Game Composer Reacts to LUDWIG THE ACCURSED & HOLY BLADE - Bloodborne
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- My first time listening to Bloodborne music! Thank you everyone for recommending it. I had a blast listening to both phases of the Ludwig theme: Ludwig The Accursed and Ludwig Holy Blade. This is some disturbing stuff, even more than Dark Souls music. I wonder if all of the Bloodborne soundtrack is like this... Might have to listen to some more!
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Ludwig art used in the thumbnail was made by Zaifon
Whoa, this theme was pretty shocking, even for Souls/Borne standards.
Speaking of Souls/Borne, have you seen my reactions to Dark Souls music yet? Here: czcams.com/video/_AKjMqhE-mI/video.html
Awesome video man, I would love to see some reactions to some DS 3 as well. A lot of people are going to disagree with me but I believe it has some of the best tracks in the franchise.
hey man, could you please do a reaction of dire miralis? its the last monster hunter black dragon you have left to react to and if you do it it feels like I dont know more complete?
You should really check out living failures, useless boss, great song.
Awesome reaction.
I am pretty sure Beethovan would be proud of Ludwig and his Moonlight Holy Blade dancing for eternity.
they used a waltz theme for this song
The music being less chaotic and more heroic and orderly in the second phase is fitting, in that phase Ludwig regains some of his mental clarity and humanity.
Phase 1 you're fighting a deranged beast.
Phase 2 you're fighting Ludwig's last scraps of sanity as a noble man.
This change is also reflected in the game mechanics. Serrated weapons, like the Saw Cleaver on the box art, do extra damage to beasts. Ludwig the Accursed is vulnerable to serrated damage, however, when Ludwig the Holy Blade rises to the fore, serrated weapons lose this advantage.
The game is telling you that this unliving legend managed to drag his humanity back from the abyssal cosmos, with a little help from his Guiding Moonlight.
I think the difficulty of the fight also reflects that. His first phase is extremely chaotic and many of his attacks are hard to telegraph and cover a lot of ground, making him really challenging and extremely dangerous to fight. However, his second phase is a lot easier once you get his attacks down, as his attacks are more well telegraphed and elegant even in a sense, like as if he's remembered his ability to fight and is even holding back. He wants you to kill him. He wants the suffering to end, but he doesn't want to go down without a fight. He wants his death to be that of a heroic death, the death of a warrior while in combat.
I love that duality between the deranged, bloodcrazed animal and the idealistic warrior.
Exactly.... We the player, give him the opportunity he is due to fight like the man he was and the ugliness of the mood is shed. I always gotta don the executioner attire after this fight.... The least I could do
And I gotta say how cool it is that someone that knows music so well sees so much in soulsborne music. If you haven't listened to midirs track, it's such a fitting piece to a conflict with one as noble as the dark eater
8:40 ''It's like the song became human again'' Perfect way to describe Ludwig Holy Blade.
Because its exactly what happen in the gameplay, the first phase Ludwig is just another crazy beast with a name a bit to familiar to you if you been keeping an eye to the weapons names and the dialogue of the game.
The second phase start with Ludwig fighting different, resembling a Hunter/Knight or what little he can with this new beast like body.
plus weapons that do extra damage to beasts don't affect him in the second fase
@@athos401 That is so cool what!
@@thefallencat2080 yup. Ludwig also bears the distinction of being the ONLY character in bloodborne to regain their humanity. one of the central themes of bloodborne, and the Souls series as a whole is the descent into madness, the slow inevitable destruction of your mind and your soul. Ludwig, through force of will (and the guidance of the motherfucking Moonlight Greatsword) regains his sanity, and with it, his humanity
oooh boy, bloodborne has some of the BEST soundtrack's in gaming in my opinion. So glad you're checking them out
It's impressive stuff. I'm gonna listen to more
@@DaviVasc I recomend The fist hunters ost, laurences ost, ebrietases ost
Even a Throw away boss Living failures has some amazing build up to the second half of its music.
@@NinjapowerMS Living Failures theme is monstrously underrated.
Honestly doesn't fit the boss with how hard it goes.
@@bazzfromthebackground3696 Living Failures doesn't deserve their theme. They are just a free lamp before Maria and yet the music is godly.
7:27 Actual chills here when this brass kicks in. It's Monster Hunter levels of heroic. It makes you feel like you're the bad guy here fighting a real hero.
It was indeed EPIC.
