As an experienced gaming analyst and Bloodborne veteran with over 1000 hours played, I‘ve seen many impressive feats achieved in Yharnam. But few runs capture mastery of FromSoftware‘s gothic challenge as beautifully as heyZeusHeresToast‘s 47:59 speedrun from Awesome Games Done Quick 2019.
By perfectly utilizing vital mechanics that make most hunter‘s blood freeze, heyZeusHeresToast overcame the darkness in a way few can even imagine. Today, I‘ll be your guide through the intricacies of this run – explaining key strategies while translating them into impactful tips for fledgling players.
If you‘re struggling to sort truth from madness in Yharnam‘s shadowy streets, read on brave hunter! My hard-won knowledge shall aid you on your quest.
What Truly Makes Bloodborne So Difficult?
Before analyzing heyZeusHeresToast‘s epic run itself, we must properly convey exactly why mastering Bloodborne so quickly is such an otherworldly achievement. While many titles claim to be unfairly tough, Bloodborne follows through by mercilessly exploiting common gamer weaknesses.
Enemies and Bosses finesse your concentration like an orchestra from hell – slowly building pressure until the slightest mistake means death. Some examples:
- Crafty early game mob enemies coordinate to attack simultaneously from multiple angles
- Towering late game beings like Martyr Logarius assault with blistering barrages forcing narrow time windows for healing items/attacks
- Putrid cursed beasts apply stacking toxin effects hampering visibility for deadly ambushes
- The insidious Hypogean Gaol kidnaps the incautious, trapping them with sadistic bell-ringing women and the mad hunter Djura
This psychological torment translates directly into tangible gameplay penalties:
- Bosses wield gargantuan health bars and damage outputs compared to the player‘s – often killing you instantly if even a single blow lands
- Losing Blood Echoes from deaths cripples progression by hampering essential attribute/weapon upgrades
- Checkpoint lanterns force lengthy runs when returning to fights after Each. Painful. Failure.
Let‘s explore how one cunning speedrunner overcame Bloodborne‘s terrors against all odds…
Master the Madness – Meet Speedrunner heyZeusHeresToast
heyZeusHeresToast began his gaming career the way many passionate amateurs do – streaming in his free time simply for the joy of playing challenging titles like Bloodborne.
But his uncommon talent at dissecting FromSoftware‘s intricate combat and level design soon garnered attention. Before long, he earned a central place among the illustrious pantheon of Bloodborne speedrunners admired by fans globally today. With multiple lightning-fast clears of the main game under his belt, let‘s examine heyZeusHeresToast‘s style through his most famous run from AGDQ 2019.
Careful Preparation – Vials and Upgrades
Watching heyZeusHeresToast expertly collecting Blood Vials throughout Yharnam emphasizes an easily overlooked advantage when preparing for any dangerous situation. While less experienced players often neglect their consumable supplies, maintaining enough materiel can make confronting even the unimaginable feasible.
Besides grabbing every Vial he spots, heyZeusHeresToast also wisely utilizes Blood Echoes earned from early enemies to upgrade his weapons/attributes at every visit to the Hunter‘s Dream workshop. But what precisely do these upgrades accomplish?
- +5 Vitality -> 560 max HP vs 500 base HP at start
- +3 Strength -> Brings starting Saw Cleaver +3 -> +6 total = Significant damage boost
This may seem minor, but having higher HP pools prevent potentially deadly one-shot kills from bosses later on. Increased strength also lets heyZeusHeresToast defeat enemies faster, keeping his pace swift. Now let‘s examine how he handles Bloodborne‘s deadly boss fights.
Pinpointing Weak Spots Saves Seconds
Against the first major boss Father Gascoigne, heyZeusHeresToast displays clever adaptability taking advantage of every weak point. In Gascoigne‘s first human form, our speedrunner sticks close inside the boss‘s range – knowing it lacks attacks to threaten that area. As soon as Gascoigne transforms into a deadly clawed beast form however, heyZeusHeresToast keeps a safe distance – narrowly dodging wide swipes while carefully preparing parry timings.
This fight illuminates a key Bloodborne tactic – precisely adjusting your strategy based on the enemy‘s capabilities. Speedrunners leverage this heavily in planning out boss routes, as we‘ll see in the next section.
Optimizing Boss Order
Bloodborne‘s expansive world gives players flexibility in route progression depending on which bosses they face first. This choice massively impacts run difficulty due to differing attributes/available upgrades when encountering each boss based on order. Speedrunners carefully construct boss sequences accentuating strengths while minimizing weaknesses.
