The Chalice Dungeons in Bloodborne are completely optional as you can beat the RPG without touching them. When compared to the rest of the game, they aren’t as well-crafted from a level design standpoint (and from a visual perspective as well). Even with these problems, the Chalice Dungeons are still a big part of the experience (as it should add around 15 to 20 hours, if not more, to your playtime). Below are out top five reasons as to why these optional areas are worth exploring in Bloodborne.
5. Loot
If you are looking for a way to further power up your characters, you will most likely need to go through the Chalice Dungeons. By exploring certain areas, you will eventually find the most potent Blood Gems to add to your weapons. Not to mention that you can also find the extremely rare Blood Rock (which can only be acquired once per play through in the main campaign), an item that lets you fortify your weapon for the maximum tenth time.
One of the trick weapons, the Beast Claw, can only be found in one of the Chalice Dungeons as well. This will allow you to enter into Beast Mode, which increases your attack power in expense of your defense, without having to use a Beast Pellet.
4. Exclusive Enemies
The Chalice Dungeons are also home to exclusive enemies that can’t be found anywhere else in the game: Evil Labyrinth Spirit, Gel, Gravekeeper Scropion, Keeper of the Old Lords, Keeper’s Hunt Dog, Labyrinth Madman, Labyrinth Ritekeeper, Labyrinth Warrior, Labyrinth Watcher, Loran Cleric, Merciless Watcher, Pilgrim, Watcher Chieftain and Watcher’s Gravedigger. Our favorite is the Labyrinth Madman, a creature that looks like a horror movie ghost who rushes at you with two scythes.
Bloodborne already has some of the best enemy designs we have ever seen just from the main areas. So you shouldn’t skip the Chalices if you want to encounter some more unique creatures that inhabit the game’s world.
3. Remixed Bosses
You will also be missing out on a bunch of new boss fights in Bloodborne if you decided not to delve deep into the Chalice Dungeons. Some of these encounters are remixes of normal enemies with some added twists. These include the Brainsucker, Keeper of the Old Lords, Loran Silverbeast, Maneater Boar and Merciless Watcher. Not to mention that you can even fight the Loran Darkbeast, another iteration of the Darkbeast Paarl, as well as other bosses from the main areas of the game with some slight changes.
2. Exclusive Bosses
Bloodborne also has some exclusive bosses that you can only fight with the Chalices. These include Abhorrent Beast, Beast-possessed Soul, Bloodletting Beast, Forgotten Madman, Loran Darkbeast, Pthumerian Descendant, Pthumerian Elder, Undead Giant, Watch Dog of the Old Lords and Yharnam the Pthumerian Queen. Some of these fights are just as good, if not better, when compared to the bosses from the main areas.
1. Ultimate Challenge
The biggest reason why you should explore the Chalice Dungeons in Bloodborne is to overcome the ultimate challenges the game has to offer. Even if you reach a high level, the depth 4 and depth 5 dungeons will still provide a lot of extremely difficult moments that will make you feel great if you can overcome the scenaios. For instance, the Defiled Chalice Dungeon will reduce your hit points by half, leaving you vulnerable to being killed by the bosses in that area with just one hit.
So, if you managed to breeze through most of Bloodborne, the Chalice Dungeons should provide more than enough challenge even for high-level characters (since you will reach a point of diminishing returns when it comes to leveling).
As you can see above, there are more than enough reasons to explore the Bloodborne Chalice Dungeons if you haven’t already.