It’s October 2011. Back then, I was living my childhood dream as a freelance games journalist—and I was, frankly, bored out of my mind. The games I was reviewing were all so painfully safe. Unskippable tutorials devoured any leftover excitement before the main game even started, and you were held by the hand so tightly that failing was practically impossible unless you did it on purpose. Yeah, I’d lost a bit of my spark for gaming as a whole. But that month marked the US release of the very first Dark Souls, and its reputation preceded it. What can I say? I bounced off it hard… But eventually, a different From Software title managed to reignite my love for video games: Bloodborne.
The Infamous Second Attempt
While I couldn't even make it past the Asylum Demon in Dark Souls, the grim world of Yharnam hooked me immediately. Those Victorian-Gothic structures, the nightmarish atmosphere—it was right up my alley. I was hyped! Unfortunately, I didn't have a clue what I was doing. The now-famous Soulsborne formula was totally alien to me. The most basic townsfolk were constantly wiping the floor with me, and those damn wolves were driving me up the wall. I’m pretty sure I died on that cursed village square more times than in my entire career as a game reviewer up to that point. And as a reviewer, I just wasn't used to failing so spectacularly. Apparently, this kind of game just wasn't for me.
And yet, I couldn't get that world out of my head. Maybe you know that feeling when you rage-quit a game or turn off a movie in frustration, but your brain just won't let it go? That was me with Bloodborne. And since I couldn't care less about my "gamer cred," I gave it another shot—this time leaning heavily on guides. And whaddya know? Bit by bit, I celebrated tiny victories and lightbulb moments: Hey, I don't actually have to kill every enemy, I can just run past them! Wow, that's a shortcut! Oh, THAT'S how parrying works! Still, it took one very specific boss fight for everything to truly click. No, it wasn't Father Gascoigne.
Poison and Rage
It was an optional boss, of all things! Which, of course, I had no idea about at the time. I'm talking, naturally, about the Blood-Starved Beast. Man, that fight took everything out of me. I lost my temper multiple times because this cursed creature, with its literally and figuratively toxic poison, just refused to die. If the run back to the boss hadn't been unusually short, I probably would've thrown in the towel right then and there…
But now it was personal. I dug through more guides. I summoned Alfred by my side. I farmed Blood Vials and kicked myself for wasting my supply of Molotov cocktails for nothing. But I didn't give up. I stepped through the fog gate of that ruined church again and again. And then, finally, it happened: a health bar hit zero—and it wasn't mine. That moment of triumph triggered something deep inside me. I jumped off the couch cheering, hands shaking, heart pounding with adrenaline. No game had made me feel that way in years. I felt 12 again, right after beating Ganon in Ocarina of Time.
From Frustration to Obsession
That fight against the Blood-Starved Beast remains a landmark moment in my gaming life. It made me stop dreading boss fights and start craving them instead—because that feeling of triumph is about as unbeatable as Ludwig, the Holy Blade on your first attempt! After that, there was no stopping me. I tore through Bloodborne in a blur. Multiple times. When we fled to a hotel in the middle of nowhere one New Year's Eve to protect our new dog from the fireworks, I packed my PlayStation and beat the Shadows of Yharnam with the Tonitrus. Since I couldn't wrap my head around the cryptic story, I dove headfirst into the lore, binged VaatiVidya videos one after the other, and spent far more money than necessary on art and companion books.
Naturally, my newfound fascination drew me back to Dark Souls. Low and behold: it was actually incredible! Dark Souls III felt almost easy by comparison. Unlike Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which I probably never would have 100% completed without Tyrannicon’s videos ("Greetings! Sekiro Guru here!"). Only Elden Ring—which is a phenomenal game—felt a tad too big for me, though that might also be due to my somewhat tighter schedule these days.
My Inner 12-Year-Old Says Thanks
I think the first Soulsborne game you actually beat is always the one you perceive as the hardest. But it’s also usually the one you love the most. At least, that’s how it is for me with Bloodborne. The game that managed to do what only a handful of titles ever have:
Ocarina of Time and Mario 64 gave a young Tim a true sense of freedom and epic scale. Diablo II and Resident Evil 4 won over my teenage self with their dark cool-factor. The Last of Us offered an appropriately mature story for my adult self. Just to name a few examples.
But it was Bloodborne—and subsequently the rest of the FromSoftware library—that brought back my lost passion for gaming as a whole. And even though I spend more time with movies and books these days, no other piece of pop culture has ever made me jump off the couch cheering, hands shaking with pure hype.
Poll: The Best FromSoftware Game
And now, it’s time for a quick poll: I’d love to know what you think the best FromSoftware game is! So if you have a few seconds to spare, I’d really appreciate it if you could answer two quick questions.
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