Bloodborne

[Noodle Lizard]

Finished this yesterday, I think I managed to get every boss and area aside from the Chalice Dungeons, which I haven't done too much with yet. I ended up being turned into a squid. What a game. As soon as I was done, I actually rushed straight to Gascoigne in NG+ to fight him again.

Highlight bosses: Father Gascoigne, Martyr Logarius, Ludwig, Lady Maria, Orphan of Kos, Gehrman. There wasn't really a bad boss, although I could've done without Micolash, and the Witches of Hemwick seemed like a missed opportunity.

I picked up Dark Souls III for cheap, so I'm onto that now. I'm still a bit burned out on Elden Ring, so I might switch to Sekiro instead for a change of pace. I hear it is absolutely nails, mind you, and I still don't feel as though I've "got gud" proper.

[druss]

Platinumed this yesterday. It's funny looking back at my original post as nearly every problem I had wasn't an issue by the end.

The healing system didn't turn out to be all that bad as long as you don't have to farm in the early game, which I didn't this time as I was better at the game. One run through the lecture halls with Moon runes nets you more than 50k souls in less than 5 minutes which is more than 70 blood vials.

The bosses in the DLC (and some chalice bosses although I resented having to spend so much time down there) were fucking incredible. I mentioned in my opening post not having that exhilarating feeling after downing the main game bosses but the feeling after downing Ludvig and Orphan of Kos exceeded any of the Souls bosses. Kos might be my favourite boss in any of these games, I think I died about 50 times but enjoyed every attempt as it seemed fair (although at times I did start slaughtering the worshippers outside the boss room out of spite when I had died a few times). I was shaking for about 10 minutes after I downed him, was fucking amazing. I'd also missed some of the main game bosses in my first playthrough and found them a lot more challenging and satisfying.

Frenzy wasn't that bad on my last playthrough, mainly due to going for an arcane build and nuking the winter lanterns before they could grab me and popping sedatives before frenzy hit. Insight is still a bit shitly implemented but I can forgive that.

Managed to clear all the areas once I'd found the bell ringing wenches so didn't find anything obnoxiously difficult this time either.

I've done three runs with strength, skill and arcane now so clearly there was a bit of build variety (although still nothing like DS2). Arcane was very fun, trivialised some encounters whilst made others very challenging. Laurence was a piece of piss as arcane, as were most hunter fights. Kos was crushingly difficult. Visceral attacks with high skill were very satisfying, Kos would have probably been much easier as skill with the higher viscerals.

I got used to the frame rate.

Basically only chalice dungeons (which were absolutely terrible, so repetitive and boring despite a few decent bosses, much better implemented in Elden Ring) stopped it from being a 10/10.

Final conclusion: 9.5/10. It's made how much it grew on me. In a different league to Dark Souls 3, I might even prefer it to DS1. It's obviously far more polished than DS2 but I still have a soft spot for DS2 due to the build variety and whilst I'm not sure it's better, I do like changing to the slower pace combat on occasion. I haven't completed everything in Elden Ring yet so difficult to make a comparison there although I think I prefer the relative linearity in BB.

[Crenners]

@druss Did you do the broccoli Arcane Build?

[Noodle Lizard]

I'm thinking about a different build for NG+ - I don't really want to start a new game entirely just yet because there are a ton of weapons and items I've amassed which I never used. I did the entire first basically just using my Saw Cleaver and starting pistol. I finished at around level 90, so I'm going to try not to level up unless I absolutely have to, which should make it feel as challenging as the first run albeit without needing to wait for items or explore every nook and cranny.

Any particularly fun builds/weapons to try? I'm never really fond of magic/mage type stuff, so I'll probably go for a skill sort of build. I was also thinking of making it a Whirligig run because that weapon looks stupid and fun, but I feel as though it would sort of trivialise things, so maybe I'll save that for the next go around.

(I got bored of DS3 quite quickly. It makes me miss Bloodborne, and I think the initial grind of it just isn't that exciting after beating Elden Ring not too long ago - the first proper area is basically Stormveil/Leyndell but not as good. I'll come back to it later.)