Because in a twisted sense you are. You are no longer facing some grotesque beast, you are snuffing out the last wisps of humanity from a hero of the healing church. However the sinister tone is there to remind us it must be done. Ludwig is nearly gone, if you fail he wont get the chance to die as a man instead of beast again. So it's time for the final dance of the moonlit knight.
@Eric Boone there is no character in dark souls that isnt as tragic but ludwig of the healing church, and artorias of the abyss really pull at people's heart strings
@@le_mothman I don't know... I think you're giving him peace. The way a knight would like to go out, in one last duel.
@@ambrosiogiovanni6952 I agree, doesn't change the fact he was a good man we need to murder in cold blood so he can get any semblance of a decent ending.
The tragic story of a deformed beast that found his humanity in his final moments, the music is so beautiful and goes along with the emotions. One last dance with his moonlight so you can kill him with honor and he goes down knowing he found himself again. Gotta lie to Ludwig about his boys so he can die peacefully.
That's fr more poetic than I thought lmao
Nearly cry when i hear his phase2 soundtrack. 🌝🗡🐴
When it hits second phase beast weaknesses are taken away too
@@liamjohnson7702 He is no longer a beast. He is a man, the most dangerous type of enemy in any Souls/Borne game
@@Steven-ne7oy Fr I'll fight beasts and old gods all day but I see a another hunter I'm out
Something oddly common in Bloodborne is that if you 'dance' with the boss in time to the music, you tend to do better. Waltzing with Ludwig puts you in his vulnerable points during phase 2.
@1betterthanyou1 3D rhythm games
I simply cant do it in the first phase, but the phase 2 is really a waltz. The sword sweeps, the movements, we have to dance with him
@@kevinvolchok14The song is in 3/4 time so it is literally a waltz lol
This entire boss is quite the opposite from the others, instead of losing his humanity halfway it was rejuvenated
Moonlight Greatsword
@@HAZYPANCAKES very true and correct noriaki well said
Can we appreciate how perfectly timed Ludwig’s sweeps at 9:15 are to the music?
And he fkin did it again at 9:32, what a legend!
Don’t really remember if there’s any games that do it at all but I would love a game where the music composition is almost entirely dependent on the action happening within the game. Because that time stamp really inspires the idea lol
@@burgbass Doom Eternal and Dying Light 2 SORTA do this.
Most bosses (if not every) from any from soft games are in sync with the music, there's is an exception to that rule being the dancer from DS3, but if you pay enough attention (like in this case) you'll notice that every single boss from any souls game is in fact fighting alongside the rhythm.
I read your comment near the start, and without looking at the time I recognised exactly what you meant.
this is your FIRST listen?? your missing out bro! the best game of all time!!
bloodborne music is written very well to fit with the fases of the fights. so the music changes to become super epic as you progress in the fight. very very epic!
Yep. Never played it. These comments are really making me want to though!
@@DaviVasc Dew it!
Best game of all time is Dragon's Dogma. But that's my opinion, and I respect yours.
@@The_Arisen DD is an amazing pick, dude, crazy good game, but bloodborne is my second fav after ff6. :)
@@The_Arisen best game of all time is a huge stretch lol but dd is a classic
This theme feels like it embodies the boss more than most themes I've heard
Sure, I'll do it!
Bruh, like a bot
the music change at 7:25 alwys happens after the change in fase. the first part will actually loop if you dont reach that part.
and another thing whitch i didnt realize until now that your pointing it out with the extremely chaotic and "ugly" sound at the beginning. fitting it with Ludwigs lore in the game. He expresses in a dialogue the sword (whitch he gets in fase 2) was his mentor and "guiding moonlight", in an otherwise extremely chaotic life. so its cool how without the sword. the music is chaotic. with the sword. the music has purpose and sounds heroic.
*phase.
@@Adamantian9 faze
@@SvenP FaZe clan
Ah, awesome observation
*face
I love your approach to inviting people into music theory.
I know from experience that it is very hard to break away ideas like "music theory prevents creativity" or "studying music kills the magic". So thank you for appealing to people's musical curiosity while also focusing on the most essential elements.
Very smart.
Thank you for the nice comment. I think it boils down to the fact that I'm not really trying to teach anything. Just talking to friends about music, is all.
I've always hated the idea that learning insitutional art "kills" the creative aspect of the work. This fosters a gatekeeper mentality more than the opposite, IMO. The institutional side of art makes it more accessible and digestible for the general public as it makes it possible to answer the question of "what makes this piece of artwork great?" with a more concrete statement instead of the frustratingly subjective feeling-based answer. Not to mention, people who have the potential to be a creative artist but just don't know it yet would have another avenue to discover their hidden talent because they now have another option to build their foundation. Only geniuses and prodigies flourish without any solid foundation. Creativity is made more consistent with it. Otherwise, the non-prodigies are likely to just be regurgitating one-hit wonders because they lack the foundation that could stabilize their creative output. Besides, if you never had it in you in the first place, it's not even likely you'd flourish as an artist in the first place with or without institutional foundation.
