From Software has developed itself a fairly large catalog of games at this point, and many fans are excited to see what Elden Ring will bring to the hardcore-rpg genre that the company has dominated since Demon's Souls. However, while this latest title will hopefully bring new themes and features, there are lessons that the studio can learn from past games, and one that can have the most impact is Bloodborne.

The key feature that FromSoftware should carry over to Elden Ring is the design and atmosphere that Bloodborne managed to establish within the rich Victorian setting. While Elden Ring obviously doesn't take place in a similar location, the George R. R. Martin built world would do well to take a similar design philosophy in order to avoid blinding in with past games.

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The Evolving Skybox

yharnam arial view

This is a design aspect that many players may not have noticed in Bloodborne until they've reached Hypogean Gaol after defeating Rom, the Vacuous Spider. What players may have found here is that the sky suddenly looks completely different than any other area of the game, and even from how this same area looked if it had been explored previously. However, this isn't the first time that the skybox shifts within the game, as the night slowly becomes darker and darker as players push further into the game and cross different milestones.

The shifting and evolving skybox could be well worked into Elden Ring's open-world design, with the sky changing to show both the player's progression as well as the impending disaster following the the shattering of the titular Elden Ring. While this design was implemented perfectly in Bloodborne, it was unfortunately missing from Dark Souls 3 which came out later and chose instead to have a single skybox with the darksign always looming overhead. Sekiro implemented a similar design, by having time pass from beginning to end as the story advanced, but that was more out of necessity for the more traditional storyline that the game followed.

The Beastly Fake Out

One thing that holds Bloodborne above the other games, at least from a lore perspective, is the way that it shifts tones about halfway through and suddenly the beastly scourge is shown to be the surface of Eldritch horrors. The idea that what the player has been fighting up until they arrive at Byrgenwerth has only been a slim part of the picture is revolutionary for From Software. Other titles within the company's portfolio, including the more recent Dark Souls 3 and the award winning Sekiro, have avoided adding this type of complexity to their stories, with no bombshells dropping like this did in Bloodborne.

If From Software draws from this previous success, Elden Ring's lore could outpace Dark Souls with the influence of George R. R. Martin and his complex mythos. For players looking for the deep lore that From Software has become so well known for, Bloodborne still stands as one of the best examples of lore building to date. To that degree, it wouldn't be a surprise to find out some dark secret about the Elden Ring that sets off the characters journey, with a choice at the end to either end the cycle or revive it with the "goodness" of the decision being left up in the air.

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Blood

Bloodborne hunter with pistol

In the case of Bloodborne, the themes of blood not only make their way into every item description in the game, but also into the environment itself. Not only does blood shoot out of every enemy like a busted fire hydrant, it is also scattered around the world, pointing the way for the player to go and giving environmental hints on the events that lead to it being there. It may be a bit much, but it's one of those smaller details that has made the game so beloved that fans are still clamoring for a Bloodborne 2.

Now, in no way should Elden Ring simply take the blood theme from Bloodborne and copy paste it, but the game should keep that style of theming to create a through-line for the title. It's difficult to say what the game's theme will be, likely something about rings and cycles, but it can really give depth to legendary weapons and locals.

Drawing From Outside Sources

It's been clear that the influence of George R. R. Martin is one of the most highly anticipated aspects of Elden Ring, with fans of Martin's previous works likely already having an affinity with From Software's previous medieval, fantasy titles. This has become one of the most impressive advertisements for Elden Ring, which is rather ironic when it comes to that being the opposite effect for Bloodborne and its Lovecraft influences.

As a result, delving deep into how Martin and Game of Thrones can influence Elden Ring can absolutely make this new game as beloved as Bloodborne. How exactly that influence will act on FromSoftware's new title is still a mystery, but that is exactly why so many fans are excited to get their hands on the game and begin seeing those influences for themselves.

Elden Ring is currently in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

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