Got trigger finger in my thumb (didn't even know that was possible) and probably can't play games on a controller anymore for a couple months from this game... worth.
On a serious note (that did really happen though, it was more the culmination of a very long binge of playing games on my PS4 a couple months straight culminating in Bloodborne which I refused to put down as my thumb starting getting worse, typing this with my thumb in a brace hahah) I'm not a big fan of the Souls games personally, I've tried the three other then 3 so far and only made it far in Dark Souls 1 before dropping it. I respect them a lot for what they are but 1: while I thought the story presentation was neat I could never really get in to the story lore and worlds themselves, and 2: I've never been one of those people who defines gaming by my difficult achievements and the general challenge and difficulty of "gitting gud". Sekiro and Bloodborne remain the only modern iteration of this type of game in general I've ever actually pushed myself to completing.
Something with Bloodborne in particular clicked with me, I'm sure I undoubtedly approached in the right mood at the right time, and the fact I didn't have to fight even the most challenging bosses in the main game or DLC more than 5 times never made the game test my patience with it's difficulty thankfully. But it honestly wasn't really the gameplay and bosses that sucked me in to Bloodborne in the way that the Souls games didn't. For Sekiro I do think the vastly different gameplay free of RPG mechanics helped me a little with enjoying how nuanced it's style of play was, but for Bloodborne despite being faster and free of shields, it wasn't that different from my experience with Souls playing it.
It was almost entirely, at least 90%, the atmosphere of the game that kept me going. That atmosphere eventually grew better and better throughout the game and DLC and became something even greater. The wonderful evolving style, aesthetic and atmosphere became a truly interesting world and subtle story for me over time. That world and subtle story grew in to rich lore and fantastic conceptual depth. That rich lore and conceptual depth became themes and ideas in the narrative and lore and world that are actually astoundingly fascinating to me. Even the first Dark Souls never quite reached this point for me in my anecdotal experience with it, though I can see how it can for some. Just for me personally Bloodborne had this beautifully vague but tangible thematic factor I latched on to.
It eventually became a game I enjoyed thinking about much more than actually playing, and I did rather enjoy playing it, which was surprising. Definitely a very worthwhile experience overall... even despite the thumb injury. Hahah.
On a serious note (that did really happen though, it was more the culmination of a very long binge of playing games on my PS4 a couple months straight culminating in Bloodborne which I refused to put down as my thumb starting getting worse, typing this with my thumb in a brace hahah) I'm not a big fan of the Souls games personally, I've tried the three other then 3 so far and only made it far in Dark Souls 1 before dropping it. I respect them a lot for what they are but 1: while I thought the story presentation was neat I could never really get in to the story lore and worlds themselves, and 2: I've never been one of those people who defines gaming by my difficult achievements and the general challenge and difficulty of "gitting gud". Sekiro and Bloodborne remain the only modern iteration of this type of game in general I've ever actually pushed myself to completing.
Something with Bloodborne in particular clicked with me, I'm sure I undoubtedly approached in the right mood at the right time, and the fact I didn't have to fight even the most challenging bosses in the main game or DLC more than 5 times never made the game test my patience with it's difficulty thankfully. But it honestly wasn't really the gameplay and bosses that sucked me in to Bloodborne in the way that the Souls games didn't. For Sekiro I do think the vastly different gameplay free of RPG mechanics helped me a little with enjoying how nuanced it's style of play was, but for Bloodborne despite being faster and free of shields, it wasn't that different from my experience with Souls playing it.
It was almost entirely, at least 90%, the atmosphere of the game that kept me going. That atmosphere eventually grew better and better throughout the game and DLC and became something even greater. The wonderful evolving style, aesthetic and atmosphere became a truly interesting world and subtle story for me over time. That world and subtle story grew in to rich lore and fantastic conceptual depth. That rich lore and conceptual depth became themes and ideas in the narrative and lore and world that are actually astoundingly fascinating to me. Even the first Dark Souls never quite reached this point for me in my anecdotal experience with it, though I can see how it can for some. Just for me personally Bloodborne had this beautifully vague but tangible thematic factor I latched on to.
It eventually became a game I enjoyed thinking about much more than actually playing, and I did rather enjoy playing it, which was surprising. Definitely a very worthwhile experience overall... even despite the thumb injury. Hahah.
Reviewed on Jun 06, 2021