FromSoftware single-handedly pioneered the growth of the Soulslike genre in the past few years and each new installment has been an improvement from previous projects. Director Hidetaka Miyazaki has a profound understanding of the makings of a great Soulslike title, and the recent success of his latest game gave the studio the confidence and motivation to increase the workforce to develop more titles on a much larger scale.
Legacy projects were a stepping stone towards achieving greater success. One project that struck the director the most, and going into this exciting chapter for the studio could pave the way back to one of its forgotten gems.
FromSoftware Is Going All in by Confirming Multiple Soulslike Projects Are in Active Development
The gaming community has been clamoring for a Bloodborne remaster or sequel for the past few years and recent rumors suggest a new project could be on the way. The PlayStation 4 exclusive made a lasting impact and for good reason, Miyazaki holds this project with high regard and claims it struck him the most. It would make sense for the developers to expand the franchise; however, Miyazaki has no control over it and Sony Interactive Entertainment is the only hurdle standing in the way between the gaming community and more Bloodborne content.
The success of Elden Ring encouraged the studio to dial up the output of Soulslike games to an eleven. The studio is said to be working on multiple projects simultaneously with different game directors taking the helm, and one of these smaller projects could give Miyazaki enough leeway to revisit his favorite game. Bloodborne stood out to Miyazaki because he imparted plenty of original ideas and concepts for the game which became the golden standard for a definitive Soulslike experience.
The director often reflects on his previous work and honors them in his latest project. The gaming community immediately noticed the striking similarities of the newest enemy type featured in the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion from Bloodborne, and this is as close as fans could get to new content. Miyazaki didn’t shy away from the allegations that he was interested in returning to Yharnam and cleverly embedded easter eggs and references in Déraciné which led fans to believe a sequel was on the way but that was never the case with Sony.
Miyazaki has earned the right to go back and do what he wants. Hopefully, these recent rumors are somewhat credible and the management of Sony will make the right choice. Hideaki Nishino is one of the two new CEOs of the company and revealed he is a fan of Bloodborne which gave fans a new shred of hope for a potential sequel or remaster.
The Success of Elden Ring Opened New Doors of Opportunities and a Trip Down Memory Lane
The Soulslike genre is not for the faint of heart. Miyazaki nurtured a generation of gamers to strive for self-improvement and encouraged them to keep getting back up no matter how powerful these enemies can be as an allegory to real-life trials and tribulations. Miyazaki endured many hardships in his youth making him the game director he is today and he wanted to impart that to the player base.
Miyazaki would jump in at the first opportunity to revisit the world of Bloodborne and expand it the way he see fit. It is an unfortunate hand to be dealt when a creative has much more to share in a game but can’t due to reasons unknown and fans constantly reminding him of what could have been.
The gaming community has been forged in fire and developing smaller-scale titles could help keep the fans at bay while Miyazaki is working on the next major installment to the Soulslike franchise. More games mean more options for players to experience a harrowing journey and reach a fulfilling endpoint.
FromSoftware struck gold with the Soulslike franchise and the studio kept striking while the iron was hot and took everything from the previous games and made it better in succeeding projects. Elden Ring wouldn’t be a massive success without Bloodborne and other older Soulslike games paving the way.
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