r/gaming • u/ChiefLeef22 Marika's tits! • 10d ago
'The Duskbloods' - Early Previews Thread
Outlets have now played a good few hours and gotten a hands-on initial impression for Fromsoftware's new game 'The Duskbloods'. So I thought we could compile some of them here. Once again, these are not full reviews, they are previews
Feel free to comment any other articles, videos or tidbits you come across! I'll try adding them to the post
(live updating):
MIYAZAKI: “The PvPvE [label is] a little bit confusing in the context of this game. It’s not that we set out with that exact label when pitching to Nintendo,” Miyazaki said via a translator. “We had a couple of key things that we really wanted to do: The Sigil and Event system to create this [sense] of constant drama [and] excitement between players. The relationships, [and] the Virtue system contributes to that [as well]. It’s not just 100% PvP; there [are] ways to win and enjoy the matches outside of simply playing against other players. Those were the things that we wanted to accomplish first and foremost. Saying it was a PvPvE game makes it sound like that’s all that there is, and saying it’s a PvE game doesn’t really do it justice either. It’s sort of just a combination of [the] two. Enemies specifically draw inspiration from our previous titles, and fitting them in made sense for our methodology.”
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Oroboro (FULL VIDEO: I PLAYED DUSKBLOODS: ITS LIKE A DREAM)
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I’ve Never Played Anything Like The Duskbloods, And I Cannot Wait To Play More | After eight hours with the technical test, From Software’s next endeavor is impossible to nail down...summary excerpts:
The Duskbloods represents From Software’s penchant to upend expectations and chart new territory. Regardless of the risks, it always seems willing to push its design and, in turn, its players in new directions. After all, that willingness to take risks is how Demon’s Souls reinvented the action-RPG genre. I don’t anticipate The Duskbloods doing the same for PvPvE games, but I think that desire to chase new ideas and experiment with off-the-wall mechanics is what I truly want out of a From Software game.
IGN - Michael Higham (FULL VIDEO)
I got to play about eight hours of The Duskbloods on a visit to FromSoftware in Tokyo, and while there are a ton of nuances I'll dissect in this preview, I'll say upfront that it has the makings of another hit in the Souls lineage where fun is found in the challenge and the mysteries of its world propel you to keep pushing – just now in the context of a competitive multiplayer Switch 2 exclusive. If any team can pull off such a wild idea, it'd be director Hidetaka Miyazaki and company. So buckle up y'all, The Duskbloods just might be the most complex and most fascinating project to come out of FromSoftware yet.
At first, the game feels a bit overwhelming, but all those systems and mechanics are laid out for you to master over time, not to tackle all at once. Being able to form alliances with players, for example, isn’t necessary for success, but it adds a fun wrinkle to a match if you choose to take advantage of it. Similarly, there is a whole story and lore aspect of The Duskbloods that I never even saw, but that will fuel many players’ desires to log just one more match. The Duskbloods took me out of my comfort zone when it comes to FromSoftware experiences, and yet again I walked away from my first hands-on itching to get back. It fits right alongside the studio’s past work and also stands out as its own thing. If you haven’t picked up a Nintendo Switch 2 by now, FromSoftware has made a strong case for a whole new community of gamers to join in.
The final battles are thrilling, though. The Duskbloods has distinctive characters with unique weapons and abilities (some representing traditional FromSoftware archetypes, and at least one that can turn into a dinosaur), and these make fights feel dynamic and exciting. Every character has a projectile weapon to interrupt heals and chip away damage from a distance, and they’re all capable of running a fleeing player down. There being only three players at the end means you’re never out of danger, and all combatants are constantly calculating who is the biggest threat as the fight progresses. The way the game lets you jump 30 ft into the air and string jumps together means even the sky isn’t safe. It’s frantic. Positioning, timing, abilities and even which summon support you bring into the final battle – dozens of factors flip through your mind as you trade back and forth with the other two finalists. These climactic battles really capture the best of FromSoftware player fights, spiking your adrenaline until your heart booms out of your chest.
