The main goal of Elden Ring is to become the Elden Lord. In order to achieve this the player will need to collect 2 out of the 7 great runes from their respective shard bearer. I have interpreted these shard bearers to represent the seven deadly sins.

Was this the developers intention? I have no clue! But I find it fits very well. Let’s start with the easiest and most obvious sin.

Godrick - The Sin of Greed

The first shard bearer most will fight, Godrick is the embodiment of greed. He is obsessed with power and materialism, even crowning himself “The lord of all that is golden.” His main power comes from grafting, which is him combining the bodies and limbs of others onto his own to become stronger. (This could also represent gluttony, however I believe greed is more fitting, as it is for power instead of pleasure.)

I believe this was intentional. Core parts of Godrick’s character are his greed, and how pathetic he is compared to the other Demi Gods. The next character on our list I also believe to be very intentional. Next up, we have Malenia, who represents the sin of pride.

Malenia - The Sin of Pride

On the other side of the spectrum, Malenia is likely the last shardbearer players will fight. She is the most difficult of the bunch. How do I know she represents pride? Well she told me. A lot. Every time I died to her in fact.

Malenia speaks with pride. She has never lost a battle. The one time she could not easily win, she decided to use all of her force and destroy a part of the world, creating Caelid in the process. All to not lose in her battle against Radahn.

Radahn - The Sin of Wrath

When he find Radahn he is a lifeless husk of his former self. He roams the battlefield he once fought in, slaughtering and then eating his own men. Filled with nothing but violence and hate, destined to kill forever. This is a sad twist on the man Radahn was before rot took over. He was a fearless leader who his men looked up too.

Out of the seven, this is one I am less confident in. Radahn himself is not really full of rage, but the rot that now consumes him is.

Rykard - The Sin of Gluttony

Rykard is one of the more obscure Shard bearers. It is quite easy to miss him on your first playthrough. He resides inside Volcano Manor, which is a somewhat hidden area.

Rykard is a giant serpent, who exists only to consume and grow more powerful. One of his most notable lines is “Together, we will devour the very Gods.” This does not refer to teamwork however, it refers to you becoming a part of him after he devours you. Fun stuff!

This one is honestly pretty cut and dry. Rykard is a huge serpent man who wants to eat Gods to become stronger.

Mohg - The Sin of Lust

This one no longer really applies with the release of Shadow of the Erdtree, but I still want to discuss it, as it was a popular theory / idea before Shadow of the Erdtree was released.

Mohg is the Lord of Blood, and resides underground in Mohgwyn Palace. It was thought that Mohg could be a representation of Lust because of his kidnapping of Miquella, however Mohg fell under the control of Miquella during this process.

The story can still work in a way, as a cautionary tale. Mohg being so thirsty for power he was willing to do whatever it took to get it, only to end up being used for someone else to achieve power.

Renalla - The Sin of Sloth

Another simple one. Renalla represents sloth because she really doesn’t do much. She sits in Raya Lucaria and wastes away with her underlings. Upon reaching her, she doesn’t even fight you. She instead sits in a bubble while her students try and take you down. After you defeat her, she then has to be saved by her daughter, Ranni.

Morgott - The Sin of Envy

“Willful traitors, All!” - Morgott, the Omen King

Morgott is one of my favorite characters in Elden Ring. He was born an Omen, and banished by his family to live in the sewers. Yet he is the last of the demigods who remains faithful to the Golden Order.

His life was spent defending the Erdtree from the other demigods, which he did succesfully until the Tarnished arrived.

Morgott represents a deep seated Envy, and well as an overwhelming loyalty. Morgott dedicated his life to the Golden Order, despite being an Omen who was never touched by the light of the Erdtree. Through dialogue, you can tell he may harbor some jealousy to those touched by grace, however he remains loyal anyway.

Conclusion

I think that the 7 Shard bearers do an excellent job at representing the Seven deadly sins from Christianity. I am not sure if this was the intention, but nevertheless it fits each of their characters quite well.

I appreciate you if you read this far, and hope you enjoyed. I would like to write more in depth articles, however for now I am just trying to get back into the swing of things. Anyways that is all.

Thanks for reading!

I am tired, sick, and don’t feel like writing… but it has been nearly a month and I know I need to post something. So here are my choices for this year’s game awards.

(Note: these are MY picks. Some of these weren’t actually nominated, but I chose them anyway because they were my favorite from the year.)

Game of the Year

The winner for Press Sloth’s game of the year is……. Blue Prince!!!!

This was the most fun I had on a game this year and I got to play it all with my girlfriend which made it even better for me. Really easy choice for me.

Best Art Direction

My vote for art direction goes to Hollow Knight: Silksong. The art style of this game is so interesting and creative and it was another easy vote for me.

Best Audio Design

BOOM! MY VOTE IS THE FIRST BERSERKER KHAZAN! RAHHHHH. (The fight sounds are actually so heavy and loud it is insane.)

Best Game Direction

This one has to go to Blue Prince again. EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED. I feel like that is super impressive for one person to be able to accomplish. The way puzzles fit together and the multiple ways in which you can solve puzzles is so clearly made with so much care.

Best Multiplayer

I don’t play multiplayer games, but the one I did play this year was Elden Ring Nightreign. So it wins by default. Hooray!

Best Narrative

Alright. I know everyone has been waiting for one game, and here it is. My vote for best narrative goes to Expedition 33. I am honestly kind of mixed on this game, but I do respect the narrative. (mostly)

Best Performance

Ben Starr. Khazan or Expedition 33. Just give this man his award.

Best Score

My pick will seem weird to most but I went with Blue Prince. Super good reading / thinking music. Fits really well with a puzzle game.

Best Action

Best action is going to go to The First Berserker Khazan. The combat is perfect. This game is my runner up for game of the year and is gonna get it’s own article when I am feeling up to it. It’s that good.

Best Action Adventure

I don’t really get this category? My vote would be Khazan again. I feel like most action games have an adventure attached to them so this one was always weird to me.

Best Independent Game

Of course, this one goes to Blue Prince. Such a good game.

Best RPG

This should probably go to a more traditional RPG, but my choice is going to be Khazan.

Most Anticipated Game

Not GTA 6. Not The Witcher 4. My most anticipated game is…….

I have no clue.

Thanks for reading! (I am probably not back posting yet so just a fair warning there. Not sure what is wrong with me. I want to feel healthy again)

Dark Souls III is the third and final installment in the Dark Souls trilogy. It is the most sold of the trilogy, and often perceived as the best of the three.

I personally think Dark Souls 3 is a great game, however it is my least favorite of the trilogy. It is also where Fromsoftware changed their game design philosophy and shifted away from aspects of the original Souls games.

Dark Souls 3 Overview

General Gameplay and Art Direction

Most players who have played Dark Souls 3 will immediately notice a difference in game feel compared to the previous two entries.

Dark Souls 3 movement and rolling is significantly faster than in previous games. Stamina is also much less punishing in Dark Souls 3 too make up for how much more the player will be rolling and attacking.

Movement is also now enabled while using flasks, and flasks are drank much quicker than in previous entries.

I refer to this as the “Bloodborneification” of Dark Souls. Bloodborne was Fromsofts previous game, and it was experimental for them in a variety of ways. The combat was much faster, the bosses were more grotesque, and the world was much darker. The influence clearly bleeds over into Dark Souls 3.

