) and I think that alone is worth celebrating.
Yeah, it's not about if it's derivative, but about making it something unique through that.
As was said, nothing exists in a vacuum.
The other day I was playing Bloodborne with a friend and this is exactly what I said to him. Bloodborne is more than the sum of its parts. Definitely a contender for best game FS ever made, and that's tough to say given that I love most of everything they've done since Demon's Souls onwards.
The "borne" in Bloodborne is an entirely different word from "born". It means "carried by" or "transmitted by"
That is, the beast plague is transmitted via blood - the old blood. Basically the game spoils a massive twist in the title.
But the two do work well together. "Borne" could be a double ententre, and the idea of something being a host of a disease is often paralelled with women being hosts of children, menstration, etc.
The plague being "bloodborne" is actually a lie. Otherwise the prostitute would have been the first to succumb
Calling the name of Bloodborne a spoiler because beasthood is transmitted through the blood is the same as calling the name Dark Souls a spoiler because humanity possess a soul from the furtive pygmy, the soul opposite of the Light soul Gwyn possessed, the Dark soul.
Who the fuck thought it was "born" and not "borne"?
Yes and no. Both borne and born came from the verb 'bear', in the sense of 'bring', and always had that double meaning, now obscured because those two meanings have been codified in different (but still pretty similar) words.
Ignore all these dweebs. This is exactly what its all about in a very short eloquent way if you ask me. Its about both blood transmitted knowledge as a Faustian bargain; amniotic fluid\menstruation\child-birth and all the femininely archetypes that tie into the moon. You're right on the money.
Miyazaki explains his definition of Paleblood pretty explicitly in an interview - it's the way the sky looks after beating Rom and revealing the ritual.... the sky is pale blue, "like a corpse drained of blood". Thus "Seek Paleblood" = get the sky to turn light blue = reveal the mensis ritual. I know that the moon presence being Paleblood makes more sense in the context of the story, and that the sky is more purple than pale blue, but that's still what he said.
Sometimes I think From stories are GENIUS laziness. Make tons of shit even if it doesn't make sense, and let people DO YOUR JOB by building whatever bullshit story they want to believe. Same as with religion.
God, every time I see a new upload from this channel I get genuinely excited to watch it. I absolutely LOVE your philisophical discussions and the lens through which you examine games like this. And of course when I saw that you made a video about Bloodborne, a game which I would consider to be one of if not THE greatest game currently in existence, I immediately clicked on it. If I had the financial stability to support you on patreon I 100% would, but since I can't do that at the moment I want to show some genuine appreciation by just letting you know how much these videos not only entertain, but also genuinely enlighten me. The way through which you examine games is unlike any I've personally seen on youtube before and provides such a fresh and interesting perspective on things otherwise talked to death. You truly succeed at providing interesting perspectives on great games. I wish you the best of luck with your next projects and I look forward to watching them!
I'll be honest, there's a good chunk of this video that I just do not agree with but I still found it fascinating regardless. If anything, I think the views of Nietzsche are incredibly interesting and so often twisted or misinterpreted by people with ulterior motives. One thing I *do* love about this video and your other videos, though, is how you approach the narratives of games in trying to understand what they *mean.* There's so many Bloodborne videos out there trying to interpret what Paleblood is quite literally but I think you are right in viewing it from a metaphorical and thematic viewpoint, rather than a literal one.
I think what I disagree with the most in the video, though, is the idea that Bloodborne is not trying to convince or tell us something. I'd argue that it very much is trying to do so. There is a very common theme throughout the game of people seeking transcendence, of *not* leaving the dead well enough alone. How this causes them to sink further and further into madness. It causes them to commit more and more atrocities, perpetuate the suffering of others just for the sake of this transcendence. They seek something they can never have and continue to do so despite it clearly causing nothing but more suffering.
In a metaphorical sense, they're more or less trying to manifest their way out of mortality. They wish to move beyond death itself.
But this is impossible for anyone who also wishes to retain their humanity. Mortality is that which *makes* us human. And any actions towards removing ourselves from the inevitability of death only serves to erode our morals, anything that makes us empathetic and human.
