Welp, I finished the game GAF

Killed all optional bosses, got all hunter tools, 99% of the weapons, and of course
.
What a crazy game. In fact, other than the technical blemishes -- long load times, some audio glitching, and the one time I got stuck in the world -- it's a pretty much perfect game. The level design is purely unreal, and manages to get better and better until the very end of the game, only marginally dipping in quality in maybe one or two places and one boss in particular I thought was more lame than usual.
Here's where I get to reveal a secret about myself: I played (and disliked) both Dark Souls 1 and Demons Souls. I didn't finish either of them.
I did, on the other hand finish and enjoy Dark Souls 2. For whatever reason, DS2 worked for me where those other games didn't, and I have no earthly idea why. Except in that game, I used coop for every single boss. And I think I hurt my experience, but it was honestly just too hard for me back then otherwise as I feel like I was learning the ropes.
But Bloodborne not only works, it exposes DS2 in my mind for being a totally inferior game.
Bloodborne is the most perfect game experience I have had since Resident Evil 4. I'm astonished by how much fun I've had with it, and can't wait to -- at a slower pace -- consume the remaining content in NG+. This is the definitive reason to own a PS4, and I cannot wait for what I hope will be an inevitable announcement of Bloodborne 2. I made sure, this time, to do everything in the game solo, and I feel like a badass for it
A big thanks to everyone in this thread for helping for their useful hints, tips etc. I don't know if I could have finished to my satisfaction without all the awesome posts here!