Archive for the Bloodborne Category

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Best 30 Games Ever?

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Bloodborne, Castlevania, DoDon Pachi, Games, Lists, Metal Gear Solid, Portal, Resident Evil, Retro Games, Skyrim, Street Fighter, Tony Hawk Series, Uncharted, Ys on August 22, 2026 by slateman

Not a science, but it’s an attempt at figuring this all out. Until I make a purely honest take on this, the image following will have to suffice.

Elden Ring: Playthrough #3 – 400 Hours

Posted in Best / Worst, Bloodborne, Games on August 25, 2025 by slateman

Super Mario Bros. 3. That was my answer for the best game ever for the better part of three decades. There was never a doubt, hardly even a competitor. Imagine my surprise when Bloodborne, a title that shares virtually no DNA with SMB3 usurped the throne. My appreciation truly grew through repeated ventures into its world and my fascination only increased from there. Its lore revealed via YouTube deep-dives, secrets through Wikis and strategies from Reddit threads. Gaming nowadays is different than in ages past. And while Elden Ring was immediately a top-20 game, a second playthrough and its vast DLC helped the title rise the ranks ALSO leapfrogging the aforementioned greatest game ever. One developer with the two most-exceptional titles in history?

Another year hence, I opted to dive back into The Lands Between. As a high-school teacher, summers allow much more free time than normal. The hours melted away; I was hooked. Best talisman combinations. Repeatedly searching the Wiki for locations, weaknesses and shortcuts. My memory is quite good, and a lot of this is familiar, but this game is massive. The sense of exploration is diminished through repeated runs but I’m never not impressed. Even still – several hundred hours down – I continued finding things I hadn’t seen. I completed questlines I didn’t witness in my prior 300 hours.

My sole summertime gaming goal was to beat the DLC and on the eve of returning with students, Promised Consort Radahn was bested. Malenia downed. Bayle felled. I didn’t complete everything – such is a daunting task. But even without those breadcrumbs, this remains the most-beautiful and expansive world I’ve ever enjoyed adventuring through.

It’s hard to know if this now trumps Bloodborne. One has potency through its first-impression weight and rich, decaying world. The other in its sprawling vastness and infinite possibilities. I’ll ponder this contest as the days and weeks pass. Months may be required. Whatever the outcome – the one-two punch by FromSoftware resides in the annals of gaming excellence and undisputed as the most-outstanding games ever released.

Elden Ring: Where It Ranks & Why?

Posted in Best / Worst, Bloodborne, Games, Lists, Metal Gear Solid on September 7, 2024 by slateman

Despite getting into FromSoftware’s titles late: 2018 with the landmark Bloodborne, I’ve completed surprisingly-few of their titles. This spring I started Elden Ring anew and with it being my GOTY 2022, knew precisely what to expect.

Except, this playthrough was just as good, if not better than the first. And during this new descent into The Lands Between, its long-awaited and massive, sprawling DLC, Shadow Of The Erdtree was anounced. Thus, dozens of hours were added to my second playthrough.

And here, at the end of it all, I feel much as I did back in April of 2022 upon completion of the base game originally. Succinctly, Empty is the only word to detail this sensation.

After my first run through this game, I was confident placing it in my top-20 list of all-time best games. Halfway amidst my second playthrough, it was firmly entrenched in the top 10. It was here where my passion for this game expanded. Looking up item locations, reading Reddit threads on build suggestions, watching lore videos – my fascination deepened. Seeking out every grace, every item, talisman, boss, hidden area…it all became addictive. And THEN….the DLC hit.

The expansion itself, in my humble opinion, places it in contention for the best game of the year, but the Best DLC award is a shoe-in, not only for 2024, but forever. It never felt tacked on or half-baked. The lore was embedded in the story and revelations cleared up concepts from the main story. NPCs had purpose. Bosses were both impressive and impactful. My sense of wonder and exploration and awe never ceased. It assisted in completing what was already a perfect package.

It was then that the game crept up in my list. Leapfrogging God Of War (2018), Uncharted 2, DoDoPachi: Dai-Ou-Jou, it was now facing Metal Gear Solid 3 and Portal 2. Surely it’s not superior to them!? Top 5 ever???