I think this is likely why Gehrman has the scythe at the end. He is our final step to fighting the literal concept of death. Killing him and the moon presence is the final spilling of blood that completely erases our humanity.
Anyway, I'm kind of rambling here.... but man, Bloodborne is truly an incredible game. As much as I love Dark Souls and Elden Ring, Bloodborne just tickles the brainmeats far more than either of those. Sekiro actually comes pretty close and I'd say it actually deals with a lot of similar themes around immortality being antithetical to being human. But yeah.... I don't know how to end this rant so, uh... great job, Cleave!
Completely agree, bloodborne just hits differently, it's screaming at us to play and understand it. I simply can't put it down!
I completley agree with this. Transcending your humanity in Bloodborne always felt like the bad thing to do
Beautifully said!
My interpretation of the true/hidden ending is that both Willem and Lawrence were wrong, it is neither through pure insight or holy blood that will lead man to a new childhood, but rather a special combination of both. If you consider the way the game is typically played, throughout the game you gain strength from blood (bloodechoes) and knowledge from insight. What do the One Third Umbilical Cords do? Give us large bursts of insight with each one used, as if our character has an epiphany with each use. Yet, to survive all the way to the Moon Presence, great strength is required through the use of the Blood.
(level 1 runs not-withstanding)
This is the most unique interpretation of Bloodborne I've seen. Bloodborne has become the video game equivalent of the shining at this point with so many different takes on it. Fantastic video.
I haven’t finished the video, but a huge thing about the note at the beginning of the game is that the Japanese version says that it’s written by your character
I think the argument FOR the healing system is that you get punished for NOT using the rallying system. The stamina is so forgiving in this game because even in the midst of battle you should use the rallying mechanic, and not doing so will cost you. I got this from AesirAesthetics btw.
What an incredible and enlighting interpretation of Bloodborne. Ceave truly is one of the best video game essaysts out there, keep up the good work man!
The way you structure your videos and work towards your conclusions is so unique and engaging, I have honestly not had this much fun with hour long video essays for an eternity. I'm really glad I stumbled over your channel.
Somehow you have managed to be my childhood TH-camr with mariomarker, and grow into one I still watch today.
I don’t know if it’s your style just growing with me, or that I just like whatever you create, but it’s kinda cool to have followed you online for so long. (Since the cow farm video I think)
Can’t wait to see what stuff you do next. I cannot stress enough that without you and a few others, my channel wouldn’t exist. My online life and presence would be completely different had I never found you, and I am very grateful I did.
Hope your videos start doing better again.
The earliest vid of his I can see is RE4 retrospective, how do I find his earlier stuff?
@@dinoseen3226 His main channel, Ceave Gaming, is his Mario maker channel and the majority of his popularity.
The earlier stuff is on ceave gaming, it's mainly Mario maker & challenge run focused, but there's some analysis stuff mixed in! (And the Mario stuff is also great, Especially if you like the recurring phrases in the ceave essays!)
40:55 Rhetorical question aside, the point of the door is to act as a back entrance to Djura, as you can befriend him if you sneak up and don't kill any of the beasts near him, which he gives you the Powder Keg Hunter Badge and a gesture as a parting gift.
Darkbeast Paarl is an awkwardly placed boss though, and the explanation for this seems to be that he was a later addition to the game. People datamined an old list of bosses from the game's Alpha network test, and Paarl isn't included in the main game line-up. However, the Chalice Dungeons list includes the Darkbeast (large) boss, so it seems that he was a Chalice Dungeon exclusive boss before being brought up to the main game, resulting in his location and rewards being a bit haphazardly put together.
Ceave really is a rare gem of a creator that can do a video about anything while still feeling "correct" about the subject
@@GamerZoneSpeaking what does that mean?
@@GamerZoneSpeaking i'm just saying that Ceave isn't contreversial because i can't find a single comment here saying otherwise
maybe "correct" wasn't the right word but that's why i used " "
@@GamerZoneSpeakingbut you’re a fan of Ceave, and you’re doing the opposite of circle jerking, so maybe the problem isn’t as bad as you think?