Dark Souls 3 has a very muted color pallet compared to the first 2 games. Everything is much more grey and the world feels like it is dying. (fitting seeing as it IS dying in the story.)

The enemies and bosses seem less fantasy based and more inspired by horror and other works. I personally do not really enjoy these changes. While they worked great in Bloodborne, it does not work as well in Dark Souls 3 and it feels really strange to have the last game in a trilogy look different than the other games.

Enemies and Level Design

Fromsoftware’s first change to their design philosophy in Dark Souls 3 is involving enemies. Enemies in this game are not nearly as bad of a threat as they are in Dark Souls 1, 2, or even Bloodborne. They are mostly simplified and can be easily rolled into and staggered. There are occasional mini boss type enemies that actually pose a threat, but they are few and far between.

The level design is also different than in previous games. The areas are much more linear and have fewer branching paths and places to go. This change is quite disappointing when considering how well the world of Dark Souls 1 worked.

The worst example of this level design would be road of sacrifices. This area is pretty much just a straight line.

There are some good areas as well, the best of which being arch dragon peak which seems to have gotten a lot of focus compared to other areas. Unfortunately this area is optional and quite convoluted which leads me to believe many players will miss it.

Bosses

The last main change in Fromsoft’s philosophy is the boss fights. The days of gimmick boss fights are gone and forgotten in this game and “difficulty” and spectacle have taken over. I say “difficulty” as I honestly find Dark Souls 3 to be the easiest of the three Dark Souls games.

Dark Souls 3 bosses are good. I won’t deny it. However, I do believe the immense focus on them hurt other aspects of Dark Souls 3. I also believe these Dark Souls 3 bosses are not aging as well due to their utterly simple move sets in a game where the player is so fast and powerful.

Take Dancer for example. Dancer is a promising boss in theory, however all of here spectacle and flair is thrown out the window if the player wants to fight here effectively. This leads the player two options. You can stand in front of Dancer and the fight will look more interesting visually, however it will be more challenging. Option B is to get behind her and attack, which is much more effective. Essentially, the fight becomes worse when the player experiments and tries to beat it in an interesting way.

Now in previous games getting behind the enemy and attack was effective too, however the bosses were not as flashy which made the player not feel like the were missing out so much.

Picture this: You are fighting an ugly monster who massive and does mostly harsh slam attacks. Getting behind him and attacking is not a big deal because the monster is nothing special to look at.

Now picture this: You are fighting an elegant knight who towers over you. Her movements are gentle and swift and her move set flows like a dance, even syncing to the background music. Getting behind her and attacking ruins any and all spectacle.

This example is mostly an outlier and other bosses do make you fight them from the front.

There are still some great bosses, one of which is the Nameless King. This fight takes place at Archdragon Peak, the games best area.

The fight is on top of the stormy clouds, which fits perfectly to match the lighting attacks the Nameless King wields. The firs phase to fight is against a dragon and is honestly just okay. It goes by quick though and then the real fight begins.

Phase 2 is against Nameless King himself. This is the hardest fight of Dark Souls 3 because of the bosses tricky delayed attacks.

I absolutely love delayed attacks. They add an unpredictable factor to the fight that really throws you off the first time and keeps you focused every other time.

Conclusion

Dark Souls 3 is a great game, however I believe it is the worst of the trilogy due to the strange shift in art direction and game design philosophy. I still enjoy it to this day, but find replays less and less enticing.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to subscribe if you enjoyed.

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So if you could be a survivor of the nuclear apocalypse or a gunman with extraordinary skills, then why would you want to play a game where all there is to do is solve puzzles?

This is Blue Prince. (Blueprints, get it?)

Blue Prince

Blue Prince is a game where you are invited to your Uncles mansion after his passing. Your uncle was an elusive, mysterious man and he sent you a letter stating that if you could reach room 46 his mansion, then it was yours to keep.

Like anyone in their right mind, you pack your things and head straight to the top of Mount Holly where the mansion resides. The mansion is huge, and from the outside you can see all kinds of rooms. On the top there is even a visible clocktower!

You walk in the mansion to find a beautiful entrance hall with shiny floors. 3 doors are in front of you. One on the left wall, one on the middle wall, and one on the right wall.

You approach the door and slowly open it, only to be greeted with a pop up on your screen. You are given 3 options. “Bedroom” “Storeroom” “Hallway”.

This huge mansion that has all these rooms completely visible from the outside is actually empty on the inside.

It is up to you to draft each of the rooms, all the way until you can reach room 46. Turns out, it wasn’t as simple as walking through 46 rooms, you have to draft the rooms while avoiding rooms that have no doors. These rooms are known as dead ends, and when run out of doors to open you can no long continue through the mansion.

This turns the mansion itself into the puzzle. You are carefully figuring out and determining what rooms are the best to draft, and where you should draft them.

I won’t dive too deep into how this works so well as I do plan to do a game of the week over Blue Prince, however I would rather take a more subjective look and discuss my favorite moments of Blue Prince and how it got me to start wanting to try out more puzzle games. (← Talk about a run on sentence.)

My Favorite Blue Prince Moment

So far my favorite moment of Blue Prince was solving the letter puzzle.

Throughout the whole game there are 2 paintings in every room and when me and my girlfriend played we always wondered what they were. When we finally drafted the study, we realized the this is how we would figure it out. On a note in the room where different words that related to each other.

For example there was Face-Ace or Crowd-Crow. We looked at the paintings in the room we were in and got to work. There was a tiger and a layered cake for in the room. After thinking for a bit, we found out the word cake must be the word “Tier”. This meant the letter must be G, as it was the one that was missing.

This one moment changed the entire way we played the game. We went through each room, looking at the paintings in all of them, solving one letter at a time. When we finally solved all of the rooms, we revealed a ten word sentence that gave us an important clue to solve another puzzle we had been trying to solve for the entire game.

Everything is there for a Reason

One of my favorite parts about Blue Prince is how everything has a purpose. If you see a chess piece in one room, and then draft another room with a different chess piece, there is a meaning behind it. It is up to you to determine that puzzle and solve it using the pieces that Blue Prince gives you.

This applies to so many situations throughout the game. I would give examples, but I think its more entertaining if you discover these on your own. The best part of Blue Prince is how you learn over the course of the game. Like Outer Wilds, it is a game where knowledge is the main form of progression. Sure there are some permanent buffs, but the main skill that improves is simply your knowledge over what works and what doesn’t.

Conclusion

Blue Prince is the first puzzle game I have played that has made me want to play more puzzle games. While I did enjoy Outer Wilds, after I finished it I had no drive to play any similar games like I do now with Blue Prince.

I will be doing a more in depth look at Blue Prince if that is something you are interested in. I plan on going over the core gameplay loop, how it is structured, and why it works.

I highly recommend that you give Blue Prince a try if you haven’t already. This is one of the most fun puzzle games I have played and is one of my top picks for game of the year.

Thank you for reading!

Introduction

Another week and another installment of Game of the Week. I think the format is working pretty well so far!

This week we have a game I was super excited for upon release, Black Myth Wukong. Inspired by Journey of the West, the game is about your character going through a magical world based on Chinese mythology. Despite the title of the game featuring the name Wukong, you actually play as a distant relative of Wukong only known as the destined one.

