Bloodborne’s Chalice Dungeon explained

Bloodborne is the latest offering out of From Software, but it’s not just a rescind Dark Souls. With changes to inventory, new combat and lore, it’s looking incredible and will suck players in. But it’s the Chalice Dungeons that had me worried, and now I understand… and I’m still terrified, but in a new way.

Chalice Dungeons are unlocked by performing rituals in the game’s central hub area. This area is built like a Roguelike – procedurally generated so that each player’s Chalice Dungeon is unique. At least you can still summon other players to your version of the dungeon if you need help.

The size – and difficulty – of each dungeon will vary, as will the enemies and boss fights you encounter. Once you’ve defeated the Chalice Dungeon boss you can save and replay the dungeon, or perform a new ritual to bring forth a brand new challenge that’s unique to your game.

But it’s not just about challenging players as explained by Masaaki Yamagiwa – it’s about pushing the community and players to keep playing the game long after launch.

So Chalice Dungeons will be rewarding and challenging, I think primarily because it will force players to adapt their style. Of course, it will also mean that YouTubers will have a job for life – with procedurally generated levels, they will need to explore every option of hallway and boss battle if they’re going to show people the best practices to survive. At least, that’s the plan, it seems.

While I like the idea that players can’t rely solely on guides and walkthroughs for this part of the game, I really do worry that it will be too difficult. Without the ability to learn through trial and error, parts of the game might be simply impossible for many players. Of course, if people really struggle, they can always summon a Sun Bro to help them through, right?

Will you be picking up the game and exploring the punishing dungeons, or are you still recovering from Dark Souls?

Last Updated: February 2, 2015