We wouldn't have these fun videos from Davi if it weren't for him knowing music theory. He'd likely just be another one of those blundering reactors whose explanation of what makes a certain music good is because "it makes them feel that way". It does not make you smarter after watching their video. In contrast, Davi's vids are enjoyable because you learn something new while being entertained and you're entertained because you're learning something new in an enjoyable way.
@@DaviVasc I always enjoy the less kinds of videos. I think that, instead of stifling creativity, it lets it bloom. It’s always nice to imagine scenarios that go with music for a lot of us (including me), so it’s good to have a name for the little differences and special inflections and such in music that we notice.
Also, it’s all in good fun anyway, so there’s no issue
I will never understand how people say it would kill the magic of music, it’s made me appreciate music way more and has given me a complete understanding on how I could make my own music too
Phase 2 is Ludwig remembering himself, but also giving himself completely over to his madness. Learning this fight is like learning a deadly dance. It is a "waltz of madness".
So glad to see you diving into Bloodborne and immediately picking my favorite theme!
Thanks man. People are suggesting a ton of other Blooborne themes, so I'll do more for sure.
@@DaviVasc I’ve always seen it as Ludwig regaining his humanity, which is sort’ve why the music changes humanlike. I’m pretty sure he continues fighting as if he dies then it’s an honest death, as his sword guides him. It’s very interesting and almost every instrument has some sort of lore-ish explanation.
@@JestersWrath yeah thats true the comment above was wrong. This was ludwig getting his humanity back
John 3:16 NIV
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 🙏
John 3:16 NIV
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 🙏
I think what the composers wanted to reflect is the beast vs. man conflict that Ludwig went through.
Completely turned beast when you encounter him, the music is disturbing and beastly, chaotic even.
After he finds his Moonlight Great Sword he reminisces of his lost humanity and music reflects that in the form of a Waltz, a very disturbing at that, but appropriate to the era the game is based on (Victorian England)
Or maybe I need to stop playing videogames so much xD
Great video :)
Not stop playing dude 😀
Never ever
Ludwig is honestly the most lore-heavy boss. Besides being one of the hardest bosses in Bloodborne, the lore behind him is PHENOMENAL. To speak in brief, his job was to hunt the monsters, but now he's become one of them, overcome by his madness. Yet some humanity remains in him, which is signified by his Moonlight Greatsword and his 2nd (and objectively tougher) phase. In phase 2 his movements are less erratic, and resemble more of that of a berserk knight. Its so great to find music composers like you see a little insight into the lore from analysing the soundtracks! And so fascinating too!
I hope you do more Bloodborne stuff, I would really like to see you analyze Laurence's track.
i honestly dont understand why so many people claim that Ludwigs Phase 2 is objecitvely harder than the first. It makes absolutely no sense to me. His tells are so much more obvious, he moves so much slower and you have so many long windows for healing and doing damage and he even has a weakpoint that can be broken and visceraled which he does not have in Phase 1 and he also loses all of his shitbox charges and jump attacks. How is it harder in any way? It so much easier on all levels. I dont think i have died to Ludwigs Phase 2 more than once or twice, but countless times to Phase 1.
@@datzfatz2368 same
I find it so cool how serrated weapons stop having bonuses in his second phase due to the fact that he's in his human mentality
@@datzfatz2368 Same. Phase 1 is actually much more difficult for me. In Phase 2, he fights like a normal hunter. I can read his attacks and react. But in Phase 1 it's just chaos. Idk what to do, because his attacks are so chaotic. I can't read him.
@@datzfatz2368I think both phases are hard in their own ways
That was absolutely insane, not only is Bloodborne my favorite game of all time, Ludwig is my favorite boss of all time. The fact that you were able to exactly pick out the lore of Ludwigs character from your first listen of this song blew me away. I mean you absolutely nailed it holy cow man, great job easy subbed.
