I have read through various lists describing the best and must-play games for the current generation, and one game that appeared regularly was Bloodbone. I’m always afraid to play this. I am afraid of fear, but I am not afraid of the challenge in the sense that I am afraid. I used to play all the games with the most difficulty; BioShock Infinite in Legendary Halo 3 and 1999 mode are my best achievements. But now, over the years, gaming has become a leisure time for me.

I am not a finisher, I rarely choose hard work because I can no longer spend the same amount of time or patience. I want to enjoy the story and spend time without extra stress or anger. The opposite is true of FromSoftware games. The Dark Souls series is very familiar to me, and I spent countless hours watching my friends play through it, but it summed up my experience, and that was all I did.

Bloodbone, I did it when it first came out, Sequoia: Shadows die twice; I watched videos of other people playing, laughed at their struggles, and was reassured that I would never include myself in such frustration. But the revelation trailers for the PlayStation 5 remake of Demons Souls, which will be released later this year, have arrived and I know I need to change my mind. It looks great in terms of looks and gameplay, and I already know that it’s a must play, as it uses the PlayStation 5’s zero loading screens.

Why should I miss such star and innovative video games for fear of the infamous ‘You’re Dead’ screen? I told myself it was time to be brave and face the hunt and, of course, get ready to die again.

That’s what happened when I first started my experience with bloodborne. I know the first hour or two will be difficult because I am starving for energy and skill, and it definitely goes awry. The game eliminates ordinary people from real hunters, and I myself was on the verge of an early collapse. I desperately overtook Central Yarnam to find a solution in the form of another lamp. But I just wanted to come face to face with the cleric beast.

I lost count of the number of times I died in this first boss fight, and I realized why so many people got out of there – according to the writing, five years after the game started, only 48.9% of players have a trophy that defeats it. If I had suffered too much in the past, it would not have been right for the rest of my journey, so what’s the point? I can save myself from future pain. I can be proud of myself for giving me at least one trip, but in the end I admit it wasn’t for me. But no, that’s not what I did, it’s not something anyone should do. Instead, I decided to get better.

I spent hours starting that area, killing all the enemies, leveling, reacting, and repeating the process. I was slowly but surely stronger and stronger, acquainted myself with the basic mechanics of the game and ultimately gained more confidence. Following this I defeated the cleric beast for the first time. The game rewards patience and investment, you really need to work and achieve these successes. It’s nice when you get there. I have never felt proud satisfaction in playing a game.

Yes, it involves a lot of heartbeat, a lot of pillow-punching, and an abundance of bad language. But that’s what makes it addictive. You know you can do this, there is always a way, so you need to go beyond your time and learn the methods of the game. With each step, each new territory I encounter and the boss fight, I wonder how far I have come. I never thought I would consider playing a software game. Then I thought, I will never surpass the first boss.

Now that I look back I wonder what all the fuss is about, I was able to happily defeat three cleric animals at once. I’m proud of how far I have come. That’s right, many subsequent boss fights gave me a really tough time and took too many hours to defeat – you look like Rome the Vacuum Spider. It becomes more and more difficult when you think you are getting better than the game. But that is the beauty of it. The game requires you to adapt to its ability, and sometimes you are forced to track and develop yourself.

Gamers have been reading this feature for a long time after conquering Bloodburn in the new game, and maybe my feelings are genuinely appealing. But all these established hunters started from the beginning and worked their way up. So, if there are any gamers who are still hesitant or afraid to face the challenge of a free software game, especially Bloodbone, then I urge you to dive right now.

You will be amazed at how much you travel because I was, of course. After beating hundreds of games, sometimes it’s good that one game beats you.

Reader Louis A. de own

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