The Duskbloods, a new multiplayer vampire game from Elden Ring developer FromSoftware, is poised to become one of the most significant exclusives for Nintendo’s Switch 2 console. The title, which was recently previewed by members of the press in Tokyo, marks a departure from the approachable, family-friendly games typically associated with Nintendo. While Nintendo consoles have historically been driven by first-party titles like Mario Kart and Pokémon, the company has partnered with FromSoftware to deliver a hardcore experience that could broaden the platform’s appeal to a new segment of players.
The game pits eight players, controlling vampiric characters known as the Bloodsworn, against each other in gothic levels filled with enemies and enormous boss creatures. Matches are divided into four phases, during which the player count is gradually reduced through a mechanic called the culling. Players who fail to accumulate enough virtue points by the end of a round are eliminated, though the required threshold depends on how much virtue other players have collected. Players respawn after dying with their virtue intact outside of the final round, encouraging exploration and experimentation.
Virtue points serve as the core currency of progression, awarded for a wide range of activities including collecting items, defeating minor enemies, killing boss creatures, and discovering hidden corpses scattered throughout the levels. Later rounds offer significant virtue bonuses for defeating other players at specific map locations or making pledges at altars. This system is designed so that players who are not skilled at one-on-one combat can still advance by focusing on other objectives, a deliberate contrast to traditional competitive shooters where eliminating opponents is the clearest path to victory.
The game features a roster of six playable characters in the early version, each with distinct abilities and playstyles. These range from an aging senator who can transform into a bloodthirsty dinosaur to a ninja using circular blades and an armor-clad character named Zork who wields an electrified chunk of undersea cable. Players can also summon companion characters, called kin, that aid in battle and can be leveled up during a match, including a soprano wrestler who sings to improve defensive capabilities. Random events, such as zeppelin bombings and lightning storms, add further unpredictability to matches, as do equippable sigils that grant players specific tasks like hunting down a particular rival or proposing to a character’s lost love.
The previewed version lacked some final features, including the majority of character customization and story elements, as well as alternative win conditions beyond the fight-to-the-death finale. The Duskbloods is a notably complex game, and the preview session left players feeling they had only just grasped the basics after several hours of play. This complexity contrasts sharply with the pick-up-and-play nature of Nintendo’s successful online titles like Splatoon and Mario Kart.
The game’s complexity may be its greatest strength, however. FromSoftware previously achieved massive success by making the intimidating action RPG genre more accessible with Elden Ring, which sold over 30 million copies and spawned a Hollywood movie adaptation. The Duskbloods applies a similar approach to competitive multiplayer, aiming to give players meaningful activities even when they cannot win a match. With online multiplayer still dominating gaming time, the combination of FromSoftware’s fantasy worldbuilding and a more forgiving competitive structure could attract a new type of player to the Switch 2.
More gadget news from TechManNews.
