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Bloodborne Cheats & Secrets for PlayStation 4

Bloodborne key art

Bloodborne Cheats & Secrets for PlayStation 4

Releasing in 2015 between the second and third installments of Dark Souls is FromSoftware’s magnum opus, Bloodborne. Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki would famously hand off directorial duties of Dark Souls II to Tomohiro Shibuya and Yui Tanimura so that he could focus on Bloodborne, which was developed in partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment. While Bloodborne shares many similarities with the Dark Souls series, it is a vastly different game and stands out in the Soulsborne line of titles coming out of FromSoftware. And, as a first-party Sony title, the game remains exclusive to the PlayStation 4 (and is also playable on PS5 via backward compatibility).

Contrary to both Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, which have a high-fantasy setting, Bloodborne is decidedly a horror game. The title pulls influence from both Gothic horror and Cosmic horror, drawing in equal parts from Robert Lewis Stevenson and H.P. Lovecraft. Interestingly, Hidetaka Miyazaki would originally conceive Bloodborne as a game only possible on next-generation hardware, prompting FromSoftware to partner with Sony’s Japan Studio to develop the title exclusively for the then-unreleased PlayStation 4. Following the game’s initial reveal and debut at E3 2014, the title would quickly become one of the most anticipated games in the industry thanks to Dark Souls‘ meteoric rise to popularity.

Bloodborne would sell over 150,000 units in its first week of sales in Japan, and it would only continue to gain steam thanks to word of mouth and sterling critical praise. In addition to earning several Game of the Year nominations and awards from various outlets, Bloodborne is arguably one of the greatest action RPGs ever made. The title has sold an estimated 8 million units and stands as one of Sony’s most important console exclusives of the 8th console generation.

Bloodborne Premise

Bloodborne gameplay

Like other FromSoftware titles, players can uncover a vast and tangled web of lore if they know where to look in Bloodborne. The game casts players as The Hunter, a mysterious individual heading to the city of Yarnham in search of a miracle cure for a mysterious illness. Yarnham is famous for its Blood Ministration known to cure almost any known ailment, but the city also suffers from a mysterious scourge that causes men to turn to bloodthirsty beasts. When the player awakens in a small clinic, they set out to unravel the mystery of how Yarnham’s special “Old Blood” and the scourge are related. What follows is a gothic-turned-cosmic horror tale about Old Gods, forgotten cities, devastating plagues, and the folly of man in search of knowledge they can’t begin to fathom.

In terms of its gameplay, Bloodborne is also somewhat different from the “Soulsborne” formula established in Demon’s Souls and then further refined in Dark Souls. Unlike those games, which require methodical precision, Bloodborne rewards the player for playing aggressively. Not only do players have no defensive options besides parrying using firearms (and, later, two fairly weak shields), enemies are fast and far more mobile than they are in Dark Souls. To have any hope of survival, players must lean into attacking and press the enemy. Additionally, players also have the Rally system that they can make use of. This new mechanic allows players to earn a portion of the health back after losing it by attacking the enemy, making it beneficial to play as aggressively as possible.

The highlight of Bloodborne are its many bosses, each of whom rank among some of the most challenging and captivating fights FromSoftware has ever devised. Defeating these bosses nets the player different runes and other rewards. Reading the descriptions of these items allows players to begin to piece together the mystery and horror that pervades every inch of Bloodborne. That said, players can simply ignore these details if they choose to do so, but they would be missing out on one of gaming’s most intriguing narratives.

Bloodborne Main Characters

Bloodborne gameplay

The story of Bloodborne involves three main entities as its most significant players — the college of Byrgenwerth, the Healing Church, and the Hunters. Decades before Bloodborne begins, the college of Byrgenwerth is an institution devoted to furthering humanity through knowledge. Their discovery of a forgotten civilization beneath the city of Yarnham leads to a series of excavations, and it is during one of these excavations that the higher-ups at Byrgenwerth discover a mysterious blood with magical healing properties. From this one event, a long series of tragedies begin to precipitate, all of which directly involve both the Healing Church and its secret enforcers, the Hunters. Main characters in Bloodborne include:

  • The Hunter: The player character, often referred to as the “PC Hunter” or Player Character Hunter. You are the latest Hunter in a long line of warriors tasked with beating back the beastly scourge infecting Yarnham.
  • Gehrman, the First Hunter: The first of the Hunters and a master warrior. Gehrman is the player’s guide through the world of Bloodborne and resides within the Hunter’s Dream.
  • Master Willem: The head of the college of Byrgenwerth. Master Willem is one of the scholars who discovers the Great Ones in the ruins beneath Yarnham, prompting research into its power and how to ascend to godhood.
  • Ludwig: Ludwig is the first leader of the Hunters after they become an official arm of the Healing Church. His actions as a Hunter and recruitment of general citizens into the organization lead to a vicious cycle of never-ending conflict in Yarnham.

Games in the Soulsborne Series

FromSoftware continues to experience a massive surge in popularity and importance with the popularization of the “Soulsborne” genre, beginning with 2009’s Demon’s Souls. In turn, these games have inspired the creation of an entire subgenre of action RPGs known as the “Soulslike”. While the settings, stories, and characters of these games are all different, they do share certain characteristics. Primarily, Soulsborne titles are games made by the originator of the subgenre’s core elements — FromSoftware. These games feature challenging and methodical combat, metered progression and resource loss upon death, spectacle boss fights, interlocking environments, and esoteric lore that players uncover through careful observation and reading of item descriptions. Games in the Soulsborne line of titles include:

  • Demon’s Souls (2009)
  • Dark Souls (2011)
  • Dark Souls II (2014)
  • Bloodborne (2015)
  • Dark Souls III (2016)
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019)
  • Demon’s Souls (PS5 Remake, 2020)
  • Elden Ring (2022)

Bloodborne Cheats & Secrets

While Bloodborne does not support any official “cheats”, there are some secrets players can uncover as well as some exploits players can utilize with the Chalice Dungeons. Additionally, there is a large wealth of knowledge that will be helpful to players in guiding their journey through Bloodborne‘s Victorian gothic-turned-cosmic horror world.

Bloodborne Endings

There are three different endings to Bloodborne that players can unlock. Two of these endings simply require the player to make a choice when speaking to Gehrman at the game’s conclusion. Choosing the “good” ending will see the game end, while choosing the “bad” ending will result in the player fighting Gehrman as the game’s final boss. However, if players find and consume the Umbilical Cord items before refusing Gehrman’s offer, the true final boss appears and rewards the best ending.

EndingHow to Unlock
“Good” EndingAccept Gehrman’s offer, ending the game
“Bad” EndingRefuse Gehrman’s offer, fighting Gehrman as a boss. Defeat him to see the ending
True EndingFind and consume all three One-Third of Umbilical Cord items, then refuse Gehrman’s offer. After fighting Gehrman, players will confront the Moon Presence. Defeating the true final boss will unlock the canon ending to Bloodborne

Where to find the One-Third of Umbilical Cord Pieces

Before players can unlock the True Ending to Bloodborne, they will need to locate and consume all three One-Third of Umbilical Cord pieces. They can find them using the locations below:

  • The First will drop after killing Mergo’s Wet Nurse
  • The Second is in the Abandoned Old Workshop
  • The Third requires players to save Ariana. After discovering that she has given birth to a child in the Tomb of Oedon sewers, head to the Cathedral Ward and climb down the ladder to slay the creature. After, kill Iosefka in her clinic to obtain the final Umbilical Cord piece.

Chalice Dungeon Glyphs

Players with PlayStation Plus can enter special Glyphs to access specific Chalice Dungeons in Bloodborne. First, within the Hunter’s Dream find a Chalice gravestone. Press X in front of it, choose to search by Chalice Glyph, then enter one of the following codes.

NOTE: These Chalice Dungeon codes have the potential to corrupt game saves. As such, we recommend making a backup of your save file before entering any of them.

