PlayStation is celebrating 30 years since the PS1 debuted in Japan, showcasing key exclusives and expressing gratitude to fans in a special, celebratory video that graciously recognizes Bloodborne fans’ “dedication.”
“If you’re familiar with the narrative, you understand it’s about love,” the PlayStation trailer opens. Throughout its two-minute duration, the trailer emphasizes various themes that PlayStation evidently resonates with certain titles or communities — “it’s about family” for God of War enthusiasts, “it’s about action” for Call of Duty veterans, and “it’s about horror” for Resident Evil Village fans.
These are all visual nods, entirely predictable. The 2018 God of War reboot focuses explicitly on the bond between fathers and sons, while Resident Evil’s notorious character Lady Dimitrescu undeniably creates a sense of genuine threat. But as a dedicated Bloodborne admirer myself, I feel compelled to ask PlayStation: why this approach towards me?
30th Anniversary | Thank You – YouTube
The 30th anniversary video focuses on Bloodborne’s first boss, the Cleric Beast, showcasing a player swinging their grimy saw cleaver towards the creature’s exposed ribcage, thin skin stretched over it like jerky.
For those new to developer FromSoftware‘s 2015 title, the Cleric Beast encounter serves as a memorable introduction to the nightmare. However, this fight is arguably not really “about dedication,” as the trailer suggests. It does not demand more commitment than any other challenging video game encounter.
The only factor that genuinely reflects “dedication” regarding Bloodborne is its community’s relentless, years-long campaigning for PlayStation to deliver a 60fps PS5 update or remaster.
The #FreeBloodborne hashtag on Twitter is filled with broken-hearted posts, memes featuring alcohol and cigarettes, and pleas from fans asking PlayStation to liberate them from the torment of 30fps. This 30th anniversary trailer is a sorrowful acknowledgment that the publisher recognizes this suffering, but apparently cannot take any action to alleviate it. At least not yet.
A politely phrased dismissal may never discourage Bloodborne fans, trapped under the weight of our shared fantasy. “It’s about the 60fps patch for Bloodborne,” remarks one notable Twitter response to PlayStation’s video.