All those Bloodborne fans still returning to Yharnam 11 years later are clearly hungry for more. With a sequel seeming more and more unlikely each year, and a remake project rejected by FromSoftware, we’ve had to start new playthroughs or turn to fan-made games to get our cosmic horror fix.
Perhaps the best-known fan-made game is Bloodborne PSX demake, but another recent standout was 2020’s Yarntown, which turns Bloodborne into a 2D Zeldalike, as described by solo developer Max Mraz. After making a couple of other 2D Zeldalikes, he’s back with another Bloodborne-inspired project: Tombwater, a Soulslike that serves as a spiritual successor to Yarntown. Tombwater excellently brings what makes Bloodborne so beloved to a 2D version of the Wild West.
You play as a gunslinger arriving in the titular town. He’s looking for a buddy he used to rob trains with, and who now is the sheriff. Of course, finding him isn’t so easy; I quickly learn Tombwater is an accursed place with all manner of monsters out for my head.
Foes are fellow gun-toting or sword-swinging outlaws at first. But the more I explore Tombwater, the more monsters show their ugly faces. Some are halfway between human and monster, with bloody tentacles protruding from their chests. Others are rotting animal corpses somehow still out for blood. They’re all creepy as can be, and look great in simplified 2D sprites.
My arsenal consists of several melee weapons, firearms, and spells. There’s enough variety across all weapons that I find myself consistently trying out new weapons, like a knife that doesn’t do much damage but quickly refills my bullet count, or a pistol that gradually inflicts freeze damage on an enemy once enough bullets have found their target.
Combat is speedy, and a charm allows you to regain some health by hitting your opponent after taking damage, clearly aping Bloodborne’s rally mechanic. I’ve kept that charm equipped during the bulk of my playtime because, I mean, I’m itching for Bloodborne, you know? Where Tombwater does well in forming its own combat identity is with its firearms. Whereas in Bloodborne, guns are just used for parrying, Tombwater’s firearms do a ton of damage; I’ve often found myself relying on them (and grenades) more than my melee weapons. Scooting away in a pinch to down an enemy from afar with a well-placed shot never fails to get the blood pumping.
The only knock on Tombwater’s combat is its available defenses. I’m sorry to report, but there’s no good parry here. There is a charm that allows you to deflect incoming bullets, but its use is limited; parrying isn’t a core part of the combat experience. Instead, I can only dodge to avoid damage, but it’s not always smooth. Some boss arenas can be tiny, and the inability to dodge around enemies and through their attacks means I can easily be trapped in a corner with no way to protect myself.
Tombwater wouldn’t be a Soulslike without bloody boss fights, and it has them in spades. Though, I haven’t found them to be as difficult as I might expect from a Bloodborne-inspired Soulslike. I’ve defeated a few in one or two attempts. An early boss fight against a mostly stationary oversized man throwing bombs and shooting at me seemed way too easy — until his health bar filled up again and he transformed into a monster, quickly knocking me out. Knowing what was to come, I dispatched him on my next attempt.
Admittedly, I was later humbled by a Cleric Beast-looking monstrosity. By the campfire resting spot outside the boss’s arena, an NPC offered help. “Pfft, sure, whatever. But I’ve had no problem so far taking care of bosses,” I thought.
The boss killed me with two hits.
That humbling experience was also a lesson on the importance of patience in Tombwater, how to wait for an opening, and how to use an NPC as bait. Conquering it brought the same thrill that killing a boss in Bloodborne would. And that’s where Tombwater succeeds; it successfully harkens to its clear inspirations while also crafting a unique identity for itself. We may not be getting anymore Bloodborne in the foreseeable future, but at least we can enjoy a wave of games clearly inspired by FromSoftware’s best.