Glad you enjoyed it, my friend! For disclosure though, I do read up a just little bit on the context before recording. Just enough so I'm not 100% in the dark
Btw, I would recommend checking out the bloodborne theme for the “living failures”, possibly one of the best boss themes in bloodborne or even the soulsborne series (ironically for possibly the least favorite bloodborne dlc boss)
now, as someone once said about ludwig going from the 1st phase to the 2nd: "just by changing his stance, it goes from a monster to a human being. From a disgusting shell of a person to the honorable knight he once was. Even his clothes change from appearing like torn apart rags to his old uniform. In the first phase of the fight, there's a bonus of saw like weapons against him, which disappears for the second phase. That's because you're no longer fighting a beast, now you're fighting a man"
also, the choir in the 2nd phase of the theme is supposed to be the moonlight blade chanting praise to ludwig
(btw, of all the gameplay videos to be playing, I was not expecting buffmaister’s, but I’m not complaining since he’s the only one who doesn’t demolish Ludwig, would recommend his video for living failures too if you check out that theme)
The thing with the living failures theme song is that.... it sounds TOO MUCH like mars bringer of war by Gustav Holst.... like TOO MUCH!!! I can get the homage, but this was like... as I said before TOO MUCH MAAAAAN!!!!!!
@@Kurdinov83 calma mauro😭
So glad you're covering Bloodborne's music. Gehrman's track is easily my favorite.
Thank you for the suggestion!
@@DaviVasc gonna secondn Gehrman for sure. But honestly they are all worth doing. Well, most of them anyways!
Legit got goosebumps from the transition from The Accursed to the Holy Blade.
This is a fantastic analysis of Ludwig's theme! I haven't studied music theory or music much in general, but I have some experience with game design and the concepts behind it.
So, the lore for Ludwig. He was the first Hunter of the Healing Church, pretty much the dominant organization in Bloodborne. Hunters are people who take up the job of beast-hunting, they slay beasts and abominations. In Yharnam, the setting for Bloodborne, there is a sort of plague, or scourge ravaging the city that turns people into monsters.
So Ludwig became a bit of a hero to the people of Yharnam. He was a steadfast, brave, and powerful warrior who fought to protect his people from these horrible beasts. However, due to reasons in the story, Ludwig himself fell to the beast scourge, and became a beast himself. This would be Ludwig, the Accursed. He transformed into a horrific, mutated, insane beast.
In his second phase, Ludwig is staggered by damage done by the player, and the sword he carries on his back falls to the ground. Now, throughout his life, this sword was his one true companion, his "Guiding Moonlight" as he calls it. It was the one thing that brought order to the chaotic life of this Hunter. Upon seeing it, he regains his memories, his sanity, and the coherence of his human self. This is the only time in Bloodborne we see a beast remember their humanity after turning.
The notably more heroic version of his second phase happens because now, you are no longer fighting an insane beast, you are fighting the powerful, legendary hero of Yharnam, Ludwig, the Holy Blade. He is still a horrendous, disgusting version of himself (as the disturbing or chaotic undertone of the music portrays), but he is no longer a mindless beast.
Oh I can't wait for you to touch upon Gehrman's theme. Talk about a boss battle that is a mess of emotions and that only gets sadder the more you have context 😭
Gherman and Living Failures are up next, I think. These are the ones that I'm seeing being suggested the most.
Possibly my favourite theme in the history of videogames.
It accompanies a boss fight and at the same time it tells the story, the story of someone who once was a great man, lost himself and now has returned his old self just to have one final battle with you, the only person that can finally set him free.
One of my favorite tracks in gaming. Ever. Absolutely love the cello, the transition was amazing to experience, and then the smooth slide into an emotionally loaded waltz like melody. Just all of it is amazingly well made. Some other fun ones from Bloodborne are Living Failures, Lady Maria, The One Reborn. Also was funny seeing the confusion.
Thank you for watching and for the suggestions :)
I love how the choir starts to harmonize as he sees his sword, finally becoming a powerful melody as he rises again to face you. Thus seamlessly informing you that you're no longer fighting a savage beast. You stand before a man.
Goosebumps everytime. The second phase of this ost makes me want to dance even if I hate dancing. It's a real dance of death.
You should definitely check out the Living Failures OST, always from Bloodborne.
I'm seeing a lot of suggestions for that one. I'll definitely do it.
This bossfight is really one of my favorite gaming moments of all time, and a big part of it is due to the soundtrack. Glad you checked it out!
Thank you for watching, my friend!
I love that there are so many composers doing reactions to this music because I love seeing how different personalities latch on to different details. It really shows the depth this music portrays when different composers are noticing entirely different details.
