From Software has been an industry trendsetter with its souls-like games over the years, but what inspires the studio when it crafts new experiences like The Duskbloods? The brief amounts of gameplay we’ve seen so far certainly suggest it includes plenty of From Software DNA, with its elegant art direction and hard-hitting action, and game director Hidetaka Miyazaki revealed that tabletop games such as Vampire: The Masquerade also had a hand in shaping The Duskbloods.
One of the core gameplay mechanics–the Virtue System–is inspired by Vampire: The Masquerade’s house rules, while classical vampire literature helped to influence the world of The Duskbloods.
“Systemically speaking, the Virtue system–the victory point system–takes inspiration from board games where such mechanics are common,” Miyazaki told GameSpot via a translator. “Additionally, the Sigil system was inspired by tabletop RPGs, particularly house rules that I used to play with. So those systems drew inspiration from tabletop mechanics.”
As for the story of The Duskbloods, Miyazaki said the inspirations are broader and less easy to define.
“From a lore, aesthetic, [and] world-building point of view, there’s nothing completely direct,” he said. “Vampire stuff in general is something I’m very passionate about and enjoy reading a lot. There’s definitely a bit of that that has rubbed off on me over time. [Some] things I enjoy include Vampire: The Masquerade, Fevre Dream [by George R.R. Martin], and Dracula Cha-Cha-Cha [by Kim Newman]. Not super old-school stuff, but a bit more modern vampire literature. It’s all very indirect–things that have rubbed off on me over time and things I’ve always wanted to implement. So from an aesthetic point of view, there’s definitely a bit of that.”
Everything we’ve seen so far of The Duskbloods certainly suggests that From Software has been inspired by the idea of romanticized vampires. Tabletop games like Vampire: The Masquerade have focused on the rich societal hierarchy of the bloodsuckers, something that ties into the distinct sense of elegance found in From Software games.
The Duskbloods doesn’t have a release date yet, but it’s currently expected to launch for Switch 2 later this year.