@@GamerZoneSpeaking
You’re right but especially in communities with a fanbase so dedicated to accurate representation of vague lore, if even a few people slightly disagreed they would be pretty vocal about it. It’s very common under other videos of bloodborne/other fromsoft games even when they have a “””circlejerk””” community. And even if that wasn’t the case I wouldn’t consider ceave’s fanbase to be like that
maybe not always correct but his points are definitely super insightful
I don't know why, but I feel like video games, as a form of art, are underappreciated (even though they combine art, storytelling and music), but the way you analyze games makes me, without explitly mentioning its an art, appreciate video games overall a lot more.
I really thank you for that, Ceave.
i LOVE the analysis of the themes and story in this video (i had a real "oh" moment when you pointed out the symbolism of the angel pouring blood into a skull), but i'm a little confused by the initial gameplay analysis regarding the healing system. i was surprised when you said there's no way to get back your health when you run out of blood, because a different video i'd watched (hbomberguy's "Bloodborne is genius and here's why") said the opposite. in fact, it praised bloodborne for having a system very similar to the game you compared it to. when you lose health, you can gain it back if you attack very shortly thereafter, which encourages an aggressive playstyle. you can even see it happening during the gascoigne fight at around 34:19 - you take a hit, and your health bar depletes, but there's still a pink bar remaining where you lost your health, showing that it can be regained. then, you hit him a few times, and the health comes back. i understand that this would be hard to see without the UI up most of the time, but i'm surprised you hadn't seen that in previous playthroughs.
otherwise, it's really a stunningly well put together video! i don't want to downplay that with this comment. "perspective" was a great word to add to this channel name, because your videos really give me a whole new perspective on media that i never would have thought of before, and i love it so much. i'm SO pleased you're back from your hiatus; there's really nothing else quite like these videos out there. keep it up, man - you're very appreciated, and your efforts do not go unnoticed.
edit: someone cleared this up for me in the replies, it makes more sense to talk about it the way ceave does if you’ve played the game
I'm sure he's aware of this but it doesn't have anything to do with the blood vial system he's talking about. It's a great mechanic but it only works in the middle of combat, and only when you can safely counter. Limited heals and needing to farm is a very well known issue in bb for newer players.
@@Shmover34 ohh good to know, thank you!
These usually come up first the moment they upload. The fact it took 2 days to come on my feed has put this channel on my bell, a very rare treat.
This is the greatest rollercoaster I've ever been on! I did not care one bit about Bloodbourne before, but now I feel like I've seen it through so many frameworks, each more fascinating than the last. At times it felt like one of those conspiracy theory videos, but then it all begins to make perfect sense in the last 30 minutes. Amazingly done!
That's the neat thing about From Software. They're some of the most lore heavy games humanity has ever made. They just don't spoon feed you *any* of it. You have to hunt within the game to fully understand the events transpiring during the game.
@@bvoyelrOr just wait a couple weeks after the game's release for Lore channels to tell you the game's story.
@@flamingdeathbanana Lore channels are a blessing and a curse. They often have very insighful ideas, but they also have incorrect ones that got into the head-cannon along the good ones, and are very hard to get challenged.
For example, the idea the Great Ones can't bear children is one idea that most people think as a fact in the lore of Bloodborne. All comes from the note 'all great-ones lose their child, and yearn for a surrogate' (or something like that). But Bloodborne is full of children of the Gods: Ebrietas alone seems to have two dozens at least. And our mission (even if that is somewhat obscured) is to kill one of those children, Mergo, that wouldn't be necessary if they simply died after being born. In fact, it looks to me that Great Ones can bear children just fine, but they lose them because other Great Ones kill them, or use unwitting pawns (our player character) to achieve just that.
@@juanausensi499 I dunno who ever said that the Great Ones can't have children. We see it 4 times in the story. 2 of the times they actively have a child during the story.
