Creator’s Voice blog: Hidetaka Miyazaki on The Duskbloods (part 3)

Get the inside scoop on The Duskbloods in this interview with the director, Hidetaka Miyazaki of FromSoftware.

Check out the rest of the blog

• Part 1: Blood by Dusk

• Part 2: Superhuman abilities and opportunistic behavior

Part 3: Playing roles and altering fates

What other ways might players enjoy the game outside of combat?

One thing I love doing in any game I direct is leaving fragments of lore and worldbuilding details, allowing the player the fun of using their imagination to make connections. The Duskbloods is no exception to this.

However, we’ve gone about it a little differently from previous titles. The fragments this time are found in the previously mentioned character customization items: their “blood history and fate.” Customizing a character will reveal a piece of information regarding the world and its unfolding story.

You customize their “blood history and fate”?

Yes. Analyzing and altering a character’s blood history and fate allows players to customize all sorts of things, from their abilities, appearance, and inner characteristics to the role they play in the world and relationships with other characters.

Focusing these elements on the concept of “blood” or “blood history and fate” allowed for a deeper exploration of customization and is another reason we placed the Bloodsworn as the protagonists.

Do you mind sharing any other points you personally find interesting?

One area I haven’t talked about yet is “roles.”

In online play*, roles give players special responsibilities and objectives that often lead to unique interactions and relationships between players based on their corresponding roles.

That’s probably not much info to go on, so allow me to provide a few examples. But please note we’re still finalizing some of the naming and details.

For example, if a player possesses the “Destined Rivals” role, another player is designated as their rival, and they are tasked with finding and defeating that player. Doing so counts as achieving a personal goal, separate from the overall victory conditions.

Another example is “Destined Companion,” where one player is required to seek out another designated as their companion, which results in a special reward if they form a bond with one another.

Roles can be assigned to any character via blood customization, allowing players to enjoy role-playing in a literal sense and hopefully adding to the drama of these engagements.

Kind of like how players can pick their roles in a table-top RPG (6)?

Exactly. While not entirely intentional, it may reflect my own interests a bit. It might seem a little unorthodox at first, but I hope players will give it a try.

(6) Role-playing games played with things like dice and player, with players interacting with each other while following rules described in a rulebook.

That reminds me, I was curious about the winged rat character seen in the trailer. Can you provide some details as to what role this character serves?

That character shares a similar role with the fire keepers from the Dark Souls series. They remain in the hub area, providing the player with advice and guidance.

I suppose you could say we tried doing something a little Nintendo-esque in the spirit of the partnership.

What do you mean by that?

We tried something cute for a change. Although I will say this character is actually an elderly gentleman (laughter).

(Laughter) Is there anything else you’d like to say before we finish?

In addition to creating a PvPvE title, we’ve tried our hand at introducing a lot of new and interesting ideas with The Duskbloods.

From superhuman player actions, a free-form combat approach, and gameplay that’s dynamic and dramatic to the romanticized aesthetic of the Bloodsworn, deep character customization and fragmentary storytelling, I think there’s a lot to appreciate and enjoy in this title and I sincerely hope players look forward to it.

Thank you very much for your time.

*Any Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online features. Membership auto-renews after initial term at the then-current price unless canceled. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. nintendo.com/switch-online