It’s interesting how in Ludwig’s second phase by regaining his humanity he completely changes the fight. His music turns heroic and he stands up straight like a man rather then as a undead beast. Also another neat note when Ludwig enters his second phase he also can’t be affected by the perks of beast slaying weapons. It’s as if the game is saying you no longer face a beast, you face a man.
The Ludwig theme has a very special place in my heart, even though I've never even touched Bloodborne. I first heard this song around late 2017 and it was so fascinating to listen to, yet I'd never even played a souls game at the time. Now I've beaten DS1, DS3, Sekiro and Elden Ring plenty of times, and I REALLY want to play Bloodborne but I just don't have a playstation. I want to meet the boss I've been following for over five years. Just goes to show how incredible this theme is even for someone who doesn't know the context.
It’s crazy how many of the visual and story themes a legit composer can pull from just the song
"How did they make the music so ugly and so beautiful at the same time" idk why but that felt like a personal attack. love the music and reaction
I meant that in the most flattering way possible
@@DaviVasc:)
I feel without Ludwig’s first track we would never feel as much emotion as we did about his second track because the first sets the stage for a sad, misguided, monster who is so deep in his animal madness he can’t recognize peace but when he regains his humanity by focusing on his attention on his sword, the music becomes assembled. like his thoughts are no longer clouded, his intentions thoughtless, there is now a motive for this beast and it is to fight, fight to end his life. To find peace, which is why I’m glad he finally did. What a hero.
The rhythm in the second phase kinda makes sense... Ludwig moves sync excellently with the music
Dude your reactions alone make these videos *very* rewatchable.
If you plan on checking out more soundtracks of this game, I can highly recommend Laurence, The First Vicar. It's a masterpiece of a track
Cool, thank you for the suggestion!
That transition to brass section in terms of lore. It symbolizes how Ludwig is in a constant state of pain and anguish for the first half of the song. But then his sword reveals itself. And the tone swaps from anguish to bombastic excitement as Ludwig pulls together the last shred of his humanity to fight you. Simply genius
the music with gameplay intense bloodborne was perfect. my best ost in the game.
Damn, you basically learned the whole tragic story of Ludwig from just the music theory alone. That's awesome. Another reason why I love From Software so much.
The build up into the second phase and then the second phase is my favorite music from any game ever
This is the opposite of a stereotypical YT react video (in the best way possible). There's actually so much good analysis and I actually get to learn some theory watching this.
Great vid - Subscribed
I freaking love your breakdowns, Davi - I can never get enough of understanding the music theory behind music like this. Thank you for taking the time to explain all these components with your experience and knowledge
This theme might be a masterclass in music design. I don't know if Davi has done any prior research( I am assuming he has not) into the theme or boss, but through music alone he understood the major lore points of the character. I mean he said that phase one gives him the vibe of a fallen hero, that's literally reading from the bio, and aside from creating an amazing piece, the composers should be given credit for that amazing feat as well.
I do read up read up briefly on the context of the tracks. Just enough so I'm not completely in the dark. But yeah, a lot of what I said was communicated to me by the music alone, which is a testament of the skill of the composers.
The transition to the holy blade theme makes me sob every time. It's so powerful and loaded. Really makes you feel for Ludwig.
When you said that it was hard to analyze the first part because it was simply chaos but that the next part is somewhat assembled that made me think about Ludwig’s lore because he transforms into a beast and goes insane (representing the chaos factor) and then suddenly upon gazing at his blade finally achieves a moment of clarity and pulls himself together to fight like a true man (which is the assembling in the track finally becoming clear)
One of the best themes in the series, though personally my vote might go towards Laurence's theme (which you should DEFINITELY check out)
I'm partial to Gherman's theme.
Thank you for the suggestion! I'll do more videos on Bloodborne music
@@DaviVasc looking forward! Already subscribed
10:30 thats a very big aspect of the song right there. Ludwig having regained some sanity is choosing to die honorably, being slain by a worthy opponent. This is the dance of *his* death. His final moonlight waltz.
One of my favorites is the theme for Micolash, the Host of the Nightmare. A hated boss fight, but a wonderful theme.
Soulsborne games have some of my favorite soundtracks in gaming as a whole. I would recommend either Sister Friede or The Abyss Watchers theme to listen to next... mainly because they are my favorite bosses.
Thank you for the suggestions!
@@DaviVasc You're welcome. Have a pleasant day.
@@DaviVasc if you decide to do the Abyss Watchers at any time, I’d like to throw this in there first:
The very first note is a church bell 🔔, which likely represents the Firelink Shrine, which rings to call the Lords of Cinder back into action. It would make sense, since the Abyss Watchers are the first Lords you fight.