Chalice GlyphDungeon
g2xs4nmxEnters a special Chalice Dungeon that is a developer testing room for Bloodborne‘s environmental assets
2c8czh8hEnter a special Chalice Dungeon that is a testing room for enemy and boss AI behaviors (contains several enemy mobs and multiple boss enemies)
2grrxne8Enter a special Chalice Dungeon that is a developer testing room for Bloodborne‘s enemies
arkhv2vsEnter a special Chalice Dungeon and face an unused Bloodborne boss FromSoftware removed from the final game
xxdy9dmmEnter a special Chalice Dungeon and face an unused Bloodborne boss FromSoftware removed from the final game (alternate location)
sikgc3smEnter a special Chalice Dungeon that is a removed area from the final game featuring an alternate final boss (may cause glitches)

Quick Blood Echo Farming Using Chalice Dungeons

Similarly, players can use a special Chalice Glyph to enter a dungeon where it’s easy to farm hundreds of thousands of Blood Echoes per hour. Using this method, players can easily level up their stats as many times as they like, making New Game + and beyond more manageable. NOTE: Players will still need PlayStation Plus to search for the Glyph and enter the dungeon.

Within the Hunter’s Dream, approach one of the Chalice gravestones. Press X in front of the gravestone and choose to search by Chalice Glyph. Enter the following Glyph:

Chalice GlyphDungeon
cummmfpkEnters a Chalice Dungeon in which players can earn 83K+ Blood Echoes simply by entering the first room after the Lamp spawn point (no combat required)

When players enter the above dungeon, they simply need to walk into the first room of the Chalice Dungeon. You’ll notice a health bar off in the distance beginning to deplete. This is a Hunter enemy that spawns on a bridge in another part of the dungeon and gets killed by environmental assets (swinging axes). This enemy’s death will earn the player just over 83,000 Blood Echoes without ever having to lift a finger (more if the player equips Moon Runes to boost Blood Echo acquisition). Repeat this process as many times as necessary, then return to the Hunter’s Dream to level up.

Bloodborne Weapons

Trick Weapons

WeaponAttackScalingDurabilityLocation
Beast Claw75Strength – D
Skill – E
Arcane – D
180Ailing Loran Chalice
Blade of MercyPhysical – 60
Arcane – 30
Skill –
Arcane –
200Available from Messengers (requires Crow Hunter Badge)
Burial BladePhysical – 80
Arcane – 30
Strength – E
Skill – C
Arcane – D
200Available from Messengers after defeating Gehrman, The First Hunter
ChikagePhysical – 92
Blood – 92
Strength – E
Skill – D
Bloodtinge – C
Arcane – D
120Available from Messengers (requires Cainhurst Badge)
Kirkhammer105Strength – C
Skill – E
Arcane – D
250Available from Messengers (requires Sword Hunter Badge)
Logarius’ Wheel100Strength – C
Arcane – D
300Available from Messengers (requires Wheel Hunter Badge)
Ludwig’s Holy Blade100Strength – D
Skill – D
Arcane – D
250Available from Messengers (requires Radiant Sword Hunter Badge)
ReiterpallaschPhysical – 75
Blood – 75
Strength – E
Skill – C
Bloodtinge – E
Arcane – D
120Cainhurst Castle
Rifle SpearPhysical – 85
Blood – 85
Strength – E
Skill – D
Bloodtinge – D
Arcane – D
180Old Yarnham OR available from Messengers (requires Powder Keg Hunter Badge)
Saw Cleaver90Strength – D
Skill – E
Arcane – D
200Initial weapon choice from Messengers OR available later (requires Saw Hunter Badge)
Saw Spear85Strength – D
Skill – D
Arcane – D
200Central Yarnham OR available from Messengers (requires Saw Hunter Badge)
Stake Driver85Strength – D
Skill – D
Arcane – D
200Available from Messengers (requires Powder Keg Hunter Badge)
Threaded Cane78Strength – E
Skill – C
Arcane – D
200Initial weapon choice from Messengers OR available later (requires Saw Hunter Badge)
TonitrusPhysical – 80
Bolt – 40
Strength – D
Skill – E
Arcane – D
100Hypogean Gaol OR available from Messengers (requires Spark Hunter Badge)