[druss]

I'm thinking about a different build for NG+ - I don't really want to start a new game entirely just yet because there are a ton of weapons and items I've amassed which I never used. I did the entire first basically just using my Saw Cleaver and starting pistol. I finished at around level 90, so I'm going to try not to level up unless I absolutely have to, which should make it feel as challenging as the first run albeit without needing to wait for items or explore every nook and cranny.

Any particularly fun builds/weapons to try? I'm never really fond of magic/mage type stuff, so I'll probably go for a skill sort of build. I was also thinking of making it a Whirligig run because that weapon looks stupid and fun, but I feel as though it would sort of trivialise things, so maybe I'll save that for the next go around.

Skill is great fun, particularly if you parry a lot. If you go skill I'd recommended parrying and backstabbing as much as you can as you can get insane numbers on visceral attacks.

@druss Did you do the broccoli Arcane Build?

What is that? I just levelled nothing but arcane basically, hit 99 when deep into the chalice dungeons. Never gets so OP that every encounter is a breeze but it does make some encounters like Laurence and Yharnam queen easy.

[Noodle Lizard]

Skill is great fun, particularly if you parry a lot. If you go skill I'd recommended parrying and backstabbing as much as you can as you can get insane numbers on visceral attacks.

I only ever really parried humanoid enemies on my first run, even though I'm sure it would've worked on some of the beasts too (it just didn't feel as though it would!) It was what eventually granted me victory against Orphan, once I realised you could parry your way through his first phase fairly reliably if you knew what to look for. That coupled with the rune which restores HP on visceral hits was a lifesaver.

Thinking of giving the threaded cane a try. I know it's meant to be a weak starting weapon, but I'm on NG+ now. Anything goes.

[The Crumb]

Any particularly fun builds/weapons to try? I'm never really fond of magic/mage type stuff, so I'll probably go for a skill sort of build. I was also thinking of making it a Whirligig run because that weapon looks stupid and fun, but I feel as though it would sort of trivialise things, so maybe I'll save that for the next go around.

Bloodtinge has some weird and wonderful weapons:

The Rifle Spear, with a built in gun and a ridiculous charged attack

The Reiterpallasch, a sword with a built in gun.

Chikage, a katana where the transformed mode does loads of blood damage while draining your health. Play even more aggressively!

The Bowblade, use your bullets to shoot arrows.

Also makes guns do more damage, which is not enormously useful but can be fun to play with.

[Crenners]

What is that?

There's an Arcane rune you apply with the Arcane weapon, Kos Parasite? You then become an Arcane creature and your moveset totally changes. Well worth a try.

[fortune palace]

I've also just finished this for the first time, having chucked it in 2017 after getting stuck on Vicar Amelia.

it's fucking brilliant, isn't it? I haven't been this engrossed in a game for a long time. best From title, for my money - mental art direction, extremely fun combat and consistently excellent level design, which (as much as I love it) can't be said for the original Dark Souls.

the only boss that gave me proper Ornstein and Smough-style 10+ tries grief was - don't laugh - Rom. dunno if I was just over-leveled, but I breezed through the last section of the game. even managed the final boss in a one-r.

is the DLC worth it? I see it's discounted on PSN at the moment, but I'm not sure I'm ready to dive back in just yet.

[druss]

I've also just finished this for the first time, having chucked it in 2017 after getting stuck on Vicar Amelia.

it's fucking brilliant, isn't it? I haven't been this engrossed in a game for a long time. best From title, for my money - mental art direction, extremely fun combat and consistently excellent level design, which (as much as I love it) can't be said for the original Dark Souls.

the only boss that gave me proper Ornstein and Smough-style 10+ tries grief was - don't laugh - Rom. dunno if I was just over-leveled, but I breezed through the last section of the game. even managed the final boss in a one-r.

is the DLC worth it? I see it's discounted on PSN at the moment, but I'm not sure I'm ready to dive back in just yet.

DLC was fantastic. Defeating the final boss (and an earlier boss) felt as good as any Souls boss and took something like 40 attempts, but I enjoyed all of them.

