10 Video Games You Didn't Know Were Based On Books
2. Bloodborne
Based on: H. P. Lovecraft... just in general
It’s hard to pin the horror genre’s Lovecraftian inspiration down; certainly, the art style of many a game features the teeth and tentacles of Lovecraft’s descriptions, although they rarely capture the complex morals and existential questions his work asked of its readers.
The aesthetic influence is there again in Bloodborne, with a general inspiration being taken from Lovecraft laced throughout the game. Every murky, twisted creature has his fingerprints all over them, and it’s obvious he was hugely influential at the design stage.
Many horror games do this though, and you wouldn’t necessarily say these were based on Lovecraft’s writing. However, where most games scratch the surface, Bloodborne drills deep.
Most games like this have your mortal character as a sort of pseudo god, slaying these huge monsters with relative ease; even when the game is challenging, the narrative doesn’t reflect this.
In Bloodborne, you never quite shake off the feeling of abject smallness present throughout most of Lovecraft’s work. Even when you defeat the beasts, the resounding feeling is that on the whole, you simply don’t matter.
It’s not without its unique story beats too. The drinking of menstrual blood for strength? That’s all Bloodborne.