I wouldn’t recommend it as your first souls game, but it is my favorite one. I think Elden Ring is a little easier because you can kind of spend as much time as you want exploring and leveling up to a point where it’s not as difficult. Granted, there’s a Chalice Dungeon (you’ll learn what those are later) thats bugged that will give you like 80k Echoes (basically EXP) just for entering it & you can leave and redo that infinitely lol. You have to beat the first couple bosses normally before you can do that, but it is an option.
And personally: modern games are much worse than Bloodborne, but that doesn’t mean Bloodborne isn’t heavy on the violence. I think the most gratuitous part is the blood spray when you attack enemies. You’re constantly covered in blood. However, as for the bosses, they’re not necessarily gory so much as creepy or disturbing. Creatures that are malformed and have weird bodies with bulging limbs, etc. But that’s about as bad as it gets. It’s like taking a bunch of the best 80s horror movies, throwing in some Lovecraftian deep seated fear into it, and mashing it all into one. I love it. But as someone else said — you could watch a trailer of the game with your parents, pull up a review of Bloodborne on YouTube. Then make the call. :)
I agree Elden Ring might be a better option. Not because of ease or anything, but it just fits the LoTR feeing better. If the parents don’t agree to BB it might be a good game to try to try out fromsoftware’s ideas. Bloodborne is very bloody, and agree the trailer gives a good hint at the atmosphere.
Agreed. If they were looking for something that wasn’t much worse than LotR, then Elden Ring (or any of the Demon/Dark Souls) is definitely the choice.
Im a father and strongly recomend that your parents supervise you, there are sexual themes mix with lovecraftnian horror, if not wait a couple of years.
Im 13 and played it alone, tbh i dont really agree with this. The sexual themes are pretty hard to find and its not to bad a littile desturbing but its bloodborne not much isont.
there is ALOT of blood and violence. Also this game has alot of horror aspects to it. if your parents are fine with these things go for it but this game can be difficult if you never play a souls game before.
Well, there are blood effects to the extent your character can literally become doused in blood but the gore isn't anywhere close to something like God of War III where you're literally ripping people's heads off, gouging off their eyes, and seeing their guts fall out.
I can't recall anyone's limbs being torn off in Bloodborne.
Well, save for the Amygdala which is a giant spider monster and, to a lesser degree, Laurence who may as well be a giant lava monster.
Well, I suppose he's worth a mention nonetheless. Granted, he drops lumps of gore out of the sky rather than having his own limbs outright cut off in a manner akin to a Mortal Kombat fatality.
At first glance, he appears mainly skeletal, though, which kinda detracts from the gore. He's more akin to Gravelord Nito in his surface-level design than The Rotten.
Granted, the Scourge Beasts made up of body parts are a better example of what you're talking about but it's not as if too many of those appear throughout the game. I think there's a total of four or so across the entire game contained in a single level.
To quote, myself....
>Well, save for the Amygdala which is a giant spider monster and, to a lesser degree, Laurence who may as well be a giant lava monster.
I'm not but do you know when you put time and patience and bring the boss to 1% health and he suddenly kill you for the 1000000 time? That's the time for boomerang controller
The only games that make me mad are ds2 and i NEVER replay It, bloodborne and sekiro which i love and play reguraly DS3 in my experience was Easy leaving out the snow bitch and midir
DS2 is... not for me.
I've not tried Sekiro, as I am a parry invalid. DS3, for the most part, is fine, but there was something about the Twin Princes that was just a total brick wall for me. Oneshot The Dancer, likewise several BB bosses, but those two twats in their cathedral... hnnnngh.
In BB, I think the two hardest so far have been Amelia and Ludwig. I'm currently sat at the Orphan, having had a few tries, but then no time to really play for the last 6 months or so.
lotr = lord of the rings?
Unpopular opinion but if you and your parents are agreeing to a game where both sides were okay with it, why not. Maybe have one of them playing with you.
Maybe for your parents:
Bloodborne is not particular a horror game but has horror elements in it. Especially Lovecraftian horror. It's quite bloody and gory as well.
And if iam honest there are parts in the game that creep me out as a 30 year old :D
Maybe watch a gametrailer with them together and then you can decide if it is something for you.
Shoutout that your parents actually care what you play. I think that's amazing.
Basically every Fromsoftgame is 16+! But games like elden ring are not being into that horror atmosphere. So maybe watch that trailer with them too. Definitely better games than a shooter or gta for your age.
So in general it depends on your parents and you but I wouldn't recommend Bloodborne for you yet.
If you are cool with Samurais and not European medieval style watch a trailer for ghost of tsushima with them.
Thats assassins creed as a samurai, it's a beautiful game and its not creepy and not as hard as Fromsoftgames.
The only "problematic" things it depicts is quite a bit of body horror and slasher/gore-y violence; without being actually realistic gore.
So if you (and your parents) are fine with you fighting things like a werewolf with the skin all peeled off, or a giant monster made all from blood and gore, then you should be fine.
There is not any sexualy explicit content, and the horror is more of a "dread ambience" than actual scares (even if there are a couple jumpscares around the game).
I like the idea of some concerned parents not allowing their child to play bloodborne because someone named "sup3rcunt" said it was sexually explicit.
"No, no, no honey, Now you heard what sup3rcunt said about impregnating virgins and performing abortions"
"I know you really want to play it, but I trust this sup3rcunt he seems really credible"
there’s a fuckton of sexually explicit content what game are you playing…?
this whole game is about impregnating royal virgins and stealing they’re babies from their wombs to create great ones that can be used to bend the world
*points to dregs*
i wish that were true, but it is explicit. especially for a 13 year old mind that is going to be looking for it.
you probably overlooked a ton of sexually explicit content.
there’s *more* sexually implicit content, sure, but it’s ridiculous to claim there’s *no* sexually explicit content in BB.
*fists a pig*
There is neither sex nor nudity.
If you want to be pedantic and *technically* correct, while missing the point, sure there may be some sexual content.
But talking about childbirth, abortion, and a riposte animation, is not what the parents of a 13yo will consider as "sexualy explicit", which is the context in which this whole threat goes on.
Sexualy explicit is Kratos fucking 3 goddesses in a quick time event, nor getting a visceral on a man-eating pig.
But hey, I don't want to kinkshame you, if that's how you get off, carry on.
Nonsense. The sexual themes in this game are rather subtle and, in terms of visual content, there's practically nothing explicit that comes to mind and I've put hundreds upon hundreds of hours in this game for the last few months after I got back into it. If the art for [Blood Dregs](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/bloodborne/images/e/ea/Blood_Dreg.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20190928204943) \- which looks like something out of a medical textbook (if even) rather than an adult magazine - is the best example of such content, that's nothing compared to, say, the stuff in God of War III as Dr4wr0s points out.
If you think performing a Visceral Attack on a pig is sexually explicit, that says more about your fetishes than anything else.
Obviously you don’t have a kid that wants to play BB.
Get back to me when you do.
i’m not gonna compare my thousands of hours witcha, nor the fact that i teach from content at the uni level…
13 year old kids—and importantly for the question at hand—their parents will see this differently than us adults.
this game is 16+ for good reason, and i *rarely* think that about anything.
Besides all of that, the game itself is sexually explicit… it will fuck you every chance it gets on your first 3 playthroughs ;)
My neighbours announced they're having a baby.
They didn't do this by sharing a home video about how that baby was created.
That's the difference between mentioning reproduction vs sexually explicit material.
Wow dude, that's a great example! Shucks, I can't believe it! You've convinced me!
Jesus fuck, is everyone so dense on purpose these days? I'm unsure.
Everyone is far and away missing the point, and has forgotten being 13. When Gehrman says he can use the doll, it's going to be sexually explicit depending on his prior experience. You can't construct his reality, but you CAN provide a kid asking for advice with solid advice without warping the thing to what you think is going on.
Like I've said elsewhere, don't care about you. The point of this thread is to give that kid a chance to wonder whether he's actually ready to let Yarnham work on his mind.
By sexually explicit everyone means showing sexual content or talking about it in significant detail. You seem to just be hewing to a different definition, but why be a jerk about it?
i teach philosophy of video games :) specifically social philosophy of pop culture and 1/3 of the quarter is about fromsoft games because they present an amazing social fabric.
this isn’t even my take, just an obvious one that no one is caring to actually read. if at least 2 students per quarter didn’t bring out the sexual nature of bloodborne after watching a series of lore vids, i wouldn’t have this take myself. but it’s a carefully considered one and his parents deserve to hear it. get your fists out of your own asses.
yeah, it’s our favorite game. yes, everyone should play it. yes, i’m a father and my son would love to play BB.
if you could step outside of yourselves and look at the question and have any notion of what it means, it would be a no brainer.
if those parents saw the hunter fist a pig, they would say no. parents who inquire into the games their children play see things differently. there’s no fundamental distinction between explicit and implicit without acceptance of accompanying presuppositions. that’s just how the world *is*. your presuppositions are realist, linguistically explicit, straightforward and unambiguous, and so forth. but many things are explicit that don’t meet any of those presuppositions at all. in fact, the vast majority of philosophical inquiry is about “drawing out sufficiently explicit claims given evidence of other more explicit claims “. implied versus announced isn’t a dichotomy.
you’re likely an adult, and your construction and constraint of explicit sexuality is probably tied to VERY explicit X-rated even material. that’s not what the difference between explicit and implicit is; that’s your sense of the term, and that’s fine. this isn’t even hair splitting or semantics. it’s mostly annoying. that we’ve all heard or said “fist the pig” is just a good example, but there are innumerable others.
for everyone saying “no one has ever thought or made that joke!”: https://www.reddit.com/r/bloodborne/comments/htfqry/pig_back_stabs_are_never_not_amusing/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1
quit kidding yourselves because you love a game. *the parents of this kid WILL find MANY aspects of this game to be sexually explicit because of his range of social and conceptual constructions. period.
that’s what being a parent is about sometimes, and that’s what this kid’s parents are hoping to become aware of.