@@flamingdeathbanana i don't remember exactly, but i read that in some wikis and watched in some videos.
if you had told me years ago that the funny mario maker creator i was watching would one day post a 90 minute video about the death of god, and that it'd be one of the greatest youtube videos i'd have ever seen, i'd have laughed in your face. but here we are.
I mean meeting a symbol for death as the alternative or bad ending to finding meaning within yourself could certainly be seen as a metaphor for how if one falls into nihilism, doesn't find meaning in life, it can result in them taking their own life. The reaper allegory being a "shadow fight" also supports that interpretation.
Ceave I'm so glad you split the channels, I've been enjoying this one so much, every video a masterpiece.
the theme and overall flow of your videos makes them feel like a journey. By the end of it I always feel sad but somehow optimistic, it's a super weird mix but I love it so much, and it's in a way the original media doesn't even evoke. It's a crazy difference from when I used to watch your mario maker vids a few years ago and i'm 100% here for it
I have never played bloodbrone but clicked on this video because Ive always enjoyed your videos and whatever you had an hour and a half to say about what I assumed would just be some ambiguous key item in a weird ambiguous game, and was gifted with an incredible lecture about religion, art, and how we view and interact with it whether or not its something we have a positive relationship with.
Thank you for sharing this work of art, and all the effort that went into it. It inspires me as an artist and creator.
Regarding blood vials, my own take and the reason why I don't hate the system is that they are so common a drop, that they facilitate long stretches of exploration without rest, something estus flasks do not allow. If you're a patient and methodical hunter, you can clear out areas and rarely die outside of boss battles, which then allows you to develop a large enough stockpile that the lack of vials never becomes an issue.
37:49 - The transformation is based on the bosses' HP, with 3 phases in total.
thanks 18th century wolf for being a murderer
Ceave I had a really bad day.
Seeing that my most favourite youtuber analysis my most favourite game, is exactly the thing I needed.
Thanks for cheering me up and dor your amazing content!
How is it that every sigle video you put out is better than the last? Thank you for continuing to create masterpieces
This channel is literally a playlist of all my favorite TH-cam videos
By Nietzsche’s pregnant godly drop of blood, is that my channel in the Patreon credits?!? All jokes aside this video was amazing and Ceave never fails to make me learn obscure facts about French movies while I am trying to learn about the story of Bloodborne. 5 out of 5 fuzzies!
I can not, for the life of me, understand how this isn't more popular.
This was masterful. What culture! What knowledge!
I can not compose a comment able to express the awe this video left me in!
I just rediscovered you after vague memories of watching a bunch of your mario challenges years ago, and what a rediscovery it was. Loving some of the pieces you've got on this channel and I couldn't turn down the opportunity to watch a nice breakdown of my favorite game of all time.
You just became my favorite channel on youtube, this was so well made and so interesting ! Thanks a ton !
May the algorithm favor you for once
I have to say that these videos are some of the highest quality on youtube, and this is probably my favourite channel
The thought and care put into all of your videos is astoudning. Exploring topics, such as the ones discussed in this video, from an unbiased and respectful place derived from genuine curiosity is no easy feat. I applaud you and your craftmenship, well done my friend.
The lack of views for this is criminal, TH-cam really did you dirty. Over all the years I’ve watched your stuff, this is the point that makes you be my first ever patreon supportee because damn, this shouldn’t discourage you from making these deep dives
If I were to guess, there probably aren't a whole lot of people looking for or willing to click on an hour and a half long analysis video on TH-cam.
It's unfortunate, but content like this does target kind of a niche audience. I love stuff like this, though, so I very much appreciate that it exists!
@@Saberfox17this is absolutely not the case? TH-cam loves longform content thats why the majority of content on the platform these days is longform. Its all over the algo
The real issue is that he took a two-year break. No social media promotes the rewatching of infrequently-posting channels because they want to maximize watch time, engagement, and time spent.
@@iantaakalla8180That's why he created a 2nd channel. This one is fresh.
(And also Hbomberguy is a miracle then lol)
It must have been an enormous effort to nail the structure and pacing of your script like this - with such a multifaceted topic to cover. Another insane video!
