The Resurrection of Classical Gothic Fiction and the Lovecraftian Visions in the Video Game 'Bloodborne' (2015)

Seminar paper from the year 2023 in the subject Computer Science - Games Engineering, grade: 3,0, University of Paderborn, language: English, abstract: This research paper is set out to investigate in which way the Gothic as a genre and thereby its handle on contemporary fears, is fulfilling its own prophecy of dying and being reborn in an endless cycle of reinterpretations and reinventions based on the video game 'Bloodborne' by FromSoftware (2015). Many authors and researchers like Botting, in 1996, have been speculating that the genre as such has died out and lost its importance in recent centuries. However, with the improved technicalities that provide new narratives and storytelling, video games are venturing into a variety of different territories including the Gothic and are thereby also adding a greater audience to the genre. Therefore, rather than dying, this paper theorizes that the Gothic is merely reinterpreted and put back together piece by piece, becoming its own Frankenstein's monster, with the help of new technologies or mediums and will continue to exist due to the never-ending presence of fears that haunt our society, that fuel the Gothic. Bloodborne especially, is a relevant video game that intertwines the Gothic and Lovecraftian motifs and themes onto a greater, interactive scale and conquers the belief about the genre being dead.