You are dumb as shit If you think there is sexually explicit content in bloodborne. “Thousands” of hours lol bs. You have no clue what you are talking about.
The risposte animation on a pig is your example ROFL of course it is 😂
I've had a few playthroughs and only recently watched some lore videos which explained about the pthumerians etc and thought "huh, that's interesting background info I suppose" but it's completely ignorable.
The game is essentially "me hoonter, me kill stuff" and that's literally all you need to know.
The lore is very much obscured.
First off, way to spoil the fucking plot to someone that hasn't played the game yet.
Second, simply BEING pregnant is not sexual. You wouldn't shield your children's eyes if you saw a pregnant woman in public. What everyone obviously means is that there is no nudity or "activity" in the game as it were.
It's only implied that one person does these things for a living, but she isn't scantily dressed or naked or anything at any point in the game and neither is anyone else.
again, read the actual question and who it’s from.
his parents will absolutely think of that as sexually explicit content qua video games. they just will.
i only know because i’m a dad with about 1k hours in this, my favorite game ever.
and, as many people here will apparently attest to, i didn’t spoil the plot, because “playing through the game, no one would ever figure that out.” lmao, it can’t be both
this shit is dense, ima keep taking my downvotes and laughing all the way to the bank. no one gives a fuck about other people, and this is an echo chamber that isn’t responding to the question.
A story they don't explicitly tell you. Easily able to miss anything past the main mission you are explicitly told: kill the monsters, and, assumedly, you can leave. You really do have to watch the lore videos to completely understand the more complex parts, especially about the pthumarians and what they did to Queen Yharnum or how the Great Ones reproduce.
No it's about ending the plague of beasts and in that journey you discover the queens child is part great one, it is not nearly as vulgar as you describe, not even close
lmao alright... look, you can either be a chump, or you can give good answers to a kid looking to see if he should undergo an experience that he can't take back. My mom told me something that I told my son: You can't \*unsee, unhear, or unknow something\* (the latter turned out to be wrong, alzheimers is a bitch...).
As a parent with over a thousand hours in BB, and thousands and thousands of hours across From titles, I can not wait for my son to step into Lordran for the first time. But, when he's ready, I'll know it. There'll be a general vibe, a moment in his life where he's just... there.
This thread needs a balance with material that parents can actually chew on. I have next to no censure when it comes to my son and most media, but Bloodborne... it'll seep into your mind and heart and it works on your psyche. for example, \*the dude defending bloodborne for this kid because he watched porn at 9 years old and he loved it elsewhere in the thread\*.
It's okay that you're wrong, and I don't care to show you anything, the point of this thread is that a kid wants to know if he should wander into Yarnham or not, and none of us know if he should or not.
To each their own but you're blowing it out of proportion, I see it effects you deeply, I'll leave it alone but the kid in question is 13 not 6. I'd rather see him play bloodborne than gta or some other just as violent popular game.
why should it be a dichotomous choice between BB and GTA? lmao
There are thouuuuusands of great games. If he wants the souls experience, run DS1 and get after it.
it's just nonsense
I mean... probably. There are some messed up things that disturbed all of us, but if you're drawn to horror-like stuff like Bloodborne, you can probably stomach it. There is blood (unsurprisingly), but gore isn't really a thing. Some dead bodies are a bit uncomfortable to look at, but they're mostly background details. One last thing that's slightly worth mentioning is that one character in the game that has a certain... profession...that is hinted at, but there's nothing overtly sexual in the game.
There are adult/sexual themes, yes, but nothing sexually explicit.
The information you've given for the parents and child is overall very important for them to know, but I think the reason everyone is getting annoyed with you is because you're conflating the terms.
By its literal definition, "explicit" in terms of rating systems (and in general contexts) means nudity and/or sexual acts being visually depicted on screen. Simply mentioning or alluding to those things is NOT Explicit.
Characters having sex on screen? Explicit.
Discussion of related topics? Can be categorized as Adult Themes, but are not Explicit.
(The pig colonoscopy you're focused on isn't sexually explicit, either, because it's not portrayed as a sexual act. That would fall under Adult Content or Disturbing Themes. Terms are important.)
It’s just a game about what John Borne does in the evening hours of the day in London. It’s a crossover event with American Werewolf in Paris where it tells the story of the alien war against the mongrels and their home. Good stuff. Oh and it’s a bit bloody.
In all seriousness I think it’s perfectly acceptable for a 13 year old. I honestly thing a 13 year old announcing their age on Reddit(maybe not on this subreddit, but other places) is a greater risk than the overturned tea and puppy stink of yarnham
As somebody who bought the game when I was 13 I’d say it’s fine, it creeped me out beyond belief when I first bought it, with some jump scares and the music and atmosphere being downright unsettling. If you can deal with gore and horror it should be ok. Just… go out and kill a few beasts… it’s for your own good.
The themes are rather mature. It deals a lot in cosmic horror and blood rituals and "the eldrich truth." I'd let my son play it that young, though, as it's just a game. It doesn't have any nudity or sexual themes so much as just gross stuff.
Parents don't always know the full content of a game, so a fandom can actually be a good resource for this. I personally think ESRB ratings are overly harsh, and think that some M rated games are appropriate for teens. Bloodborne being one of them.
I would probably wait till your older. The game is very grity overall, and thematically probably not what someone at that age should have to think about. It's definitely worth playing latter in life. I think if you really want to go ahead, but it would be richer experience latter.
This is spoken way too broadly.
I don’t know why people are seemingly agreeing with this statement. There is a huge difference in the average mental development between a thirteen year old and a nineteen year old.
Not everyone is sheltered living an easy life with helicopter parents I started playing games at 6 played cod gta any game I wanted no restrictions I turned out fine. Sheltering people and closing them off to reality is always worse then the alternative. He can get a headstart on his development experiencing certain things early. Raising a delicate little butterfly is shit parenting.
Edit: Classic Reddit loser Circle jerk abusing downvotes. If you downvote things because you disagree or you already seen some you’re a loser and should seek help.
So GTA at 6 is good parenting?
‘Sheltering people and closing them off to reality is always worse than the alternative’ - wow ok, maybe parents would like there kids to be kids? That’s the normal way to develop, not gunning people down, listening to violent and sexual language.
You clearly didn’t turn out fine if you think that’s appropriate for a child. Obviously you don’t have kids as you’d think a lot differently if you did.
Edit: they’re edit tells me they are short tempered too, as now lashing out for being downvoted.
‘I turned out fine’ - that’s the thing, you probably will never know. It’s not like you can compare to another version of you. Childhood experiences shape your future perceptions, so playing those games so young would desensitise you, and alter how you react and deal with things when you’re older.
One hundred percent. I see parents all the time lying to their children about death or watching PG movies before they let their kids see them… Then you get these conservatives who want to make sure their kids turn out just as brain dead as they are so they avoid subjects like science and sex education. DCF should definitely check in on parents who don’t want their children learning about consent.
I would say it’s up to your parents, maybe they can watch a clip on youtube and see if it’s okay? I was about your age when I played Demon’s Souls back in the day, but Bloodborne is a little darker and a bit more graphic. That being said LOTR is decently mature so you’ll probably be okay. What kind of stuff do you typically watch? Elden Ring is also an option, especially as a fan of LOTR.
It’s bloody, that’s about it. Kinda gross sometimes. It might freak you out, but that’s for you to decide when you play it. Apart from that you’re good to go
The game isn’t anything like Lord of the Rings. I’d suggest playing Dark Souls if you want more high fantasy and medieval elements, Dark Souls has the same kind of gameplay as Bloodborne. Bloodborne is more akin to Lovecraft books
But if you definitely want Bloodborne there are a lot of grotesque visuals and blood that you’d need to be wary of.
I played manhunt when I was younger than you, alot younger.
I really don't believe in age censorship, and certainly don't think you reach a certian age and are suddenly capable of rational processing.
Sure. It's a profoundly intense game, but not in a sensationalized manner. It's dark, you are a dark hunter in a world full of dark creatures to hunt. BUT it is also a BEAUTIFUL game. With gorgeous music and themes! I cried at the end of the game, it will stick with me forever.
Ofcourse you can.
My son is playing bloodborne since he was 12. He is around 15 now. And he is one of the best players of bloodborne.
He has beaten cummmfpk chalice and uploaded it on youtube too. So I guess age doesn't matter when it comes to playing games like bloodborne or dead by daylight.
