Summary
With the release of a new Nintendo Direct, no one could have guessed thatFromSoftware would have anything to show,let alone an entire exclusive title.The Duskbloodscame out of nowhere and shows that FromSoftware isn’t afraid to push out multiple projects in a short amount of time and also experiment in some new territory as well. With ‘blood’ in the title, there are many fans with the expectation that it is in some form aBloodbornesuccessor, or even simply be set in the same universe as some of the other games, as there are more than enough threads that could tie this new world to the existing ones in the past.
FromSoftware is no stranger to hiding details and keeping things as ambiguous as humanly possible, littering their worlds with Easter eggs and story details that, once discovered, reveal entire additional narratives that were otherwise unknown. In just a short three-minute trailer, they have given away more than enough to start the speculation train going, and with a year or so to go before the game is fully released, it is up to the community, combined with the small details the devs have explicitly given away, to piece together what on earth is going on in the world ofThe Duskbloods.
7Symbols
Familiar Yet Distinct
Symbolism is an incredibly important part of theSoulsseries,as the storytelling and meaningbehind a lot of objects and items are hidden behind cryptic messages and symbols that need to be deciphered and pieced together to reveal even a fragment of the truth. Right at the start ofThe Duskbloodstrailer, a bloodied hand with some kind of sigil on it is shown after an unknown figure, presumably the narrator, touches the character.
The meaning behind this symbol as of right now is fairly unknown, but there are plenty of connections that can be drawn to things in the trailer as well as previous titles. For instance, the lady utters, “turn a wheel and transport him”, perhaps denoting the image she etched into his hand or even something more. It could mean that each player uses these symbols to move around the map in various ways or that there is a physical wheel on the map that needs to be interacted with in order to reach the next area. A more speculative reading relates toBloodborneand how the image in the trailer looks strangely like a blood gem. The similarity is undeniable, and it could mean that the worlds of the two games are more intertwined than it first appears. It would be an amazing expansion of the world and the stories within.
6Here We Go Again
Have We Met Before?
When playing through the worlds of several of FromSoftware’s titles,players are able to pick up various peculiar-looking suits of armor and interact with just as peculiar NPCs with questionable fashion tastes. One of the most widely recognized is Siegward/Siegmyer of Catarina. Throughout the games, an onion-shaped knight of various names can be encountered and interacted with for some amusing dialogue and well-spirited chat. InDark Souls 3specifically, Siegward crosses paths with the infamous Patches, who has been tormenting players across many of theSoulstitles for decades, and the player can follow several steps to progress both questlines, depending on how much forgiveness they have left.
Ever since then,players have been on the lookout for similar charactersin the later games who share characteristics, features, or even the same name. FromSekirotoBloodborne,each game has some version of Patches and even larger-than-necessary pieces of armor, and it seems likeThe Duskbloodsmight be keeping up the tradition. The trailer shows off presumably a playable character or a suit of armor that is rather unconventional, looking more like a diving suit than a battle-ready gear set. But the parallels to FromSoftware icons are too hard to ignore, and it is clear that the essence of Catarina will carry on into the bloody world ofThe Duskbloods.
5Make Contact
More Than Just A Coincidence
Blood and FromSoftware have a complex relationship that has spanned over a decade now, which is largely thanks toBloodbornereceiving little to no love since it released, despite adoring fans begging for a sequel. With a new title on the cards, players are scrambling to find links and reasons why blood is being brought up once again, and aside from the obvious connection to vampirisicm as seen in the trailer, there is a very big link that tiesThe Duskbloodsto the fan-favourite title.
Towards the end of the trailer, a figure is seen posing in a rather interesting manner, not a battle stance, but rather a kind of taunt or pose that feels more performative than aggressive. The lightbulbs immediately light up, and a connection is drawn to the “Make contact” gesture found inBloodborne. The gesture is almost identical and serves a seemingly strange purpose in the game that could become clear in the new title. By using the gesture in front of a hidden enemy near the end of the game, the player receives the Moon Caryll rune, and judging by the amount of moons and moon imagery seen in this new trailer, it is clear that these gestures are not only similar but directly linked by some celestial or lunar-based power.