The Old Hunters DLC Weapons

WeaponAttackScalingDurabilityLocation
Amygdala ArmPhysical – 80
Arcane – 40
Strength – C
Skill – E
Arcane – D
200The Hunter’s Nightmare, just after the building that is a shortcut to the Cleric Beast
Beasthunter Staff90Strength – E
Skill – D
Arcane – D
200The Hunter’s Nightmare, just past the Nightmare Cathedral
Beast Cutter92Strength – D
Skill – E
Arcane – E
230Just past the Nightmare Cathedral Lamp in The Hunter’s Nightmare
BloodletterPhysical – 90
Blood – 90
Strength – C
Bloodtinge – B
Arcane – D
270The Hunter’s Nightmare, inside the cells before the Research Hall
Boom HammerPhysical – 90
Fire – 60
Strength – C
Skill – E
Arcane – D
100The Hunter’s Nightmare inside the house of the Wheelchair Gunner
Church Pick88Strength – E
Skill – D
Arcane – D
250The Hunter’s Nightmare, drops from a Hunter wearing Yahar’Gul in the Research Hall
Holy Moonlight SwordPhysical – 90
Arcane – 50
Strength – D
Skill – D
Arcane – C
250On the Underground Corpse Pile after fighting Ludwig, The Holy Blade
Kos ParasiteArcane – 30Arcane – A600Drops from Orphan of Kos
Rakuyo82Skill – C
Arcane – D
200Fishing Hamlet, at the bottom of the well
Simon’s BowbladePhysical – 80
Blood – 80
Skill – C
Bloodtinge – C
Arcane – D
140On the body of the Harrowed Hunter next to the Lighthouse Hut lantern
Whirligig Saw95Strength – B
Skill – E
Arcane – D
230Down the stairs from the Nightmare Church Lamp

Firearms

FirearmAttackScalingDurabilityLocation
CannonBlood – 200Bloodtinge – E200Forbidden Woods
EvelynBlood – 60Bloodtinge – B100Cainhurst Castle OR available from Messengers (requires Cainhurst Badge)
FlamesprayerFire – 45Arcane – D100Cathedral Ward OR available from Messengers (requires Radiant Sword Hunter Badge)
Hunter BlunderbussBlood – 20Bloodtinge – D150Initial weapon choice from Messengers OR available later (requires Saw Hunter Badge)
Hunter PistolBlood – 70Bloodtinge – D100Initial weapon choice from Messengers OR available later (requires Saw Hunter Badge)
Hunter’s TorchFlame – 50Arcane – B150Old Yarnham
Ludwig’s RifleBlood – 20Bloodtinge – E150Available from Messengers (requires Radiant Sword Hunter Badge)
Repeating PistolBlood – 90Bloodtinge – D80Available from Messengers (requires Sword Hunter Badge)
RosmarinusArcane – 25Arcane – B100Available from Messengers (requires Cosmic Eye Watcher Badge)
TorchFlame – 25Arcane – D100Central Yarnham
Wooden ShieldN/AN/A120Cathedral Ward

The Old Hunters DLC Firearms

FirearmAttackScalingDurabilityLocation
Church CannonBlood – 160Bloodtinge – E200Activate the elevator to the Research Hall with the Eye Pendant, in a chest at the bottom
Fist of GratiaPhysical – 60Strength – D200Inside one of the cells after fighting Ludwig, The Holy Blade
Gatling GunBlood – 80Bloodtinge – E200Cave to the right of the building which is a shortcut to the Cleric Beast. Gattling Gun Hunter drops the weapon.
Loch ShieldN/AN/A160Research Hall. Activate the lever to raise the stairs and drop down onto the path containing the weapon
Piercing RifleBlood – 80Bloodtinge – D140Available from Messengers (requires Firing Hammer Badge)

Bloodborne Hunter Badges and Rewards

Badges in Bloodborne grant access to otherwise unavailable weapons and equipment. In order to earn any of the following Badges, players must first complete certain prerequisites.