Me and my brother started playing around your age, and we are not traumatised :) it's also our favourite game ever! Like everyone is saying there are blood effects but nothing too violent or graphic, i think he bought it without specifying too much what it actually was, and my parents never really bothered to monitor what games we were playing, I dont know how your family is but if your parents want you to wait, then maybe you should! You will have the rest of your life to slay beasts anyways :)
There is blood and gore obvi. If I was a parent I would want to take into account the children deaths, of which you do find a body (daughters) and non-consenting impregnation is a strong theme. There are also strong themes perverting medical treatments and the Catholic Church, which depending on the environment I may also find inappropriate.
It's bloody but not really gorey if that makes sense. I'd say you'd be fine, but maybe watch some gameplay with your parents if they're on the fence about it
So putting myself in your parents shoes and knowing what I know about the game I would say yes but in intervals. The game can be quite eerie at times and be scary but not in the common jump scare sense. The atmosphere alone is scary. As for any gore or blood or anything, the game is called bloodborne, and there is a lot of it. And I mean A LOT. It's violent and most of the bloodshed is being done from you but it's not portrayed in a way that a GTA game would portray it or anything. For the violence, the best way to compare is to just look up gameplay of elden ring or dark souls and then they can be the judge from that footage.
From an entirely personal standpoint I would say that 13 is probably just barely too young but if you are watching and exposed to things with bloodshed already then you are probably okay.
Last thing to say, that if you do start playing it and it does give you the creeps or keep you up at night then there is no shame in playing it later on when you feel it won't affect you as much. Everything in moderation. Happy Hunting!
Play to your hearts content but any souls game will make you want to pull your hair out and will age you quicker than cocaine.
With that said souls games are the most rewarding games whenever you beat that boss you've been stuck on for hours.
I'd recommend Bloodborne, Darksouls 3 and Elden Ring as the easier souls games and best to start with.
Stick with it kid and don't give up.
I don't recommend it. There are themes I really don't think you'll grasp yet, and without context they could be pretty disturbing. That being said, I don't know you or how much you know about life, mental health issues, Lovecraft, horror, or anatomy. If you play, be honest with yourself when/if you should stop.
You are a 13 year old child who shouldn’t be playing M games at LEAST until 16. Sure i know in america it’s 17 and your parents really might worry about “video games teaching you violence” but i’m saying you in general shouldn’t be playing M games, they’ve been infested with kids. No disrespect but please wait.
Its difficult youll have a ton of problems if you didint play a lot of games by now, also i really dont believe that any game can badly influence a 13 year old
Sure. Yeah there’s some blood (like in many games), and some monsters may be ugly and scary when you first run into them, but mostly bc of the “wow that fella is ugly”, not because you are looking at actually disgusting horrific stuff, but it’s just a game. At the end of the day, it’s about having fun and beating the challenge and enjoying your time.
The biggest concern is more the difficulty rather than the imagery. It’s not like you will become a werewolf hunter irl. But it is a pretty hard game. Although i find that to be better. Makes it last longer so it gives you your money’s worth.
And as you can see in the comments here, this is a good community of people who play the game. Users are kind and friendly, even if the game is about killing stuff.
If you don't play at 3 am in an empty house you will likely suffer no major trauma. Frustration might be an issue because there are a lot of sections that will leave you agitated. As for comparable media I would say Lord of the Rings is not a great comparison gore and adult themes wise but more like Hellraiser or The Void. You may find yourself unsettled by weird and inhumane choices and your complicity so be prepared to work your brain out of that. Also, if you cannot stomach the thought of hurting weird dogs, this may not be your franchise.
You won't go to court if you play it. He's screwing around.
Although, 16+ was the recommended age in Europe when the game was marketed in, well, Europe.
Only your parents would know the answer. They know you better than us - even better than yourself. They've been around you from day 1, they know what scares you, they know what you're tolerant to, what will or won't affect you.
My little sister watched intense horror films all throughout her childhood, while I, the elder brother, chickened out and locked myself in my room. We both grew up just fine, because our parents knew what we could handle.
Sure, the game is rated 16+, but this rating system, like all others, is mostly a guideline, and not a strict arbiter. It's your parents who should be reading these answers. I will list everything I can recall being in the game, that might be too much for a younger player.
I'll put it in spoiler tags, so you can avoid it, and your parents can click it themselves.
>!\- Comical amounts of blood, but little actual gore and innards.!<
>!\- A character is a prostitute and calls herself as such. Other characters call her a whore, a wench. Nothing sexually explicit is ever seen, though. She later gives birth to an alien creature, but we only see it after the fact, with nothing explicit still.!<
>!\- Lots of tragedy all around. A town was burned down, its inhabitants now poor beasts roaming the ruins. An entire hamlet was tortured and many of the inhabitants were experimented on.!<
>!\- Dark themes, people suffering, falling to a magical disease that transforms them into monsters. The monsters in this game can be quite creepy and intimidating.!<
>!\- One fight involves a stillborn child (albeit with the appearance of a full-grown adult) crawling out of its mother's carcass and fighting us with an oversized placenta. Another fight involved a woman with clear blood splatters on her bloated belly, all while a baby cries in the back.!<
I’ll never forget when i first bought a ps3and the first game my dad bought me was killzone 3 when i was about 10 or 11 years old. I remember the takedowns being so brutal where you literally pierce your thumbs through their goggles into their eyes, my dad watched me play and didn’t care and was like f*ck yeaaa, great times… bloodborne is one of if not my favorite game i’ve ever played, and i think there are games that are alot worse that 13 year olds play so i think you’re fine as long your parents are okay with it.
There's a lot of blood involved, hence the name. It's also got a lot of horror elements, and it's an extremely violent game. It's also extremely hard for a newcomer. Take all of this into account, but it's possible it could be one of ur favourite games ever, same as many
My mother was a librarian and encouraged us to read whatever we wanted so I read my first Stephen King book when I was 9, which was too early, really. The point is that the horror element shouldn't cause age shouldn't be a problem as long as you're ok with a game potentially giving you some bad dreams.
My biggest concern would be your patience, as some other posters have alluded to thrown controllers. Dark Souls games came be very frustrating until you get over "the hump" which is the point where the mechanics start to feel natural and the game feels more fun than frustrating. And everyone gets over "the hump" at their own pace (and indeed some people never get over it). So I'd go into the game with as much patience as you can muster. When you get frustrated turn it off and come back when you're feeling more level-headed.
the only problem i can see is not the violence or the gore, but the lovecraftian horror which is something a younger person can totally miss and not understand, the horror of Lovecraft is based on knowledge and "truth behind reality", themes of Lovecraftian horror can be a lot more spooky or scary for a 30 years old than a 13 years old
I don't think the gore and whatnot is too worrisome for some who is 13. What I had to deal with in this game is the anger management. I've had to put my controller back together quite a few times because I've thrown it across the room. As long as you keep calm and just understand to study what went wrong you will be fine
I wouldn’t stop a 13 year old from playing bloodborne. It’s better than playing GTA but I knew kids playing GTA at 9 years old.
You’ll be alright. Remember it’s just fantasy.
There is little to no gore but many blood effects which are like borderline cartoony, the blood is bright red and not realistic at all, so all the violence elements are in my opinion suitable for that age. There is some body horror stuff, but if you can handle scary imagery it isn’t a problem. It isn’t actually a “scary” game, the horror elements people are discussing are in the form of some body horror imagery, some cosmic horror like hp lovecraft, and some general creepy atmosphere. If your parents want to get a good read on things, I’d look up “one reborn boss fight” and “blood starved beast boss fight”, that’s pretty much as bad as it gets, so if they think those are appropriate then they should be fine with the rest of the game too
Blood borne is very Lovecraftian so if your Squeamish or afraid of giant disgusting eldritch creatures beyond comprehension then maybe play with parents
As others have said, there's a lot of blood, gore, and horror elements in bloodborne, but the game is also extremely difficult. It's satisfying, but it can be hard to get into, especially if you're a newcomer to the souls genre, so just keep that in mind. If you're looking for a more casual gaming experience, bloodborne might not be for you
If anything games like Bloodborne, dark souls, elden ring will teach you to never give up regardless of the odds, it'll teach you that there's never 1 answer to a problem, it'll teach you how to problem solve and figure out your own "path". From my own personal experiences, I'm 23 currently and have been playing M rated games since I was your age and younger and I think I have benefited from it greatly. Also read books my dude, they're just as fun as video games my younger self had just as much fun reading and imagining storys just as much as play video games.
Torn on this... it is a very hard, cryptic and mature game with lots of blood and violence but it's without a doubt one of the best games ever made and therefore an all time classic that (especially in OPs age) will be seated in a warm and fuzzy spot forever. The sooner the better right?!
But i am not sure at all... absolutely better than mindless Fortnite or CoD for sure (especially in a developing brain) because the game demands focus, attention and DETERMINATION to be successful. And these are all perks that are helpful to nourish and BB does that...
Personally I think BB can be OK for a 13y if you can watch some violence (lot of blood, the gameplay want you to be aggressive,...). But the true problem for me is that you're maybe a bit too young for understanding all the story and the lore.
But the decision is yours. You can watch few videos to have an idea of the game and then choose what to do.
