Bloodborne is hailed as not only one of the best FromSoftware games, but one of the greatest works in the gaming. The gothic action-adventure title perfected Hidetaka Miyazaki's formula established with Demon's Souls and expanded upon with the Dark Souls franchise. It also serves as a solid introduction to the style of game for which FromSoftware has become known, retaining its unique storytelling and grueling difficulty while feeling more accessible than its peers.
Because of its massive critical and commercial success, fans are clamoring for a sequel. While none is in sight and the studio's next release is more than likely Elden Ring, a collaboration with famed fantasy writer George R.R. Martin, this won't stop us from fantasizing about five things we want to see in the sequel and five things we desperately hope they avoid.
10 Want: Abstract Story
The beauty of Bloodborne's narrative is how it presents itself. Minimal exposition starts the player off on their journey, forcing them to piece the story together based on the world and items they acquire. Those interested in every facet of the plot can spend hours diving down an Internet rabbit hole, or those more focused on the pure gameplay experience can get their kicks slashing their way through the world.
The sequel should retain a similar vibe. Players should know what they are doing and why they are in their predicament, but they don't need every morsel of lore spoon-fed to them.
9 Don't Want: Crutches
Miyazaki's games are unkind to the player. Instead of an easy-to-digest experience, one is forced to scrape through the story by the skin of their teeth. The countless deaths and intense bouts make victories feel sweet and wholly earned. Some want an easy mode or the ability to make tough encounters a fairer fight.
Doing this, however, would take away the ideas behind the game's design philosophy. Issues about accessibility to differently abled gamers have been raised, but accessibility in this respect doesn't mean simply making the game easier.
8 Want: More Complex Challenge Dungeons
Chalice Dungeons greatly extend Bloodborne's replay value. Should a sequel materialize, the feature will no doubt return. Hopefully, they will go bigger and better, including larger areas with more complex layouts.
Being bonus content, one cannot feel too sore if they aren't a huge improvement. More extensive labyrinths, on the other hand, would be going above and beyond the call of duty, a common practice for the studio.
7 Don't Want: Too Clear Of A Story
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a slight departure for the studio in regards to its more straightforward narrative. The playable character even talks. While a new approach, it works for the world and services the plot well.
However, a clearer story with a speaking protagonist would not work for Bloodborne 2. The mystery surrounding the hunts makes the world all the more engrossing, and painting a clear picture would rob this mystique.
6 Want: More Cooperative Play Opportunities
The first game created opportunities for players to directly help each other by summoning each other. The opposite could also occur and a player could try to mess up someone's life. The sequel can take steps to expand upon this concept, perhaps having whole bonus sections dedicated to cooperative play.
Nothing beats tackling impossibly hard levels and bosses with a buddy. Screaming in frustration always deserves some company.
5 Don't Want: Technical Issues
FromSoft are no strangers to technical issues at launch. The last generation games often had areas where frame rates would dip to fairly unacceptable levels, and one of the only complaints lobbied at Bloodborne were its performance issues.
The latter was fixed with updates, but the studio should take all the time they need to iron these things out before launch. The ability to remedy these post-launch makes it one of the less severe potential sins of the theoretical sequel. Still, its existence would be a stain on early critical reception.
4 Want: More Locations
Bloodborne takes place in the city of Yarnam, a gothic setting with victorian inspirations. The world is significantly larger than one city, however. A sequel should take players far beyond the city limits into new areas of the enigmatic location.
Of course, players will want to revisit some new areas of the old stomping ground, but sequels need to expand the world. Perhaps the mysterious plague which destroys the city goes to other lands as well.
3 Don't Want: Linear Level Design
If the world had no enemies and players knew how to make a straight shot from the beginning area to the finish line, it would probably take less than half an hour to run there. The magic lies in the world's labyrinthine design where every path leads to some discovery, but only one gets the player further down the story.
Additionally, many locked doors help create short cuts once they open. The ingenious level design is half the fun, where a more linear approach would rob the sense of discovery.
2 Want: Longer Game
For all its glory, Bloodborne is relatively short compared to Miyazaki's other titles. Where a Dark Souls game takes upwards of thirty hours to beat, its spiritual brethren takes between twenty and twenty-five on a first playthrough. Fortunately, an endless cycle of new game pluses make it go on forever in theory.
Still, nothing beats the first playthrough of a FromSoft title, where most have no idea what they are doing and barely beat bosses with no sound strategy. Because of this, a longer game would be appreciated.
1 Don't Want: Difficulty Options
Some say they want difficulty options. Doing so would just reveal how important challenge to the enjoyment. Breezing through the enemies and bosses is not Bloodborne is about. True, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order's gameplay takes significant inspiration from the Souls genre and features several difficulty modes, but it is not trying to give gamers the same experience.
It goes back to an ongoing debate regarding game design - should developers let fans play the way they want, or should the creators be in charge of how a product is consumed? What if Martin Scorsese made a ninety-minute edit of The Irishman for people who didn't have the patience or time for the full runtime?