Bloodborne

[Jinsai]

I've worked through the first four bosses, and so far I think this might be my favorite Souls game. The combat especially is a massive improvement.
Comes out tonight in the US. Get it. First ps4 game that justifies the cost of the system.

Non-Spoiler Primer and tips for people wondering what's different:

- backstabbing has been drastically changed. Now, you can't just run up behind someone and backstab. You have to actually sneak up, charge your attack, stun them, and then backstab.

- So far I haven't been invaded... Not sure if invasions are still a thing?

- equip weight is no longer a thing... and I actually like this. All the other DS games required light equip for higher level play, and it just makes sense to cap it there and to stop pretending that dumb weighty builds are worthwhile.

- Combat is much faster, and you need to use gun-parrying to get by. In every way everything has been improved.

- There are a lot less items and equipment, but they're all much more developed and unique.

- You'll see lanterns hanging by some doorways in the town districts... these are people you can possibly recruit and sources for smaller missions.

- There isn't an Estus flask in the same sense as there was... you need to get used to spending the rest of your blood echoes on reserve healing potions and bullets.

- Every time you beat a boss, check the upstairs area in the hub... there's a bubbling cauldron up there that will sell you the boss' armor for your Insight. Insight is otherwise used to call in help from other players, but there's some good stuff in there that will only show up right after a boss fight, and after you check the cauldron it will disappear.

Spoiler tips for stuff you could miss (that I've already missed)

Spoiler: While you're walking around chatting with the doors, one will have a girl asking about her parents. She gives you a music box. You can use the music box on the second boss (his name is something like Mr Garsciolane or something) and he will shift into his werewolf form (which is a lot easier imo). Also, on the roof is the brooch the kid is asking about... when you go back, do not give her the brooch, refuse it, or she'll just keep crying and won't go into the sanctuary with you. Also, the brooch has another use.

After you beat the second boss, be careful about returning to that area. When you do, there will be another hunter there who will attack you, and a third hunter who will assist you. If you just run through there (like I did) she will die, and you're kinda fucked.

Also, after the second boss, there's an area around the chapel where a new mob spawns carrying a burlap sack... let him kill you, and he'll take you to a new area called the Unseen Village. You want to go here as soon as possible, because the enemies are easy (once you learn their patterns) and they drop higher upgrade shards, which will make the sophomore challenges in the game a lot easier.