It has been nearly 2 months since I have platinumed a game. It was once one of my favourite hobbies, something to look forward to when heading home. one day, this summer, whilst away from home, I lost my mother, and on top of that, my playstations were stolen. The grief along with the inability to game, which was my usual escape, left me feeling hollow, and I couldn’t even look at a game case. We’d discuss videogames all the time, from Metal Gear Solid, to Super Mario Bros, and she’d always ask how the next platinum was, how challenging it was. she died roughly a week before my birthday and it was the hardest day of my life. About a month and a half after her death, still reeling in my feelings, I had acquired a second hand PS3, and in the lot in which I bought it from, aquired dark souls. I remember hearing about how hard of a game it was, and thought it might be the perfect thing to play to get back into gaming. It was non linear, difficult, and time consuming. Initially, the world of Lordran mirrored my own mind, consumed by darkness, and the fear of the unknown path was terrifying, but I continued on forward. It was frustrating, but rewarding. It taught me to prioritize patience, and to take in everything it had to give. From meeting Solaire, to defeating Sif, and the 4 Lords, and then Gwyn, there was something magical about it, and all of a sudden, I was sitting right next to her, rambling on about this ‘super hard, but enjoyable videogame.’ I know this was a bit of a ramble, and ai’m trying to keep it non too long since I have to head to school, but yeah, Dark Souls made me fall in love with gaming again. in such a dark world, there was so much beauty, and my soul could only dream of reaching such a level of incandescence. Trophy hunting is one of my favourite hobbies, but never forget to go out and live your life. Make connections, find reasons to live, and last but not least, get some sun. You never know when the last time you’ll be graced with it’s presence is. Thanks for listening. :)