Bloodborne is an action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, which released for the PlayStation 4 in March 2015. Bloodborne follows the player’s character, a Hunter, through the decrepit Gothic, Victorian era–inspired city of Yharnam, whose inhabitants are afflicted with a blood-borne disease. Attempting to find the source of the plague, the player’s character unravels the city’s mysteries while fighting beasts and cosmic beings.

The game is played from a third-person perspective. Players control a customizable protagonist and the gameplay is focused on strategic weapons-based combat and exploration. Players battle varied enemies while using items such as swords and firearms, exploring different locations, interacting with non-player characters, and unraveling the city’s mysteries. Bloodborne began development in 2012 under the working title of Project Beast. Bearing many similarities to the Souls series of games by the same developer and director, Bloodborne was inspired by the literary works of authors H. P. Lovecraft and Bram Stoker, as well as the architectural design of real world locations in places such as Romania and the Czech Republic.

Bloodborne received critical acclaim, with praise being directed at its gameplay, particularly its high level of difficulty, sound design, Lovecraftian themes, and interconnected world design. Some criticism was directed at its technical performance at launch, which was improved with post-release updates. An expansion adding additional content, The Old Hunters, was released in November 2015. By the end of 2015, the game had sold over two million copies worldwide. Bloodborne won several awards and has been cited as one of the greatest video games of all time. Some related media and adaptations have also been released, including a card game, board game and comic book series.