Before I go any further I want to preface that this review will be quite negative. I was very hyped for this game but after finishing it left feeling quite whelmed. There are great aspects of the game undoubtedly, however I feel that too many questionable design choices were made leading to an overall soured experience. As always, I will try to highlight the good and the bad, and give Wukong a fighting chance against my long list of criticisms.

Opening and Initial Impressions

If there is one thing Wukong does well, it is the action packed opening. Fighting Erlang Shen on the clouds while you are able to use all of your abilities gives you a glimpse of how powerful Wukong truly can be. It is a shame right after this all of those abilities are stripped away from you.

After the cloud fight you lose everything but your staff and can only use it’s basic move set. Here is my first major problem with the game.

The Staff Moveset

The staff move set starts out kind of neat but you quickly began to see it is extremely limited. There is one combo you can do with it and it remains like this nearly the entire game. So around five hours in I was bored of the only weapon you can use in a FIFTY HOUR game. This is a huge problem.

There are still many upgrades that can evolve the staff, but this really only boils down to adding an extra move. There is a move that allows for a thrust attack with the staff as well as one that allows you to climb the staff. This move was unique as it allowed you to dodge ground based attacks while atop of the staff. There may have been one more move but I honestly can not remember what it was.

The World is… a mixed bag

The world of Wukong is stunningly beautiful in presentation. The inspiration from Chinese mythology is very prevalent and the graphical fidelity is utterly impressive for a game of this genre.

Once you get past the beauty of the world the cracks start to show. There is always somewhere to go, but that’s the thing. There is only one way to go.

Forward.

Wukong is too linear for it’s own good. There are very few secret or optional areas and they are usually very small in size. Wukong does open up towards the end of the game, however I do not believe it to be in a good way. I found the end to be the worst section of the game with how much it dragged.

If I had to be nice to the world of Wukong I will say that the first 2 acts were fun before the novelty wore out.

The first chapter served as a nice tutorial and introduction to the game. The level took place in a forest with some pretty neat visuals. There were a few optional paths usually leading to a somewhat whelming boss. I will be going over bosses separately, so I won’t speak much of them here.

Chapter 2 is similar to this, but instead takes place in a desert. Chapter 2 was my personal favorite and it is where the enemy and boss design peaked in my opinion. Exploration was still enjoyable here as well. However, the game’s formula began to become very clear here.

To simplify it each chapter has you go through a new area, fight a TON of bosses, and reach the big end of chapter boss. The end of chapter boss will inevitably have some item required to make the fight easier you were supposed to find and if you found it you will fly through the boss with ease. If you did not find it you will bash your head against the boss for a while. Then onto the next act.

Chapter 3 was my least favorite. It is guilty of the awful prison area, which is in contention for worst area I have ever experienced in a game. Playing this section of the game just gave me a headache and I was so relieved when it was finally over. Not to mention the boss, which I remember being frustrating. If I recall correctly it was one of the bosses they had to nerf for being so poorly tuned.

Chapter 4 I did rush through but it was quite forgettable. This was the cave act, filled with bug enemies and spiders. It was okay but nothing stood out.

Chapter 5 was the lava area, and what would like the final chapter. This area was quite bland and had really frustrating cart bosses reskinned constantly. The end boss was cool but that is about it for Chapter 5.

Last was Chapter 6, which tried to take an open world route. This chapter had four bosses you had to beat before you could take on the final boss. While the idea is cool, switching from an entirely linear structure to an open world style at the end of you game makes zero sense. The open world is also way to big for its own good, and most of it will be skipped flying around on the cloud.

Overall the chapters start fun but only get worse due to poor pacing and structure. How are the bosses though? That is what most players are really playing for anyways.

The Bosses

I will be following a similar and going over bosses from each Chapter. I would like to focus on a good boss and a bad boss for each one.

Chapter One has a very good intro boss known as the Wandering Wight. Nicknamed Thanos by the community, he is quite possibly the first boss you will find. Most players will probably die quickly after meeting him. He is a harder boss you have the choice of fighting first, or you can go past him. His move set is fairly limited, but early on this works.

My choice for bad boss of Chapter One will have to go too the final boss of the act, Black Bear Guai. In my opinion this boss was just took big and clunky. I had plenty of camera issues during this fight and never truly felt like it was much fun.

Chapter Two

My favorite chapter, and it is honestly probably because of the bosses. This chapter has the Tiger bosses, which are all absurdly fun to fight. My favorite is the Tiger Vanguard, who’s arena is a massive pool of blood. The tiger has very well telegraphed attacks and is super entertaining to fight against. This remains as my favorite fight of the game from the joy I got out of fighting him. There is also the Mad Tiger, which is another great tiger boss.

The bad boss will be once again the final boss of the act. The Yellow Wind Sage is an okay boss but really only becomes fun when you have the item which counters it’s wind attacks. Otherwise it is more annoying than anything else. This boss isn’t terrible though and overall Chapter two has very high quality bosses.

Chapter 3

Now for my least favorite chapter, chapter 3. This chapter contains the prison level, and also one of the worst bosses. The best boss in this level was ___ who I remember beating in only a few attempts but I know It was quite fun. The descriptions from here on will likely be shorter, as I started to not enjoy playing so much.

Chapter 4

This was the bug act and I do not know what to say about this one. I remember parts of the scorpion boss being really fun yet I also remember this boss being extraordinarily frustrating. So for that I am going to be placing it as both the best and worse boss of chapter 4.

Chapter 5

I liked this act more then the others, although the landscape was fairly bland. The cart bosses are easily the worst part of this act. The final boss of chapter 5 is the best by far. It was an appropriate level of challenge while still being really enjoyable.

Chapter 6

The final chapter does quite well in boss design. While I don’t enjoy the direction the chapter took for level design, some of the most memorable bosses came from this chapter. The deer boss was my favorite from what I remember and the Rhino was really frustrating so I would say it was my least favorite.

Overall Thoughts and What Could be Better?

Wukong is a game I wanted to love. Sadly, the game is is like a lit candle that burns quickly, and slowly dwindles out until the end. The combat has a very high potential if more combos or playstyles were to be added. While many bosses are very cool and unique, the countless reskins get old fast and the level design itself is too linear and does not allow for thoughtful exploration.

Overall, Wukong is an average game. For a studios first game, I believe it was quite impressive and hope that they learn from it. It wasn’t for me, but maybe It could click for you. I would recommend getting it on sale if you could find it, as the 60$ price tag in my opinion is quite the large commitment. As always, thank you for reading!

Also to anyone who read this far; Did you enjoy the longer format this week? I attempted to be more detailed with this post and it came in at around double my usual posts length. Please let me know for the future. Thanks!

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Introduction

Bungie.

“The Bungie?”

“Responsible for the Halo Trilogy? The bungie who innovated 3D shooter combat and paved the way for the shooters we have today?”

The name once brought joy. Now the name brings dread. Every time Bungie is making headlines it is for all the wrong reasons.

“Bungie laid off employees again”

“Bungie’s new game Marathon has been delayed indefinitely”

“Destiny 2 is at an all time low player count”

Bungie, a studio that once had gamers lining up outside of stores for midnight releases is now crumbling into dust due to their greed.

This is the Downfall of the Destiny. (And Bungie as a whole, too.)

Destiny has been Bungies main project for the past ten years. Countless DLCs and expansions have released over that time. From the lows of Curse of Osiris to the peaks of Witch Queen, Destiny players have been through it all.

Now, Destiny is at its lowest.

So how did we get here?