Stuck on the final boss, I went up into clean-up mode before seeking out a method to defeat the Mighty, BS Radahn. “Oh, I missed that talisman and I should equip that shield.” Almost every part of this game is utterly fun and joyous. To be clear, its vague story is best digested in video form. Granted, some bosses were frustration machines. Losing a quarter-of-a-million echoes is a challenge. But after completing the DLC 100%, I went back to visit some main-game missed items. I exhausted NPC dialogues. And after all that…I started NG+. At this point, I raced through, slaying everything and hitting upon all NPC interactions. The draw of the adventure was intoxicating. The familiarity gave me a foundation from which to start, but I kept encountering things I hadn’t yet done in almost 300 hours of playtime. I knew the boss patterns. I was overpowered enough to blaze through much of it which kept the entire experience moving along swiftly. I devoured story videos, wiki entries again and find that’s part of the draw of the whole Soulsborne experience.

Much like my initial playthroughs, I just don’t want this to end. Dwelling in the Lands Between, exploring all of its corners and poring over each breadcrumb of lore makes me truly wonder how high on my favorite games list this title is. Ultimately, something will supplant this on my current-gaming agenda, and it’s likely that title will be Astro Bot in mere days. However, as an experience, I can only claim Bloodborne, the fellow FromSoftware title, to be a legitimate adversary and competitor to the crown of greatest ever. Today I feel confident bestowing upon Elden Ring #2 on my all-time list. I’m all-but-certain a new playthrough awaits me at some later date – starting from scratch with years of walkthroughs and guides and videos to aid me on the adventure. I’m in no rush for time to pass, but I look forward to this future date knowing what a delight such a day will be.

Elden Ring Playthrough #2: Still So Good

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Bloodborne, Games with tags on February 18, 2024 by slateman

40 hours. (1 March update: 60 hours / 26 March update: 90 hours) After completing the title at a hefty 120 hours, I’ve now clocked another 40 and have no intention on stopping any time soon.

Despite arriving late to the FromSoftware parade, I’ve since beaten (and written heavily about) Bloodborne and later Dark Souls III. I got far into Sekiro (final boss) and both Dark Souls Remastered and Demon’s Souls. I feel confident in saying I understand the formula. And while I’ve written about this as well already, returning two Elden Ring two years hence has bought me right back to where I was in early 2022. I’ve got a few games I’m interested in playing: Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Rollerdrome, maybe more Lies Of P. But, there’s no reason to. Elden Ring is just that damn good.

In fact, as I return to ranking my top-20 favorite games again, I find this game moving up…and up…and up. I can’t be certain, but I think it’s a top-10-ever game at this moment. From its sensational allure of discovery to the phenomenal art design. From the honed gameplay loop to the enticing sense of wonder. Its sound, the visuals, the adventure: it’s second to none. I just can’t say enough about this game and even without DLC, it remains one of my favorite games of all time.

Now, with Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth coming out, perhaps my passion will fade. But just like the first time I played this masterpiece, I’m really in no rush. Simply incredible.

Dark Souls III: Complete

Posted in Best / Worst, Bloodborne, Games on November 12, 2023 by slateman

Barring a short stint with Demon’s Souls and Bloodborne a long time ago, I missed the entire Souls phenomenon. It wasn’t until 2018 when I fell in love with Bloodborne and since then, it’s risen to become my favorite game ever. I plunked a few hours into the remaster of Dark Souls, at some point tested out DS3 and even started Demon’s Souls on the PS5, none really drew me in. Sekir just kicked my ass and despite making it to the final boss, I never beat that one either.

Now, Elden Ring was a different story. I wrote about this game not once, not twice but three times and I think it’s in my top-20 games ever, though that list keeps changing. In fact, that title alone ruined me for games for most of 2022, with only a few titles even holding my interest as the year went on.

Several weeks ago, afer playing Bloodborne AGAIN, I had the itch to try out Dark Souls again and I booted up DS Remastered. I would have to restart, but I hated the visuals and chose to delete it immediately. Instead, why don’t I wait to see if DS3 ever goes on sale? While perusing a used bookstore with my daughter, I saw a bargain bin of games, mostly Wii and Xbox 360 cases. There was one blue one, however, and to my great surprise, it was Dark Souls III! The game cost $4 and contained a sticker disclaimer that it was badly scratched. I bought it, installed it and never once had an issue.