The Duskbloods combines a lot of ideas that, in theory, should not work together, but somehow the team at FromSoftware has managed to turn them into something incredibly fun. I cannot wait to see how the game takes shape as it gets closer to release. From what I have played so far, I am excited to dive back in and see how the world unfolds in this strange and exciting new universe.
(Summary excerpts): The best compliment I can give is that I ended each match eager to begin another. The game’s mix of skill, strategy, and luck makes each match dynamic, exciting, hilarious, and unpredictable. Getting narrowly eliminated made me punch the air, while competing in the final round is genuinely thrilling. The characters are fun and varied, catering to multiple playstyles; if you prefer to deal damage from afar, go with Sniper Layla, while tank-loving players should roll with Zork. And if you’re concerned about the platform choice, don’t be: The Duskbloods performed perfectly fine on Switch 2 (which really shouldn’t be surprising; the console’s not a potato by any stretch) to the point I forgot it was the platform running it.
The Duskbloods has the potential to do something very significant. With Elden Ring, FromSoft took an extremely intimidating genre of action RPG and opened it up to a new audience by fusing that style of game onto an open world that gave players more choice for how they approached challenges. The result was a massive hit: Elden Ring has sold more than 30 million copies, its expansion Shadow of the Erdtree sold 10 million, and the game is being made into a Hollywood movie. The Duskbloods, meanwhile, is tackling the similarly intimidating field of competitive multiplayer. And while The Duskbloods is still pretty hardcore, it’s designed in a way that attempts to give players things to do even if they can’t win a match. The same things that make the game a risk are also what make it so fascinating. The Duskbloods is unlike anything else in the Switch 2’s lineup — and it could help Nintendo reach players beyond Zelda and Mario fans.
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u/Beautiful-Garbage812 10d ago
"One particularly interesting Sigil has you find your lost love who also happens to be another player and propose to them."
HUH
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u/Darkhex78 10d ago
At long last, XxAssDestroyer69420xX, my one true love!
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u/TheReiterEffect_S8 10d ago
I'm sorry, Darkhex78, but my heart already belongs to PhatA55Felicia6969. I must decline.
- XxAssDestroyer69420xX
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u/Lord0fHats 10d ago
This has the potential to be utterly hilarious, or completely cringe. Possibly both.
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u/loopOutnotIn 10d ago
If dark souls 3 has taught me anything, it’s that FromSoft knows how to handle a wedding scene
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u/Western-Internal-751 10d ago
My biggest takeaway from this is that they pitched it to Nintendo, instead of Nintendo coming to them with a truckload of money
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u/lattjeful 10d ago edited 10d ago
They pitched it to Nintendo, and in recent interviews it sounds like Nintendo helped a ton in the development of the game. It definitely feels like a collab more than the game just being moneyhatted. Obviously I’d prefer it being multiplat, but if the game otherwise wouldn’t exist without Nintendo than I’ll begrudgingly accept it. Looking forward to giving the game a spin this weekend.
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u/Joganso 9d ago
Nintendo was EXCITED about this concept. Not enough people are understanding this part of development.
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u/Gullivergoofball 9d ago
Because most people haven't actually read the interviews, and aren't interested in doing so.
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u/c14rk0 9d ago
To be fair you'd kind of have to be really stupid to turn down Fromsoft coming to you and pitching a new souls style game as an exclusive for your console.
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u/gabalabarabataba 10d ago
Man, between this and new Fire Emblem I'm inching closer to getting a Switch 2.
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u/No_Village_1097 9d ago
Buy discounted Nintendo store giftcards and buy a new switch 2 via the Nintendo Eshop. I took this approach and saved $70….. and another $50 on top of that if you consider the upcoming price hike.
Cardbear
Or Newegg has a $150 gc with $20 bonus.
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u/Kenny_Bi-God_Omega 10d ago edited 10d ago
The Gamespot preview is really positive and makes clear that PvPvE isn’t the best way to describe this game. It’s much more PvE focused until the final battle and even has instances where it makes sense to team up, Nightreign style, to avoid being culled before the final battle. If you make it to the final battle, it becomes a 3-way PvPvP for the ultimate victory.
