The Duskbloods, FromSoftware's unexpected Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, has sparked the fires of familiarity for many fans of the studio's older work. Indeed, from the very first frames of The Duskbloods' reveal trailer, parallels were being drawn between it and Bloodborne, FromSoftware's 2015 PS4 exclusive, and one of the studio's best releases in the eyes of many.
Naturally, some of the comparisons between The Duskbloods and Bloodborne are a bit overblown—the former exhibits some clear differences from the latter, both in terms of gameplay and world-building—but one could be forgiven for assuming that the pair were spiritually linked. They both channel clear Gothic influence, hearkening back to the likes of Van Helsing and Nosferatu, although Bloodborne takes a Lovecraftian turn that is decidedly distinct from these progenitors, while The Duskbloods appears to be leaning into vampiric lore. But however different the two ultimately are, The Duskbloods shouldn't be afraid of unavoidable comparisons to FromSoftware's previous work. Bloodborne is considered one of the studio's best games, after all.
Interestingly enough, Bloodborne was also a console exclusive, just like The Duskbloods— yet another, albeit unexpected, parallel between the two titles.
The Duskbloods is a Great Sign for the Nintendo Switch 2’s Third-Party Support
FromSoftware's willingness to make The Duskbloods a Switch 2 exclusive bodes well for the future of third-party games on the system.
Bloodborne Comparisons Are Inevitable, So The Duskbloods Should Roll With Them
The Duskbloods Should Subvert Bloodborne Expectations, but Not Totally Run From Them
For better or worse, The Duskbloods will continue to draw Bloodborne comparisons ahead of, and likely even after, its release. This happened with Lies of P, which many still consider something of a Bloodborne clone despite being notably dissimilar to the 2015 classic, so a Gothic soulslike game developed by FromSoft itself is even more likely to be seen as a spiritual successor. And although novelty and originality should always be praised (and expected, when it comes to FromSoftware games), being similar to an older work doesn't have to be a bad thing.
Take Elden Ring, for instance: the 2022 best-seller has often been called "open-world Dark Souls," and while this is a bit reductive, it's also poignant. Despite a number of mechanical differences, Elden Ring does ultimately have a lot in common with Dark Souls, with the same broad-strokes approach to combat, encounter design, gear economy, and boss design. One can even draw a clear line between older Dark Souls systems and their equivalents in Elden Ring, like Dark Souls 3's weapon arts and Elden Ring's Ashes of War. In fact, it could be argued that Elden Ring is the culmination of everything that FromSoftware learned from working on the Dark Souls trilogy, perfecting the most important aspects of the seminal action-RPG franchise and dropping them into a masterfully designed open-world. Perhaps the same could be said about Bloodborne and The Duskbloods.
The Duskbloods Could Offer a Unique Bloodborne-Adjacent Experience
As previously mentioned, The Duskbloods will be distinct from Bloodborne in a number of key ways. Even at this early stage, it's clear that elements like the PvPvE structure of Duskbloods will be a departure from the mostly single-player Bloodborne, and while the Gothic influence is strong in this upcoming title, it looks to be leveraging steampunk concepts to a far greater degree. This is evident in the imagery of the reveal trailer, such as a fully-functioning train and a Rocketeer-like character who uses rocket propulsion in an iron suit.
Perhaps the ideal outcome would be for The Duskbloods to be unabashedly Bloodborne-esque, with similar dark themes and Gothic aesthetics, but with its own unique mechanical and lore aspects. In this way, Duskbloods could be like the Elden Ring to Bloodborne' s Dark Souls: a refined, unique spin on the broad-strokes stylistic elements of its progenitor. Like with most things in the world of gaming, audiences will just have to wait and see.
- Released
- 2026
- Developer(s)
- FromSoftware
- Publisher(s)
- FromSoftware
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Number of Players
- 1-8 players
WHERE TO PLAY
Developed for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, The Duskbloods is a PvPvE title with online multiplayer at its core, where up to 8 players vie for supremacy among themselves and against challenging foes.
Play as the "Bloodsworn"; a group that has transcended human strength thanks to their special blood, and throw yourself into a violent fray for "First Blood" as the twilight of humanity approaches.
- Genre(s)
- Action
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch 2
