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FromSoftware
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FromSoftware
Even FromSoftware’s most faithful fans expressed reservations about The Duskbloods’ description as a PvPvE Soulslike experience when it was revealed last April. So much so that even the studio regrets leading with this descriptor, as it believes it gives a somewhat inaccurate representation of the game. Battling other players is core to the experience, but it still heavily emphasizes exploring on your own, confronting dangerous monstrosities, and uncovering secrets to get ahead of rivals. It’s a fascinating approach to competitive multiplayer, and after playing several hours of the Switch 2 exclusive at FromSoftware’s Tokyo headquarters, it’s one even a single-player-minded player like me had a blast with.
The Blood Moon Rises
The Blood Moon Rises
The Duskbloods has been in development since 2021 (while FromSoftware was still working on Elden Ring) and centers on the Bloodsworn: vampiric, superpowered warriors who face off in an event called the Twilight of Humanity to obtain a prize known as First Blood. This development timeline matters, as The Duskbloods’ game director and FromSoftware head Hidetaka Miyazaki told other journalists and me that the game was not piggybacking on Elden Ring’s success or continuing a perceived shift toward multiplayer experiences after Elden Ring Nightreign. Rather, it was simply the game Miyazaki wanted to make. The timing of its arrival, hot off the heels of last year’s Nightreign, is merely circumstantial. Rest assured: FromSoftware is not abandoning single-player games, according to Miyazaki.
What The Duskbloods does is draw from and expand multiplayer mechanics from the studio’s previous single-player titles like Dark Souls in a way Miyazaki says was only possible in a dedicated experience. The move to Switch 2 was also a fortunate twist of fate, as the game was originally in development for the original Switch, which Miyazaki suggests would have required compromises. He speaks on behalf of the team when he expresses the collective relief they felt at the reveal of Nintendo’s current, more powerful hardware. I felt a similar relief playing the game; it’s not the next Elden Ring, but it’s a damn fun time with plenty of gameplay depth and mystique.
Sworn to Blood
Sworn to Blood
At the center of The Duskbloods are its playable characters, the Bloodsworn. Although the full game will offer over 10 Bloodsworn to choose from at launch, six were available in my session, which will also be true of the closed network test kicking off on August 21. Each Bloodsworn wields short- and long-range weapons and unique special abilities. Here’s a brief breakdown of each character.
- Albert: Sports dual sabers and an SMG, and unleashes blood-infused attacks. A generally balanced mix of melee and ranged offense that’s great for newcomers.
- Bloodhand Jan: Wearing nothing but a onesie and a pot over his head, Jan brandishes a one-handed axe and unleashes fire from his free hand like a flamethrower. A special strike sees him leap airborne and slam down with a giant, bloody AoE attack
- Senator Samir Patres: Slices foes using a rapier, fires spectral birds, and transforms into a T-Rex-like dinosaur (yes, really) that charges and crushes foes in its mouth like a dog’s chew toy.
- Trang Lanh: Wields a giant ring blade for close-quarters and ranged combat, as it can be tossed at threats. Trang Lanh can also temporarily turn invisible and summon a giant white snake (not unlike the serpent from Sekiro).
- Sniper Layla: Wears dagger-esque blades for close range, but primarily snipes foes from afar using her rifle. Layla can transform into a swarm of insects to quickly warp short distances and pull a Gatling gun out of her chest to viciously mow down targets.
- Zork: An armor-clad Bloodsworn who makes up for its slower, heavier movements by dealing heavy damage using his electric cable. Zork can pierce targets using a speargun, fire a barrage of missiles, and even rocket itself headfirst into targets.
Regardless of the Bloodsworn you choose, the basic combat mechanics are familiar to FromSoftware’s Souls games, but The Duskbloods’ entertaining traversal adds a fun twist. Bloodsworn can leap great heights and perform four straight jumps before needing to land. I loved leaping over buildings in a single (or quadruple) bound like Superman with no fall damage. The leap is great for quickly covering ground or getting the drop on foes from great heights. To the same end, you can sprint freely without draining stamina (which still drains when attacking or dodging).
Bloosworn can also bite the necks of staggered enemies to drain their blood. In addition to providing a small health boost, doing so turns smaller fodder enemies into allies. To stagger them, you must nail a parry-like howl before an enemy lands a hit, opening a brief window to go for the neck. I like turning several enemies to my side early, letting me roll up on rivals with a small posse backing me. At best, it lets me overwhelm an opponent; at worst, I’m surrounded by distractions and living shields. This parry is also useful against other players, as it can interrupt their attacks. Plus, draining their blood deals significant damage.