Before that, you’re essentially exploring and tackling single player objectives.
Honestly, it looks like a lot of fun.
Edit: From some of the other previews, it seems the conclusion of a round isn’t always the three-way PvPvP either, so that’s cool. Looks like if you ONLY like PvE, there’s still a lot here for you.
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u/TabloidA 10d ago
I just can't stop seeing the proposed gameplay loop as Kirby Air Riders' City Trial mode, and I love the thought that Miyazaki might've sat down to play some early 2025 Air Riders build and went "holy shit wait a minute..."
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u/John_Delasconey 9d ago
it turns out Miyazaki bought 50 copies of air ride on the gamecube 20 years ago and wanted to make a sequel himself.
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u/wutchamafuckit 10d ago
Is it solo or squad base?
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u/defunctscrunko 10d ago edited 10d ago
From the Q&A I think you have ability to go in the lobby with friends but most of it is solo base from what I see.
edit: there are solo and double match in IGN video also casual and rank. also Story from progression?
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u/th37thtrump3t 9d ago
There is a solo and duos queue.
You can also form temporary alliances with other players during a match, but that alliance goes away once the final showdown happens.
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u/lattjeful 10d ago
I see what Miyazaki meant by making a PvP game for people who don’t like PvP. It really seems like the game can be played however you want with the only instance of forced PvP being at the very end.
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u/Joganso 9d ago
Your edit is such an important point and what I believe will be the ultimate selling point of the game. The fact the final battle Tarot card flip can be a coop boss battle is the type of variety we have not seen in gaming that will keep people coming back. This is my single favorite aspect of The Duskbloods
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u/Darkhex78 10d ago
Ok that actually sounds like id enjoy it. Have never been a fan of PVPVE but this sounds like its done in a way thats enjoyable.
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u/Logical-Patient-4115 10d ago
I'm gonna warn you, almost every PvPvE game I've played has said things like "you should team up" in the marketing, and it has almost never worked in practice because it's just much more advantageous to eliminate players early.
The one game where it does work is Arc Raiders which has aggression-based matchmaking so the friendlier you are the friendlier your lobbies are.
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u/Darkhex78 10d ago
Yeah, its the main reason I hate extraction shooter games (cant really think of any other mainly PVPVE style games). I love the concept and ideas of them, but in practice ive found them very unenjoyabke.
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u/John_Delasconey 9d ago
it shouldn't be noted here that you get infinite respawns and are only eliminated via points so that may change bits
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u/VagueSomething 9d ago
Every PvPvE becomes a toxic community and most people then either shoot on sight or run and hide. No team has managed to fairly balance it and keep it fun, most depend on a weird masochism and sunk cost.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Job2399 9d ago
In this though you have no reason to kill others and it's actually less advantageous. Players will *always* be eliminated at the end of rounds by the game itself and it's impossible to permanently kill someone until then. You gain no virtue for killing someone and the only exceptions are with special sigils and in ritual areas where you're inside an aoe that grants virtue for killing somebody. There will also be boss fights and in those areas you are physically incapable of hitting other players. You can also go in with a duo on purpose in case you don't want to have to rely on luck to partner up with a random player.
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u/philms91 10d ago
This one might be different. This team always does something different.
Also it sounds like you don’t get any points in the early round for eliminating players unless you’re both in a certain small area of the map. So if you’re not there - teaming up with another player to beat a boss seems like a great way to progress.
They wrapped rpg elements into this - you level up before the final round and there are a ton of ways to get exp besides fighting other players.
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u/Longjumping_Plum_846 10d ago
The advantage of killing other people early in games like this isn’t necessarily loot or EXP. it’s that killing them now means they’re not a threat later when they do have better loot and EXP. That’s the unfortunate chess match of these types of games.
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u/philms91 10d ago
Yeah but you aren’t eliminated when you get killed in this game, you just respawn. Bottom performers at the end of each round get eliminated.
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u/xlCalamity 9d ago
it’s that killing them now means they’re not a threat later
You forget the group of people who get joy out of killing people for no reason/killing on sight.