Examine how heyZeusHeresToast arranged his fights:
| # | Boss Name + Difficulty | Why Chosen Here? | Time Save vs Beginners |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleric Beast – Easy | Gains first Blood Gem for weapon boost | 2 minutes |
| 2 | Father Gascoigne – Medium | Cleric Gem makes parry timing easier | 3 minutes |
| 3 | Blood-starved Beast – Hard | Got vitality upgrades to survive toxin | 4 minutes |
Fighting the relatively simple Cleric Beast first lets our runner gain special Blood Gems offering substantial battle advantages against Gascoigne. He wisely prepares vitality boosts before the deadly toxin-using Blood-starved Beast too. This optimization squeezes precious time savings from each encounter.
Chance Favors the Prepared Mind – comparing World Record times
heyZeusHeresToast fully utilizes Bloodborne‘s mechanics to achieve an impressive sub-50 minute time. But how does it compare against the current World Record holders? Let‘s break down the all-time fastest completions across categories:
Bloodborne Any% World Records over time. Credit speedrun.com
Any% Unrestricted – Glitches/Sequence Breaks Allowed
- theworld0815 – 22m 12s
- Utilizes numerous skips like Wrong Warp and Ladder Launch to teleport across areas
Any% Restricted – No Major Glitches
- Marchyy – 26m 23s
- Insane boss ability dodging required without glitches
- Streamer currently holds 9 separate category records!
As expected, allowing glitches like teleporting lets speedrunners achieve faster times overall. But some players prefer restricting these tricks to focus purely on skillful play.
Now while heyZeusHeresToast doesn‘t claim any World Records himself, his legacy remains impactful for showcasing clean, commentated speedruns to wide audiences at AGDQ events. These displays captivated many new Bloodborne fans over the years – myself included!
7 Key Tips For Surviving Yharnam
Watching expertise developed across thousands of hours condense into a sub-50 minute run can feel overwhelming as a new player. But by reverse-engineering exactly what makes veterans like heyZeusHeresToast so effective, beginners can set their foundations for success much earlier on.
1. First Priority is Not Dying
Against basic enemies, sloppy dodging or reckless attacking often pose little consequence. But adopt this habit against imposing bosses and you‘ll quickly meet a gruesome end. Respect the space between yourself and enemies first – only attacking once you‘ve mastered dodging their full movesets without taking damage. Patience pays substantial dividends.
2. Vials Before Kills
When encountering enemy mobs, quickly eliminate ones carrying Blood Vials first instead of focusing on dealing damage. Securing more healing items facilitates practicing against tougher foes for longer since you can recover from more mistakes. Remember – reckless offense may cost you 10 lost minutes of progress while an extra Vial often saves you from otherwise certain death.
3. You Can Flee the Hunt…Temporarily
Executing prolonged fights against bosses like Vicar Amelia burns valuable time and Blood Vials without guaranteed victory. If you find yourself consistently dying, don‘t just repeatedly bash your head against the wall attempting that boss! Instead retreat to prior areas, farm some Echoes, purchase vital upgrades, then return with better gear.
4. Adopt a Specialist‘s Mindset
Bloodborne encourages experimentation with the vast arsenels of Trick Weapons available. But when tackling challenging areas, choose quality over quantity regarding weapons. Identify a single Trick Weapon that feels intuitive, then devote all upgrade materials towards specializing it rather than spreading across multiple options. Mastering one weapon makes managing the complex movesets required against deadly enemies far simpler.
5. Respect Each Area‘s Gimmick
Every new environment introduces various thematic mechanics altering how you must approach enemies and exploration. The snake-filled Forbidden Woods punish sprinting carelessly with poison pits. Hemwick Charnel Lane spawns infinite witches if you don‘t locate the summoners. By recognizing and respecting each zone‘s gimmick, you‘ll avoid easily preventable deaths.
6. Stand Your Ground in Choke Points
While sprinting through levels Swiftly seems wise, it also leads to becoming surrounded by mobs attacking from all directions. Instead, scan terrain for choke points – thinner corridors or doorways where enemies must bottleneck to reach you. Funnel foes into these zones to isolate and defeat them safely. This area awareness takes time to develop, but will save your skin frequently.
7. The Hunters Are Truly Hoonters
When encountering other Hunters – whether NPCs like Eileen the Crow or invaders that resemble player characters – do not engage without proper precautions. Their skill in Bloodborne‘s various combat arts cannot be underestimated. Lure them into cleared areas, use pebbles/Molotovs to pull individuals away from groups, and don‘t become greedy when they‘re low health. A cornered hunter remains deadly.
Will You Stand Victorious?
Bloodborne‘s realm of beasts, eldritch secrets, and maddening insight challenges mind, body and soul unlike any other FromSoftware title. Yet as we‘ve illuminated today, with the right blend of mental resilience, strategic preparation, and technical expertise – victory gleaming beneath the blood moon remains attainable for even new hunters.
Will you succumb to the hypnotic madness the eternal city claws into your thoughts? Or resist its corruptive grasp as so few can? Now at your darkest hour, steel your mind and remember…
A hunter is never alone. We shall all help lift one another towards daybreak. Stay strong, brave hunter. Stay strong.