Over the past few months, Ceave, you have written some exquisite breakdowns of video games into a summation of parts that I never consider when playing. All at once, I can enjoy some of the best games in history, thrilling stories, surprisingly intense and intricate philosophy that make these games more than just how they play or how much money they make. Being able to find this in games is a talent, but being able to communicate these high end ideas, regardless of your belief in them, in a polished and logical manner as you have here is great. When I started watching your Mario Maker content, I enjoyed hearing your technical knowledge of one game; here, you have constructed arguments and theses on well hidden themes in the most notable games in a beautiful way. Needless to say, I've really enjoyed your content, and I hope you are doing what you enjoy. (No need to subject yourself to uninteresting projects or frustrating community discussions if you don't enjoy them, after all.)
HOORAY, god man, this is an amazing video and has definitely risen to the top of my favourite videos, I was not expecting the link back to Beast of Gévaudan, I’d been fascinated by that story a few months back and to see it pop up as such a pivotal thing aswell was amazing, keep up the good work.
Man, Ceave was COOKIN' with this one! Actually was reading about the Beast of Gevaudan something like a year or so ago and while completely not expecting that to come up in a Bloodborne video essay, I immediately knew what you were talking about once you started that section. Another amazingly well done video!
It's so cool how your creative work on youtube evolved right along with my interests, from mario maker and challenge runs, to thoughtful game design analysis. Thank you so much for the amazing work you create!
I just wanted to leave a comment thanking you for these videos. I think they've helped me to look at things I enjoy through a much more objective lens - its helped me articulate things much better where I usually have a difficult time doing so.
Wonderful video. I''ve thought a lot (and considered making a TH-cam video essay about) the religious themes in the Dark Souls games, how those games juxtapose Buddhist and Christian ideas of death, how the Christ-like sacrifice of Gwynn isn't what saves the world, but what damns it... but I'd never really considered the similar themes in Bloodborne.
Also, it's not *really* the focus of this video but I've always found it fascinating how different play styles lead to vastly different experiences with Bloodborne's bosses - I've literally never died to Ludwig, but I've heard many others describe him as one of the hardest bosses in the game. The boss that has killed me the most across five or six playthroughs is actually Rom.
Guy: "so, what is bloodborne about?"
Ceave: "well, first we need to kill God"
Guy: "and then?"
Ceave: "Then you can play the game.... where you kill God"
"Borne" means "Being transmitted by something". Blooborne means that something is being transmitted with blood being the medium. It has nothing to do with being born. Although the word could have been chosen as a pun of sorts.
“Seek paleblood” means find the moon presence. It’s a little more obscure in English but in Japanese the note is explicitly in your handwriting and later on there is a note on a bridge that says “Behold. A paleblood sky!” It has a good view of the moon so when the blood moon descends the note makes more sense. Then when we fight German the blood moon descends in the dream and the moon presence appears. Then if we defeat the moon presence the only great one left in this world is our infant form and the stray amygdala. It’s not even clear if the beast scourge exists in the real world since it could easily have been a dream since the opening.
Oh wow - Bloodborne and Ceave... the best of combinations... :) Thank you
I’m sad that I missed the release of the Bloodborne video initially. Awesome video!
Small correction: Entering Iosefka’s Clinic prior to killing Rom doesn’t lock you out of getting the Third Umbilical Chord, but killing (and possibly just fighting) the Imposter Iosefka does.
AUSTRIA MAN!!!
Austria man is Austrian indeed ❤
I haven't been around in a while, and just clicked on a random Bloodborne video, but I heard your voice and I was *immediately* on board.
yo holy hell its nice to see you man I used to love your challenge videos nice to see you back
and also covering one of my favorite games
splendid video as always, i'm very glad you made this second channel because this is exactly the type of content i've been waiting for :D
awesome video, insta-subbed. Thank you so much I've seen so many bloodborne videos and this gave me some new topics to think about and look into. Looking forward to more!
