Preface I often joke about needing another decade before finishing an exhaustive analysis of Elden Ring. For a world as broad as in this game, getting a grasp on everything is a trying task. There is so much history, so much cosmology, that sifting through it can feel like a never-ending abyss. It is just […]
Preface We all love our heroes, but there is something inherently macabre about that dynamic. In a certain sense, heroism leeches off others’ suffering, profiting from their need to be saved. What does that mean then for those who aspire to become heroes, to seek fame for showing strength and valor? Elden Ring‘s director Hidetaka […]
Preface Although Bloodborne‘s narrative was largely coherent before the introduction of The Old Hunters DLC, some major questions did remain. Who was Kos? Where did Laurence acquire his Third Umbilical Cord? How did Gehrman’s mysterious apprentice die? These were holes in the narrative which were thankfully filled with our new journey through the Hunter’s Nightmare. […]
Preface Bloodborne, with few exceptions, focuses more on its web of factions than its characters. But given the writing style of Director Hidetaka Miyazaki, these factions in many respects are this game’s characters. There is perhaps no fictional institution better embodying the corruption, elitism, and dehumanization in modern medicine than the Healing Church. Presenting themselves […]
Preface A common sentiment is that the DLC is the best part of Dark Souls II, and I am inclined to agree. That might be a low bar compared to Dark Souls (DS1) and Dark Souls III, (DS3) but it shows what the developers at FromSoftware could do with the added time to polish the […]
Preface Perhaps the one thing about H.P. Lovecraft known more than his horror is his xenophobia. The man’s fear of the unknown in fiction reflected his same feeling with people in his personal life, particularly foreigners. But despite the discomfort that fact might inspire, Bloodborne‘s director Hidetaka Miyazaki doesn’t shirk away from this element of […]
Preface If I had to pick the roughest area of Bloodborne‘s worldbuilding, it would have to be the Executioners. Now, there are many parts of the game which lack narrative polish, at least on the environmental side, and this covenant is hardly far below the standard. On the whole, they are fairly well-integrated into the […]
Preface I hold an unabashed love for Dark Souls III. (DS3) Whereas Dark Souls II (DS2) threw out its old setting in a vain attempt at a soft reboot, DS3 wholeheartedly embraces it, building upon the world and plot threads from the original Dark Souls (DS1) to weave something new. From a storytelling angle, a […]
Preface Although Castle Cainhurst isn’t as expansive as I would have liked, the story behind it is still probably my favorite in Bloodborne. Gothic, medieval, evil, aristocracy, vampires; what is there not to love? It is one of the few areas which stays true to the horror inspiration the game initially presents while also seamlessly […]
Preface My general impression has been that encountering Willem ranges from confusion to disappointment. Here we get to meet a character so integral to the game’s events, yet the moment of truth proves anticlimactic. It doesn’t help that our time in Byrgenwerth is equally short and uneventful. In that respect, I consider myself in harmony […]
Lokey Lore 