4Glass
A Window Into The Soul
Throughout the trailer, several characters are seen either looking through windows or near large broken panes of glass that were either stained in some religious setting or open up a view of the entire area surrounding them. While there are hours' worth of references that could be made to what the windows mean and how glass fits into the story, the main interesting point is the religious imagery related to stained-glass and how faith could fit nicely into a world of evil, vampires, and magic beyond comprehension.
There is a long-drawn-out sequence where the camera slowly pans towards a large piece of stained-glass, depicting several figures in a formation around a central figure draped in red. With most of the walls being covered in even more red glass, the connections can be tied to the blood of Christ and, therefore, forgiveness of sin, but there are also readings related to the color red that tie into hope and positivity. Whatever the meaning and purpose of the images, it is clear that faith and religion will play a crucial part in the story, something which is not new ground to cover for FromSoftware, so it will be interesting to see where that facet of the world is taken this time.
3Diurnal Cycle
Time Ticks Forward
A subtle detail that is very much in the background and couldeither tie into a gameplay featureor a narrative one is the cycle of night seen throughout the trailer. At several points, the same cityscape is shown with different backgrounds and times of day, some at night, some at day, and some in some middle ground with a mix of colors and patterns in the sky. A cycle of time is something that was shown off inElden Ring,with dynamic weather and times of day playing a minor role in the kind of enemies that may or may not spawn, as well as adding some atmosphere to the environment.
But with the release ofNightreign,where day and night play a significant role in how the gameplay develops, the passage of time could be more than just a thematic tool to create a more gloomy world, and it becomes even more interesting when factoring in the idea of vampires. Traditionally, vampires in media have been shown to have a hatred or even a fear of sunlight, which could mean that certain characters, or even all of them, will need to flee indoors when the day comes around and wait out the rays until nightfall. In any case, it is clear that the world will not be static and that there will be plenty of dynamic changes that occur throughout a session to keep things feeling interesting every time.
2Candles
The Fire Fades No More
Some details in the trailer are more obvious,while others are hidden in plain sight.Candles are a great way of lighting an environment in a video game, creating a scary yet warm atmosphere, and have been seen throughout theSoulsseries as both weapons and obstacles that need to be overcome. InTheDuskbloodstrailer, the wax is in full force, with rooms being littered with candles and even outdoor scenes showing them all over the floor. It is strange to see them in areas covered in water or in well-lit areas, so it could mean that candles have a greater purpose and meaning when it comes to gameplay or the story.
When it comes to the meaning behind candles, relaxation, peace, and joy are all things that are associated with them across cultures and traditions. But when it comes to a Soulslike, it could be a marker of safety or an area of the world that is yet to be contaminated by the vampiric presence. While it is fair to say that they could be included purely as a way of creating a nice atmosphere, it seems strange to put such a heavy emphasis on their presence in the trailer, and it wouldn’t be surprising at all if there was some kind of lighting mechanic to help players when traversing the map.
1The Moon
It’s Always There
If the image of a giant, winged moon wasn’t scary enough, FromSoftware decided a nice set of teeth would be enough to fuel nightmares. The striking image is a very memorable one from the trailer, and it is very unclear whether it will be a boss, an NPC, or a part of the environment that can’t be interacted with at all. But upon close inspection, it is clear that astrology and moons pop up on more than one occasion. Take the blood moon seen atop a stained glass wall, strangely placed in a church of all places, to perhaps show some kind of dark religious cult that worships the lunar phases like a god.
There is also the giant moon itself, having specifically placed wings that make it appear similar to depictions of biblically accurate angels, which is greatly contrasted by the demonic appearance of the moon itself. It is clear that night, time, and the lunar phases will all play a pivotal role in the story and even the gameplay ofThe Duskbloods,dictating how players interact with the world and allowing players to piece together the narrative that will no doubt be scattered across the areas in snippets of dialogue and cryptic notes.