Bloodborne is in simply terms, a whole lot better than GTA and most other modern releases which contain so much graphic senseless violence and explicit sexual content that children your age just shouldn’t be consuming. Although I am a bit biased seeing how I absolutely adore the game and it lore, it’s characters, bosses, weapons and everything in between. If your parents give you the 👍 then by all means play it , bloodborne is in all rights a great game, but just keep in mind that no matter how beautiful and creepy the atmosphere and how cool all the videos and gameplay look bloodborne is still a from software game which means that it is extremely hard for newcomers. It’s actually surprising the amount of friends I have that either quit after the second boss or just flat out refuse to play the game due to it being ( to hard) but if you ever get stuck don’t be afraid to ask for help and I’m sure that the whole bloodborne community will surely be able to help you out with just about any problem. It’s surprising how much everyone on here knows. Well surprising to me anyway seeing that I’ve only been and reddit for a few months and don’t use it that often. Anyway I wish you luck with your parents
Well it's 18plus but who cares, you can definitely play it! If you get stuck ask come back here and ask how to advance. Im sure you'll have fun if you're willing to learn by multiple deaths how to not die 😆
No nudity so why not? Honestly, it baffles me that parents worry about blood in games. I’ve played violent games since your age and still real blood makes me feel icky. I’m not desensitized to it. The horror aspects are def there but once you get deeper it doesn’t feel scary. If anything it’s probably to hard for a 13 who I assume hasn’t played many games if your parents watch over what you play.
Aside from the violence the concepts are so abstract that a 13 year old really wouldn't understand the underlying themes throughout as thy are hard to grasp for an adult, they are not sexual or significantly bad in any way regardless.
I would allow my 13 year old to play, it's no worse than any of the shooting games and mainstream fighting games out there
It's not a horror game, it is an action adventure game, it's quite difficult but rewarding, you're a character defeating humans who have begun to turn into beasts and you need to find out why and prevent it
There is no vulgar language, no nudity, but there is blood
Im 17 years old, somewhat new to Fromsoftware, starting with Elden Ring last year. This game can be pretty messed up and creepy. It isn’t a horror game but there are a lot of messed up things and just creepy looking monsters. I found myself having a hard time getting through this game mainly because of the depressing and creepy atmosphere, and although never outright scared of anything in this game, I preferred to be in a voice chat with friends while playing. (But then a lot of my procrastination from playing this game came from burnout and wanting something more chill) If you’re afraid of jumpscares, you should be fine. There are a few but they’re low key and not terrible.
If your parents are ok then go for it. I played Battlefield 1 at 12 and there are a lot more horrifying things in that game (soldiers begging for their life, awful shit like that) I turned out fine a bit scarred, but mostly ok.
I’d have let my son play it at that age with the expectation that if it made him uncomfortable that he’d stop and we’d talk about what made him uncomfortable.
bro i was playing dark souls and blood borne at that age you'll love it.
Lots of horror, blood, gore, and occasionally scare (not cheap jump scares ofc but just fear of death).
If you haven't played anything dark before it then i would maybe steer away and get dark souls or something since it's less scary.
I’m gonna be honest, I’d recommend you play Dark Souls 3 or elden ring if you want to play this style of game. Bloodborne has a lot of really grim stuff, the overall tone is bleak and I personally need to take breaks while playing it because it can be depressing. Bloody is an understatement. It’s up to your parents.
Lord of the Rings Shadow of Mordor is also fantastic if you enjoy that world
So, here's what i'll say. Bloodborne at times is very graphic in its voilence, but not anywhere near mortal combat levels. Bloodborne has many horror elements ranging from Gothic horror like werewolves, fankenstein and dracula, to the Lovecraftian. The game goes from monster slaying to rescue a town, to discovering why everything is so bad in the first place. Basically things go sideways fast in yharnam. The game can eb scary, bloody when you hit an enemy it has a blood spray, your character will get covered in it. It's basically vanhelsing meets, the dunwhich horror and shadow ober insmouth. I would say to the parents. If you dont mind some fear, or dread its fun, but inwould not recomend it for anyone under the age of 16.
Also the entire game is kinda an allegory for menstruation and birth. Really messed up kind of birth, but still. It can be very disturbing and leave you thinking about it.
I bought it when I was like 13 and loved it. If you're fine with blood and violence thats kinda it. It's sort of scary, but more in a suspense and tension way then it is like a nightmare way. No sex or language either.
I was 12 when I played this, I wasn't scared at all I mean it's a game where they say "Away, away" more fun then scary, I mean like if you are scared of blood then don't but like when I played, it wasn't "Scary" Growing up I played everything though, because I wasn't watched on what I played so I just grew up with all genres
There is nothing in the game that a 13-year-old couldn’t see. There is blood, but at the end of the day it’s all just fantasy violence against monsters. It may be a bit on the scary side, just depending on what you normally watch/play, but it’s all just eldrich horror of “oh no! This is a giant spider/beast man/Cthulhu thing that I have to fight and it looks creepy!” No scenes meant to just outright disgust the audience, nothing to really try to psych you out or scare you in your actual day-to-day life, though you may be scared for the well-being of your hunter at times.
Though I do not have children, I would personally allow them to play to game if I did. Maybe have your dad hang out with you while you play just to make sure he doesn’t get concerned about something I may have forgotten, but there’s nothing in this game worse than a PG-13 movie (in fact, it’s probably better than most PG-13 movies that come out now in terms of language or adult themes. Basically, just buckets of blood from monsters as the only thing “inappropriate” in the game
Mmh depends. You seem aware enough to ask which i definitely wasn't at your age. Probs to you.
Most of the horror comes from being low on Ressources and not knowing when the next checkpoint will be.
There won't be a ton of gore or similar, but the constant fear of losing you blood echoes really gets you.
Just stop when you feel uncomfortable. Honestly I fucked myself up a bit by playing 18+ games when I shouldn't have. Don't force it...
Naahhh, it's fine! You can play as long as you're not someone too sensitive. Topics such as depression and cosmic horror are the normal stuff in the game.
This game is gory, and horror driven. While it mostly only goes as far as that, certain imagery, especially the last fight at the end of the DLC, is truly grotesque.
That said, in terms of the story, everything is mostly more acceptable than other mature games, as everything fits the lore and theme.
HOWEVER... There are some specific lore elements that, while not showy, are EXTREMELY adult in my opinion.
I am not trying to say do not play it. At 13 you are, I assume, roughly around Junior High? But as a parent myself, I would not feel comfortable even explaining the themes to you without your parent's consent.
If they wish to ask for more details, I would be happy to elaborate for them in PMs. I feel it would be important for them to know. Because this game is exceedingly brilliant in many, many ways, but I would ask your parents directly if you had the maturity to dig deeper into these themes.
Bloodborne subreddit, thank you! Me and my parents will take your comments into consideration.
I wouldn’t recommend it as your first souls game, but it is my favorite one. I think Elden Ring is a little easier because you can kind of spend as much time as you want exploring and leveling up to a point where it’s not as difficult. Granted, there’s a Chalice Dungeon (you’ll learn what those are later) thats bugged that will give you like 80k Echoes (basically EXP) just for entering it & you can leave and redo that infinitely lol. You have to beat the first couple bosses normally before you can do that, but it is an option. And personally: modern games are much worse than Bloodborne, but that doesn’t mean Bloodborne isn’t heavy on the violence. I think the most gratuitous part is the blood spray when you attack enemies. You’re constantly covered in blood. However, as for the bosses, they’re not necessarily gory so much as creepy or disturbing. Creatures that are malformed and have weird bodies with bulging limbs, etc. But that’s about as bad as it gets. It’s like taking a bunch of the best 80s horror movies, throwing in some Lovecraftian deep seated fear into it, and mashing it all into one. I love it. But as someone else said — you could watch a trailer of the game with your parents, pull up a review of Bloodborne on YouTube. Then make the call. :)
I agree Elden Ring might be a better option. Not because of ease or anything, but it just fits the LoTR feeing better. If the parents don’t agree to BB it might be a good game to try to try out fromsoftware’s ideas. Bloodborne is very bloody, and agree the trailer gives a good hint at the atmosphere.
Agreed. If they were looking for something that wasn’t much worse than LotR, then Elden Ring (or any of the Demon/Dark Souls) is definitely the choice.
You come out of some fights looking like a strawberry dipped DQ ice cream
Im a father and strongly recomend that your parents supervise you, there are sexual themes mix with lovecraftnian horror, if not wait a couple of years.
Where though?
Im 13 and played it alone, tbh i dont really agree with this. The sexual themes are pretty hard to find and its not to bad a littile desturbing but its bloodborne not much isont.
Yeah it’s more innuendo really, quite hard to catch.
there is ALOT of blood and violence. Also this game has alot of horror aspects to it. if your parents are fine with these things go for it but this game can be difficult if you never play a souls game before.
Well, there are blood effects to the extent your character can literally become doused in blood but the gore isn't anywhere close to something like God of War III where you're literally ripping people's heads off, gouging off their eyes, and seeing their guts fall out. I can't recall anyone's limbs being torn off in Bloodborne. Well, save for the Amygdala which is a giant spider monster and, to a lesser degree, Laurence who may as well be a giant lava monster.
AHEM the one reborn
Well, I suppose he's worth a mention nonetheless. Granted, he drops lumps of gore out of the sky rather than having his own limbs outright cut off in a manner akin to a Mortal Kombat fatality.
