BLOODBORNE given Feb '15 Euro/NA release date, deemed worthy of own thread by ilxor

Honestly probably not for BB, since I'm guessing you're not too interested in being invaded by people, and while summoning people for help on the bosses is fun, it's not necessary and also isn't as satisfying as figuring it out yourself imo.

But for Dark Souls 3 it's basically the whole game for me, and I anticipate it being a huge part of Elden Ring too. Not that it works much differently in those games, but I think it's more fun after you finish one of them and are comfortable with the mechanics.

I'm so close to beating Gascoigne but once he transforms into that werewolf thing, it's instant game over. He just manages to corner me every time and smash me to bits before I can even begin to use the music box. Having to grind for bullets is tedious and running down that bridge with the burning ball each time is quite annoying cos if I don't do it exactly right I seem to get caught in a melee.
Had to give up again tonight, but there'll be a next time.

The tricky thing is knowing when to stand there and wait for him to do a long attack so you can parry-riposte and when to get the hell out the way because he's shooting you or doing that quite vicious jump attack which is really hard to parry. All too often even when I do parry him, I accidentally shoot again or I simply don't reach and end up just doing a weak attack.

there's a shortcut allowing you to avoid the bridge IIRC, have you properly explored the sewers? If you do that you can find a way through past a giant angry pig that doesn't involve running over the bridge

Ah yeah I saw there was a ladder down. Is it faster to go that way then?

yeah I think so, and you can avoid the hog or farm it for souls as you wish, I think

dog latin, definitely utilize the gravestones as cheese and attack selectively.

Meanwhile, rumors abound that a Bloodborne remaster and a sequel are in the works for PS5.

Finally beat Father Gascoigne. I was shaking!

Now I'm in Old Yharnam with the cunt with the Gatling gun

Happy Halloween!

Gatling gun guy is a PIA. I would suggest ... running.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbOy8GpuKA4

There's a reason I quit playing games in the PS1 era

Gatling guy was quite a big mental block for me progressing further into the game when it was first out, but apparently the bullets don't actually track you that well if you keep moving

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luGNOcV49PI

(love this channel)

Something disorienting about this game is that you can sometimes hear people speaking, or monsters growling but you're not sure where from. I always assume it's an enemy speaking (like in the house near Central Yharnam you can hear someone saying "This is a bad curse!") but once I've slayed them, I can still hear it. Same as the big troll monsters next to the house who kind of grunt or groan - you can still hear them after the fact.

The gatling gun guy is tricky, because it gives you a few choices. You can avoid him (which is not as bad as it seems; lots of Souls stuff you can run past), confront him at the top of his perch (he's pretty hard to beat early game) or leave him be and come back to him later for something, iirc. This part of the game might be the first time you encounter any aggro human NPCs, right?

There are definitely a few doors you can knock on for responses and/or gifts or advancing side quests or plot. Some of the muttering might be coming from there.

I only learned about it later, but there's one door where you start out the game talking with someone, later on in the game they're in some state of distress, and by the end of the game they've clearly transformed and busted out.

I think I just find it funny when I hear the "This is a bad curse!" guy because it reminds me of Psychoville

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inB4esNoNTo

Although now I've Googled it there's a Reddit thread where someone mishears it as "This is a bag of herbs"

Now I'm at the bit in Old Yarnham with the pesky wolves. It's so annoying dying and being sent back again if you get so far. I've marked Gatling gun cunt, but there's a Gascoignesque guy with a shotgun who's a real PITA who I have to run past each time I respawn and that guy follows you around a fair bit if you're not careful.

Definitely enjoying this game, although I'd never be able to do it without the youtube guide I'm following, no way

There's no way I could do any of these games without a guide. (Sekiro was the first I gave up on even with a guide, though I think I was done with most of it.)

This might be the first of these Souls games I want to play again.

I was thinking to myself about how I'd approach DS3 now I'm more au fait with Bloodborne. I managed against all odds to slay the first boss and then kind of gave up

Learning one of these games definitely helps with the others. More similarities than differences imo.

I think you can avoid that hunter if you make it up the ladder before he gets you (and then drop into the building to the right), or you can fight him in the area at the bottom of the ladder (where the gatling gun can't reach you).

Yeah I've killed Djura. I haven't managed to defeat the run-n-gunner though. Does he respawn? If so, there's no need - I just need to run past him but getting to the door and ladder I need to access is quite hard sometimes as it's well hidden and sometimes he chases me around

I don't think he respawns, but you also don't need to take him on now (can always come back later if you want).