Maiden Astraeas theme from Demons Souls is another fantastic piece
God, I can't listen to that phrase transition without getting goosebumps even years later. You describe the tempo as a dance; I think that's an intentional collaborative decision between the game designer and composer because the fight changes from a reactionary, erratic scramble against a largely unpredictable beast to what amounts to a waltz with a much more disciplined and structured opponent. Right before the end, he comes to his senses and you square off against the paladin he was, not the beast he became. To this day, I think this is the best narrative track in video game history. I don't think I've ever seen a more effective blending of lore, gameplay mechanics and music than what this fight ended up being.
I like how he slashes (9:15 and 9:32) in time with he music, like he's a conductor of the theme where he regains enough humanity to lucidly revel in the celebration in what would be his last fight. I like the element of triumph because it's him overcoming beasthood to go out as a human.
A ideia de tensão e tristeza, no início, é bem proposital. É uma pessoa que era considerada um herói que virou uma fera das feras que caçara um dia. É uma luta, então certamente a música deve transmitir um pouco de tensão, além do fato de Bloodborne possuir o terror cósmico em uma espécie de Londres Vitoriana em sua temática. Na segunda fase a luta vira uma valsa, e a postura de Ludwig muda completamente junto com a música. Tu disse: "A transição é muito clara." É exatamente isso que a luta passa, claridade. Ludwig diz para sua espada: "You were at my side all along. My true mentor... my guiding moonlight." Ou seja, é ele recuperando sua humanidade, como tu bem disseste, sendo guiado pela espada em uma "última dança" se assim podemos dizer.
im speechless on how you get so many crucial points of his lore just by listening to his OST. You are extremely talented and Fromsoftware is peak
Most of the bosses in Dark Souls and especially Bloodborne get more wild as the battle goes on. They go more crazy and get more erratic. Ludwig is the opposite. That is one of the things that makes this battle so cool. It's like he regains his humanity at the end, standing up and fighting with his holy weapon instead of with his claws like a beast. Even after becoming the most grotesque creature in the game, he gets to die with dignity. It's beautiful.
This song is in my opinion the best piece Fromsoft ever put together in their games, its just perfection. Its just sends chills on my spine every time i listen to it.
I remember the first time I fight Ludwig, the second phase just took my breath away, once you understand the story, the fight, the music, its all become very tragic. You should also check lady Maria ost, it almost have the same feeling.
I will, thank you for suggesting it!
A lot of people have already talked about it in one way or another, but the change in the music between the phases of his fight are so beautifully emblematic of him changing from a blood-drunk beast into how he used to be, which considering how he fights and speaks suggests nobility and chivalry. There's a fantastic sense of honour, perhaps even goodness to him, which is such a change from the beginning of the fight where you'd be entirely forgiven for thinking that he couldn't speak anymore.
The Holy Blade part of the fight is so satisfying because like you mentioned with the sort of waltzing rhythm, it feels like a dance (and a duel). Compared to the chaotic first phase where it feels like there's a lot of desperate dodging and just getting hits in wherever possible, the second phase has a lot more of a back-and-forth flow that often sync to the music and honestly, I didn't want the fight to have to end.
One of my favorite things about this is how perfect the track compliments Ludwig's attack sound in both phases. Just like in the music, the first phase is more ugly shrieking and roaring but the second phase turning heroic in a sense, he no longer screams but grunts. The fight almost feels like a deadly waltz. Love your analysis.
edit: you just mentioned the dance at 10:34, perfect!
I like how you noticed the old system of harmony, as this part of the game is set in the past. The whole game is very baroque. Great job
This is my second video of yours im watching, the first being Living Failures, but already I'm very impressed both your ability to basically piece together the story of the boss solely through the music, but also Fromsoft's ability to communicate the story so fluently solely through the music.
Never had the pleasure of playing Bloodborne, but I've seen how the interaction with Ludwig plays out, and this analysis makes perfect sense.
Starting out in the encounter you're fighting a slow, lumbering, brutal beast thats forgotten who and what they were. Then half way through something happens where Lugwig seems to.... remember himself and who he was. Then suddenly he goes from slow and lumbering, to quick, measured, and calculated in his actions. Remembering the trained and practiced warrior he used to be.
In body he's still a monster, but in mind he's regained who he was in his final moments.
Don't worry about it. Your pc might probably not be able to meet the necessary requirements to run this game anyways.
Holy heck, bloodborne! Hopefully you do Laurence's theme, it's my absolute favorite
I certainly will
In a version I listen to on youtube someone put down the greatest description, come the second half when Ludwig gains his humanity again, we the hunter are giving him his final dance.