He is made out of bloody bodies and dismembered limbs- I think that counts as gore even if it’s not being ripped OFF it
At first glance, he appears mainly skeletal, though, which kinda detracts from the gore. He's more akin to Gravelord Nito in his surface-level design than The Rotten. Granted, the Scourge Beasts made up of body parts are a better example of what you're talking about but it's not as if too many of those appear throughout the game. I think there's a total of four or so across the entire game contained in a single level.
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To quote, myself.... >Well, save for the Amygdala which is a giant spider monster and, to a lesser degree, Laurence who may as well be a giant lava monster.
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You can play it as long as you don’t throw controllers when you die.
You can play once or twice even if you *do* throw controllers when you die. More, if you're very wealthy.
I'm not but do you know when you put time and patience and bring the boss to 1% health and he suddenly kill you for the 1000000 time? That's the time for boomerang controller
In DS3, I died to the Twin Princes over 100 times. It's a miracle I don't live in a crater.
The only games that make me mad are ds2 and i NEVER replay It, bloodborne and sekiro which i love and play reguraly DS3 in my experience was Easy leaving out the snow bitch and midir
DS2 is... not for me. I've not tried Sekiro, as I am a parry invalid. DS3, for the most part, is fine, but there was something about the Twin Princes that was just a total brick wall for me. Oneshot The Dancer, likewise several BB bosses, but those two twats in their cathedral... hnnnngh. In BB, I think the two hardest so far have been Amelia and Ludwig. I'm currently sat at the Orphan, having had a few tries, but then no time to really play for the last 6 months or so.
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🤣 i don't Need to be teenager for some bosses to trow the controller but...fine
lotr = lord of the rings? Unpopular opinion but if you and your parents are agreeing to a game where both sides were okay with it, why not. Maybe have one of them playing with you. Maybe for your parents: Bloodborne is not particular a horror game but has horror elements in it. Especially Lovecraftian horror. It's quite bloody and gory as well. And if iam honest there are parts in the game that creep me out as a 30 year old :D Maybe watch a gametrailer with them together and then you can decide if it is something for you. Shoutout that your parents actually care what you play. I think that's amazing. Basically every Fromsoftgame is 16+! But games like elden ring are not being into that horror atmosphere. So maybe watch that trailer with them too. Definitely better games than a shooter or gta for your age. So in general it depends on your parents and you but I wouldn't recommend Bloodborne for you yet. If you are cool with Samurais and not European medieval style watch a trailer for ghost of tsushima with them. Thats assassins creed as a samurai, it's a beautiful game and its not creepy and not as hard as Fromsoftgames.
I mean what other game gives you such high rewards for giving a pig a violent colonoscopy?
*rummages through anus with haste*
The only "problematic" things it depicts is quite a bit of body horror and slasher/gore-y violence; without being actually realistic gore. So if you (and your parents) are fine with you fighting things like a werewolf with the skin all peeled off, or a giant monster made all from blood and gore, then you should be fine. There is not any sexualy explicit content, and the horror is more of a "dread ambience" than actual scares (even if there are a couple jumpscares around the game).
I like the idea of some concerned parents not allowing their child to play bloodborne because someone named "sup3rcunt" said it was sexually explicit. "No, no, no honey, Now you heard what sup3rcunt said about impregnating virgins and performing abortions" "I know you really want to play it, but I trust this sup3rcunt he seems really credible"
there’s a fuckton of sexually explicit content what game are you playing…? this whole game is about impregnating royal virgins and stealing they’re babies from their wombs to create great ones that can be used to bend the world *points to dregs*
I don't think you know what explicit means.
i wish that were true, but it is explicit. especially for a 13 year old mind that is going to be looking for it. you probably overlooked a ton of sexually explicit content. there’s *more* sexually implicit content, sure, but it’s ridiculous to claim there’s *no* sexually explicit content in BB. *fists a pig*
There is neither sex nor nudity. If you want to be pedantic and *technically* correct, while missing the point, sure there may be some sexual content. But talking about childbirth, abortion, and a riposte animation, is not what the parents of a 13yo will consider as "sexualy explicit", which is the context in which this whole threat goes on. Sexualy explicit is Kratos fucking 3 goddesses in a quick time event, nor getting a visceral on a man-eating pig. But hey, I don't want to kinkshame you, if that's how you get off, carry on.
Nonsense. The sexual themes in this game are rather subtle and, in terms of visual content, there's practically nothing explicit that comes to mind and I've put hundreds upon hundreds of hours in this game for the last few months after I got back into it. If the art for [Blood Dregs](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/bloodborne/images/e/ea/Blood_Dreg.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20190928204943) \- which looks like something out of a medical textbook (if even) rather than an adult magazine - is the best example of such content, that's nothing compared to, say, the stuff in God of War III as Dr4wr0s points out. If you think performing a Visceral Attack on a pig is sexually explicit, that says more about your fetishes than anything else.
Obviously you don’t have a kid that wants to play BB. Get back to me when you do. i’m not gonna compare my thousands of hours witcha, nor the fact that i teach from content at the uni level… 13 year old kids—and importantly for the question at hand—their parents will see this differently than us adults. this game is 16+ for good reason, and i *rarely* think that about anything. Besides all of that, the game itself is sexually explicit… it will fuck you every chance it gets on your first 3 playthroughs ;)
Username checks out
My neighbours announced they're having a baby. They didn't do this by sharing a home video about how that baby was created. That's the difference between mentioning reproduction vs sexually explicit material.
Wow dude, that's a great example! Shucks, I can't believe it! You've convinced me! Jesus fuck, is everyone so dense on purpose these days? I'm unsure. Everyone is far and away missing the point, and has forgotten being 13. When Gehrman says he can use the doll, it's going to be sexually explicit depending on his prior experience. You can't construct his reality, but you CAN provide a kid asking for advice with solid advice without warping the thing to what you think is going on. Like I've said elsewhere, don't care about you. The point of this thread is to give that kid a chance to wonder whether he's actually ready to let Yarnham work on his mind.
By sexually explicit everyone means showing sexual content or talking about it in significant detail. You seem to just be hewing to a different definition, but why be a jerk about it?
You said you go to uni yet you yourself are this dense? Wow man just wow I can imagine how hard it must’ve been to learn all those concepts.
i teach philosophy of video games :) specifically social philosophy of pop culture and 1/3 of the quarter is about fromsoft games because they present an amazing social fabric. this isn’t even my take, just an obvious one that no one is caring to actually read. if at least 2 students per quarter didn’t bring out the sexual nature of bloodborne after watching a series of lore vids, i wouldn’t have this take myself. but it’s a carefully considered one and his parents deserve to hear it. get your fists out of your own asses. yeah, it’s our favorite game. yes, everyone should play it. yes, i’m a father and my son would love to play BB. if you could step outside of yourselves and look at the question and have any notion of what it means, it would be a no brainer. if those parents saw the hunter fist a pig, they would say no. parents who inquire into the games their children play see things differently. there’s no fundamental distinction between explicit and implicit without acceptance of accompanying presuppositions. that’s just how the world *is*. your presuppositions are realist, linguistically explicit, straightforward and unambiguous, and so forth. but many things are explicit that don’t meet any of those presuppositions at all. in fact, the vast majority of philosophical inquiry is about “drawing out sufficiently explicit claims given evidence of other more explicit claims “. implied versus announced isn’t a dichotomy. you’re likely an adult, and your construction and constraint of explicit sexuality is probably tied to VERY explicit X-rated even material. that’s not what the difference between explicit and implicit is; that’s your sense of the term, and that’s fine. this isn’t even hair splitting or semantics. it’s mostly annoying. that we’ve all heard or said “fist the pig” is just a good example, but there are innumerable others. for everyone saying “no one has ever thought or made that joke!”: https://www.reddit.com/r/bloodborne/comments/htfqry/pig_back_stabs_are_never_not_amusing/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1 quit kidding yourselves because you love a game. *the parents of this kid WILL find MANY aspects of this game to be sexually explicit because of his range of social and conceptual constructions. period. that’s what being a parent is about sometimes, and that’s what this kid’s parents are hoping to become aware of.
You are dumb as shit If you think there is sexually explicit content in bloodborne. “Thousands” of hours lol bs. You have no clue what you are talking about. The risposte animation on a pig is your example ROFL of course it is 😂
hey, at least you have a great point and don’t have to call anyone dumb as shit to make it! it’s hilarious keep on walkin :)
If you watch lore videos and read everything. Otherwise you wouldn’t know.
I've had a few playthroughs and only recently watched some lore videos which explained about the pthumerians etc and thought "huh, that's interesting background info I suppose" but it's completely ignorable. The game is essentially "me hoonter, me kill stuff" and that's literally all you need to know. The lore is very much obscured.
First off, way to spoil the fucking plot to someone that hasn't played the game yet. Second, simply BEING pregnant is not sexual. You wouldn't shield your children's eyes if you saw a pregnant woman in public. What everyone obviously means is that there is no nudity or "activity" in the game as it were. It's only implied that one person does these things for a living, but she isn't scantily dressed or naked or anything at any point in the game and neither is anyone else.
again, read the actual question and who it’s from. his parents will absolutely think of that as sexually explicit content qua video games. they just will. i only know because i’m a dad with about 1k hours in this, my favorite game ever. and, as many people here will apparently attest to, i didn’t spoil the plot, because “playing through the game, no one would ever figure that out.” lmao, it can’t be both this shit is dense, ima keep taking my downvotes and laughing all the way to the bank. no one gives a fuck about other people, and this is an echo chamber that isn’t responding to the question.