LightFall

Lightfall was an expansion for Destiny 2 released February 28th of 2023.

Fun Fact: That is my birthday.

(I wish I could say Lightfall was a good birthday present…)

Unfortunately this is where the earliest cracks began to show. Lightfall released to terrible reception. What made matters worse is that this was right after the Witch Queen which is often perceived as the best expansion. No one knew it at the time, but this was what started the fall of Destiny.

Marathon

The outlook on Destiny began to shift when Marathon was announced. Destiny has always had ups and downs, but this time something was different. This was the first sign of Bungies downfall.

Resources from Destiny were used for the development of Marathon. For some, this was exciting.

Bungie was finally experimenting with a new game. Maybe this is what they needed as Destiny reached the Final Shape.

The Final Shape

The Final Shape was supposed to be the last DLC for Destiny 2. Expectations were higher than ever. The fans wanted a final sendoff. One that would make the last ten years of dedication to the franchise feel worth it.

Somehow, Bungie actually pulled through. When it mattered most they made one of the most enjoyable campaigns with a satisfying conclusion and final boss.

The fans were happy. Destiny was over.

Until it wasn’t.

Current Day

Destiny 2 is now a sad, dying cow that Bungie won’t stop trying to milk. The Final Shape was supposed to be Destiny 2’s last expansion, but since it launched there has already been another DLC with a second on the way.

Community sentiment is at an all time low. Multiple top players dropped out of the last raid race and many are quitting all together. Most notably, Datto has quit. Datto is a pillar of the Destiny community, having been around since the start. He announced he will not be playing until the next DLC is released.

Bungie decided it was okay to sacrifice their integrity to try and make some more money. For this reason, I personally am done with Destiny. A game I once loved slowly turned into an empty void I was expected to throw money at every three months. So with that all I have to say is goodbye Destiny, and goodbye Bungie.

Introduction

I never thought this day would come. Skate 4 was always pipe dream.

I was wrong. Well partially wrong.

Skate 4 still hasn’t come out and likely never will. Instead we have been given “skate.” an entirely new reboot of the Skate franchise.

I have a lot to say about this game. This will not be as well structured as my other articles. The format of this will be much more akin to a rant then a constructive piece. This may sound very negative, although I want to put it out there that I do not dislike the core gameplay of the new skate game. The gameplay and map are amazing and are only going to improve. My issue is everything else. I’ll be going over what I don’t like first so if you do not want to hear very frustrated rambling then you may skip to the gameplay section where I may be a bit more positive.

The “Fortniteification” of skate.

I can’t speak for skate culture as a whole as I’m not a skater. What I can say is based on everything I know about previous skate games and people who I have seen skate, this game does everything in it’s power NOT to appeal to that audience.

The game feels so robotic, like they asked an AI to design the game for them.

The once grungy and punk aesthetic of the skate franchise is dead and a corporate minimalist design has stomped on it’s grave.

This isn’t “skate.” anymore, now its something more like “Skate!”

Where we once had our goofy and crazy coach frank, now we have a Siri equivalent who repeats the same unfunny jokes nonstop. If I have to hear “Footy is slang for footage” one more time I am going to pull a skate and spread eagle off the nearest building. It is that annoying.

I haven’t even mentioned the scummy business model yet either. With the success of Indie games in 2025 the gaming industry has been honestly looking really good for once, but then we get games like this.

Skate has gone free to play for the first time ever, which means if you want to wear anything remotely interesting, you are going to have to pay.

Those wheels for your board which you almost never see?

That will be 3 dollars please.

I could repeat this with every article of clothing but I’ll spare us both the time. Just know that the prices are absolutely outrageous.

I think that about does it for the complaints. The live service model worries me but I would like to wait a few months and see how well content is released before I judge it. With all that being said, now we can move onto the positives!

Gameplay

The gameplay of skate is really good. It is very similar in feel to skate 3. I am not sure if I like it more yet, but I am happy with it. Momentum can feel a bit weird sometimes and the game is missing a good amount of tricks, but EA has said they will be added in a later update.

The map is nice but also kind of bland for now. Once again it is supposed to expand and change every season which will be nice for sure but I think they needed to have one mega park area. As of now there are some few spots but none last very long and have very little line potential. My favorite is the spot in market mile along the rooftops. The tri tower gap is also a really fun one too.

The Thief of Joy

While I do find it a bit unfair to compare a new game to one that has been out for fifteen years, I still feel compelled to. Skate 3 is a better game in my opinion but I am excited to see where the new skate may go. With enough love and care I think that skate can be an amazing game that people play for years to come. I know that I will be.

I know this piece was a bit all over the place and I do apologize for that but I feel it portrays my thoughts on the new skate. All over the place. Anyways if you enjoyed I would appreciate your subscription! I release two gaming articles weekly and take suggestions over topics. Thank you!

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Dark Souls II, may not have been perceived as the greatest game. However, Dark Souls II is where the infamous Fashion Souls really began. There were glimpses in Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls but lets not kid ourselves. The amount of armor in each game makes it pretty clear that Dark Souls II is the winner by a significant margin.

• Demon Souls comes in last place with around 30 Armor Sets. Not bad considering the budget of the game.

• Dark Souls took a small step for fashion souls with a total of 56 armor sets. There was some cool fashion to be had for sure but the options were still limited.

• Dark Souls 2 comes in at a whopping 106 armor sets, marking a huge leap for the fashion souls community.

• Bloodborne followed, and while it only had 21 armor sets in had a very unique style that is exclusive to bloodborne.

• Dark Souls 3 came next with 87 amor sets. The notorious fallen knight set was introduced here as well, and while a stunningly good looking set it is known as the default of sorts for Dark Souls 3.

• Sekiro. Let’s not talk about Sekiro.

• Elden Ring now has a total of 145 armor sets including its DLC. This makes sense considering the size of Elden Ring’s world.

So while Dark Souls II does come in second place for total armor sets, this ignores the size difference of the games. While there are more sets in Elden Ring, you are more likely to run into an armor set in Dark Souls II because the game is much smaller and has less optional content overall.

It is clear now that in terms of quantity, Dark Souls II is our winner for armor sets. While that is great, the quality of these armor sets must not be overlooked.

Quality

I am happy to say Dark Souls 2 armor sets have an absurd level of quality to them. Possibly the best of any Fromsoft game. Here is just few examples of how good these armor sets look.

Faraam Set

Heide Knight Set

Alva Knight Set

These are just a few examples of how stunning sets in Dark Soul 2 can be. This is where the fashion souls community really began since Dark Souls 2 provided so many excellent options for armor. Players took online to share their armor mash ups and finds and now it is one of the most important aspects of Souls games that release.

This was a shorter post, but I just wanted to do a short appreciation piece for Dark Souls 2 and the armor design of Fromsoftware games overall. The armor never fails to impress, which is why I would like to end this piece with a ranking of what I believe to be the best armor set in each Souls game.

• Demon’s Souls - Fluted Armor

  

• Dark Souls - Elite Knight Armor

  

• Dark Souls II - Faraam Knight Armor

  

• Bloodborne - Hunter Armor
  

  

• Dark Souls III - Ringed Knight Armor
  

  

• Sekiro - Basic Outfit

  

• Elden Ring - Solitude Armor Set (Could not find a great picture sadly.)

