It’s been a quiet few weeks here at Reticule Towers as we are all busy with work, new babies or the hassle of moving around the country. Yet, once in a while, we do still make time for a little edition of Our Week in Games. Read on…

Chris

It’s been a trying week and a bit, my gran passed on Maundy Thursday night and with the Easter break from work, I invested my time in some hardcore gaming which was a surprisingly cathartic way of processing the loss. I spent the first few hours after receiving the news playing through the end of Infamous: Second Son and then romping around the city of Seattle. I’d grown so used to the mechanics of the game by then that I was able to play through it with half a mind on the game, and the other half thinking about my gran in better days. The prospect of playing games to deal with loss and sorrow isn’t a new one, and is one that Johnny Cullen touches on in slightly more eloquent terms over on Games Radar.

After completing the story in Infamous and a little bit of exploration of Seattle, I was ready for something a bit meatier to get into, something to invest myself in and take me away to another world for a few hours. I chose the world of Yharnam which is the setting of Bloodborne. It is a dark game, oppressively so at times, but one that I was able to plunge head first into and take my mind away from weightier matters that were at hand. It is a tough old game, there’s no doubt about it, but the challenge has been something I have enjoyed. My Twitter ramblings in recent days have largely been focused on my frustrations and then elation with the game.

When not on the PlayStation, I’ve been trying out Dying Light on the PC. I can only imagine that it is the passing of my gran that has led me to be drawn to these two games which are filled with death and suffering. A grim thing to think about, but they’ve helped (amongst the love of family and friends) me move forwards from the darkness of Easter weekend.

Before signing off for this edition of Our Week in Games – I’m taking part in the Cardiff Bay 5 mile run on the first May Bank Holiday and am raising money for Stroke Association. There is a Just Giving page here.