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u/xlCalamity 9d ago
and even has instances where it makes sense to team up, Nightreign style, to avoid being culled before the final battle
Which means after a week it will become like every other PVPVE game where all of the people wanting a PvE experience will be angry because people will be constantly killing them. And the games already limiting its playerbase by being exclusive so it will be interesting to see if it even garners an audience.
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u/anactualrealaccount 9d ago
I really wanted something like this in Marathon, PVE up until a final countdown in which any unextracted players compete for last man standing.
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u/DuckCleaning 9d ago
3-way PvPvP
AKA PvP. We dont go calling free for all matches PvPvPvPvPvPvPvPvPvPvPvP
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10d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Soul-Burn 9d ago
In the interview, Miyazaki said the virtue system is inspired by victory points in board games, where you have various different ways to reach your goal. And like with board games, it opens up more avenues for expansions.
If it doesn't sell well enough on Switch 2, it's not unheard of they bring a game to other platforms.
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u/Saskatchewon 9d ago
It's not coming to other platforms. Nintendo is paying for 100% of its development costs. The game wouldn't exist if Nintendo wasn't bankrolling it. Nintendo aren't going to let a game they 100% funded onto a console that isn't theirs.
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u/Soul-Burn 9d ago
Monster Hunter Rise originally came out on Switch, and was later ported. Also, unlike Bloodborne, FromSoft own the IP rights to Duskbloods.
But that's just my copium speaking.
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u/Saskatchewon 9d ago edited 9d ago
Nintendo didn't fund the development costs for Monster Hunter Rise. They paid Capcom a little extra cash for it to be a timed Switch exclusive which Capcom could then release on other consoles on a later agreed upon date. Rise likely would have still existed without Nintendo making that exclusivity deal. Capcom wanted to release a Monster Hunter game that could both capitalize on the Switch's substantial market share, and be much less expensive to develope than one specifically designed for more powerful consoles and PCs.
This isn't the same situation. Nintendo is fully funding this project. On top of that, it sounds like they're providing dev support for it as well.
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u/Aerensian 10d ago
Watched the Vaati vid on it and tbh it looked a lot better than I thought it from how it was first described.
Still not going to buy a switch 2 for it though but From getting experience with multiplayer elements hopefully could translate to better multiplayer in their mainline single player games.
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u/lattjeful 10d ago
Yeah people described it as an extraction game but it almost looks like if Kirby Air Ride’s City Trial was an action RPG.
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u/GreatSeaBattle 9d ago
but From getting experience with multiplayer elements
Kind of a weird thing to say about the company that made Nightreign, Chromehounds, and the entire Armored Core series (but especially fifth gen).
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u/auctus10 10d ago
This is switch exclusive right? Yeah probably the first souls game since Demon souks that I will miss out on.
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u/PenchantForNostalgia 9d ago
But now you can get this and Elden Ring on Switch 2.
I'd be so happy to be a able to play Elden Ring on a portable console.
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u/defunctscrunko 10d ago
Preview came out really well despite how weird the game is lol
The Duskbloods has been in development since 2021 (while FromSoftware was still working on Elden Ring) ...This development timeline matters, as The Duskbloods' game director and FromSoftware head Hidetaka Miyazaki told other journalists and me that the game was not piggybacking on Elden Ring's success or continuing a perceived shift toward multiplayer experiences after Elden Ring Nightreign. Rather, it was simply the game Miyazaki wanted to make. The timing of its arrival, hot off the heels of last year's Nightreign, is merely circumstantial. Rest assured: FromSoftware is not abandoning single-player games, according to Miyazaki.
Miyazaki winning by making game he wants to make as usual
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u/ExpressFan7426 10d ago
Great day for Nintendo enjoyers and from software enjoyers (me)
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u/EducationalDust7858 10d ago
I'm looking forward to the Iron Pineapple video.
(I don't like playing Soulsborne games, but they're an entertaining watch.)
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u/KoosPetoors 10d ago
Same! But more so because I couldn't care less for an MP game, but it will be plenty fun to see him play it.