Now, I had played a few hours of this game while in Europe but with a new save in tow and years of guides to lead me, I set off into the land of whateverthehell in order to do…something. The story aside, I absolutely loved traipsing through another Miyazaki world replete with winding passages, hidden areas and beautiful landscapes. In fact, only recently did I realize that FromSoftware level design has a lot in common with Mario, fitting now that I completed two of those games in one day (see next post). There are so many locations where you simply know that a hidden section exists. In both games, you’re rewarded for that exploration with some perk, though in Mario they often are easier to decipher.

With a claymore in hand, I plowed through most bosses – much to my delight – all while reveling in the joy of discovery. I loathe bosses as they detract from my favorite element of videogames: exploration. It’s clear as the years progress that I never mind being OP as the true enjoyment is no different from 30+ years ago. “How do I get over there?!” It worked in Spyro, it worked in THPS, in God Of War, Tomb Raider and more. And Dark Souls has that in spades. Now, the tough-as-nails portion of the game is digestible alongside a super-powerful weapon and a little patience. Ultimately, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Dark Souls III with the exception of a few moments and that annoying Twin Princes battle. I legitimately planned on deleting the game if I didn’t beat him/them today – which I did, fortunately!

While I won’t likely return to this game, or either of its predecessors, or even to Demon’s Souls or Sekiro, but I’m so happy I played this. The call of Elden Ring beckons me repeatedly, perhaps I’ll revisit it again some day. But for today, DSIII has been a fun, 37-hour romp and one whose exploration was simply top notch.

Dark Souls 3: Thoroughly Enjoying!

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Bloodborne, Games on October 22, 2023 by slateman

I played Demon’s Souls when it appeared on PS+ ages ago and didn’t warm up to its difficulty and when Bloodborne came out, I felt the same. However, eventually, I returned to the latter title and it changed my gaming life forever. Afterwards, I dipped my toes in to Dark Souls Remastered and Dark Souls 3, never finishing either. A few weeks ago, I thought I should revisit the third entry into the renowned franchise, but I didn’t particularly wanted to pay the price tag right now. Also, Super Mario Wonder was coming out in a few days!

At the used bookstore two weekends ago, I found a budget bin full of games. Most were Xbox 360 and PS3 titles with a smattering of Wii games. Amidst the stack of DVD cases was one blue one: Dark Souls 3! For $4! Thus, I’ve sunk two dozen hours into the game in two weeks and am thoroughly enjoying it! I benefit from years of guides and videos and wikis.

Now, Super Mario Bros. Wonder just came out and so far…I like it. Today, however, I spent most of my gaming time playing Dark Souls 3. I think that says a lot. Anyhow, just some snapshots for now. See if I actually end up beating this game!

Bloodborne Revisited 2023

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Bloodborne, Games on September 17, 2023 by slateman

While I bailed on Bloodborne in 2015, when I revisited in 2018, I became infatuated. Over the course of several months, I dissected the game, devouring the lore, defeating every boss, chalice dungeon and completing the DLC. After platinuming the title, I did a NG+ run before moving on to other games.

Though I’d revisited several times in the years since, I never completed a run, eventually bailing at the Rom and Forbidden Woods segmets, not altogether surprising. This past week, I dove back in, not having much else to play.

Now, rewind 18 months or so to another From Software game: Elden Ring. After that magnificent experience ended, I found myself strugglig to find a follow-up that inspired me as much. Barring God Of War and Resident Evil 4, few games have really drawn me in as much. In fact, despite decades of gaming, I just haven’t been as drawn to games since Elden Ring.

So, as I returned to Bloodborne mid-game, I found myself struggling. I couldn’t dodge as easily. I died repeatedly (quelle surprise!) But then…IT happened. Again. I defeated Micolash. My son wanted to see Darkbeast Paarl – and I defeated him on the first try. I started reading about the lore and the items. Do I have three umbilical cords? This music is so haunting and spectacular! With my PS5, I can capture in 4K, can I get a good snap of the Gehrman fight? Should I clean up some of those optional bosses?