  

That is about it for what I have to say. I hope this piece can help you come to appreciate one of the underrated things that Dark Souls II did for the community, which was introduce Fashion souls as an important part of the franchise. If you enjoyed this read I would appreciate it if you subscribed.

Thanks for reading!

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Introduction

I love Dark Souls II.

I Just wanted to get that off my chest. In the souls community, saying you like Dark Souls II is somehow perceived as saying “I hate every other souls game” or “I hate everyone who disagrees with me".”

That just isn’t the case. I like all of the other souls games while also enjoying Dark Souls II. Today I would like to examine what issues most players have with the game and try to persuade you into enjoying it as much as I do.

Background

Dark Souls II followed the infamous Dark Souls, which has become known as one of the greatest games of all time.

Pretty big shoes to fill, huh?

Well I think this is one of the main reasons for the perception surrounding Dark Souls II. People were expecting Dark Souls again and that just isn’t what they got.

Dark Souls II tries out new ideas and functions much differently. I believe that many of these changes are actually a positive and that most players do not put in the effort to respect what the game is trying to do.

Story

The first aspect that divides the fan base is the world in which Dark Souls II is set. The game is set in the kingdom of Drangleic, far away from Lordran. This immediately separates the story from it’s predecessor.

Dark Souls II also handles different core themes. The main theme of the game being memory, where as Dark Souls is more about the journey to overcome something and not give up.

I don’t want to harp on the story of either game, but I believe both are good in their own ways.

World Design

Many fans of the original Dark Souls did not like the introduction of bonfire warping in Dark Souls II from the start. I am of the belief that it was a great change. Dark Souls II is significantly bigger than the original game. The ability to teleport between bonfires really only adds to the experience by cutting out unnecessary backtracking and filler content. The world is still built in a way that allows for clever level design as well. Forest of the Fallen Giants is a great introductory level and there are many other examples of Dark Souls II still having excellent levels.

Gameplay

The Gameplay itself is the slowest of all of the souls games. A more methodical approach to combat is taken, relying on something akin to turn based combat.

Most interactions will go like this: The enemy swings its sword and you dodge, then you swing your sword and hit the enemy. Then repeat this occasionally mixed with some longer combos.

It is a simple formula but one that works quite well.

Rolling is improved with it now being omnidirectional and allowing for eight different directions to roll instead of just the four that the original Dark Souls provided.

Other improvements to combat include powerstancing, which allows the player to dual wield two different weapons with a unique move set.

In my opinion, while the gameplay is slightly slower it is overall still more enjoyable than the gameplay of the original Dark Souls. The only real complain I have is that it can feel a bit floaty at times and your attacks may lack weight.

The “Problems”

Now that I have gone over the general story and gameplay, I would like to highlight issues that many often have when discussing Dark Souls II. I believe many of these issues are baseless and often taken out of context to make the game look worse than it actually is.

Enemy Placement

The enemy placement is the complaint I hear most often in conversation relating to Dark Souls II.

There are A LOT of enemies in Dark Souls II. This is true and I won’t try to argue with that. I will argue, however, that having a lot of enemies is not an issue.

Dark Souls II is littered with traps designed for the player to use against these enemies. It also has the most healing items out of any souls game, allowing the player to heal more often. If there were less enemies the game would be laughably easy. It already is one of the easier souls games for players who do engage with these traps and use their healing items properly.

Many players just treat the game like the original game and ignore these aspects which ends up making the game even more difficult on themselves. Next time you play it, I implore you to use your consumables often for healing and use traps you find throughout the world. They are there for a reason.

Bosses

The bosses of Dark Souls II are a mixed bag, I will admit. This does not meant there are not good bosses.

Fume Knight, Velstadt, Looking Glass Knight, Lost Sinner, Sir Alonne, Sinh, Ivory King, and I could still keep going.

The biggest issue is really the amount of bosses. Somewhere in development, Fromsoft decided to start giving anything and everything a huge health bar and called it a boss. For example, Skeleton Lords.

This fight is literally just thirty skeletons in a room.

Oh wait, we can’t forget the Rat Vanguard, which is… thirty rats in a room.

I could sadly give more examples of this. I truly do think if they just got rid of the boss health bar and treated these like regular encounters more players would forget about them and focus would be shifted to the better bosses. It isn’t like these mob bosses are hard, they are quite easy actually. They mostly just end up turning the focus away from great bosses.

The Final Verdict

Do not fall for the “Dark Souls II is bad” propaganda. Dark Souls II is an amazing game. While it might not be the original Dark Souls, it experiments and tries out new mechanics in a way that is fun as long as you engage with it the way it wants you too. If you play Dark Souls II the way it was intended to be played you will have fun.

With all forms of media, occasionally you watch or read one that really sticks with you. You finish it and get this hollow feeling and think to yourself “Well what now?” This applies to books, shows, and of course, video games. I have played many games over the years and would like to discuss the ones that have had the biggest impact on my life.

Destiny: Communication and Teamwork

The first game to really leave an impact on me was Destiny by Bungie. I Started playing shortly before the games first expansion, The Dark Below. Destiny, for the most part, is a fun looter shooter where you kill aliens and find cool weapons. The part of Destiny that goes beyond that is the raids. They are complex six player activities that contain the hardest puzzles, enemy encounters, and boss fights in the game. These had more of an impact on my communication skills than any group project I ever did in school.

The raids help develop your ability to coordinate with a team, as well as solve tasks individually. Each player is given their own “role” in a raid. For example, one person may be focused on fighting the waves of enemies, while another is running around and picking up the items that the enemies drop. Lastly, the third player could be distracting the boss, while all of this is happening. Raids are usually split up like this, where there are three main roles, and two players each per role.

Overall, raids are a great team activity that helps build teamwork and coordination between the six players attempting one. I highly recommend them to anyone who has a group of friends to play with, as they are some of the most fun group activities I have played in any game.

Elden Ring — Discipline and Patience

Jumping to the opposite end of the spectrum, Elden Ring tasks the player with overcoming a boss or challenge on their own. With some of the most difficult bosses in all of gaming, beating Elden Ring is a difficult task, but one that teaches the player not to give up, even when odds are against them.

This ability has transferred to other aspects of my life. The discipline that Elden Ring taught me has helped me stay more consistent in aspects of my life like working out. It has also helped me believe in myself and made me believe I can achieve a goal if I set my mind to it.

I have challenged myself with Elden Ring in many different ways, and i is honestly a game that can truly never stop being a challenge. Once I had mastery over the base game, I decided to beat it at level one. After that, I took on beating it with a guitar hero controller. There are so many different ways that you can beat Elden Ring, every playthrough feels like a first playthrough again.

Both of these games had a large impact on my life and continue to do so to this day. Destiny taught me how to coordinate with a team, while Elden Ring helped me excel at achieving a task on my own. I am very grateful for both of these games and continue to enjoy them to this day!

Thanks for reading!

Introduction

Hades is a popular Roguelike indie game released in September 2020 by Supergiant games. Hades was my first experience dipping my toe in the vast pool of water that is the Roguelike genre. I adored so much of Hades and would like to share some of my admiration for the game. If you haven’t already experienced it, I highly recommend giving Hades a try. Now would be a perfect time with the sequel having recently released.

I was drawn to Hades for a multitude of reasons. The art style is beautiful and unlike any other game I have ever seen. The interpretations of Greek Mythology are some of my favorite ever. When I picture most figures from Greek Mythology I think of the version of them that is from Hades. The voice acting is honestly my favorite out of any game I have ever played. I believe every character was cast perfectly.

