Bloodborne makes its way to PC via PSX demo

Bloodborne finally was moved to PC, but not in the way that you might expect. A ‘death’ version of FromSoftware’s gothic horror title released at the beginning of the week. It is currently available for free at the game’s itch.io page, after about 13 months of hard work from developer Lilith Walther (@b0tster on Twitter). It’s an impressive feat in itself and a testament to the dedication of the FromSoftware fan base.

As of now, BloodbornePSX only Yharnam, the first area in the original game. That’s by no means an impressive feat, because there’s still quite a bit of content here to study. The player can experience it at the start of the game and play through the encounter with Father Gascoigne. The fight against the Cleric Beast also takes place, so there’s a lot of work to be done. There are also some level changes based on the deliberately designed limitations of the PSX aesthetic. This means even Bloodborne Fanatics may find a few surprises here and there.

Go back in time to Yharnam

The Bloodborne The PSX demake is crammed full of small details and a nod to the fifth generation of gaming. At the launch of the game, you even get the classic PSX splash screen that is sure to leave some people heartbroken through some heavy nostalgia. You can even mess around with the graphics options, like the selection with CRT filters, dithering, as well as lots of smaller settings that let you tweak the quality of the image. Although it’s a demo, you don’t need to play the game in retro mode if that’s not what you want.

Most of the original game mechanics are here like attack, dodge, along with a healthy dose of exploration. The controls have been completely changed to match its older design. The keyboard d-pad controls your character’s movements, while the trigger handles the camera’s X-axis. It takes some time to adjust, especially if you’re used to navigating these environments with modern controls.

However, interestingly, once you get used to them, it feels pretty natural. Perhaps it’s a testament to FromSoftware’s original design that it’s timeless. However, most of the credit should go to Walther, as she managed to read it Bloodborne in a very creative way.

The Bloodborne The PSX demo is available for download right now. It’s an unmissable experience for fans of the original game and will hopefully satisfy some desires for a PC port.