Future Press made a curious decision recently to delay the release of the Bloodborne Collector’s Edition Strategy Guide even though the videogame was launched on the 24th of March. So is the official strategy guide still worth purchasing even though it was not made available at the same time as Bloodborne? Let’s take a look at a few factors before you can come away with our own decision.
What’s Being Added in The Update
Future Press made the tough decision to delay the Bloodborne Collector’s Edition Strategy Guide as the company wanted to update its content to include the changes that were implemented into the first-day patch of the videogame.
Some of the new topics being covered are the online-only elements. For those unfamiliar with Bloodborne, the videogame is similar to Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls series in that it has online co-op in addition to player versus player battles. Being able to enable the online elements and learn how they work are very obtuse as the game doesn’t really do a great job at explaining these features. 
The original version of the Bloodborne guide is already quite content-heavy as it has 400 pages. With the new updated content, however, the book has been expanded to 528 total pages.
Other Coverage
Aside from the 128 pages of added material we mentioned above, you may also want to know what else is included. A listing from Amazon mentioned that you will learn about how exactly the intricate systems function in the new intellectual property. From Software made several changes when compared to the Souls games. For instance, the combat is very different as it has been made faster with a new health regain mechanic. So there is a long period of adjustment even if you previously played Dark Souls, Dark Souls II and Demon’s Souls.
Also included in the book are detailed maps that highlights the key points, hidden paths and items. Bloodborne does not come with any in-game maps, so you can easily miss something from the environments.
Moreover, you will get comprehensive coverage on the enemies (via the bestiary), armor and weapons. For the latter, the book will spell out the attack ranges, hidden damage modifiers, properties, swing speeds and other stats. 
Last but not least, the guide is also covering the randomly-generated Chalice Dungeons and the Hunter’s Appendices (also known as covenants and oaths). Both of these add plenty of replay value, even after you beat the main story path, especially if you are playing online.
Additional Extras
Future Press is also including several extras in the book. Along with the all the important info from the game, the pages also contain an exclusive interview with the director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, as well as sections for lore and artwork from the videogame. Not to mention that you will get an exclusive dynamic theme, featuring the Hunter’s Mark and the background music of the Hunter’s Dream, to go along with your purchase. Hardcore fans of the series will most likely enjoy all of the extras to go along with the official strategy guide.
About Bloodborne
Finally, let’s talk a little bit about what type of game Bloodborne is. Despite some major changes, it is still similar in design to Dark Souls, Dark Souls II and Demon’s Souls. As a result, you will die plenty of times as you wander through the non-linear environments with bosses and enemies that can easily kill you in several hits if you aren’t careful. The game won’t also explain how some the more obtrusive elements work as well, which may hinder you progress and cause frustration. With that said, you should be able to find almost all the info you need by searching online.
Recap
Even though you can still find some free guides of the game online, the Bloodborne Collector’s Edition Strategy Guide is still a useful tool, especially when it comes to the detailed maps as well as other info provided straight from the development team. Not to mention that it also comes with some cool extras for fans of the videogame. If you are still interested, you can preorder the Bloodborne guide with this page on Amazon.
Barring any other potential delays, the Bloodborne Collector’s Edition Strategy Guide is releasing on the 14th of April.