My favorite would have to be Charon with his famous saying; “Uunngggghhhh…”

Gameplay

So the incredible art design and top tier voice acting is what brought me to Hades, but what convinced me to keep playing? Well there are many different answers. First and most importantly I would like to speak of the gameplay.

The Goal

In Hades, you play as Zagreus, the son of Hades. Your goal is to reach the surface. Each run of the game will have the player attempting to escape the realm of Hades. Failure to do so results in the player returning to the House of Hades where they must start over. This premise makes for a very fun gameplay loop that remains enjoyable even after beating the game.

Weapons

At the start of each attempt of Hades, you will be given an option to select a weapon. A variety of weapons are available which make trying out different combos and experimenting with builds very easy and accessible.

My personal favorite weapon is the Adamant Rail. It was what I used for my very fist clear of Hades and I always enjoy creating builds with it. All of the weapons are viable, however, and it is very possible to beat the game with any of them.

Boons

Boons are offerings given to Zagreus by the different Greek Gods. The Gods offer these as a way of helping Zagreus escape the realm of Hades. Each God offers a variety of abilities that relate to themselves.

For example, Poseidon offers abilities that revolve around water or the sea while Zeus offers abilities that use lightning or wind.

This applies to each and every God and allows the player to customize and personalize the attacks that they use each and every run.

Bosses

While I do love to endlessly praise Hades, not everything about the game is perfect. I think overall the boss roster for Hades is pretty good but it does lack a bit of diversity.

The sister boss fights are all great as well as Theseus and Minotaur. Of course [REDACTED] is an incredible boss fight as well.

I personally do not enjoy the bone serpent very much and I also wish there were maybe one or two more unique bosses. This is one of the only issues I have with the game and also an issue that I hope Hades two improves upon.

Conclusion

Hades was my first step into the roguelike genre and is still one my most beloved games to this day. The game offers wonderful art direction and super fun action packed gameplay. The characters all have great voice actors and are very likeable. Overall Hades is a great beginner entry into the roguelike genre and one that will likely leave a lasting impression on you as it did for me. I suggest you play it if you haven’t already. Seriously, go play Hades 2 it just came out!

Introduction

Each and every year seems to be a stepping stone for gaming. 2025 is proving this once again with its many amazing releases so far. With the year coming to it’s natural close I would like to discuss what games from 2025 are an absolute must play.

Expedition 33:

Expedition 33 is a beautiful turn based combat masterpiece with one of the best stories gaming has to offer. The fights are innovative, incorporating a dodge and parry system into what is normally very limited turn based combat. The characters are full of personality and truly make you want to care about them. I don’t want to spoil much about this game as it truly is one of the best from this year. I highly recommend you try it out, as it is almost hard to dislike Expedition 33.

Blue Prince

Blue Prince is a clever puzzle solving roguelike which takes place in a never-ending mansion. Each room is it’s own challenge, and it is the players room to make it through them all. The puzzles are tricky yet fun, and the roguelike mechanics make starting over feel good knowing that you could get even further now. This game won’t be for everyone, but if you enjoy puzzles I would give it a shot.

Elden Ring Nightreign:

Fromsoftware has released another amazing game, this time with a familiar on twist on the typical souls formula. Nightreign combines the excellent combat of Elden Ring with the mechanics of a roguelike, making a unique experience. The bosses are spectacular as usual, with the final boss being one of the most visual stunning fights Fromsoftware has ever created.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remaster

A classic has been brought back with stunning modern graphics and a small but much appreciated gameplay overhaul. Oblivion is a great return for Bethesda after their last few releases have not been received particularly well. While Oblivion is nothing revolutionary, it is a good time sink with an incredible amount of content.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

My most anticipated release this year and possibly the best game of this year is Hollow Knight: Silksong. I played the original around 2020 and have been waiting for the sequel ever since. I have yet to complete Silksong, but from what I have played I think it will be my game of the year. The combat and bosses are more complex and fast paced then the original, which was the main issue with early game Hollow Knight. The map is significantly larger and the enemy design has been wonderful with very little reuse so far. I am excited to continue playing and recommend Silksong to anyone reading this list.

Conclusion

These five games are the best of what 2025 has to offer. I hope you found this list useful and give even just one of these games a try, as I promise every one of them is worth it. Were there any games I missed? If you think there was leave your 2025 game of the year in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Introduction

Dragons are cool. We can all agree on this. So why has it taken so long for game developers to make fighting them cool? Seriously, the amount of bad dragon fights in games is shocking. In recent years it has been better, but it is incredible how it took this long to make a DRAGON cool.

The Rough Early Years (1983–2010)

The history of dragon fights is quite extensive. I will be going over the early examples of dragon fights and also the most well-known dragon fights. I also have an article coming soon that ranks the best dragon fights of all time, which will be linked at the bottom of this one.

Dragon’s Lair (1983)

The oldest example of a dragon fight that I was able to find was from Dragon’s Lair 1983. This arcade classic was released in 1983. The gameplay is quite odd based on footage. The game itself looks like a cartoon, and gameplay consists of what I would compare to modern day quick time events.

Sadly, I have no way of playing it myself and cannot give my own thoughts as too how it plays. From what I have heard it is quite difficult. Many arcade games from the time were so players would spend more coins to keep playing. I would love to try it someday given the chance.

Dragon Quest (1986)

The next game known for dragon fights was Dragon Quest, released in 1986. Dragon Quest has become a popular series over the years with each entry featuring many dragon fights. The first game is mostly known for its final boss, Dragon Lord.

I have not played any of the Dragon Quest games so I cannot attest to how good the fights are, however based on the many sequels I assume they are all at least okay. The gameplay of Dragon Quest is turned based, which is my main problem. I think the main issue with these turn based fights that is solved in the future is that the dragon’s lack scale and grandeur that a dragon should have.

Spyro The Dragon (1998)

Spyro is a very famous platformer released in 1998 where the player plays as the dragon. This technically isn’t a boss fight, but I chose to include it as it is a very famous instance of a Dragon in a video game. The closest fights to a dragon would be Gulp or Crush, although they are classified as dinosaurs.

Spyro is a great platformer and the first game on the list I actually have played. It was also remastered a few years back, which I played at launch and would recommend.

Demon’s Souls (2009)

The first of many Soul’s bosses on this list, Dragon God sadly isn’t great. This boss is a glorified game of hide and seek. In this fight you run through some narrow pathways and hide behind pillars. If the dragon spots you, you are dead. Your objective is to shoot two ballistae at the dragon and then finish him off yourself.

This boss fight is very disappointing, but it is the start of something truly special. I don’t want to spoil much, but I will say FromSoft has many other entries on this list.

The Age of Dragon Fights (2011–2025)

The year 2011 is when dragon fights really started to step it up. I think we all know which game is responsible for this.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011)

The big one.

Skyrim needs no introduction. It is one of the biggest and most popular games of all time. It has a vast open world with nearly unlimited content. On top of all that, it is responsible for introducing a cool dragon boss fight.

If you ask anyone who has played Skyrim about their first dragon encounter, they will probably sound nostalgic over it. You are sent outside of Whiterun to find the tower smoking and in flames. Soldiers of Whiterun are around the area preparing for battle and faint roars can be heard in the distance. Suddenly, a dragon swoops in breathing fire onto you and the other soldiers. Arrows are shooting through the sky. The dragon lands and shakes the ground. The player attacks and once the dragon is finally dead the player steals its soul, revealing that they are the Dragonborn.