As a Christian I just want to thank you for talking about aspects of my religion in a very respectful way and not just expressing your own views in a aggressive and agenda-driven way. I'll admit that over my two playthroughs of Bloodborne I never really made the connection between Christianity and the themes of Bloodborne and it was very interesting to hear your research. Again just want to thank you for treating these topics with respect as I'm sure not many others would. Great video! 😁👍
Your content is really amazing. I've been diving into lots of your videos and each one is so well made. This has been my favorite so far. Please, keep making this kind of awesome, long-form content.
Really happy that you came back yt man
Another great video, Ceave! You never fail to bring up some really thought-provoking discussion in your content. I went into this video knowing next to nothing about Bloodborne but totally engrossed nonetheless. Keep up the good work!
I waited a bit for the thumbnail to change so i could get a better sense of the video topic amd wasnt let down. Very good video as always!
Man, I love all of this channel's videos, you just dont miss
You took us on a great journey here. The deep dive into bloodbourns origin was my favorite part.
Loved this! I periodically look up
Bloodborne to watch any video essays that might have come out in the meantime, and yours did not disappoint! Only thing that could use some improvement is cutting down on some of the repetition of ideas, but even so it was still thoroughly enjoyable!
Ooooo, I love the Souls series. Great to see one of my favorite TH-camrs back
Always love how you can take a game I've never played in a genre that just doesn't appeal to me and give this really in depth explanation of exactly *why* it's rich and complex and has a whole host of elements that I can immediately see why it does appeal to so many.
ive never even played bloodbourne but this was an amazing analysis. your videos just keep getting better
Bloodborne and Ceave, what a perfect day
This video is the reason I love TH-cam.
Thanks for your effort, ideas, and time!
Great work, chap!
Ceave beloved has returned yet again to save our souls 🙏❤️
Thank you, Ceive, for sparking the interest in people about the deep concepts that I'm most certain creators of different games and works of art insert in their craft. All those ideas while not necessary for enjoying them - still would be lost for many without your efforts. Please keep up the good work and bring us more curious thoughts about our lives that we didn't knew we needed.
What incredible timing! I just finished my first playthrough of Bloodborne last week and it was a fast favorite. Looking forward to hearing your perspective on it.
The chad of Video Essays is back, we stan Ceave
this video is incredible! I thought I knew everything about the lore but I learned so much! Thank you!
Wow... this is such a clear exploration and I was deeply engrossed for the entire runtime! Thank you so much Ceave, I also want to watch your video on Outer Wilds but I haven't yet played the game!
Yo how did I not know about this channel this is hype!
dang this video is super cool one of the best things i seen all week, and its only monday
God I’m so excited to watch this. Love your videos Ceave
Interesting take with some good points. This will make a fine addition to my collection.
I think this was a beautiful, well thought out and well researched understanding on what Bloodborne is trying to say, well done!
This is my favourite view on Bloodborne so far. Amazing video!
Awesome video. I always learn so much from you
I thought I had seen every long video about Bloodborne, buy it turns out I had missed one of the best ones! Loved how you pulled a little bit from everywhere (history, movies, philosophy, etc.) to make sense of the puzzle that is this video game. Now I really wanna watch that French movie!
(And posted on my bday? I just keep on winning).
Great work, you just got a new subscriber. ❤❤
Truely stunning, brilliant, amazing ! Thank you so much for your work Ceave, it is very much appreciated !
INCREDIBLY good work!!!
This is one of the best Bloodborne videos Ive ever seen. And Im obsessed with Bloodborne videos.
Great video once again, I love your stuff!
After watching, I can safely say that this is comfortably within one of my top 20 videos of all time.
Art, God, and human suffering, three of the most central ideas to humanity in general, this video tackles them all and nails them directly on the head.
Amazing video, nearly perfection. 10/10.
this was an awesome video dude
I've been watching your videos for years, starting with your Mario Maker content and I have always enjoyed it, but this video is one of the best video essays I have ever seen. Genuinely amazing stuff, I love your interpretation of the story, it's something I have never seen before! Keep up the great work!
I've watched a lot of Soulsborne lore videos and this is without doubt top 3 for me. Excellent stuff, I will be watching a lot more from you.