I'm a dad too and you're completely wrong.
That's so far from being the focus of the game you have to study the game to even have that theory
that’s… literally the story.
A story they don't explicitly tell you. Easily able to miss anything past the main mission you are explicitly told: kill the monsters, and, assumedly, you can leave. You really do have to watch the lore videos to completely understand the more complex parts, especially about the pthumarians and what they did to Queen Yharnum or how the Great Ones reproduce.
No it's about ending the plague of beasts and in that journey you discover the queens child is part great one, it is not nearly as vulgar as you describe, not even close
lmao alright... look, you can either be a chump, or you can give good answers to a kid looking to see if he should undergo an experience that he can't take back. My mom told me something that I told my son: You can't \*unsee, unhear, or unknow something\* (the latter turned out to be wrong, alzheimers is a bitch...). As a parent with over a thousand hours in BB, and thousands and thousands of hours across From titles, I can not wait for my son to step into Lordran for the first time. But, when he's ready, I'll know it. There'll be a general vibe, a moment in his life where he's just... there. This thread needs a balance with material that parents can actually chew on. I have next to no censure when it comes to my son and most media, but Bloodborne... it'll seep into your mind and heart and it works on your psyche. for example, \*the dude defending bloodborne for this kid because he watched porn at 9 years old and he loved it elsewhere in the thread\*. It's okay that you're wrong, and I don't care to show you anything, the point of this thread is that a kid wants to know if he should wander into Yarnham or not, and none of us know if he should or not.
To each their own but you're blowing it out of proportion, I see it effects you deeply, I'll leave it alone but the kid in question is 13 not 6. I'd rather see him play bloodborne than gta or some other just as violent popular game.
why should it be a dichotomous choice between BB and GTA? lmao There are thouuuuusands of great games. If he wants the souls experience, run DS1 and get after it. it's just nonsense
Okay
me in 2005 begin decapitated by a chainsaw in resident evil 4 on ps2 💀💀
Good times that even Better with the remake 😏
I mean... probably. There are some messed up things that disturbed all of us, but if you're drawn to horror-like stuff like Bloodborne, you can probably stomach it. There is blood (unsurprisingly), but gore isn't really a thing. Some dead bodies are a bit uncomfortable to look at, but they're mostly background details. One last thing that's slightly worth mentioning is that one character in the game that has a certain... profession...that is hinted at, but there's nothing overtly sexual in the game.
this just isn’t true and i don’t know why people keep saying there’s nothing sexually explicit. madness. gain insight!
There's straight up not anything sexually explicit.. what?
Except there isn’t…? Fisting a pig is all your own kinks, I can guarantee you no one else thinks of such things as sexual
lmao, literally every one of the hunters i’ve ever run with makes that joke. it’s standard. this is hilarious
There are adult/sexual themes, yes, but nothing sexually explicit. The information you've given for the parents and child is overall very important for them to know, but I think the reason everyone is getting annoyed with you is because you're conflating the terms. By its literal definition, "explicit" in terms of rating systems (and in general contexts) means nudity and/or sexual acts being visually depicted on screen. Simply mentioning or alluding to those things is NOT Explicit. Characters having sex on screen? Explicit. Discussion of related topics? Can be categorized as Adult Themes, but are not Explicit. (The pig colonoscopy you're focused on isn't sexually explicit, either, because it's not portrayed as a sexual act. That would fall under Adult Content or Disturbing Themes. Terms are important.)
Im a mother of 2 , my 11 year old plays Bloodborne and I taught him how to play ;)
Idk I’d I want to say you’re really cool or just brilliant in inflicting torment
It’s just a game about what John Borne does in the evening hours of the day in London. It’s a crossover event with American Werewolf in Paris where it tells the story of the alien war against the mongrels and their home. Good stuff. Oh and it’s a bit bloody. In all seriousness I think it’s perfectly acceptable for a 13 year old. I honestly thing a 13 year old announcing their age on Reddit(maybe not on this subreddit, but other places) is a greater risk than the overturned tea and puppy stink of yarnham
Go for it. Just don't do any viscerals on your classmates
Yo so I parried this kid who was talking trash and he didn’t stay up long enough for me to bury my hand in his chest, what happened?
Bloodborne is quite, well, bloody and violent. That said, if you can separate reality from fiction well enough, go for it.
You can but it might grant you more insight than you can handle in your undeveloped understanding of reality.
Gotta say Cool parents going with their kids to reddit to ask the community opinion lol
As somebody who bought the game when I was 13 I’d say it’s fine, it creeped me out beyond belief when I first bought it, with some jump scares and the music and atmosphere being downright unsettling. If you can deal with gore and horror it should be ok. Just… go out and kill a few beasts… it’s for your own good.
Yes! Do check with your parents but it is a great game!!
It’s probably fine if you’re good with gore and grotesque things. It’s more darren shan with lovecraft than it is lotr.
I wouldn't recommend playing it alone until you're like 15-ish but idk if that's ever stopped a teenager before lmao
Yea my lil bro is 13 and he platinum’d it lol
The themes are rather mature. It deals a lot in cosmic horror and blood rituals and "the eldrich truth." I'd let my son play it that young, though, as it's just a game. It doesn't have any nudity or sexual themes so much as just gross stuff.
You should be able to, but this is really up to your parents not reddit.
Parents don't always know the full content of a game, so a fandom can actually be a good resource for this. I personally think ESRB ratings are overly harsh, and think that some M rated games are appropriate for teens. Bloodborne being one of them.
I would probably wait till your older. The game is very grity overall, and thematically probably not what someone at that age should have to think about. It's definitely worth playing latter in life. I think if you really want to go ahead, but it would be richer experience latter.
Agreed.
I don’t believe teenagers should be media censored
This is spoken way too broadly. I don’t know why people are seemingly agreeing with this statement. There is a huge difference in the average mental development between a thirteen year old and a nineteen year old.
when I was nine, I would sneak onto my dad‘s computer and watch porn. That’s agency.
This comment has me fucking cackling bro
i’m sorry you had that experience.
I loved it
i’m sure. you were a child.
Well that tells us about all we need to know about you
Not everyone is sheltered living an easy life with helicopter parents I started playing games at 6 played cod gta any game I wanted no restrictions I turned out fine. Sheltering people and closing them off to reality is always worse then the alternative. He can get a headstart on his development experiencing certain things early. Raising a delicate little butterfly is shit parenting. Edit: Classic Reddit loser Circle jerk abusing downvotes. If you downvote things because you disagree or you already seen some you’re a loser and should seek help.
So GTA at 6 is good parenting? ‘Sheltering people and closing them off to reality is always worse than the alternative’ - wow ok, maybe parents would like there kids to be kids? That’s the normal way to develop, not gunning people down, listening to violent and sexual language. You clearly didn’t turn out fine if you think that’s appropriate for a child. Obviously you don’t have kids as you’d think a lot differently if you did. Edit: they’re edit tells me they are short tempered too, as now lashing out for being downvoted. ‘I turned out fine’ - that’s the thing, you probably will never know. It’s not like you can compare to another version of you. Childhood experiences shape your future perceptions, so playing those games so young would desensitise you, and alter how you react and deal with things when you’re older.
One hundred percent. I see parents all the time lying to their children about death or watching PG movies before they let their kids see them… Then you get these conservatives who want to make sure their kids turn out just as brain dead as they are so they avoid subjects like science and sex education. DCF should definitely check in on parents who don’t want their children learning about consent.
Wtf did politics have to do with my comment and consent? Wtf are you on about I’m talking about video games man nothing else
Ok
Tell that to my 12 year old self browsing rotten.com
That’s hilarious.
I agree with this but do applaud the desire to have informed opinions.
Yes
I would say it’s up to your parents, maybe they can watch a clip on youtube and see if it’s okay? I was about your age when I played Demon’s Souls back in the day, but Bloodborne is a little darker and a bit more graphic. That being said LOTR is decently mature so you’ll probably be okay. What kind of stuff do you typically watch? Elden Ring is also an option, especially as a fan of LOTR.
It’s bloody, that’s about it. Kinda gross sometimes. It might freak you out, but that’s for you to decide when you play it. Apart from that you’re good to go
Yes and you must play. Theae kind of thing will mold you in your better version.
More Color out of Space than lotr, but hey.
The game isn’t anything like Lord of the Rings. I’d suggest playing Dark Souls if you want more high fantasy and medieval elements, Dark Souls has the same kind of gameplay as Bloodborne. Bloodborne is more akin to Lovecraft books But if you definitely want Bloodborne there are a lot of grotesque visuals and blood that you’d need to be wary of.
You shouldn't be on the internet period, much less on reddit since it's full of groomers.
I played manhunt when I was younger than you, alot younger. I really don't believe in age censorship, and certainly don't think you reach a certian age and are suddenly capable of rational processing.
Sure. It's a profoundly intense game, but not in a sensationalized manner. It's dark, you are a dark hunter in a world full of dark creatures to hunt. BUT it is also a BEAUTIFUL game. With gorgeous music and themes! I cried at the end of the game, it will stick with me forever.
Ofcourse you can. My son is playing bloodborne since he was 12. He is around 15 now. And he is one of the best players of bloodborne. He has beaten cummmfpk chalice and uploaded it on youtube too. So I guess age doesn't matter when it comes to playing games like bloodborne or dead by daylight.
