While From Software’s smash hits Elden Ring and Dark Souls had mass appeal despite its high difficulty level, its latest title The Duskbloods looks and sounds like it will be a very targeted and specific niche experience.
The studio behind classics like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice finally revealed more info about the game today ahead of its network test this weekend, and after gleaning all of the news, it seems like this game is being made for an extremely specific subset of players.
First and foremost, The Duskbloods is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. This already fragments the game in a big way when it comes to audience reach, and the game likely won’t be coming to other platforms at any point.
“In terms of the reason that we initially decided to go with Nintendo, we had had an opportunity to discuss the idea for the game with them and I think they seemed very excited and very receptive to the idea, they seemed very forward thinking in terms of how to do it,” From Software president Hidetaka Miyazaki told IGN. “Before considering the business aspect of it, that alone was something that I found very appealing and gave me a lot more reassurance for moving forward with this.”
Basically, with Nintendo publishing the game globally, From Software had been able to better focus it funds solely on development. That’s awesome for the devs, but for players, it means not having a Switch 2 in the era of expensive consoles means you just won’t be able to play it.
Beyond that, and this is the core issue that worries me, Duskbloods gameplay is a PvPvE experience, reminiscent of an extraction shooter or battle royale game. You choose from a selection of hero-like characters with their own weapons and abilities, and enter into an eight-person match where you basically needs to score points (they’re called Virtue) by defeating human and AI enemies.
Each match works in phases, and throughout early ones you can team up with other players and summon AI companions to fight alongside you as well. Each match has endless respawns and you must navigate one of the game’s multiple maps by leveling up and collecting Virtue, until making it to the last phase (players with the least Virtue will be periodically eliminated) where it becomes a free-for-all.
Yeah, it’s a PvP-focused game. This will immediately be a turn-off for a large amount of players who seek a classic Soulslike experience. PvP has always been a part of games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring with invasions, but in this one, PvP is the name of the game.
Elden Ring: Nightreign expanded on co-op in the Soulslike formula, and The Duskbloods is now focusing on PvP while keeping PvE intact as a part of the core gameplay loop. But when PvP is the endgame, it’s going to scare away a good amount of players, further making this game feel more niche than it already is.
For more on the game itself, Soulslike PvP expert Oroboro posted the below video further detailing how the game works, but it does seem a bit overwhelming at the outset. This may act as another filter for players.
I’m definitely eager to try out The Duskbloods this weekend to see it for myself, but on first impressions alone, I’m not feeling too confident in how I will personally enjoy it, no matter how hard I’m trying to reserve judgment. Because I love From Software’s games. Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and Bloodborne are some of my favorite titles of all time, but this feels like a very big departure.
For Soulslike PvP fans, this may be a dream come true, but for the general gamer looking to level up and fight bosses in an awesome setting, the game may end up feeling lacking as they get ganked by a sweaty duo playing the most meta characters.