And it hit me. This is still my favorite game of all time. I debated this fact over the past few years. I mean, Super Mario Bros. 3 was my #1 for decades. But as I explored through this nightmarish world, I paused to absorb the views, I observed the grotesque enemies, I turned up the music. This game is simply fantastic and though it’s far less accessible than SMB3, it remains the greatest game ever made.

Abandoned WIP Projects

Posted in Blog, Bloodborne, Games, Street Fighter with tags on September 1, 2023 by slateman

Some links of abandoned/unfinished projects.

Bloodborne In 2020 – The Best Game Ever?

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Bloodborne, Castlevania, Games, Portal, Street Fighter on September 3, 2020 by slateman

The longer I allow this site to go un-updated, the more weight falls upon each new post. But whatever, just post whatever, whenever! I realize, each update is an insight into the point I am in life.

Right now, I’m writing my third book (fourth, actually) and Bloodborne is contained within those pages. A few months back I started anew – overwriting my NG++ run. I didn’t get far, hitting a wall against our favorite: Father Gascoigne! I dispatched him as my kids watched – something I never did before. This game is far more violent than I typically let them watch. However, perhaps b/c its hordes of undead monstrosities and not humans, I’ve allowed. This led to some exploring, recalling those nooks and crannies, once again becoming enamored with the lore, the lush environments, the brutal combat. My son wanted to see the Blood-Starved Beast and, surprisingly, on my second try, he too was defeated.

Lower Cathedral Ward, sending NPCs back to Oedon Chapel, hoarding blood echoes – I’m drawn right back in. It’s just that good. And as I write this book, I’m thinking of commenting on my favorite games ever. Thus, I’m ranking them. The top 5, top 10 and top 20. As I look at these names, the greatest titles ever, I start to realize: Bloodborne is up there. Way up there. Is it good enough to dethrone Super Mario Bros. 3? Today – I think it is. Bloodborne is the best game ever made.

As I chronicle these, I’ll eventually put up my list. It’s a good list. But damn, it’s tough comparing Street Fighter Zero 2 Alpha to Portal 2 to Symphony Of The Night to Bloodborne is not easy! But it’s a necessary evil. More on that soon.

Game I’ve Played / GotY 2018

Posted in Best / Worst, Blog, Bloodborne, Castlevania, Games, Lists, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Screenshots with tags on January 12, 2019 by slateman


Usually I split this into two postings, but alas! it’s already 2019. Today’s update will include the games I’ve played over the last year as well as the easy choice as to which was the best. The latter will be detailed on my main Games Of The Year page. I’ll separate all this into individual sections. First – Platinums! Bold words indicate a 2018 title.

Platinums 2018

  • Bloodborne
  • Burly Men At Sea
  • Castlevania: Requiem
  • God Of War
  • Guacamelee! 2
  • Lara Croft Go

Two of the PS4’s greatest exclusive games were conquered this past year. Bloodborne stays with me and I now consider it one of the greatest games ever made. That’s a different list I’ve been mulling over. I’ve written about some of the rest of these already. Moving on…

Older Titles Played in 2018

These will fall into three categories:

  1. First-time plays (not completed)
  2. First-time played/beaten
  3. Beaten again

Here we have a mix. Some are simple PS+ games, others are purchases I never cared to complete, etc. A key for easy reference is listed above.

  • Assassin’s Creed Origins
  • Bloodborne
  • Burly Men At Sea
  • Call Of Duty: WWII
  • Dark Souls III
  • Fe
  • Firewatch
  • God Of War: Chains Of Olympus
  • God Of War: Ghost Of Sparta
  • God Of War: Ascension
  • Grand Theft Auto V
  • Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational
  • Lara Croft Go
  • Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2
  • Matterfall
  • Metal Gear Solid 2
  • Nioh
  • Rayman Legends
  • Resident Evil 4
  • Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter
  • Sky Force Anniversary
  • Ys VIII: Lacrimosa Of Dana

Due to Gothenburg’s wonderful library system, I got to borrow some pretty cool titles this past year. I quite enjoyed AC:O – would like to return to it and would also love to try its sequel. Similarly, Nioh seemed cool and I’m still chugging through Sherlock Holmes though it didn’t really inspire me like its predecessor.