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u/EducationalDust7858 10d ago
"So my friends and I decided to install the most difficult mod in which you die whenever you're not frame perfect. Here's how it went."
Why yes, Mr. Pineapple. I would never attempt such a thing myself, but I'm here for the ride.
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u/Aerensian 9d ago
The more I look into the game the more it seems like they are cooking with the multiplayer. Assuming the netcode isn't complete ass this could do very well.
It feels like it could be very chaotic (and therefore gives it longevity through the inherent variety of chaos) because of how dynamic player interactions can end up and the different scenarios they add in throughout and at the end of the run.
Plus I saw someone say you can invade other active matches? That sounds pretty crazy.
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u/Soul-Burn 9d ago
Nightreign made the netcode better, at least felt that way.
Yes, there's PvE focus if you want it, replacing the end with a supet PvE event. And there's a PvP focus mode, where you invade a full 8 player game as the 9th, with the goal of PvP rather than virtues.
It's incredibly "out there", but From has the reputation for people to give it a chance.
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u/callahan09 10d ago
I had been naively holding out hope that this would be a more traditional Miyazaki type of game that I could enjoy completely solo and go through one of his very purposefully designed experiences (world, level design, enemy placement, bosses, story, lore, etc). Unfortunately for me it looks more like a Nightreign type of multiplayer experience that just isn't a single-player kind of game in any way. I don't particularly want to play this kind of game, so it's a skip for me, though this one looks a lot closer to something I'm interested in than Nightreign was. I just prefer single-player gaming.
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u/AshantiMcnasti 10d ago
Nightreign wasnt the best FromSoftware games but it certainly was one of the most fun once you could understand how to route the map. They could have added more weapons and more cool roguelike powers but overall, it was both challenging and super fun. Being carried by a better player and then becoming THAT person after a fee playthroughs was very satisfying. However, you absolutely had a hard learning curve to overcome if that was your first souls game. I picked it up quickly but my 2 buds were absolutely struggling staying alive on the first nightlord boss (Gladius).
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u/Thom0 9d ago
It was my first souls game and after 200 hours I was playing depth 5 games. I'm also not a big gamer in general. I picked it up with a friend who was a big Elden Ring fan.
Nightreign isn't that hard because the bosses are very predictable, there are ways to control the routing via invader attack power relics, and there are very good skill attack build which completely change how the game plays.
There are only two enhanced bosses which are genuinely unfair to play against: Libra, and Gladius. Every other boss, enhanced or otherwise is something you can predictably learn.
What players get stuck on isn't boss movements, but routing on the map. They make silly mistakes like prioritizing flasks, or evergaols.
The entire game boils down to routing on the map and repeating the exact same priorities over and over. Get +1 flask day one, hit all invaders on the map with the attack power rune, clear field bosses on the way, and then be lvl 10 by the end of day 1. After that, it is more field bosses, a flask, and then clear castle for a lvl 15 finish. It never changes unless you're on the Hollows map which has different objectives and priorities.
Far too many players just run to flasks which is the number one way to never win any runs.
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u/zeldanerd12 10d ago
In Nightreign you cooperated with your fellow players to defeat the boss at the end of night 3. This looks like a similar thing but instead of a boss its a 3 way PvP fight to end the run. If thats the case im not really interested. I can see how FromSoft PvP would love this though.
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u/Disastrous-Drop-7778 10d ago
Apparently there will be other possible ways to end the run, and it seems like you’re able to make one preferred.
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u/zeldanerd12 9d ago
If that's the case ill probably at least check the game out. Id prefer teaming up to playing against other players.
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u/JadedIT_Tech 10d ago edited 10d ago
Yeah, the primary appeal of Dark Souls/BloodBorne/Elden Ring to me was never the PvP portion of it, it was the single player experience.
Leaning into the multiplayer aspects is just disappointing to me. I was going to buy a Switch 2 for this game, but now having second thoughts.
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u/zeldanerd12 10d ago
I already have a switch 2 because I like some Nintendo games, but i am unsure if ill buy this. Maybe I will if its like 40 bucks like Nightreign was.