I watched Charred Thermos's analysis of Bloodborne, where he links the game with Henley's "In Hospital" poems. Unfortunately, he's deleted it and the only records left are reuploads. Have been searching for something on that level ever since, I'm hoping this can fill the void.
Great video. This just made me love Bloodborne even more than I already did.
I seriously enjoy your videos so much, that even games I don't play and would likely never play as it's out of my genre, are described in such a great and entertaining way! I love your videos and would love seeing you do more about even more games, just amazing, keep doing these great think pieces! Oy TH-cam, please push these videos more yeah? Do this wonderful content creator a favor, they deserve to be seen by more eyes.
I do want to say thank you for the content warning regarding blasphemy. I am a Christian(Protestant rather than Catholic, but still) and it feels as though as secularism rises that people don't give thought to respecting that. When I'm suffering from... well, I won't say depression because it's neither severe nor chronic, but the natural valleys of self-doubt and low esteem, and I turn to a video that ends up without warning criticizing or worse outright mocking what is an important aspect of my way of life, it makes me feel all the worse. Knowing ahead of time and you treating the topic with the utmost respect makes your video all the better so that I and others like me can, like you said(and a quote often misattributed to Aristotle), entertain an idea without accepting it, because I truly believe that will help us understand one another in the long run.
Hey I recognized that voice!
I LOVED your Mario Maker videos! Super cool to see you branching out!
I really wish this would have been recommended to me earlier im loving the video
Ceave you bloody did it again! Fantastic video! ❤❤❤
Wow this video was so amazing. I'll have to check out Brotherhood of the Wolf, too.
Also if anyone is having trouble reading Ludwig's visual cues for attacks, he has different screams that correspond with different moves. It's very clever!
Thank you so much for this video, this might be the best video essay I've ever watched. You are amazing
As a philosophy student I found this interpretation of Nietzsche and Bloodborne very interesting, I had not considered it before. The game always seemed like it fundamentally focused on Lovecraftian Horror and maternity/femenine suffering to me, so it is curious to see an anti-clerical interpretation of the game - although the more I think about it, it was hiding in plain sight, lol. Of course, it doesn't remove those other themes from the discussion, it only adds to the discussion about the game. On that note, I do think that Miyazaki taking inspiration from Christianity is not that strange - as someone who enjoys JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, that series also explores Christian themes to say the least at points, and I bring it up as an example of Japanese stories touching on Christian themes. It happens more often than you'd think. The Wikipedia article about "Christianity in Japan" seems like a good summary of Christianity's role in Japanese society, and therefore, in Miyazaki's environment.
I find that you also veered into absurdism when discussing the "rejection of meaning" as a consequence of "pale blood" - which makes sense. Camus, the poster boy of absurdism, cites Nietzsche multiple times in his "The Myth of Sisyphus". I also think the Sisyphean imagery is fundamental to all Fromsoftware games from narrative to game design - so that's a neat little connection! Your explanation of master morality and slave morality was also a pretty nice way of "adapting" Nietzsche's ideas to be easily understandable to 21st century people who might not be acquainted to the context of his wider works and ideas.
If I had one criticism of the video, I would say that the sections discussing gameplay/mechanics feel slightly disconnected from the more hermeneutic side of the discussion, and I think perhaps those areas would've benefitted from being discussed together with the thematic value of the game - then again, this implementation of it might've been the most efficient way of presenting your thoughts, given how much work you said you put into the video, so perhaps I'm wrong. It did also tie into the thoughts on originality and inspiration that you presented. While I have strong opinions on the recent plagiarism debacles, I do think discussing positive examples of taking inspiration is always a good idea, any excuse is good to appreciate enjoyable and meaningful art.
Overall a very interesting video and I hope it encourages people to look into the philosophy of Nietzsche - it's certainly an intense place to fall into the rabbit hole of philosophy, but it's not a bad one. On that note, props on reading the Genealogy of Morals. Nietzsche's style is notoriously difficult, and I don't know how acquainted you are with philosophical texts, but even if you have previous experience with them, interpretaing Nietzsche is a challenge.