It would be a lot less of a pain if he wasn't there really. Saves me running the wrong way each time and getting chased around that courtyard

There's a way to cheese him, where you unlock a door that opens to a ladder that leads to a pretty long drop. If you lure him there, he'll basically kill himself (and he doesn't respawn). I found the method on YT.

I gave up on playing this again BTW.

Ah yes I know where you're talking about. I've managed to kill a few zombies that way. I'll give it a go tomorrow. For some reason these werewolf things are really annoying. I can't seem to get close enough to them to connect and then they leap at me and manage to grab me

wait until you meet the brainfeeder dudes!

haha I forgot all about them! they ... suck.

From Software's penchant for enemies that not only one-shot you but also do so in a slow, unpleasant animation is a point for anyone who rides the "this shit is too hard and these creators are just sadists" train

tbf it's more like "these are enemies that you should really try to avoid and/or be careful around and/or try a different approach and/or come back later." That said, the brain suckers, iirc, were really hard to avoid in a couple of spots, I want to say a really dark basement-y area preceded by lots of werewolves? Which were themselves kind of a PIA. Upper Cathedral Ward? That may be an optional area, though I can't recall why one would opt out.

Right, Blood Starved Beast, I'm not afraid of you.

For some reason I seem to be able to summon an NPC for this one

Killed it on the third attempt. Not so hard with the NPC helping out. Ouch but now I seem to have been kidnapped and put in a horrible creepy tower with some absolutely horrid enemies

I played this for hours last night. Got out of the creepy gaol. Negotiated the massive tower which you have to descend for ages (and with the help of a guide I found the secret healing workshop?). I think I'm coming up to the next boss.

Creepy kidnap jail one of the few From levels with its own creepy music, iirc.

This game is super cool.

I want to say you will return to that place later (when things are a little ... different) and learn where it fits into the map.

One of the things I was pleased with was my handling of the fire throwing monster at the bottom of "gravity tower" in Cathedral Ward. The YouTuber I was watching took ages to defeat it whereas I ran right up to it and just pummeled it before it had a chance to get up. Merked it without a scratch

I don't really enjoy dealing with pigs, reaper things or brain suckers

Either I'm overleveled (which is possible) or some of the bosses are very easy. Managed to kill Vicar Amelia extremely easily (I had summoned the NPC though). That said, other generic enemies can be quite deadly.

I'm on the Hemwick Witch(es) right now though and they're definitely a challenge. Keep conjuring up more and more enemies and it's really hard to get a good shot of them as they're nearly invisible

What I love is that even now, going back to Central Yharnam if I just wanna farm Echoes and Blood Vials, it can be easy to get blasé about things but if you're not on your guard even the most basic enemies can corner you and do some serious damage

lol I just started Dark Souls 2, and there are these three little bullying not particularly cute pig things that wander around the usually safe-haven main hub, and while I was still figuring things out and not really paying attention they once managed to kill me!

These Hemwick witches and their stupid everspawning soot monsters are really pissing me off. I get so close to finishing off the last one but then from nowhere it casts a spell on me so I can't move and then it's game over, I'm trapped and there's nothing I can do

I think ignore the monsters, just run around and look for the real witches (not the fake ones, just the ones that take damage on the boss health bar)?

I remember lots of running, iirc counterclockwise?

I cheesed her by using up all my insight (bit of a waste) but it means the soot enemies don't spawn. Still managed to die somehow though!!

I'm a bit confused now. The guide I'm following went a bit beserk and decided to run past a bunch of stuff to acquire some weapons earlier than normal, and I couldn't be bothered. Anyway, I know you're meant to get to Cainhurst Castle by running towards a blue headstone in Charnel Lane because that's what the dude did in the video. But how on earth would I know to do that without a guide? Also, apparently it only works once you've gone through the Forbidden Woods and done some stuff at Iosefka's Clinic. It does confuse me how anyone would be expected to know all this stuff without a guide.

PS I thought it would be funny to try and hit Iosefka through the door at the start of the game and she got cross with me and won't talk to me any more. I wonder if I've killed her or just pissed her off some.

Oh god these Forbidden Woods are a nightmare. I got so lost, killed a whole bunch of enemies and then a bloody great hammer thing tied to the trees swung down and pushed me off a ledge! That's so evil. I couldn't even dodge out the way

From does like to hide a large & cool (but optional) area in ways that most people might miss on their own. I like to think it's for the sense of discovery for those who find it, and getting people to talk & share info outside of the game?

I do hate getting lost in those woods, maybe my least favorite level, great boss though.

Ah so the Castle is an optional area okay

They're a pain, but I generally like From's wooded levels. That and the requisite Spooky Village.

Cainhurst features 1) a totally obscure point of entry and 2) a total PIA (optional) boss that requires an annoying run. But you can always come back later.