The boss designs in FromSoftware’s games often don’t build themselves around being a single skill or stat check, but rather being a simple elevation in difficulty through increasing health, damage, and more complicated movesets. However,Bloodborneboasts Darkbeast Paarl as an example of a DPS check that acts as a wall for progress on early players on the side paths as opposed to amandatory gate like Vicar Amelia.
This difference between DPS check and elevation of health and damage comes less from the need to learn the strategy in order to beat a boss and revolves more around the base-level stats needed to implement that strategy. In the case of Darkbeast Paarl inBloodborne, this comes down to being able to break the boss’s limbs before the player is destroyed by a rush of blue lightning.
RELATED:Imagining a post-Elden Ring FromSoftware
Breaking Darkbeast Paarl’s Limbs
The combat ofBloodborneis often held up by the FromSoftware fan community as one of the developer’s best, thanks mostly to the way that a lack of a shield and how revenge-based health recovery incentivizes aggression. However, the combat goes much further than simply giving players the ability to heal with both theEstus Flask replacement of Blood Vialsand by attacking the enemies that had just caused the damage. Some of these systems are similar to other Soulslike titles, such as the gun parry, but one of the biggest changes comes in the form of the ability to break specific body parts for both massive damage and a stagger.
This limb-breaking mechanic is a key part of fighting Darkbeast Paarl. The skeletal beast isn’t exactly brittle, but if players are able to deal enough damage to either of his arms or legs, they can force him into a stagger that stops whatever attack is in progress and gives a huge window to deliver more combos. What makes this fight a DPS check is that breaking these limbs generally requires the players to be able to deal a large amount of damage in a short amount of time in order to knock him over. Getting this damage out either requires players to be extremely aggressive at low levels or have one ofBloodborne’s stronger weaponswith a handful of upgrades.
To add to the pressure of the need for high DPS is that Darkbeast Paarl doesn’t exactly stand still and let the player attack for as long as they need to break a limb. More often than not, a low-level player with underpowered weapons will be taken down by one specific attack where Paarl charges for a few seconds before unleashing a blast of lightning in a small area. Without the damage needed to stop it, Paarl will eventually spam the attack on repeat. This generally means that without the required DPS, even taking every advantage ofBloodborne’s complex combatwon’t likely lead to victory.
RELATED:Soulslike Games Tier List
Leaving Optional Bosses For a Stronger Bloodborne Build
It should be noted how early players can find Darkbeast Paarl. Depending on the path players take, this boss can actually be the third one encountered entirely. That implies skipping the Cleric Beast, which makes Paarl more likely as the fourth boss encounter, coming not long after the Blood-starved Beast. This means that a lot of players will face off against this boss with only the upgrade materials fromOld Yharnamat best.
The result of finding Darkbeast Paarl so early is that most players will be unlikely to beat him when they first arrive in Hypogean Gaol. While it might seem unfair at first to run into an overpowered boss so early, this specific encounter acts as a great nod from the developer. It is a prime example of conveyance, whereBloodbornecommunicates to players that there are bosses and locations best left to be challenged later. This means thatendgame FromSoftware bossescould be lurking around every corner and will block progress to side areas until they are ready to go there.