The first Skyrim dragon truly is special. It is a shame, however, that once you have fought the first dragon you have fought them all. Every dragon has the same move set, and they never stop appearing. Towards the end of the game, they just become a nuisance. “Oh, look another dragon, guess I have to fight it” becomes the consensus.

Overall, dragons in Skyrim can become quite disappointing, but the first one really is something special.

Dark Souls Trilogy (2011–2017)

The Dark Souls Trilogy is responsible for some of the most infamous boss fights in all of gaming, with or without the dragons. The dragons are a what we are focused on today, however.

In order to save some time, I will be using one dragon from each of the three Dark Souls games. Seath the Scaleless, Gaping Dragon, and Ancient Dragon will not be talked about in detail. Now let's continue with the good dragon fights.

Dark Souls (2011)

Black Dragon Kalameet is the boss I have chosen for Dark Souls. He was released as a part of the Artorias of the Abyss DLC and is where Fromsoft really started to understand how to make a dragon fight.

Kalameet is a challenging but fair fight, similar to many other Fromsoft bosses. He does high damage and has a large health bar but is weak to the players movement. The best way to beat him is simply by getting underneath him or behind him where he can’t reach you as well. Kalameet was a good first step for dragon fights, and they only get better from here.

Dark Souls II (2014)

The boss I have chosen for Dark Souls II is Sinh the Slumbering Dragon. This dragon is a part of the Crown of the Sunken King DLC and is the final boss of that DLC.

Sinh is an interesting dragon fight. His attacks do poison and durability damage. This means the player is constantly taking damage over time during the fight. It also means that their weapon is very likely to break. Every time I have fought Sinh my weapon has broken, and I have had to switch mid battle which is a difficult but fun challenge.

Sinh improves on some of Kalameet's flaws while adding an interesting twist. Still, the best of Dark Soul’s dragons is yet to come.

Dark Souls III (2016)

Dark Eater Midir is a dragon boss fight in the Dark Souls III Ringed City DLC. Midir is an optional boss well worth the player's time. This fight takes all the elements of Sinh and Kalameet and blends them perfectly. Midir is bigger, faster, and stronger than any dragon before.

Midir has an extensive move set of bites, claw attacks, breath attacks, and even laser beams. He has an absurd health bar which makes the fight a pure test of the players endurance. Every moment of this fight is just cool and really makes you feel like a knight slaying a dragon. That’s kind of the point, isn’t it?

Monster Hunter World (2018)

Monster Hunter is a game about hunting monsters, so of course it made the list. The dragon I would like to talk about specifically is Fatalis from Monster Hunter World.

I haven’t had the pleasure of fighting Fatalis myself yet, unfortunately. However, I can say that based on other opinions and my own time playing the game it is probably a great boss. Monster Hunter World has a super fun gameplay loop, and I have really been enjoying my playthrough so far, and I am very excited to challenge myself by fighting Fatalis.

Elden Ring (2022)

FromSoftware is back once again, this time with their most popular release yet. Elden Ring was my and many other players first Souls game. I loved every moment of it. One of the best moments was the boss fight against Dragon Lord Placidusax. This secret boss if found late game and is very hidden.

This is an extremely cinematic boss fight and feels epic to say the least. FromSoftware really hits it out of the ballpark with their cinematics, and this boss is no different. I believe out of all the dragon fights, Fromsoft fights make you feel the coolest, which is exactly what I want from a dragon fight.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree (2024)

Last but certainly not least, we have another FromSoft boss. Released as a part of the Elden Ring DLC, Bayle became a hit upon launch. The whole soul's community was screaming his vile name at their scream as he beat them over and over again. Bayle is one of the hardest and most legendary dragon bosses ever released and his existence makes me excited for what FromSoft is planning to release next.

Conclusion

Dragon fights have improved significantly over the years. They may have a long and rough history, but in the year 2025 I think it is safe to say that the industry has finally figured them out. Good dragon fights are expected now, and I personally am super excited to see what dragons we might be fighting in the future.

Attached is a link to a separate article over the best dragon boss fights in gaming. https://medium.com/@acmarsh05/the-best-dragon-fights-in-gaming-history-96ea3a38ffb6

Introduction

What is addiction? Or rather, what is insanity? Some would say it is the process of doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result. So are geometry dash players insane? Maybe. That is what I would like to determine today.

I will be discussing my own experience with geometry dash, as well as a current top player’s. I have put far more time into the game than an average player at around seven hundred hours, so I feel qualified to speak on it. I will also be interviewing a top player and having him share his own experience with the game.

Starting off Small

In order to properly discuss how one would become addicted to geometry dash, first I must provide a little context on how the game works. You play as a cube and jump over spikes by clicking your screen on mobile, or mouse on computer.

That is the entire game.

This is obviously a crude oversimplification, but it is really all you need to know. You tap the screen to avoid crashing, and then once you make it to the end of the level you win. Any time you hit an obstacle you are sent back to the beginning and must start all the way over. No checkpoints. Ever.

The Rush

Now most people will read this and ask themselves “Why would I want to start over every time I fail?” This was my thought too, until I felt the rush. The feeling of beating a level is unique to geometry dash. No game has ever made me jump up and scream upon beating a level like it has. Once you see that end screen, you forget about all of the hours of practice you put in to get there. It is almost euphoric.

Once you have felt that rush, you chase it again. This is where players claim to become addicted. I personally have chased that rush. It is what keeps most players going. I will say however, I don’t think this rush is addicting. It certainly feels good, but it isn’t everything. Learning a level can be fun too, and beating levels is not the only way to have fun. Geometry Dash has a very complex level editor that I personally experiment with from time to time.

I believe that some players may claim to be addicted and some probably actually are. Like with many other things, however, this is the extreme end of the spectrum and does not speak for all players. Geometry Dash provides top players a challenge that they can not get from other games, which I believe is what keeps the playing.

I believe that some players may claim to be addicted and some probably actually are. Like with many other things, however, this is the extreme end of the spectrum and does not speak for all players. Geometry Dash provides top players a challenge that they can not get from other games, which I believe is what keeps the playing.

Top Player’s Perspective

Now that you have heard my thoughts on the game, I would like to share a Top Player’s opinion. He plays under the name “Bracus” and has been playing for quite some time. As of Writing, Bracus is the 194th ranked player in the world. His hardest level is “Firework” which is currently the 21st hardest level in all of Geometry Dash. I am going to be asking him some question about how he feels about Geometry Dash, and whether or not he thinks it can be addicting.

The Interview:

“Would you say that you are addicted to Geometry Dash?”

Bracus: “I’m not addicted. I play because it is fun and I am good at it.”

“Could you quit Geometry Dash if you wanted too?”

Bracus: “If it ever stopped being fun then I would stop playing.”

“Do you think Geometry Dash has had a positive impact on your life?”

Bracus: “Yes, Geometry Dash has had a positive impact on my life because of the community and many friends that I have made.”

What is your favorite Geometry Dash memory?

Bracus: “My favorite memory was beating Firework. It is still the hardest level I have beaten and I felt so accomplished. I was also doing it in secret so I was finally able to share and reveal it with my friends and seeing their reactions was really fun and exciting.”

