Thirty-plus years. More than three decades. That is how long I have been playing video games. During that time I have considered myself someone who likes to be challenged, someone who wants to be tested. I like being pushed to the limits of my skills and abilities.

Bloodborne is the successor to From Software's Demon's Souls and Dark Souls games. Bloodborne steps away from the sword and sorcery that defined those titles and instead delves into the macabre, alien, and grotesque, with aesthetic and story parallels to H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E.

Fluid, energetic and satisfying combat; Fantastic atmosphere; Beautiful environments and imaginative enemy designs; Great longevity and replay value

Long loading times; AI can be easily exploited; Some bosses are bland and uninteresting to fight; Large enemies can obscure the camera in close-range combat

One of the best action games of the generation and a stunning achievement in terms of gameplay, art design, and encouraging players to push themselves beyond their limits.

Superb combat system is elegantly simple and hugely versatile; Amazing world design and wonderfully disgusting enemies; Great online features and role-playing elements

Long load times can be hugely frustrating; Some minor frame rate problems, and the Chalice Dungeons need some tweaking and bug-fixing

Bloodborne is the latest game from the Japanese developer, and once again we go beyond death. We play as a traveller searching the ancient town Yharnam for a cure to a deadly disease, only to find the place has turned into a hellish nightmare.

Yarnham is a character unto itself, its twisting streets, imposing Gothic architecture and unnerving flickers of light work to both play torturous tricks on you as well as draw you deeper into its labyrinth.

Bloodborne is the next evolution of From Software's RPG niche, taking us from dark medieval fantasy worlds where shields are king to an even more unforgiving gothic backdrop where striking first and hard is the way to go.

+ Atmosphere and setting unmatched; + Combat is challenging & satisfying; + Enemy & weapon design delightfully evil; + Changes from Souls welcome; not unwanted

- Frame-rate dips & enemy pathfinding issues still persist from Souls; - NPC character models & character creation need improvement; - Loading times can take a bit too long

One of the more anticipated PS4 exclusives, Bloodborne, has finally arrived. Is this the standout new IP we've been waiting for? Let's make no bones about it – the hopes for Bloodborne have been sky high, and to a certain extent, understandably so.

Fantastic; immersive world; Beautifully detailed; Fluid combat; Challenging enemies

Little story at the outset; Some long load times

It's hard, frustrating and packed with grime, but if you can hack it this is unmissable stuff

Deeply satisfying; Smart design; A rich world

Very frustrating at times; A hefty time investment

Bloodborne is an Action RPG that will transport players to a dark and terror-filled gothic world, a world full of deranged beings and nightmarish creatures.

Bloodborne is as glorious as it is grotesque, a harsh and unyielding exercise in getting battered mercilessly while feeling encouraged the whole painful way. While very much a Souls game through and through, the switch from methodical and slow progression to a faster, ultimately more savage...