Is Bloodborne's 30 Minute Gameplay Video Missing Something?

I just watched 30 whole minutes of Bloodborne gameplay. Half-an-hour. The lower body of 60 minutes. What did I get out of it? Well, it's hard to gauge. It's hard to tell. I feel like I might have missed something. So I have to ask, is the Bloodborne gameplay video missing something? Is there something to this game I'm just not getting?

I came across the video on VG 24/7 after reading a preview of the game. Information on Bloodborne is kind of sparse. We all know it's being designed by From Software; and I get that its a Gothic-themed, hack-and-slash horror game. The thing is, I was wondering if there was a bit more to it?

With the alpha test getting underway soon, and pre-orders being in full swing, I was curious about what's really driving the hype? The preview from VG 24/7 didn't exactly help flesh things out beyond what we already knew, and the 30 minute video shows us some extra gameplay, but nothing exceptionally surprising.

So essentially, my takeaway is that it's Dark Souls set in a Victorian-era without a block button (replaced with a sidearm) and with slightly faster combat.

I suppose that's enough to get some people excited. Heck, for some games they're basically a re-skin of another game with a new feature sprinkled in here or there (i.e., Battlefield: Hardline); that doesn't mean games like that aren't good or can't be fun. I guess in the case of Bloodborne I was sort of expecting... more.

Yes, the 30 minute video rolls out plenty of visual information about the game; we see that the player-character is highly susceptible to dying frequently with a few hits. We get to see a few weapons in play, including a hammer, the cleaver and a sword. We also get to see how some of the enemies behave, as well as a few monster variants. I could be wrong but it kind of felt... by the books. Then again, maybe there's a lot more to the game that hasn't made it into the hands of press... or in a video... or in the screenshots. For instance, there is a two-player cooperative feature, and maybe this opens up plenty of other play options, features and mechanics? We'll see.

There are some things I think Bloodborne does well, but I'm curious if there will be more of a hook to the game other than being “Dark Souls in London” for some gamers? I guess as the alpha starts up and the release date draws near, we'll see if the game can create some separation from the herd (and upcoming competition like Lords of the Fallen) by utilizing a distinctive air of originality when it comes to gameplay mechanics and diversity.