So there we have it. Geometry Dash players are not insane according to a top player and myself.

Case closed.

I do certainly believe there are cases of players becoming addicted, but these cases exist with all games. I have a large collection of cologne and usually buy one every week or two. Would I say I am addicted to cologne? No. I just enjoy different scents and have fun trying new ones out.

Below will be a link to Bracus’s Youtube and TikTok, which are where he posts most frequently. He streams on TikTok quite often and I highly recommend you check him out as this wouldn’t have been possible without him.

If you enjoyed this and are interested in any other gaming related content, follow me for more. Thanks for reading!

Bracus’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bracusgd/featured
Bracus’s TikTok: @BracusGD

The title is not a joke. Messmer changed my life. Here is how.

Let’s cut to the chase. You are here to know how Messmer, a video game boss, could possibly change my real life. Well, It’s probably not what you think.

Context:

I have never been much of an animal person. Growing up, we had a dog who sadly passed when I was younger. We had two cats as well, but I never really got super close with them. That is the way it stayed until a few months ago. My girlfriend loves animals. She has had plenty of pets and is amazing at taking care of them. One weekend, she suggested we go to a reptile expo. It was a few weeks away, but I said we would go.

As the weeks passed, I thought more about what we might see while there. Many animals crossed my mind but I ended up thinking of one the most. Snakes. I did some research on them and found out about taking care of a snake. I told my girlfriend, who was super excited about the idea. She had wanted a snake for a while. Eventually we found a forty gallon tank and set it up, about a week before the reptile expo.

The anticipation was killing me. What if I went and it just didn’t click? What if I bought a tank and then saw snakes in person and didn’t want one? Thoughts raced around my head. The Expo was about an hour and a half away from where I lived, which made the pressure even worse. What if I drove all the way and came out with nothing?

The day finally arrived.

The Expo:

We searched the expo, seeing all kinds of animals. Lizards, frogs, and of course, snakes. I saw snakes of various sizes. Some were as large as I was while others were tiny. While looking though, neither me or my girlfriend were seeing one that stood out. I began to lose hope and started to overthink. We were getting close to the last animals and didn’t know if we would find one. That’s when we saw him.

Messmer. That’s what I thought of immediately. The red, orange, and white color pallet inspired the name. This was the snake I wanted. We decided to get him, and got some feeder mice while we were there too. I drove home quick yet careful, overjoyed to get him into his new home. The prospect of a pet had never been this exciting to me. Once we got home, we set him into his new tank. He was hesitant, and seemed a little scared, likely from the long drive back. We left him alone to explore his brand new home.

It has been a few months now and Messmer has really begun to settle in. He mostly sleeps during the day and will come out when it starts to get dark. He is still very timid so I haven’t gotten to hold him much, although we are working our way up too it. Here is a picture of how much he has grown.

Conclusion:

Messmer had an impact on my real life because he partially helped in my decision to get a pet snake. Of course, I also have my girlfriend to thank because I am sure without her I would not have ended up getting him. Overall, I am real happy owning a pet snake and enjoy taking care of him. I guess that leads me to say this. Think of all the video game characters you have fought or befriended. Did any stand out too you? If there is one who you instantly thought of, and you can see it as a major part of your life, consider it as a name for your next pet. Maybe a video game character have an effect on your real life too!

The Beginning:

I began playing Elden Ring at launch In February of 2022. This was the first souls game I had ever played and it kicked my butt. Every boss defeated me nonstop, over and over again. It was so difficult and I always felt like giving up, but somehow I managed to push through. Fast-forward a few years and I have beaten the game nearly twenty times, beaten it at level one, and my newest achievement; I have beat Elden Ring with a Guitar Hero Controller.

The Run Itself:

Now, to set the stage for the challenge run. It was the year 2024, about a month after the release of Shadow of the Erdtree. I had beaten the DLC a few times now and was looking for something new to do. Before the DLC launched I had been on a Guitar Hero kick, and that gave me a twisted little idea. What if I beat Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree… with a Guitar Hero Controller? Mind you, this was BEFORE the nerf to Promised Consort Radahn, which was easily the hardest boss in any game I had ever played. I decided I would give it a try, not knowing what was to follow.

The Rocky Start

Sadly, I don’t have much footage of the early bosses in the run. Early on, I still wasn’t sure if I would fully commit to beating the entire game like this. Luckily, I can still describe how it went. The first two or three hours of the playthrough were spent fighting the tree sentinel. I would get close many times and then slip up because of the controls. They were an absolute pain to adapt too. Anytime I wanted to jump or heal I had to strum. When mapping the controls, this felt cool, but turned out to be pretty inconvenient overall. I was able to get it down, however, and after a few hours of trying I beat the tree sentinel.

Smooth Sailing

The remainder of the early game went about the same. The first boss defeat I recorded was Godrick, who I managed to beat first try. I was quite proud of. I then beat many other early game bosses on the first try, such as Renalla and Goldfrey. I was feeling confident now, and was sure I would finish the game in no time.

Hitting a Wall

There comes a time in every souls players life where they hit a wall. Finally, something kills the cocky nature they had developed and stops them in their tracks. The player tries over and over but makes no progress no matter what. It frustrates them, but deep down this is what they were hoping for. For me this was Morgott. He took around ten tries, which isn’t bad on it’s own, but it was a sign of what was yet to come. When I finally did beat Morgott, The fight had gone down to the wire. I was out of flasks, and had to dodge countless attacks, barely squeezing in hits until I finally took him down. I was one hit way from dying for nearly the last thirty seconds of the fight, and managed to dodge all of his attacks perfectly. I was overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment I had never felt before, even on my first playthrough of the game. That feeling is the reason I play Souls games, and the reason I would recommend them to anyone in a heart beat.

Entering New Territory

After beating Margit and a few other main game bosses I headed straight to Mohg so I could enter the DLC. Mohg took around five tries, which wasn’t too bad. The DLC is what I was really excited for, as I still wasn’t as familiar with the DLC bosses. I grabbed the hand and transported into the Shadow realm, not knowing what awaited.

Easier Than I Expected

The DLC went surprisingly well for me. I beat Messmer first try which was quite the achievement. Romina took me ten attempts and Commander Gaius took me fifteen. These two were the hardest in the DLC, excluding the final boss.

The Final Boss

I knew going into this that it would not be easy. Still, I had hope, having beaten all of the other major bosses without too much of an issue. Of course, my hope ran out as I failed repeatedly to Promised Consort Radahn. Beating Promised Consort Radahn with the guitar was the hardest challenge I have ever faced in a game. Honestly, maybe in my entire life. The total attempt count was forty-five long, grueling attempts. Upon finally beating Radahn, a wave of relief washed over me. I felt free, free from a burden I had put on myself.

After the Storm

Following my defeat of Promised Consort Radahn, I haven’t attempted any more challenge runs. I still would like to beat the DLC at level one without Scadu blessings, however I would like to recover a bit more before that. For now, I plan to continue enjoying Silksong and maybe try some challenge runs for it. Who knows, maybe I’ll be the first player to beat Silksong with a guitar? Unlikely, although it would be pretty sweet.

One last thing before I go. Most of the footage from this run is uploaded on my TikTok if anyone is interested. I plan on uploading it to Youtube as well. If anyone is interested in watching, just email me or leave a comment and I will link it. Otherwise, stay tuned for more gaming related articles in the future, and thanks for reading!