Cainhurst Badge

  • Requirement: Join the Cainhurst Vilebloods covenant at Cainhurst Castle.
  • Rewards: Chikage and Cainhurst set

Crow Hunter Badge

  • Requirement: Complete the “Eileen The Crow” questline, killing her or allowing her to die during one of her quest events.
  • Rewards: Blade Of Mercy and Crowfeather set

Powder Keg Hunter Badge

  • Requirement: Defeat the NPC hunter, Gyula. He is the Hunter who shoots at you using the Gatling Gun in Old Yarnham.
  • Rewards: Rifle Spear, Stake Driver, Rope Molotov Cocktail, and Oil Urn

Radiant Hunter Badge

  • Requirement: Defeat the Blood-Starved Beast and return to Hunter’s Dream. Talk to Gehrman. He will tell you about a Church Healing Workshop located near Oedon’s Chapel. Return to the Cathedral Ward lantern and go through the unlocked door on the right side. Take the elevator up to find an Afflicted Townsfolk with a Gatling Gun. Kill him to get the badge.
  • Rewards: Ludwig’s Holy Blade, Ludwig’s Rifle, Fire Paper, and Bone Marrow Ash

Saw Hunter Badge

  • Requirement: Loot it from a corpse in the Central Yharnam Aqueducts. Travel through the large canal past the Carrion Crows to reach a small tunnel near a ladder that goes up to the bridge that leads to Father Gascoigne. You will know you are in the right tunnel when you see the Giant Boar. Lure him out (and kill him) then search the middle of the tunnel to find the corpse.
  • Rewards: Saw Cleaver, Saw Spear, Hunter Axe, Threaded Cane, Hunter Pistol, and Hunter Blunderbuss

Sword Hunter Badge

  • Requirement: Defeat the Cleric Beast.
  • Rewards: Kirkhammer, Hunter Chief Emblem, Repeating Pistol, and Hand Lantern

Bloodborne’s Insight

Insight is one of the many factors that impact the Hunter’s performance in Bloodborne. Players can complete certain actions that increase their Insight. Similarly, there are certain actions that can cause the player to lose Insight. First, here are the effects that Insight has on the player:

Insight Effects

  • Insight allows you to activate the Plain Doll in Hunter’s Dream, which is necessary for leveling up
  • Each point of Insight reduces the Beasthood stat, while spending Insight will increase it
  • Reaching 10 Insight unlocks the ability to purchase items from the Insight Bath Messengers
  • Passing 20 Insight causes some enemies to earn new attacks and become more difficult
  • After reaching 40 Insight, the Lesser Amygdala in the Cathedral Ward becomes visible

Ways to Increase Insight

Players can increase their Insight by completing any of the following:

  • Enter a Boss arena (+1)
  • Defeat a Boss (+3)
  • Defeat a Boss as a summoned guest in co-op (+1)
  • Consume a Madman’s Skull (+1)
  • Get grabbed by the Lesser Amygdala at the Cathedral Ward (+1)
  • Send a quest NPCs to Iosefka’s Clinic
  • Kill another player using the Sinister Bell (+1)
  • Interact with Master Willem (+2)
  • Use one-third of the Umbilical Cord

Ways to Lose Insight

Players can lose some Insight by performing any of the following actions:

  • Dying after invading through the Sinister Bell (-1)
  • Using the Beckoning Bell (-1)
  • Spending Insight on equipment at the Insight Bath Messengers
  • Taking damage from certain enemies who steal Insight

Items Players can Purchase with Insight

  • Pungent Blood Cocktail: A mature blood cocktail, thrown to attract beasts.
  • Small Resonant Bell: Join another player’s game as a guest.
  • Sinister Resonant Bell: Invade another Hunter’s world.
  • Fire Paper: Coats weapon in fire.
  • Bolt Paper: Coats weapon in lightning.

Bloodborne’s Covenants

Players can join up with a number of different Covenants in Bloodborne, each of which will reward the player with bonuses. Additionally, players can switch Covenants at any time. To join a Covenant, equip the associated Caryll Rune. Similarly, to join a different Covenant, unequip the current Covenant Rune and swap it for the desired one.

Cainhurst Vilebloods

  • Joining: Go to Cainhurst Castle and meet Queen Annalise.
  • Rewards: Cainhurst Badge, which unlocks the Chikage and Cainhurst Set for purchase

Executioners

  • Joining: Meet Alfred before entering the Forbidden Woods and complete his quest to find the last of the Vilebloods. Get the Unopened Summons from the room where Annalise is located. After, take them to Alfred. Return to where you first met him to find the rune required to join the covenant. Note: If you also want to join the Cainhurst Vilebloods, return to Cainhurst before collecting the rune. Get the Queenly Flesh from Annalise’s corpse to resurrect her and join the Cainhurst Vilebloods.
  • Rewards: Wheel Hunter Badge, which unlocks the Logarius Wheel and Gold Ardeo for purchase

