FromSoftware needs to re-embrace Bloodborne's horror roots

Over the past few months, I have settled on a brand-new hyperfixation and this time, my autistic brain has decided to crave all things FromSoftware.

If you had told me last year that I would be a dedicated FromSoftware fan, I wouldn’t have believed you as for me, failure is so scary that I’d rather not try and if there is one thing associated with its games, it is their difficulty.

I had heard one too many horror stories about Elden Ring’s Malenia and her Waterfowl Dance and although Bloodborne is often praised for being the masterpiece that it is, fighting an orphaned child wielding their very own placenta just seemed impossible for me.

As a result, I merely watched from the sidelines as fans beat the latest Elden Ring boss (with some even beating them via dance mat or fish) and imagined that, in another life, that may be me.

(Beating the bosses in general, not via fish or saxophone).

Then back in May, FromSoftware released its latest game titled Elden Ring Nightreign.

FromSoftware

Of course, I did not pay any attention when this game was first announced as, despite being a standalone title, it was still linked to the Elden Ring universe and as you know, for me FromSoftware = pain and suffering.

However, when a friend asked me to try out Nightreign, the will of Hidetaka Miyazaki must have spoke through me because I accepted the invitation and soon found myself teaming up with my friend and one other person to take down various FromSoftware bosses in the roguelike action RPG.

I have written about my experience with Elden Ring Nightreign before but put simply, playing the latest FromSoftware title opened up a whole can of worms for me.

The reason that I fell in love with video games was because of their potential to create and tell stories in a way that is entirely unique. Unlike movies and books, you are a part of the story and even if the game is fully scripted, you still feel as though your actions are making a difference and hurtling the story towards its end.

Of course, you can play Elden Ring Nightreign as a standalone game which means that you need no prior knowledge of Elden Ring or any other FromSoftware title for that instance.

However, with my love of stories built into my very being, coming across these monsters that people recognised and locations that felt like home to so many, I just had to learn more. Well, FOMO also played a large part.

As a result, merely a few days after I had first experienced my first FromSoftware title with Elden Ring Nightreign, I dove into Elden Ring and now just a couple of weeks later, I have just beaten Radahn and have immersed myself in everything Souls and FromSoftware.

My entire Youtube history is filled with lore videos relating to Elden Ring, the Dark Souls trilogy, and most of all, Bloodborne. I have a figure of Lady Maria on the way to add to my collection and I have pored over the pages of the official Bloodborne art book.

FromSoftware

I may not have gotten around to playing Dark Souls or Bloodborne just yet, although this is my plan for once I have finished Elden Ring, but if you were to quiz me on them, I think I would perform quite well.

However, it is through this experience that I have left wanting something from FromSoftware in the future and that is a return to its horror roots.

Don’t get me wrong, Elden Ring is full of its fair share of horrors but compared to Bloodborne, you may as well boot up Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

In Elden Ring, the horrors are buried beneath heartbreaking character stories and locations that have long been left alone since the Shattering. The horrors are found within the treatment of certain species, the scarlet rot that eats away at the insides of those afflicted, and the fates of those whose destiny have been decided for them.

However, in Bloodborne, the true horrors caused by human greed are displayed for all to see. Monstrous beasts stalk the streets of Yharnam and are cut down with a visceral display of blood and guts, babies and children are not free from the depravity of humans, women are impregnated against their will due to the sadness of gods, and we see as bones rip and tear as the afflicted turn into beasts before our eyes.

You have to look for the suffering and horrors in Elden Ring, whereas you cannot escape it in Bloodborne and even if it is not via a PC port or remaster (although I am praying FromSoftware, I beg), I hope that the studio will explore the depravity of humans and the true monsters of this world in a future title.

What is most surprising is that the idea for this piece didn’t stem from Bloodborne but rather from Elden Ring Nightreign.

When you are not taking part in “runs”, you will be able to take on Remembrance quests for each of the Nightfarer characters which will give you some insight into their backgrounds as well as offering some useful items to help in future games.

FromSoftware

One such Nightfarer is Revenant and in typical FromSoftware fashion, she is a reanimated doll who uses a lyre to summon spirits to the fight. We learn early on that the spirits take the form of her now-dead family members but it is through her Remembrance quest that we learn what happened to her previous owners.

I won’t spoil her story here but what I will say is that FromSoftware truly dived back into its horror roots to bring us a visceral and haunting story and accompanying cutscene that stayed with me for days after I first saw it.

Not only that but it got me thinking about what else the studio would be capable of if it ever decided to work on a linear, single-player horror game with a narrative akin to Bloodborne or even just a brief quest found in its first fully multiplayer roguelike.

Luckily, this could be proven when it comes to The Duskbloods, an upcoming FromSoftware title which is expected to be launched for the Nintendo Switch 2.

Much like Nightreign, this will be a multiplayer game and will feature both PvE and PvP gameplay and players will be able to take on the role of vampire-like characters known as Bloodsworn.

As with the majority of FromSoftware titles, lore will be built into in-game items and character customisation items but I imagine that this will play an even bigger part in The Duskbloods considering that it’s a multiplayer title and most of its story will be experienced through other means.

More specifically, telling rather than showing.

Maybe The Duskbloods will prove me wrong in this aspect but due to its multiplayer gameplay and Nintendo Switch 2 exclusivity, I still don’t think that it will stand up against the horror-filled narrative of Bloodborne and that is something I hope for in the future.

If any studio is capable, it is FromSoftware as in between fighting bosses and exploring the incredible worlds, these games are a tour de force when it comes to narrative and exploring the true horrors that humans are capable of committing.

If not, I am happy to settle for a Bloodborne PC port.