Speaking of allies, activating special portals summons helpful entities called Kin. Like Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring, these unique helpers are invaluable sidekicks. They stick with players for the duration of a match and grow stronger as they defeat enemies. My favorite Kin is Baritone, a singing behemoth whose vocals grant stat buffs as he slams threats using wrestling moves. Other Kin include a health-boosting gargoyle and a nimble, lightning-quick dual-sword-wielding warrior. They’re all as strange as they are useful, and although you can recall them until they’re needed, I rarely saw an opponent possessing a Kin that wasn’t exploring without it constantly by their side. You can switch to a different Kin if you find another portal; however, they’ll be at Level 1. So even if you find a Kin you like better, it may be strategically unwise to swap out a higher-level Kin to use it. But that’s up to you.
Know Your Kin
Know Your Kin
My session of The Duskbloods offered eight Kin to partner with. While it’s unknown whether this is the full number of Kin available at launch, or whether there are some yet to be revealed, here are the ones we know so far and the help they offer players.
- Baritone: A singing behemoth who offers an unclear stat buff. Offensively, he suplexes enemies like a pro wrestler.
- Undead Marlowe: A zombified gentleman who gives off vibes of a down-on-his-luck drifter. His vibe vaguely reminds me of Ol’ Gil from The Simpsons, and Marlowe loves bragging about how he’s tough to kill. Sort of flails at targets in an uncoordinated but somewhat effective assault.
- Nia, Sister of the Briar: Boasting two swords and acrobatic movements, Nia can quickly slice apart enemies while evading damage, making her one of my favorite Kin to enlist.
- Thaumaturge Avester: A floating mage of sorts who scorches enemies by unleashing magical fireballs.
- Valentinos the Unwise: A large, morbidly obese kin who rolls around in a wheelchair-like vehicle. He can use a whip to attack from afar, or bearhug targets up close. Proved to be one of the most formidable Kin to deal with.
- Gargoyle: This stationary, snake-wrapped statue routinely heals its master. Summoning Gargoyle in a spot it won’t be easily spotted or attacked is ideal.
- Gunslinger Beatrice: I only summoned this Wild West-inspired gunslinger once, but Beatrice offers ranged support by peppering targets using her pistols.
- Black Wolf of Mars: A ferocious wolf that relentlessly attacks targets. Pairs well with ranged-minded Bloodsworn like Sniper Layla, letting you attack from afar while Mars handles
Victory is a Virtue
Victory is a Virtue
After choosing your Bloodsworn in the House of Night, The Duskbloods’ main hub that features a training space and other unlockable areas not available in this build, it’s time to queue up. At the event, 16 journalists and influencers were divided into two tables – eight each – letting us play against each other in randomized configurations on a closed server. Although the game features random matchmaking, Miyazaki confirmed The Duskbloods features private lobbies to play only with friends when I asked him during the group interview.
Each match, called a Dusk Battle, pits eight players against each other and consists of four timed Phases, where players are gradually eliminated as the match progresses. The last player standing wins. Winning a Dusk Battle requires accumulating Virtue, a resource earned in several ways: in battle by defeating other players, smaller threats, and challenging bosses, and by exploring and finding Virtue-infused corpses among other secrets. Repulsion Virtue, for example, is earned by defeating bosses ranging from mid-tier foes to greater threats known as Trespassers. To acquire Commendation Virtue, you must perform smaller feats, like killing a large number of common foes or collecting more dropped items than other players.
Flame Virtue is obtained from purple throne-seated corpses hidden throughout the map. The first person to touch Flame Virtue will be the only one to do so, as it’s a one-time, first-come-first-served reward. Being the first person to discover a Flame Virtue is always exhilarating; conversely, the disappointment of approaching a Flame Virtue only to find that someone else already activated it is immeasurable.
In a battle-royale-esque format, players with the most Virtue at the end of a phase advance to subsequent rounds, while those who don’t hit a Virtue quota are eliminated (two players at a time). I didn’t clock it, but each Phase feels like it takes between 8-10 minutes. Phase I features no eliminations, so it’s best spent gathering strength and unlocking new skills by defeating enemies and searching for Virtue. I spent most of this time killing everything that moves to quickly level up, as doing so also unlocks level-gated special abilities for Bloodsworn, while trying to find Flame Virtue before other players got to it. There’s no penalty for dying during a match; you’ll just respawn to a chosen area on the map. Each player has two health flasks, a limit that can be increased by finding a special item.
