FromSoftware titles are known for being incredibly rewarding, but let’s be real—just about everyone has felt like tearing their hair out guiding Blighttown in the original Dark Souls.
The roll-dodging platforming in that game became notorious, even if it’s now remembered with a kind of meme-fueled affection.
Thankfully, it looks like the studio is stepping things up with more refined movement mechanics in its upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 release: The Duskbloods, a PvPvE-focused experience.
In a recent Creator’s Voice blog, long-time FromSoft director Hidetaka Miyazaki shed light on the new title. He explained that players will take on the role of the Bloodsworn, a pseudo-vampiric faction with “superhuman abilities thanks to special blood.”
According to Miyazaki, these enhancements should eliminate the kind of clunky movement and frustrating platforming that plagued earlier titles. (Here’s hoping.)
“Even basic character actions in this game such as sprinting, super jump, and double jump are designed to be dynamic and stress free and are complemented by each character’s own unique weapons and abilities, allowing for a wide range of creativity,” Miyazaki explained.
Nintendo Switch 2 Title, The Duskbloods
Unlike past games where players created their own protagonists, The Duskbloods will feature about a dozen pre-designed characters. Each one is customizable to a degree, providing variety while still maintaining a core identity.
True to FromSoftware tradition, there’s a lore-based reason behind the Bloodsworn’s heightened agility. “The Bloodsworn are a group whose members have achieved super-human abilities through the power of special blood,” Miyazaki continued.
“As a general concept, they’re similar to vampires, but they are not portrayed as the horrifying monsters you might associate with traditional vampirism…
Also, and while this isn’t directly related to the Bloodsworn themselves, the setting allows for the depiction of firearms and such, and every character is equipped with some means of attacking from a distance.
I feel this is one of the game’s unique aspects when compared with our previous titles. I hope these new action elements are one area that players will enjoy.”