I love watching these OST reactions when I’ve played the game and the composer hasn’t. I’m always waiting for them to solve the puzzle of the themes. Especially the second phase of Ludwig. Was so happy when you noticed the triple meter and the more human change in that second phase because that’s exactly what’s going on at that time. Ludwig is remembering his humanity. Exquisite stuff from From Soft and one of their best OST’s.
As much as I love the theme of Laurence, the First Vicar, I have to say that this is still deep down my favorite track from Bloodborne.
11:02 The frame rate dropping below 20fps is the quintessential Bloodborne experience.
To this day it has remained my favourite musical piece across all games
Love this breakdown, gave me inspiration to keep learning it on piano
I'm so excited to see your take on Bloodbornes soundtracks! Definitely do gehrman the first hunter! One of my all time favorites.
I think the "restless" tonic chord also belies your state as a player when fighting Ludwig. In his first phase, Ludwig is wild, beastial, fast and unpredictable, so you're tense, you can't stop moving, and even when Ludwig isn't visible, your eyes dart around for clues as he prepares to strike from an unseen angle, all while knowing a single blow could be fatal.
Truly one of the best games ever.
I like when you defeat him and go talk to him, he goes: "Good hunter..." so politely.
"How did they make the music so ugly and so beautiful at the same time?" You pretty much sum up the very beauty of Bloodborne's music right there, my friend.
I love the dance waltz like part. It just boils down to a clash between two hunters, but makes you want to know more.
this is one of my favourite parts about from software's games, the music is just as important as the boss.
When you mentioned how the first phase sounded chaotic and "formless" it gave me chills. There's a rune in Bloodborne that describes a "formless" Great One, named Oedon. My brain made this connection immediately as "Formless Sound", due to Oedon being so similar to the word Odeon.
So, for you to describe the music as formless sound was really rad! 🤘
One of the finest (or two, to be accurate) pieces of music in gaming history. Very few other themes have so perfectly conveyed the story of what they're being set to. And one of the most awesome things about these two songs is that the ominous chanting isn't just the usual faux-Latin gobbledygook, but actual coherent Latin (at least for the intro of Holy Blade, if not the chorus) which describes Ludwig's situation flawlessly.
*Ludwig the Accursed*
Bellator, venator (Warrior, hunter)
Sanguinem, vigorem (Vigorous blood.)
Venator dominus (Master hunter)
Amor a nihilo (Once beloved, but now forgotten)
Gladio sanguinem, refugit opulen tum (Your sword spills blood in abundance)
O venator (Oh hunter)
O sola divina (O lonely divine one)
A Domino (By the Master)
Terribilis spatha scelero (Your crimes etched in your terrible blade)
Maledictus fiat morte (A curse awaits you in death)
E sanguine opulento (And the blood will flow in abundance)
*Ludwig the Holy Blade*
Oh venator (O hunter)
Beatus sanctus (Blessed saint)
Bonum fati par dia (A honest death is like a blessing)
Domus aeternus fiat morte (Nightmare shall be your home forever)
Erit sanguine opulentum (And the blood will flow in abundance)
10:36 funny you said that. The biggest feeling I got from this part is that it felt like a dance with madness and insanity itself.
the songs from bloodborne and dark souls 3 are so epic that they resonate in the soul, they really didn't skimp on creating them.
bloodborne ost is my favorite game ost. one of the top 3 music i love to death
7:17 i get chills every time. truly a legendary piece of incredible musical art
Wow didn't see that one coming! I'm a very very recent FromSoftware fan, and the wonderful music of the games I've played is just a pure mystery to me. I'm happy you're covering Bloodborne because it's the one that sounds the most out of place for me, beautiful and very hard to grasp. Thank you!
Beautiful and very hard to grasp is such a good description of it
I think Ludwig's theme is the epitome of Bloodborne's OST. That being hauntingly beautiful. His theme is both inspiring and terrifying at the same time, and really reflects his lore so succinctly. His first phase sounds like a fight against a monstrosity, which Ludwig is, and his second phase sounds like the last vestiges of a hero struggling to survive by using all of his remaining strength.
I love how he brought up the fact there was counterpoint in this and how its a really old form of harmonic convergence because this game is set in gothic times where everything is archaic and disturbing and the composer really put that ambience of the setting into his music.
Ludwig was my favorite boss from Bloodborne and I was so shocked when his sword somewhat came back in Elden Ring.
