A few weeks ago I finally completed Elden Ring. In the absence of that uniquely Soulslike mix of migraine-inducing stress and emphatic dopamine blasts that only FromSoft games offer, I felt a pull to go back to a certain place in the developer\u2019s back-catalogue. Something about the comparatively linear, tighter world design of Bloodborne\u00a0spoke to me after the breathtaking openness of Elden Ring. I wanted to ween myself off the Soulslike experience by playing a healthier, more condensed iteration of that experience.<\/p>\n

And yes, I\u2019m aware that that makes me sound like someone with a substance problem, but coming off a FromSoft game after spending 150-odd hours in it needs to be done with caution, lest you find yourself playing mindless mobile farming games as a rebound to the challenging experience you\u2019ve just been through. I\u2019ve seen it happen. It\u2019s not a pretty sight.<\/p>\n

DUALSHOCKERS VIDEO OF THE DAY<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
So to Yharnam I returned, buttoning up my dandy waistcoat and strapping on my high leather boots that should prevent the gore and gribble of its deliciously decaying streets from saturating my socks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The initial impressions were as powerful as I remembered. The story, while by no means simple, is pleasingly direct compared to Elden Ring, and completing that first loop of Central Yharnam to open up the gate back to the initial Lamp (or Site of Grace, for ye Tarnished) gave me that satisfying sense of achievement I was seeking. The shortcuts, the clutter of coffins everywhere, the weird inhabitants speaking from behind locked doors. It was good to be back.<\/p>\n
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