A Bloodborne Successor Could Make a Threatening Boss Type Common

18/06/2024

Bloodborne's legacy remains strong, inspiring subsequent FromSoftware hits with its iconic boss battles and gothic themes.
The game's humanoid bosses, like Lady Maria and Ludwig, offer a unique challenge and storytelling depth, setting it apart.
A potential sequel should focus on increasing the number of humanoid bosses to enhance the cinematic and challenging gameplay experience.

It's uncertain if Bloodborne will ever receive a direct follow-up, but the prolific FromSoftware action RPG's legacy is unlikely to fade any time soon. Remaining relevant years after informing the studio's subsequent successes and inspiring titles across the industry alike, Bloodborne is a game that many fans still desire a sequel for. It could be argued that the original would be tough to surpass, or even match up to, given its creative blend of elements and themes in the context of its release, but specifically focusing on one of the title's most recognizable contributions to FromSoft combat could help to allow the next Bloodborne to match the first's prestige.

Beginning when Demon's Souls properly established what would become Hidetaka Miyazaki's signature style of game direction, the Soulslike genre has always been heavily characterized by an emphasis on boss battles that define the worlds of their respective titles. Bloodborne is still praised for its boss design even following the release of Elden Ring and Dark Souls 3, largely due to the fact that these later releases have all taken direct inspiration from the gothic horror-adjacent game despite their own fantasy settings. The cinematic encounters with humanoid bosses in Bloodborne have gone on to be highly influential in the years since, and bringing these to the forefront in a sequel could help to bring its legacy full circle.

Even if Bloodborne is Shelved, FromSoftware Has a Trick in Its Back Pocket

Bloodborne might not ever get a sequel, but that doesn't mean that FromSoftware should leave one of its best features behind.

Many of Bloodborne's Biggest Icons Defy Its Monstrous Reputation

The Influence of Bosses like Father Gascoigne and Lady Maria

The premise of the game sees the player as a hunter intending to slay all manner of beasts, and eventually eldritch Great Ones, but anyone who progresses far enough will learn that some of the most dangerous threats in Yharnam come in the shape of a human. There are many vicious monster bosses, but the fewer humanoid opponents are a different type of formidable, being built around mechanics similar to what the player has access to. When combined with some of the most well-written characters in FromSoft history, who are able to monologue and speak for themselves in combat, this dynamic has created landmark moments in gaming in the eyes of some fans.

Even Ludwig and Orphan of Kos Evoke This Motif

Facing the likes of Lady Maria or Gehrman are especially dramatic moments due to their deep ties to the greater narrative of Bloodborne, but their humanoid traits have also been adapted to imprint a similar quality even upon more beastly creatures. Ludwig in his Holy Blade form rises to mimic a biped in what is commonly seen as a peak of the game, while the challenging Orphan of Kos blurs a line between man, monster, and dream to seemingly encapsulate the theme of Bloodborne as a whole.

The Next Bloodborne Should Capitalize on Having Even More Humanoid Bosses

Leaning into FromSoftware's Most Cinematic Gameplay

Depending on how Bloodborne's Chalice Dungeons are counted, it can contain roughly two to three times as many non-human bosses relative to its humanoid encounters. This makes sense through the lens of how much work it takes to have a more fully-realized character versus just another monster with a moveset, but the next Bloodborne could serve as a major step up in this department. There's an undeniable appeal to the vagueness of much of Miyazaki's world-building, but it's equally tough to refute the iconic nature of even some optional humanoid bosses like Elden Ring's Malenia.

Developments in titles that followed Bloodborne have been able to build on its foundation in regard to boss battles, and this could even help a sequel avoid retreading the original's examples of weaker design. It could be said that Gehrman and Micolash were experiments that achieved different results, but the refinement that has occurred since has led to far more encounters resembling the former. Fans are likely to be excited about another Bloodborne with a new premise, but featuring more humanoid bosses in FromSoft's current style could come with the potential to reach a status like its predecessor.

Bloodborne

Platform(s) PS4Released March 24, 2015Developer(s) From SoftwarePublisher(s) SonyGenre(s) Action, RPGESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, ViolenceHow Long To Beat 33 HoursPS Plus Availability Extra & Premium See at Playstation Store