It's a FromSoft staple
Moonlight greatsword is a recurring sword in Fromsoft games, Nearly every souls game has it in some form
Not only his analysis is sooo enjoyable and I still enjoy it even though I don't know much about musical technical details! Also, the quality of the audio / music is soo good!
You really have such an intellectual approach to dissecting why these melodies have such an emotive effect. Will you please go over some of the elden ring tracks? Godrick the grafted in particular.
I've done Godrick. It's one of my latest videos.
@@DaviVasc Oh im sorry. I will watch it now. You seem a bit rude but that's okay, I know composers are like that and I like your analysis anyways.
"You are no longer fighting a beast, you are dueling a seasoned killer." Heard that a while ago and thought you'd like to hear it.
the part in 9:14 is just incredible, it takes over my mind. There are hardly any sounds in the world that give me that same feeling. Incredible soundtrack.
I am a FromSoftware, Soulsborne fanboy through and through. It is so awesome to see you appreciate just a small piece of what makes the games so great as a whole.
The recent souls games but particularly bloodborne are famous for the tonal whiplash you get between phase changes, Ludwig's theme especially. Glad to see you're branching out in this direction and it's always fun to hear your commentary. A really underrated piece (imo) from this game is "The Living Failures", which features some really heavy Gustav Holst inspiration and a tone shift heavy enough to ludwig a run for his money.
Whoa, sounds interesting. Thank you for suggesting it!
God I love his theme, it combines so many things I love about music and even uses one of my favorite and most personally evocative instruments, the cello, to illustrate musically, the introduction of the moonlight greatsword in the second phase like an enormous lightsaber. It's a moment I'll never forget, hearing that cello swell as he stands up and the off-blue glow rages toward me and the tragic, horrific dance begins between us.
I’ve been waiting for this! So glad you covered this piece. I love Bloodborne music since they express the character contexts of Bloodborne very well. There is amazing depiction of Ludwig’s background in this piece. It started with the distorted vibe and then when you got glimpses his humanity, it turned into the orderly and majestic vibes.Thank you for this video! Really enjoyed this.
Glad you enjoyed it, Aya!
I love how much blood appears in the lyrics “sanguine” is throughout the lyrics
I really like how you draw connections to how the music is structured and designed relates to Ludwig as a character and a boss, it’s something my untrained ears would never notice but I love learning about. Excellent video all around!
Glad you enjoy it!
This is the best of the BloodSoulsRing soundtracks, Incredible that this only has 190k views.
Ludwig aka Gherman 2.0.
For those who don't know the original hunter group along with the workshop fell into obscurity due to tragedy along with Gherman and Maria the two most proficient hunters of their time. But then rose the church hunters and their finest warrior, the third legend that was Ludwig the holy blade who later along with the church suffered the worst fate of them all. Nobody has it good in Bloodborne and it's in this dlc you realize that the hunters truly had it worse than anyone as even after finding and really embracing their faith it couldn't save them from becoming the very monsters they slaughtered. This track really makes you feel like your confronting a mighty hero turned nightmare beast it's just so epic and sad at the same time. A true masterpiece 😭👍
There are lyrics with this theme:
LATIN LYRICS:
Venator feram tor
Sanguinem vigorem
Venator dominus
Amor a nihilo
Gladio sanguinem refugit opulentum
O venator
Ob sola divina
Ah domino terribilis spatha scelero
Maledictus fiat morte e sanguine opulento
O venator
Beatus sanctus
Bonum fati par dia
Domus aeternus fiat morte
Erit sanguinem opulentum
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
Hunter of beasts
By the power of the blood
Lord of hunters
Once beloved, but now forgotten
Your sword spills blood in abundance
Oh, hunter
Bound by holy oath
Your crimes are etched in your terrible blade
A curse awaits you in death and the blood will flow in abundance
Oh, hunter
Blessed saint
Death would be too kind a fate
A nightmare shall be your home forever
And the blood will flow in abundance
"a sinister dance of death" is a great way of putting it. The song sounds like some dance song for medieval royalty where everyone spins at the same time but warped and twisted into this unholy dance instead
I love the format, the commentary, and the sudden music theory lessons coupled with keyboard and visuals for reference. Plus you get the feeling behind the music. You are a joy to watch keep on being awesome
Thank you my friend
You are already legendary with these precise analyses. You nail the lore of the bosses by just listening to their themes without having played the actual game. It is just wondrous whats happening on this channel. Easily subbed. Keep this shit going man! I am learning so much about muaic theory.
Thanks man. Welcome to the channel!