Did you manage to see everything in the base game? I missed upper cathedral ward, Cainhurst and nightmare frontier the first run through. Nightmare frontier wasn't great but the other two areas are arguably the best in the game. I love how they aren't afraid to hide their best content, makes it so rewarding when you find it.

[Stigdu]

My most hated game of the year in 2015. It was the same year that Until Dawn came out (my GOTY) and I was seeing Bloodborne seeming to have a lot more fans than UD.

[fortune palace]

Did you manage to see everything in the base game? I missed upper cathedral ward, Cainhurst and nightmare frontier the first run through. Nightmare frontier wasn't great but the other two areas are arguably the best in the game. I love how they aren't afraid to hide their best content, makes it so rewarding when you find it.

I did, although I'll cop to having looked up how to get into Upper Cathedral Ward on the wiki - not a chance in hell I'd have found that key myself! Cainhurst in particular was brilliant, especially the little gremlin knight guys and the boss run over the snowy rooftops.

[druss]

I did, although I'll cop to having looked up how to get into Upper Cathedral Ward on the wiki - not a chance in hell I'd have found that key myself! Cainhurst in particular was brilliant, especially the little gremlin knight guys and the boss run over the snowy rooftops.

Did you find the bit after the boss in Cainhurst and complete the quest line there? That was fantastic.

[GoblinAhFuckScary]

the dlc is GOOD and contains the most amazingly difficult bosses

Spoiler alert

fuck you lawrence

[close]

[Crenners]

the dlc is GOOD and contains the most amazingly difficult bosses

Spoiler alert

fuck you lawrence

[close]

I don't know whether this or the Dark Souls DLC is the best ever recontextualisation of the base game. It's an example to the rest of the dogshit industry, though.

[GoblinAhFuckScary]

ahhh sweet child of kos

[Dickie_Anders]

some say kosm

[fortune palace]

some say kosm

majestic!

have any of yous gotten much mileage out of the chalice dungeons? I tapped out after finishing three or four. really bizarre design decision - Soulsborne for people who hate meticulously designed, cleverly interlocking maps but love trudging through endless permutations of the same four brown rooms.

I get that it adds replay value, but I rolled my eyes when the Merciless Watchers turned up for the third time in as many dungeons. even the original bosses, some of which are very cool, are wasted on such a boring part of the game.

[Crenners]

Just do the 'story' dungeons, some great unique bosses, then look up the most lucrative Lvl 5 dungeons to farm some gems/souls for a bit.

[GoblinAhFuckScary]

ahh jizz... or some say jism

[Noodle Lizard]

Did you manage to see everything in the base game? I missed upper cathedral ward, Cainhurst and nightmare frontier the first run through. Nightmare frontier wasn't great but the other two areas are arguably the best in the game. I love how they aren't afraid to hide their best content, makes it so rewarding when you find it.

I've been wondering about this, same with Elden Ring and presumably the other Souls games. Without the internet, I can't imagine 95% of players ever finding most of this stuff on their own. Getting to Cainhurst is incredibly complicated, especially since you're very unlikely to have naturally found the summon before clearing Hemwick where the cutscene triggers - and even if you had, it's still very easy to miss. I even had to look up how to access the DLC, and it still took me a while to figure out exactly where to stand.

I don't know if they're relying on people using guides or other resources, or if they genuinely expect people to explore every possible inch of the map multiple times as part of the design philosophy. I don't dislike it, though.

[robotam]

I think the item description for the Cainhurst summons tells you to go to Hemwick.

[GoblinAhFuckScary]

I think the item description for the Cainhurst summons tells you to go to Hemwick.

It does, but it had been weeks for me since I was in Hemwick (an out of the way, optional area) last, so it was at least a little mystifying before I remembered where that was. Plus, it's standing in a very specific place in Hemwick

[Noodle Lizard]

The Haligtree in Elden Ring is another good example. A full, massive level with a major lore boss, hidden behind two obscure barriers: finding two halves of a medallion and figuring out how to use them on a lift you've already used and would have no good reason to return to, then the finding the Ordina town hidden way at the back-arse of an otherwise fairly empty wasteland, then solving the incredibly annoying puzzle within. Perhaps some NPCs or item descriptions make it a bit clearer, but I honestly think if Malenia weren't so famous (hence people looking up where to find her), most people would never get there.