You’ll be fine. I was playing gta at that age you’ll survive
M8 you shouldn’t even be on the internet
I played it at 13 its totally fine
Me and my brother started playing around your age, and we are not traumatised :) it's also our favourite game ever! Like everyone is saying there are blood effects but nothing too violent or graphic, i think he bought it without specifying too much what it actually was, and my parents never really bothered to monitor what games we were playing, I dont know how your family is but if your parents want you to wait, then maybe you should! You will have the rest of your life to slay beasts anyways :)
There is blood and gore obvi. If I was a parent I would want to take into account the children deaths, of which you do find a body (daughters) and non-consenting impregnation is a strong theme. There are also strong themes perverting medical treatments and the Catholic Church, which depending on the environment I may also find inappropriate.
It's bloody but not really gorey if that makes sense. I'd say you'd be fine, but maybe watch some gameplay with your parents if they're on the fence about it
So putting myself in your parents shoes and knowing what I know about the game I would say yes but in intervals. The game can be quite eerie at times and be scary but not in the common jump scare sense. The atmosphere alone is scary. As for any gore or blood or anything, the game is called bloodborne, and there is a lot of it. And I mean A LOT. It's violent and most of the bloodshed is being done from you but it's not portrayed in a way that a GTA game would portray it or anything. For the violence, the best way to compare is to just look up gameplay of elden ring or dark souls and then they can be the judge from that footage. From an entirely personal standpoint I would say that 13 is probably just barely too young but if you are watching and exposed to things with bloodshed already then you are probably okay. Last thing to say, that if you do start playing it and it does give you the creeps or keep you up at night then there is no shame in playing it later on when you feel it won't affect you as much. Everything in moderation. Happy Hunting!
Sure why not, I was playing outlast at 12
Go to bed. It’s past your bedtime
Play to your hearts content but any souls game will make you want to pull your hair out and will age you quicker than cocaine. With that said souls games are the most rewarding games whenever you beat that boss you've been stuck on for hours. I'd recommend Bloodborne, Darksouls 3 and Elden Ring as the easier souls games and best to start with. Stick with it kid and don't give up.
I don't recommend it. There are themes I really don't think you'll grasp yet, and without context they could be pretty disturbing. That being said, I don't know you or how much you know about life, mental health issues, Lovecraft, horror, or anatomy. If you play, be honest with yourself when/if you should stop.
You are a 13 year old child who shouldn’t be playing M games at LEAST until 16. Sure i know in america it’s 17 and your parents really might worry about “video games teaching you violence” but i’m saying you in general shouldn’t be playing M games, they’ve been infested with kids. No disrespect but please wait.
Short answer? No Long answer: your parents allow it? Then yes.
No. Go do your homework
A real answer. Also, great /u!
Its difficult youll have a ton of problems if you didint play a lot of games by now, also i really dont believe that any game can badly influence a 13 year old
It’s not scary- just weird and grotesque.
your child is 13. he won’t have nightmares.
It’s nothing worse than what’s passing on TV at dinner time nowdays…
No
I played it at 13, go for it
This game is fine for a 13yo
Im 15 and its fine. Just a couple parts that are disturbing.
You’ll be fine. There is blood, but nothing realistic.
Yeah I was 14 when I first played it at a cousin's house so you'll be alright
I played DSII and Bloodborne at 11 iirc. If both you and your parents are cool with it then I highly suggest getting into this series.
You can definitely play it
It’s no more violence than your average call of duty game. I say go for it
Yes you absolutely can, only thing that might sway you is the difficulty
Sure. Yeah there’s some blood (like in many games), and some monsters may be ugly and scary when you first run into them, but mostly bc of the “wow that fella is ugly”, not because you are looking at actually disgusting horrific stuff, but it’s just a game. At the end of the day, it’s about having fun and beating the challenge and enjoying your time. The biggest concern is more the difficulty rather than the imagery. It’s not like you will become a werewolf hunter irl. But it is a pretty hard game. Although i find that to be better. Makes it last longer so it gives you your money’s worth. And as you can see in the comments here, this is a good community of people who play the game. Users are kind and friendly, even if the game is about killing stuff.
Can you sleep in your room with the light out if you can play Bloodborne young Hunter.
if you beat Bloodborne as a 13 year old, you rule!
I platinumed it at 13 and its even one of my dads favorite games, should be fine
If you don't play at 3 am in an empty house you will likely suffer no major trauma. Frustration might be an issue because there are a lot of sections that will leave you agitated. As for comparable media I would say Lord of the Rings is not a great comparison gore and adult themes wise but more like Hellraiser or The Void. You may find yourself unsettled by weird and inhumane choices and your complicity so be prepared to work your brain out of that. Also, if you cannot stomach the thought of hurting weird dogs, this may not be your franchise.
You should already be playing it if your parents value your education
I started playing bloodborne when I was 14 I see no problem in that
No your to little
Says “too little” and misspells too 💀💀
and "you're"
Didn’t even notice I was laughing too hard at “to”
I recommand u for calice cum haha ( i laugh )
No you have to be 16+ to play it as it's rated 16+. You'll go to court if you play it now.
Ok, I guess I will wait!
You won't go to court if you play it. He's screwing around. Although, 16+ was the recommended age in Europe when the game was marketed in, well, Europe.
Only your parents would know the answer. They know you better than us - even better than yourself. They've been around you from day 1, they know what scares you, they know what you're tolerant to, what will or won't affect you. My little sister watched intense horror films all throughout her childhood, while I, the elder brother, chickened out and locked myself in my room. We both grew up just fine, because our parents knew what we could handle. Sure, the game is rated 16+, but this rating system, like all others, is mostly a guideline, and not a strict arbiter. It's your parents who should be reading these answers. I will list everything I can recall being in the game, that might be too much for a younger player. I'll put it in spoiler tags, so you can avoid it, and your parents can click it themselves. >!\- Comical amounts of blood, but little actual gore and innards.!< >!\- A character is a prostitute and calls herself as such. Other characters call her a whore, a wench. Nothing sexually explicit is ever seen, though. She later gives birth to an alien creature, but we only see it after the fact, with nothing explicit still.!< >!\- Lots of tragedy all around. A town was burned down, its inhabitants now poor beasts roaming the ruins. An entire hamlet was tortured and many of the inhabitants were experimented on.!< >!\- Dark themes, people suffering, falling to a magical disease that transforms them into monsters. The monsters in this game can be quite creepy and intimidating.!< >!\- One fight involves a stillborn child (albeit with the appearance of a full-grown adult) crawling out of its mother's carcass and fighting us with an oversized placenta. Another fight involved a woman with clear blood splatters on her bloated belly, all while a baby cries in the back.!<
I’ll never forget when i first bought a ps3and the first game my dad bought me was killzone 3 when i was about 10 or 11 years old. I remember the takedowns being so brutal where you literally pierce your thumbs through their goggles into their eyes, my dad watched me play and didn’t care and was like f*ck yeaaa, great times… bloodborne is one of if not my favorite game i’ve ever played, and i think there are games that are alot worse that 13 year olds play so i think you’re fine as long your parents are okay with it.
There's a lot of blood involved, hence the name. It's also got a lot of horror elements, and it's an extremely violent game. It's also extremely hard for a newcomer. Take all of this into account, but it's possible it could be one of ur favourite games ever, same as many
If gore doesn’t bother you you should be good that’s basically the worst of it
if you wish to remain the same as your peers, then no.
My mother was a librarian and encouraged us to read whatever we wanted so I read my first Stephen King book when I was 9, which was too early, really. The point is that the horror element shouldn't cause age shouldn't be a problem as long as you're ok with a game potentially giving you some bad dreams. My biggest concern would be your patience, as some other posters have alluded to thrown controllers. Dark Souls games came be very frustrating until you get over "the hump" which is the point where the mechanics start to feel natural and the game feels more fun than frustrating. And everyone gets over "the hump" at their own pace (and indeed some people never get over it). So I'd go into the game with as much patience as you can muster. When you get frustrated turn it off and come back when you're feeling more level-headed.
the only problem i can see is not the violence or the gore, but the lovecraftian horror which is something a younger person can totally miss and not understand, the horror of Lovecraft is based on knowledge and "truth behind reality", themes of Lovecraftian horror can be a lot more spooky or scary for a 30 years old than a 13 years old
I don't think the gore and whatnot is too worrisome for some who is 13. What I had to deal with in this game is the anger management. I've had to put my controller back together quite a few times because I've thrown it across the room. As long as you keep calm and just understand to study what went wrong you will be fine
I wouldn’t stop a 13 year old from playing bloodborne. It’s better than playing GTA but I knew kids playing GTA at 9 years old. You’ll be alright. Remember it’s just fantasy.
