How FromSoftware Should Make Bloodborne 2

Back To The Future (Of Yharnam)

Perhaps, then, a game set further in the future could be the way forward? A new town, constructed in Yharnam’s shadow, whose citizens rediscover the power of the blood (which was never eradicated in any ending) and start their own beastly scourge could be fitting. After all, the Great Ones are tricky, deceptive and resilient creatures, and there’s no saying that they couldn’t cook up another scheme to get their hands on a human surrogate. They’re twenty-foot-tall tentacle abominations from another dimension, they can do whatever the heck they like.

The difficulty with a future setting, however, is that it might compromise everything that Bloodborne is admired for artistically. The misty, Victorian vibe, the mechanical brilliance of the Trick Weapons, the Dark Souls-esque yet distinct aesthetic in general… this is part of the original’s identity, the reason it struck a chord with so many, and it could be costly to deviate from that.

The key with follow-ups is to retain everything that was best about the original, while taking care not to simply drop a glorified expansion pack. This is a super delicate balance for any developers to achieve, and maybe it would be best achieved if Bloodborne 2 took cues (but not too many, naturally) from the first game’s DLC, The Old Hunters.