Again, I'm not complaining, it shows a serious level of risk and confidence in their design that you don't find in many other games.

[Thursday]

I dunno, I think you're likely to find the first half of the medallion so it'll remain one of those mysteries that gnaws at you, which'll push you towards looking it up if you don't naturally find it.

[Noodle Lizard]

I dunno, I think you're likely to find the first half of the medallion so it'll remain one of those mysteries that gnaws at you, which'll push you towards looking it up if you don't naturally find it.

Maybe. Then again, you find so many items throughout the game that I could've quite easily forgotten about it.

[Noodle Lizard]

So who are your favourite/least favourite bosses from this one, then?

I'd probably say either Orphan or Ludwig for my favourite, with perhaps a slight edge to Orphan due to the arena and score and design. Both are challenging as fuck, yet incredibly fun and rewarding.

As for least favourite: it's Rom, The Idiot Spider. No question. Micolash and Living Failures are up there too. Decent design, but I suppose I don't like these so-called "gank bosses".

[druss]

the dlc is GOOD and contains the most amazingly difficult bosses

Spoiler alert

fuck you lawrence

[close]

He was trivial as arcane but I can see how he would be solid if you had to get up in his face.

majestic!

have any of yous gotten much mileage out of the chalice dungeons? I tapped out after finishing three or four. really bizarre design decision - Soulsborne for people who hate meticulously designed, cleverly interlocking maps but love trudging through endless permutations of the same four brown rooms.

I get that it adds replay value, but I rolled my eyes when the Merciless Watchers turned up for the third time in as many dungeons. even the original bosses, some of which are very cool, are wasted on such a boring part of the game.

I did the chalices for the platinum trophy and found them to be mostly tedious and crap. A few decent bosses did not make up for the hours and hours of trawling through the same corridors and by the time I got to the final boss I just wanted the trophy and didn't really care for the lore implications. Glad they implemented them better in Elden Ring.

So who are your favourite/least favourite bosses from this one, then?

I'd probably say either Orphan or Ludwig for my favourite, with perhaps a slight edge to Orphan due to the arena and score and design. Both are challenging as fuck, yet incredibly fun and rewarding.

As for least favourite: it's Rom, The Idiot Spider. No question. Micolash and Living Failures are up there too. Decent design, but I suppose I don't like these so-called "gank bosses".

Orphan of Kos is definitely my favourite, loved the lead up, the setting, the music and the actual fight. Took a long time to learn but I could barely move for a good ten minutes after downing him due to the excitement of it all.

If we are including chalice bosses then the worst would probably be the cursed version of the Watchdog of the Old Lords. Half health meant there were too many one mistake=death situations and I eventually ended up looking up a cheesy method using arcane which didn't feel fun or satisfying. I didn't mind Rom, mainly due to not having many problems with him and I quite enjoyed the hit and run tactics (fuck killing all the spiders though, would never have the patience for that). Having said that, he is probably the worst of the main game bosses simply by process of elimination as I enjoyed all of the others more, which is quite a feat.

[The Crumb]

Favourite bosses: Orphan of Kos, Ludwig, Maria, Gehrman, Blood Starved Beast.

The second rank that most of the other bosses fall into is still great.

Worst:One reborn, Cleric Beast (very odd first boss, the camera and constant shrieking are pretty offputting). Witch and Emissaries are both a bit daft but ok as breather bosses.

And I didn't mind Chalices as the mindless rainy Sunday version of Bloodborne. Very repetitive, but the core experience was just satisfying enough. To me they have a lot more atmosphere and character than most of the Elden Ring sub dungeons, and at least didn't try and pad themselves out with obnoxious 'puzzles'.

[The Guppy]

Micolash gets on my tits. He seems more difficult every time I face him. Irritating runabout cunt with a smart bomb.