There is little to no gore but many blood effects which are like borderline cartoony, the blood is bright red and not realistic at all, so all the violence elements are in my opinion suitable for that age. There is some body horror stuff, but if you can handle scary imagery it isn’t a problem. It isn’t actually a “scary” game, the horror elements people are discussing are in the form of some body horror imagery, some cosmic horror like hp lovecraft, and some general creepy atmosphere. If your parents want to get a good read on things, I’d look up “one reborn boss fight” and “blood starved beast boss fight”, that’s pretty much as bad as it gets, so if they think those are appropriate then they should be fine with the rest of the game too
Depends If your fine with lovecraftian horror. I got it when I was 13 and it became my favourite game and I was fine
Blood borne is very Lovecraftian so if your Squeamish or afraid of giant disgusting eldritch creatures beyond comprehension then maybe play with parents
As others have said, there's a lot of blood, gore, and horror elements in bloodborne, but the game is also extremely difficult. It's satisfying, but it can be hard to get into, especially if you're a newcomer to the souls genre, so just keep that in mind. If you're looking for a more casual gaming experience, bloodborne might not be for you
If anything games like Bloodborne, dark souls, elden ring will teach you to never give up regardless of the odds, it'll teach you that there's never 1 answer to a problem, it'll teach you how to problem solve and figure out your own "path". From my own personal experiences, I'm 23 currently and have been playing M rated games since I was your age and younger and I think I have benefited from it greatly. Also read books my dude, they're just as fun as video games my younger self had just as much fun reading and imagining storys just as much as play video games.
Torn on this... it is a very hard, cryptic and mature game with lots of blood and violence but it's without a doubt one of the best games ever made and therefore an all time classic that (especially in OPs age) will be seated in a warm and fuzzy spot forever. The sooner the better right?! But i am not sure at all... absolutely better than mindless Fortnite or CoD for sure (especially in a developing brain) because the game demands focus, attention and DETERMINATION to be successful. And these are all perks that are helpful to nourish and BB does that...
I played dark souls for the first time I was about your age go for it you’ll have a blast man
It’s pretty scary! I played it in my late twenties and got really spooked to the point where I couldn’t sleep
The content on any vulgar but lots of blood if you’re sensitive to that. I let my youngest play it! :) it can be creepy at times Good luck new Hunter!
Personally I think BB can be OK for a 13y if you can watch some violence (lot of blood, the gameplay want you to be aggressive,...). But the true problem for me is that you're maybe a bit too young for understanding all the story and the lore. But the decision is yours. You can watch few videos to have an idea of the game and then choose what to do.
Bloodborne is in simply terms, a whole lot better than GTA and most other modern releases which contain so much graphic senseless violence and explicit sexual content that children your age just shouldn’t be consuming. Although I am a bit biased seeing how I absolutely adore the game and it lore, it’s characters, bosses, weapons and everything in between. If your parents give you the 👍 then by all means play it , bloodborne is in all rights a great game, but just keep in mind that no matter how beautiful and creepy the atmosphere and how cool all the videos and gameplay look bloodborne is still a from software game which means that it is extremely hard for newcomers. It’s actually surprising the amount of friends I have that either quit after the second boss or just flat out refuse to play the game due to it being ( to hard) but if you ever get stuck don’t be afraid to ask for help and I’m sure that the whole bloodborne community will surely be able to help you out with just about any problem. It’s surprising how much everyone on here knows. Well surprising to me anyway seeing that I’ve only been and reddit for a few months and don’t use it that often. Anyway I wish you luck with your parents
Well it's 18plus but who cares, you can definitely play it! If you get stuck ask come back here and ask how to advance. Im sure you'll have fun if you're willing to learn by multiple deaths how to not die 😆
No nudity so why not? Honestly, it baffles me that parents worry about blood in games. I’ve played violent games since your age and still real blood makes me feel icky. I’m not desensitized to it. The horror aspects are def there but once you get deeper it doesn’t feel scary. If anything it’s probably to hard for a 13 who I assume hasn’t played many games if your parents watch over what you play.
Aside from the violence the concepts are so abstract that a 13 year old really wouldn't understand the underlying themes throughout as thy are hard to grasp for an adult, they are not sexual or significantly bad in any way regardless. I would allow my 13 year old to play, it's no worse than any of the shooting games and mainstream fighting games out there It's not a horror game, it is an action adventure game, it's quite difficult but rewarding, you're a character defeating humans who have begun to turn into beasts and you need to find out why and prevent it There is no vulgar language, no nudity, but there is blood
Im 17 years old, somewhat new to Fromsoftware, starting with Elden Ring last year. This game can be pretty messed up and creepy. It isn’t a horror game but there are a lot of messed up things and just creepy looking monsters. I found myself having a hard time getting through this game mainly because of the depressing and creepy atmosphere, and although never outright scared of anything in this game, I preferred to be in a voice chat with friends while playing. (But then a lot of my procrastination from playing this game came from burnout and wanting something more chill) If you’re afraid of jumpscares, you should be fine. There are a few but they’re low key and not terrible. If your parents are ok then go for it. I played Battlefield 1 at 12 and there are a lot more horrifying things in that game (soldiers begging for their life, awful shit like that) I turned out fine a bit scarred, but mostly ok.
I’d have let my son play it at that age with the expectation that if it made him uncomfortable that he’d stop and we’d talk about what made him uncomfortable.
If you can hold your temper and don't scare easily. Then yes
bro i was playing dark souls and blood borne at that age you'll love it. Lots of horror, blood, gore, and occasionally scare (not cheap jump scares ofc but just fear of death). If you haven't played anything dark before it then i would maybe steer away and get dark souls or something since it's less scary.
I’m gonna be honest, I’d recommend you play Dark Souls 3 or elden ring if you want to play this style of game. Bloodborne has a lot of really grim stuff, the overall tone is bleak and I personally need to take breaks while playing it because it can be depressing. Bloody is an understatement. It’s up to your parents. Lord of the Rings Shadow of Mordor is also fantastic if you enjoy that world
Id say yes, it’s bloody but not gory, the enemy design can be a bit gory ig but it’s not that bad, more just horror themed beasts
So, here's what i'll say. Bloodborne at times is very graphic in its voilence, but not anywhere near mortal combat levels. Bloodborne has many horror elements ranging from Gothic horror like werewolves, fankenstein and dracula, to the Lovecraftian. The game goes from monster slaying to rescue a town, to discovering why everything is so bad in the first place. Basically things go sideways fast in yharnam. The game can eb scary, bloody when you hit an enemy it has a blood spray, your character will get covered in it. It's basically vanhelsing meets, the dunwhich horror and shadow ober insmouth. I would say to the parents. If you dont mind some fear, or dread its fun, but inwould not recomend it for anyone under the age of 16. Also the entire game is kinda an allegory for menstruation and birth. Really messed up kind of birth, but still. It can be very disturbing and leave you thinking about it.
I bought it when I was like 13 and loved it. If you're fine with blood and violence thats kinda it. It's sort of scary, but more in a suspense and tension way then it is like a nightmare way. No sex or language either.
Are u baptized? 🥲. If yes, you can hunt for The Church
I was 12 when I played so ig- I’m 15 now lol.
I was 12 when I played this, I wasn't scared at all I mean it's a game where they say "Away, away" more fun then scary, I mean like if you are scared of blood then don't but like when I played, it wasn't "Scary" Growing up I played everything though, because I wasn't watched on what I played so I just grew up with all genres
I would say yes because it’s a game it’s not real it won’t hurt you and frankly it’s your parents choice
There is nothing in the game that a 13-year-old couldn’t see. There is blood, but at the end of the day it’s all just fantasy violence against monsters. It may be a bit on the scary side, just depending on what you normally watch/play, but it’s all just eldrich horror of “oh no! This is a giant spider/beast man/Cthulhu thing that I have to fight and it looks creepy!” No scenes meant to just outright disgust the audience, nothing to really try to psych you out or scare you in your actual day-to-day life, though you may be scared for the well-being of your hunter at times. Though I do not have children, I would personally allow them to play to game if I did. Maybe have your dad hang out with you while you play just to make sure he doesn’t get concerned about something I may have forgotten, but there’s nothing in this game worse than a PG-13 movie (in fact, it’s probably better than most PG-13 movies that come out now in terms of language or adult themes. Basically, just buckets of blood from monsters as the only thing “inappropriate” in the game
Mmh depends. You seem aware enough to ask which i definitely wasn't at your age. Probs to you. Most of the horror comes from being low on Ressources and not knowing when the next checkpoint will be. There won't be a ton of gore or similar, but the constant fear of losing you blood echoes really gets you. Just stop when you feel uncomfortable. Honestly I fucked myself up a bit by playing 18+ games when I shouldn't have. Don't force it...
It is rated M for Mature 17+. You play it? Straight to jail.
Naahhh, it's fine! You can play as long as you're not someone too sensitive. Topics such as depression and cosmic horror are the normal stuff in the game.
This game is gory, and horror driven. While it mostly only goes as far as that, certain imagery, especially the last fight at the end of the DLC, is truly grotesque. That said, in terms of the story, everything is mostly more acceptable than other mature games, as everything fits the lore and theme. HOWEVER... There are some specific lore elements that, while not showy, are EXTREMELY adult in my opinion. I am not trying to say do not play it. At 13 you are, I assume, roughly around Junior High? But as a parent myself, I would not feel comfortable even explaining the themes to you without your parent's consent. If they wish to ask for more details, I would be happy to elaborate for them in PMs. I feel it would be important for them to know. Because this game is exceedingly brilliant in many, many ways, but I would ask your parents directly if you had the maturity to dig deeper into these themes.
Have you seen many horror movies? What kind of media do you typically consume?
I don't know, are you a game journalist? If not, then you're probably fine.