I’ve played all the Dark Souls games, Sekiro, and Elden Ring, and I enjoyed all of them except for DS1 (the combat was too slow and all the boss fights were gimmicks). There was a learning curve for each of those games, but eventually I got good at them and the combat. If there was a boss I got stuck one, I could learn the moves and get a little bit better.
With Bloodborne, I still haven’t gotten good. I’ve made it to Rom, and I am having difficulty beating it. I’m level 55 with a +7 (or +8, can’t remember) weapon, yet I’m struggling with it. For every single boss I’ve either beaten them without really trying or I’ve struggled immensely. I’ve not felt satisfied with killing any of the bosses or getting through the areas because it’s just so hard and monotonous.
I don’t get how parrying works or how it’s supposed to be useful. I barely do damage with the stun attacks. Blood vials are limited, so I end up running past enemies all the time and not feeling I can explore because they’re limited and I need them for bosses (and I don’t like farming for them). The regen system doesn’t really work because anytime I get hit I get stunned and I can’t hit back. Even if I do manage to hit back, my health increases only a tiny amount.
I’ve watched videos, yet it seems like the person in the video is playing a completely different game than I am. They don’t get stunned, enemies aren’t that aggressive, and they don’t lose half their health when they get hit.
Essentially, I feel like there are some fundamental things that I don’t understand about the combat, and the game doesn’t explain it at all. What are some fundamental combat tips, info and weapon and armor choice, and some videos I can watch to help me understand the combat so I can actually enjoy this game I’ve yet to really enjoy? I’ve heard that I can combo with weapons, but I’ve yet to see it. Also, I read on stuff like visceral attacks and beasthood, but the game doesn’t explain it and I don’t understand what I’m reading about it.
Edit: Apparently there are gems I can use to upgrade my weapons and runes to give my character certain stats