Character-specific missions called Sigils offer another optional avenue to earn Virtue. Each Bloodsworn has an accompanying Sigil that can be enabled before each match; Albert, for example, has the Sigil of a Sworn Enemy, which tasks the player with hunting and killing a marked player. Sigil of Old Friend requires seeking out and befriending someone by offering an alliance, a broader mechanic that lets two players team up (more on this later).
Sigil of the Eye of Moralis is similar to that of the Sworn Enemy, in that players must hunt another player branded as a Heretic; however, the Heretic can also defeat their hunter for rewards. The last Sigil available in this build is the Sigil of Love, the most bizarre of the bunch since it requires the player to propose marriage to a designated rival (yes, really). If the proposal is accepted, those players become lovers, though it’s unclear what the other player gains from this union.
Eliminations go live in Phases II and III. Phase II “culls”, to use the game’s term, three bottom-ranked players, and Phase III cuts two more. These Phases also introduce Ritual Sites, special zones where players can earn heaps of Virtue by winning PvP battles or capturing and defending special checkpoints. If you’re confident in your battle prowess, besting other players at Ritual Sites rewards Sword Virtue. Those who prefer to avoid conflict can chase Pledge Virtue by activating golden symbols scattered across the Ritual Site. However, Pledge Virtue is not inherently conflict-free; someone else can activate your Pledge to steal it, so it may be wise to stay near Pledge zones to defend them if necessary. Ritual Sites unlock towards the end of Phases II and III and always devolved into utter, entertaining chaos as players converged on these points to frantically earn enough Virtue to stay in the game or reinforce their leads by preventing opponents from gaining their rewards.
Dusk Battles can also be spiced up by Events, special stipulations that affect the entire map. These randomly selected modifiers flip the entire game on its head for all players. One Event spawns a zeppelin over the stage that rains fire upon the map, incinerating anyone caught in its blasts. One particularly annoying/amusing Event periodically zaps every player with unavoidable lightning, but instead of electrocuting them, they’re teleported to a random spot on the map. In one instance, I was warped right in front of a Trespasser, and it promptly clapped me. Another Event tasks players with reaching the top of Lowarno City’s bell tower and ringing said bell to earn extra Virtue. One neat Event sees a shooting star crash somewhere on the map; the player who can grab its shard and hold on to it at the end of the Phase earns bonus Virtue.
Once Phase III culls the remaining losers, the final top three players advance to Phase IV. This unfolds as an often chaotic arena battle where the last player standing wins the match. Arenas are much smaller than the main map and vary in type; one lacks walls, for example, allowing players to fall or be tossed over the edge Super Smash Bros.-style (which some players took full advantage of). Players have two lives to spend here, so dying a third time marks an elimination. I only reached Phase IV a handful of times, coming in 3rd place each attempt.
Between facing off against leveled-up players, not to mention whichever powered-up Kin they’re rolling with, winning these bouts can be extremely challenging. Sometimes I found success hanging back and letting my two opponents duke it out while taking potshots from afar; of course, they inevitably realized what I was doing and would then (understandably) double-team me. Victory is hard-earned, but Phase IV also has the excitement of a hype fighting game match. Eliminated players routinely gathered around the monitors of whoever made it to the last round to watch them duke it out, eliciting plenty of cheers, groans, and laughter from the room. Although you can reach Phase IV using the non-combative methods mentioned above, it is the round where the familiar phrase “git gud” is most applicable.
The single map (or “Lands of Dusk” as they’re called) available in the build I played, Lowarno City, is a multi-layered locale emphasizing verticality. It features multiple distinct areas, including a cathedral, a cave network, underground ruins, a poisonous marsh (of course), and a massive bell tower, among other areas I know I missed. You can also find special chests that improve your melee weapons with enhancements, such as elemental boons like fire and lightning or poison damage. The scale of Lowarno City is impressive; it’s big enough to make me feel isolated in a way that I love in FromSoftware titles, but not too large that I didn’t see another player semi-regularly, even briefly, at some point. Lowarno City is one of three maps planned for the final game. I’m curious to see the others, but I really enjoyed exploring this first battlefield.
The Value of Teamwork
The Value of Teamwork
Although The Duskbloods is a competitive experience first, you can work with other players either loosely or under a formal agreement called Alliances. Initiating an Alliance with another player requires them to accept; if they do, the two of you become partners for the remainder of the Dusk Battle.
