Lately, I am realizing (for not the first time, surely) that I am a creature who’s often influenced by whatever turns out to be the latest curiosity that he’s come across, given that said curiosity is something that he was previously into. Just a couple of weeks ago, my interest in the James Bond films got rekindled because of the recent release of No Time To Die–now available to stream through a digital rental?! Then last week happened, during which I saw that a gameplay test for FromSoftware’s upcoming Elden Ring came and went, with people putting out their first impressions of what was available for the game.
A few degrees of association and neuron connections later, I quickly got back onto some Bloodborne bullshit! I have not played, nor ever been especially interested in playing, any of the games in FromSoftware’s most notable Dark Souls series–and what little I gleamed from Elden Ring footage has it looking very much in the Dark Souls vein–but the dapper gothic horror trappings, transforming weapons, and more agile and vicious-seeming combat of Bloodborne appealed to me instantly upon first look. Somewhat similar to how BlazBlue became my Arc Sysem Works game series of choice over Guilty Gear.
It even compelled me enough to get the game! One of my first non-Rock Band 4 Playstation 4 purchases alongside Metal Gear Solid V, in fact! I remember having a great time with it, though I hit a mental/difficulty wall relatively early on–Darkbeast Paarl and the whole jail location that preceded it, I think?–that ultimately led to me putting the game down. Then I picked it up a second time a couple of years later (pretty sure on account of Dark Souls III; I’m pretty sure my next-shiniest-thing tendencies have always been there) and made a bit more progress by abandoning the Darkbeast Paarl boss fight with happiness in my heart until getting exasperated in the Forbidden Woods.
For this Bloodborne bender, meanwhile, I’ve opted to not play it again; no sense in running myself right into the frustration that I know would be coming. Instead, I’m watching someone else play it through to completion. I didn’t want a typical run, or a speed run, or an optimal expert run, however. I wanted someone who, if possible, would exhaustively go through EVERYTHING in the game. For me, it’s not just about seeing someone be good at a video game, but also about having the chance to bask in the atmosphere and storytelling of the game. Because my understanding is that Bloodborne goes to some truly batshit places the deeper in it goes, and I want to see what that looks like.
Thankfully, someone out there sought out to do exactly that, as if looking to specifically heed my hyper-specific prayers well in advance. Streamer and gaming personality Maximilian Dood did a Bloodborne “lore run” about four years ago or so, and oooh yes, that deep dive exactly hits the spot. It’s the first thing in a long while that’s motivated me to stay up way beyond an acceptable bedtime up to as late as 3:00 in the morning, and while I’m sure my body hates it, my soul is satisfied. This should keep me good company for the next couple of weeks.
At least until something else comes along to divert my attention once again.
Today’s questions:
- What are your feelings on the “soulsborne” strain of action RPGs?
- FromSoftware–overrated, justifies the hype, or somewhere in between?
- If you played through the gameplay test for Elden Ring, how did you like it?
And, as always, Talk Amongst Yourselves!
Today’s Morning Jam:
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