Hardcore Souls fanatics aren't done when the credits roll. For some, it's the beginning of a longer journey -- New Game Plus, PVP, different builds. Bloodborne should have followed the same path, but it didn't take long for people to encounter limitations. Between a new patch and an expansion, The Old Hunters, that's no longer the case.

One of the more interesting new weapons in Bloodborne is Simon's Bowblade, giving players the unique opportunity to inflict long distance damage. With the proper stats, it can turn otherwise brutal boss battles into trivial affairs.

From Software recently shut down Bloodborne's online servers, only a week after launching The Old Hunters. Dubbed "emergency maintenance," no explanation was given, but there was evidence players had found a loophole to play the DLC for free. Now, it's back online, and the DLC exploit has apparently been gutted.

While playing Bloodborne yesterday, the game booted me to the title screen, citing server maintenance. It was annoying, but fortunately, I wasn't in the middle of a battle. You can play offline, but From Software's announced online modes will be down for "a few days." There may be a very good reason for that.

Ever since Bloodborne leaked onto the Internet as Project Beast, players have speculated it was possible to transform into something monstrous. Sadly, that wasn't really possible in Bloodborne. But with The Old Hunters DLC, the developers have given players an opportunity to embrace their inner animal.

It's always been confusing to access the downloadable content in the Souls games, and this tradition continues with Bloodborne. It's not as arcane as it was in the past, but there are steps you should be aware of -- it's not just a menu.

It's been almost eight months since the release of Bloodborne, From Software's excellent reinvention of the formula it developed with Demon's Souls. That formula? Kick your arse until you learn from your mistakes. Bloodborne's sole DLC, The Old Hunters, doesn't deviate from this; it's more hardcore than ever.