So some context first, I'd never tried a Souls game until Bloodborne. From announcement to release, it looked incredible to me but knowing the kind of game it was, I knew I wouldn't actually pick it up. It wasn't until a week or two post release, where I decided otherwise and picked it up. This was still early in the gen so the line-up wasn't incredibly stacked either. I remember my first go around, I absolutely hated it and fell off pretty quick. It just didn't make any sense.. there was no direction to the game, repeating the same encounters became so monotonous, and it felt like I was only inching closer in progress. I sat on it for a bit but then decided to return, this time I just thought what the hell, let's just get past this encounter.. and then this one.. and then this one, unlocking the odd shortcut along the way. Something just clicked, even though I couldn't really explain what, but once it did I was all in. I played the game to completion and would call it one of the greatest games of all time. I returned to it a couple years later and played it to completion again, this time unlocking the true ending.
For some reason, as much as I loved Bloodborne, I never felt compelled to pick up another Souls game. It just felt like a game you have to really be in the mood for. Flash forward to a few days ago, where I saw Dark Souls 3 on sale. It was cheap enough for me to concede, thinking to myself that even if I can't get into it, it can just stay in the library for a later day.
Once again, the start led to some frustration, but having played Bloodborne I already knew what to expect and managed to persevere. I was progressing a lot quicker than I was in Bloodborne, but I knew I'd probably retire this game since I just wasn't feeling it. That is until last night when I smoked up a fierce one and decided to dive back in just for the fun of it. The three hour session that followed can only be described as a fucking adventure. I was so immersed, each throwaway fight seemed like a spectacle, I felt like such a magnificent son of a bitch whenever I'd clear out an area with ease that a little while ago felt impossible. I've tried playing games high before, but I never feel like they can hold my attention for too long, but this game had me engrossed. The session ended with me reaching a boss battle by mistake, getting my ass handed to me, coming back, trying my hand at summoning a player but getting invaded instead ! We both circled around with our shields held high, it was so damn intense I considered just running back to the bonfire, but it's as if my Bloodborne reflexes kicked in as I thought fuck this, rolled out of his attack right to his back, and then swung at his ass until he dropped. The guy was doing his best trying to heal himself but everytime he'd start, that sliver of green my stamina bar would manage to regenerate would get used up for another swing. It didn't stop there however, I ran right through the fog gate, and defeated the boss by the seat of my pants - I was essentially going in blind, but I felt like Neo in The Matrix the way I was forseeing the attack patterns. I don't really even know how it happened, but I managed through it.
Just an incredible experience that I thought I'd share.
For some reason, as much as I loved Bloodborne, I never felt compelled to pick up another Souls game. It just felt like a game you have to really be in the mood for. Flash forward to a few days ago, where I saw Dark Souls 3 on sale. It was cheap enough for me to concede, thinking to myself that even if I can't get into it, it can just stay in the library for a later day.
Once again, the start led to some frustration, but having played Bloodborne I already knew what to expect and managed to persevere. I was progressing a lot quicker than I was in Bloodborne, but I knew I'd probably retire this game since I just wasn't feeling it. That is until last night when I smoked up a fierce one and decided to dive back in just for the fun of it. The three hour session that followed can only be described as a fucking adventure. I was so immersed, each throwaway fight seemed like a spectacle, I felt like such a magnificent son of a bitch whenever I'd clear out an area with ease that a little while ago felt impossible. I've tried playing games high before, but I never feel like they can hold my attention for too long, but this game had me engrossed. The session ended with me reaching a boss battle by mistake, getting my ass handed to me, coming back, trying my hand at summoning a player but getting invaded instead ! We both circled around with our shields held high, it was so damn intense I considered just running back to the bonfire, but it's as if my Bloodborne reflexes kicked in as I thought fuck this, rolled out of his attack right to his back, and then swung at his ass until he dropped. The guy was doing his best trying to heal himself but everytime he'd start, that sliver of green my stamina bar would manage to regenerate would get used up for another swing. It didn't stop there however, I ran right through the fog gate, and defeated the boss by the seat of my pants - I was essentially going in blind, but I felt like Neo in The Matrix the way I was forseeing the attack patterns. I don't really even know how it happened, but I managed through it.
Just an incredible experience that I thought I'd share.
