Hoedt Madelon Narrative Design and Authorship in Bloodborne

<p> In the vein of their cult-classic dark fantasy titles <I>Demon''s Souls</I> (2009) and the Dark Souls franchise (2011, 2014, 2016), game developers FromSoftware released the bleak Gothic horror <I>Bloodborne</I> in 2015. Players are cast in the role of hunters in a hostile land, probing the shadowy city of Yharnam in search of "paleblood." The game achieved iconic status as both a horror and an action title for its rich lore and for the continuity of story elements through all aspects of game design.</p><p> This first full-length study examines <I>Bloodborne</I>''s themes of dangerous knowledge and fatal pride and its aesthetics in the context of other works on game studies, horror and the Gothic. The book''s three parts focus on lore and narrative, the game''s nightmarish world, and its mechanics. </p>