Bloodborne

Bloodborne delivers an exhausting and exhilarating journey into the depths of madness.

Bloodborne's excellent action, beautiful artistry, and religious melodrama make it another must-play in the Demon's Souls tradition.

The structure underlying Bloodborne is not just original but coherent, and because of this the impact of everything it does is commensurately greater. This is total design. It feels wonderful to have a world like this and, over a week of solid play later, feel that there's so much more to discover. And it's awful to know that, in all likelihood, it will be a painfully long time until I play anything else that matches up to Bloodborne's breadth of vision, generosity of content, and - yes - genius.

Bloodborne is a shrewd turn from its souls lineage

An invigorated spirit occupying a reassuringly recognisable body, Dark Souls' life force flows through Bloodborne's revitalised veins. Intelligent and intense, it's simply PS4's best exclusive game.

An unsettling, Lovecraftian adventure through nightmares that constantly tests and enthralls the player. Just when you think you have things figured out, new elements come into play

Its elegance, precision, humour, and challenge make Bloodborne irresistible. Ultimately, the horror is secondary; wonder is the true transfusion on offer here.

When I finished "Dark Souls 2," I felt utterly burnt out with the series into which I had poured over 400 hours. But "Bloodborne's" labyrinths and fantastic creature design ensnared me from the first. Whereas "Dark Souls 2" felt to me as if it was laboring under the weight of its forebears,"Bloodborne" feels like the swaggering culmination of them. From Software has, in the best possible way, brought the evil back.

Refreshingly, Bloodborne knows what it is, and doesn't stray too far from the Souls formula—but its few alterations make for a fresh experience that will challenge even the most hardened Souls veterans. If you're looking to justify the purchase of a PS4, I can't think of a better reason.

Bloodborne is an interesting mix of everything From Software has learned throughout its storied developmental career. Not everything will gel with fans old and new, but for the most part, the shift towards a combat-oriented game is a net positive. From Software is still one of the only developers left that makes you work for your satisfaction, and Bloodborne is damn satisfying.