Hunter of Hunters

  • Joining: Complete Eileen the Crow’s questline, beginning outside the Cathedral Ward where she can be found overlooking the balcony. Open the shortcut between Grand Cathedral and the Cathedral Ward lamp, then talk to her. She will mention hunting a mark. Return to the Hunter’s Dream and travel by foot from the Cathedral Ward lamp to the Tomb of Oedon. Note: The lamp will not work if Eileen is hunting her mark. Once there, help Eileen kill her mark, then meet Eileen after defeating Rom. Go to the Cathedral Ward lamp by foot, and help Eileen kill another mark.
  • Rewards: Crow Hunter Badge, which unlocks the Crow Set and Blade Of Mercy for purchase

Bloodborne Trophies

TrophyHow to Unlock
BloodborneAcquire all Trophies
Yarnham SunriseAccept Gehrman’s offer
Honoring WishesRefuse Gehrman’s offer
Childhood’s BeginningRefuse Gehrman’s offer after eating the Umbilical Cords, defeat the Moon Presence
Yarnham, Pthumerian QueenDefeat Yarnham, Blood Queen of the Old Labyrinth
Hunter’s EssenceAcquire all Hunter Weapons
Hunter’s CraftAcquire all special Hunter Tools
Weapon MasterAcquire a weapon of the highest level
Blood Gem MasterAcquire an extremely precious Blood Gem
Rune MasterAcquire an extremely precious Caryll Rune
CainhurstGain entry to Cainhurst
The ChoirGain entry to the realm of the Healing Church’s Choir
The Source of the DreamDiscover the source of the Hunter’s Dream (Abandoned Old Workshop)
Nightmare Lecture BuildingGain entry into Byrgenwerth lecture building
Father GascoigneDefeat Father Gascoigne
Vicar AmeliaDefeat Vicar Amelia
Shadow of YarnhamDefeat the Shadow of Yarnham
Rom, the Vacuous SpiderDefeat Great One: Rom, the Vacuous Spider
The One RebornDefeat the One Reborn
Micolash, Host of the NightmareDefeat Micloash, Host of the Nightmare
Mergo’s Wet NurseDefeat Great One: Mergo’s Wet Nurse
Cleric BeastDefeat Cleric Beast
Blood-starved BeastDefeat Blood-starved Beast
The Witch of HemwickDefeat the Witch of Hemwick
Darkbeast PaarlDefeat Darkbeast Paarl
AmygdalaDefeat Great One: Amygdala
Martyr LogariusDefeat Martyr Logarius
Celestial EmissaryDefeat Great One: Celestial Emissary
Ebrietas, Daughter of the CosmosDefeat Great One: Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos
Blood Gem ContactAcquire a Blood Gem
Rune ContactAcquire a Caryll Rune
Chalice of PthumeruAcquire the Chalice of Pthumeru
Chalice of Ailing LoranAcquire the Chalice of Ailing Loran
Chalice of IszAcquire the Chalice of Isz

The Old Hunters DLC Trophies

TrophyHow to Unlock
Old Hunter’s EssenceAcquire all Old Hunter weapons
Orphan of KosDefeat Great One: Orphan of Kos
Ludwig, the Holy BladeDefeat Ludwig, the Holy Blade
Lady Maria of the Astral ClocktowerDefeat Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower
Living FailuresDefeat the failed attempts to become Great Ones
Lawrence, the First VicarDefeat Lawrence, the First Vicar

Bloodborne Cheat FAQs

Does Bloodborne have cheats?
In the purest sense, Bloodborne does not have any cheats. However, like most other FromSoftware games, players can make use of clever workarounds to make their time with the game easier. Bloodborne can be incredibly challenging, which makes careful progression necessary. While there are no official cheats for Bloodborne, learning the game and playing it as intended is far more rewarding.

What is the Chalice Glyph for Blood Echo farming in Bloodborne?
Players will want to use the Chalice Glyph cummmfpk to enter the special Chalice Dungeon for farming Blood Echoes. This area will net players just over 83K Blood Echoes without any combat each time they enter.

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