Many others I tried and never really felt inspired enough to finish. Dark Souls III was fucking difficult (I later tried DS Remastered and fared better). Matterfall was a huge disappointment, particularly after Nex Machina. After beating the PS3 remasters of the two PSP God Of War games, I figured I’d try out Ascension again. And again I lost interest. Firewatch, Fe, Rayman Legends – all just hit the ‘meh’ button and never beckoned me to return.

On the other hand, a few older titles were memorable. The aforementioned Bloodborne, those two GOW games and finally beating GTAV were some of the highlights of the year. Toss on yet another replay of RE4 and my second playthrough of the underwhelming MGS2 and old titles impressed in 2018.

2018 Titles

Once again we have categories: played, beaten and platinumed, despite the redundancy of that last item.

  • Bloodstained: Curse Of The Moon
  • Burnout Paradise Remastered
  • Castlevania: Requiem
  • Chasm
  • Dark Souls Remastered
  • God Of War
  • Guacamelee! 2
  • Hollow Knight
  • Ikaruga
  • Iconoclasts
  • Just Cause 4
  • Onrush
  • Overcooked 2
  • Red Dead Redemption 2
  • Shadow Of The Tomb Raider (Started in 2019)
  • Spider-Man
  • Spyro The Dragon: Reignited (2019 plat!)
  • Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
  • Yoku’s Island Express (2019 plat!)

I haven’t been nearly as interested in some of these titles as I had hoped I would. I sold back RDR2 b/c I simply has zero interest in playing it. Spider-Man was probably a great game, but I didn’t feel the itch to play that either. I never beat Bloodstained and found Hollow Knight to be far less enjoyable than all the praise suggested. Just Cause 4 looks better than 3, but in so many other ways it felt like a step backwards. I’m not even listing some titles like PS+ games that I played and deleted here.

Burnout Paradise drew me back in just as it did a decade ago, Guacamelee! 2 was a fun and challenging romp but was marred by a few incredibly-difficult parts and I don’t think I’d ever go back to play it again. The first on the other hand…I would. And did! Overcooked 2 was great, but my wife and I devoured it and never touched it again. I’ve just started Yoku’s Island Express and will be finishing up JC4 in the coming weeks/months.

So, what we’re left with is the clear and easy victor. While I thought RDR2 might challenge the mighty Kratos, it didn’t even come close. God Of War’s story, gameplay, visual luster, deep and engaging lore and simple fun factor was leagues beyond anything else I played in the year (Well, Bloodborne may have the edge, I don’t know). I still haven’t a clue how Sony Santa Monica pulled it off. They took this beloved series, reinvented so much of it and made us all care about this one-dimensional killing machine. Being a father while playing it surely helped. This game is fucking legendary already and I look forward to diving in again when things slow down a bit.

Game Of The Year 2018 is an easy choice. God Of War. Now, my New IP GOTY? I don’t know that yet. Based on the limited titles I’ve played, Yoku’s Island Express wins, but that’s temporary. I feel Dead Cells or Celeste might take that crown, however, I haven’t had the opportunity to try them out yet. Let’s see what I missed below.

2018 Titles I Haven’t/Want To Play

  • A Way Out
  • Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
  • Celeste
  • Darksiders III
  • Dead Cells
  • Detroit: Become Human
  • Divinity: Original Sin 2
  • Far Cry 5
  • Mega Man 11
  • Shadow Of The Colossus
  • Tetris Effect

There are a few games I genuinely want to try out here. Unlike music, it’s not so easy to just try out everything you like and are interested in. A Way Out would be great…with a friend. Odyssey will require many hours, but I bet it’s a blast and quite the quick-and-easy opposite of something like Red Dead. Others on this list are a ‘kinda want to try’.

But the ones I must one day play: Dead Cells and Celeste. Both seem right up my alley and I think I’d just love them. They could be that coveted New IP GOTY. But…they’re a bit expensive for indie titles and I’ve been awaiting a sale to dip my toes in. Can’t wait to try them though!

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