In some cases, choosing Game of the Month is difficult because the month is light on standouts and heavy on games that are good or even great, but not necessarily masterful. In the case of March of 2015, the choice has been difficult for a very different reason: because several games are so clearly worthy of extravagant praise. We didn't just award one or two games with 9s in March--we awarded four of them! What a wonderful month March turned out to be for games, and not just because there were so many quality experiences, but because they were so different from each other. It's a testament to the variety we so often overlook in modern game design; There truly is something for everyone.

If you enjoy testing your reflexes with hyper-violent shooting, for instance, there was 's power has proven inescapable in this contest. From Software's newest monument to challenging action and unmatched world building may be similar to the developer's own Souls series, but it also carves out its own niche with its overt religious themes, its focus on mobility, and an array of hideous bosses that require focus, determination, and a bit of tense grinding to overcome.

In a month of delights, that feeling when you finally do overcome your most recent challenge is what boosts Bloodborne to the top of the heap. Lots of games are fun; Very few provide this kind of exhilaration. Congratulations, Bloodborne, for hammering our souls to a bloody pulp and all but pulling the award for Game of the Month from our withered claws. It's an honor to be vanquished by a game so mighty.