Alliances can be offered any time during a Dusk Battle before Phase IV, and partnered players can’t hurt each other. Both players share certain rewards. Should they make it to Phase IV, the Alliance ends since the players must become opponents. Ending an Alliance prematurely results in a penalty for the player who calls it off, forcing them to surrender a portion of Virtue (and potentially other resources, though this is unclear) to their former partner. Alliances can be a great way for bottom-ranked players to increase their odds of survival by working together.
Duos Mode is a separate form of Dusk Battle that divides players into teams of two (making four teams total). Like Alliances, partners can’t damage each other but share Virtue and weapon enhancements. A single team is eliminated each round. Phase IV pits the two top-ranked teams against each other, and teams share a pool of two lives.
A Story Told Through Battle
A Story Told Through Battle
FromSoftware enthusiasts love dissecting the lore and story of the studio’s single-player games. Although The Duskbloods is a multiplayer experience, it’s not devoid of narrative. When I ask Miyazaki how the game delivers a story, he reveals that the House of Night, the explorable mansion hub where you initiate Dusk Battles, features a special NPC who won’t be accessible until The Duskbloods’ full launch. This NPC is located on the second floor of the House of Night, and as players regularly speak to them, “you’ll sort of feel more about the story and will progress the story aspect to a certain extent,” says Miyazaki.
Miyazaki also reveals Bloodlines, a customization element tied to Bloodsworn, offers another storytelling device. “…Basically, as you progress, as you play with certain characters in the multiplayer, it will sort of unlock aspects of that customization that then reveal things like their history, their relationships with other characters, things like that,” Miyazaki explains. “So the story will kind of be revealed in that way as well.”
Furthermore, Miyazaki adds that the emergent moments from playing Dusk Battles tell their own stories unique to each player while fleshing out Bloodlines. “And so, through multiplayer, with things like the Sigil system and the Events system, basically as you’re playing and this sort of unexpected drama unfolds, that can also unlock new Bloodlines and sort of it can branch off from there as well, depending on who you’re interacting with, what kind of events occur with what characters, who has what Sigil, things like that. So there’s always this sort of unexpected way that the story might reveal itself to you as you’re playing the game, outside of just the House of Night.”
A Promising First Impression
A Promising First Impression
I like to enjoy FromSoftware games as solitary experiences. I’ve never summoned a human player to help me in other Souls games, and though I respect Elden Ring Nightreign and gave it a fair shake, I just didn’t like having to rely on other players to get the most out of the experience. Call me antisocial, but one reason I much prefer The Duskbloods is that I can jump into matches without having to align schedules with friends or coordinate with a randomly assigned partner (because I’m not unmuting my mic for strangers). The Duskbloods is a solo experience first; cooperation is merely circumstantial and intentionally strategic.
Overall, I’m somewhat surprised how much I enjoy The Duskbloods. Much of that has to do with not needing to engage in PvP to get Virtue – I gathered plenty of it by exploring the map and fighting AI enemies while rarely encountering other players. By playing it like a single-player game, I’m still competing with everyone else and even winning. There were matches where The Duskbloods felt like a small Elden Ring sequel due to the surprising scale and diversity of Lowarno City, letting me soak in the surreal sights, albeit to a lesser degree. But the urgency introduced by the timer and Virtue score adds an intense wrinkle I enjoy, and the overall structure reminds me why I generally enjoy battle royales; I can play alone and get ahead in whatever manner I deem most strategically viable based on my skill level and loadout. The Duskbloods adds a potent and entertaining FromSoftware twist to what already works for me in that genre.
The best compliment I can give is that I ended each match eager to begin another. The game’s mix of skill, strategy, and luck makes each match dynamic, exciting, hilarious, and unpredictable. Getting narrowly eliminated made me punch the air, while competing in the final round is genuinely thrilling. The characters are fun and varied, catering to multiple playstyles; if you prefer to deal damage from afar, go with Sniper Layla, while tank-loving players should roll with Zork. And if you’re concerned about the platform choice, don’t be: The Duskbloods performed perfectly fine on Switch 2 (which really shouldn’t be surprising; the console’s not a potato by any stretch) to the point I forgot it was the platform running it.
There are still plenty of mysteries surrounding the game. What does the main narrative entail? Does the game utilize any Switch 2-specific features (Miyazaki immediately said he couldn’t speak on this when a journalist posed this question during our group interview)? What does post-launch support look like? We still have plenty to discover after the closed network test concludes, and that’s exciting. FromSoftware is on to something here, and like the game’s vampiric competitors, I’m thirsty to spill – and drink – more blood in many matches to come.