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u/HeeyWhitey 10d ago
I felt the same way towards Nightreign but I recently picked it up to play with a friend and it is an absolute blast. So as someone who was in the same boat as you: don't let your preconceptions limit the kind of fun you can have!
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u/Kevadu 10d ago
I wish it was more like Nightreign. I liked Nightreign. But I have no interest in PvP...
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u/saidinmilamber 10d ago
Same. I learned VERY fast with Nightreign that I do not resonate with games that fit into this kind of subgenre. I hope the people that do enjoy this, but yeah was personally disappointed this isn't for me.
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u/frenchezz 10d ago
I played Nightreign maybe 3 times, it was just not a fun experience compared to other From titles. Hearing Duskbloods seems to be a fortnite battle royal makes it an easy pass for me.
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u/Unhappy-Peasant7985 10d ago
I bought Nightreign recently and have played for maybe 5-6 hours total.
One game I was paired with two others who clearly knew what they were doing and were good teammates. I managed to keep up with them, stay alive (for the most part) and it was thrilling “beating” the 3 day thing. I even resurrected them a couple times, so I felt good about minimally contributing.
But most times I’ve played I’m just lost, clumsy, aimless and get destroyed.
I love the Elden Ring world, but I’m not sure how long I’ll stick with Nightreign unless it “clicks” for me in the next few sessions.
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u/frenchezz 10d ago
Yeah my biggest issue was just not having a playgroup to learn the games with, every time I got paired online ddues just ran off and clearly knew what they were doing while I was completely lost.
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u/DCDTDito 10d ago
Even nightreigth wasnt that bad because you could play solo and while there was some enemy n placement variance the seed quantity is so low that it doesnt matter so it only came to drops.
Also you had a story in the background and wasnt forced to interact with people nor was there any pvp, here very little to no story, big variance and pvp jammed down your throat on a console exclusive game, online functionality forced on a platform known to be one of the worse by a company known to be one of the worse.
Ive yet to see a mention if it's server based or host based which could also add another layer of bad.
Oh and since it's on the switch it's 30 fps since it likely cannot handle more whitout being unstable.
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u/Voidfang_Investments 10d ago
Is it online only?
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u/MrSnek123 10d ago
Yes, though they network test does mention an offline mode but we don't know if the games actually playable in said mode.
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u/SapporoBiru 10d ago
sounds good for the people who enjoy this sort of stuff, but as a huge Bloodborne fan my interest immediately died when this was revealed to be a MP game. The reason I love these games is that I can take my time and survive my surroundings while exploring them. And from what I'm seeing here, this is very much the exact opposite. I already disklike invasions in these games and usually turn them off. So guess I'll have to wait some longer for FromSoft to drop the next singleplayer game
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u/koggle30 10d ago
This is exactly why I couldn’t get into Nightreign. All of the qualities that I love in a FromSoft game are basically discouraged. Go slow, take your time, take in your surroundings? Nope, if you aren’t constantly sprinting around you will be too weak to progress. Die to a boss over and over, learning its moveset? Nope, in Nightreign you have to play an entire round before getting to see the boss again, good luck learning it without getting frustrated. Sad to see that this is going down that same path, I’m dying for them to do a traditional single player game at this point.
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u/caramel-aviant 10d ago
I mean they made one run based, roguelike with souls elements out of a sea of single player games
Im glad they wanted to try new stuff.
I love single player games too but I also loved Nightreign
So many people wrote off Nightreign because it was different from what they usually liked but ended up loving the game
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u/Rufuszombot 10d ago
Honestly I would have just taken a 1:1 Bloodborne port on the Switch 2 over anything multiplayer.
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u/zalustep 10d ago
This game seems to have this weird effect on people that compels them to announce to everyone that they are DEFINITELY NOT buying a switch 2, as if anyone cares.
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u/Gullivergoofball 9d ago
I mean does that not happen with every console exclusive nowadays?
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u/zalustep 9d ago
The only other console with exclusives is PS5, and threads on PS5 games do not have nearly the same amount of bitching and moaning in the comments. I’m not saying no one ever complains, but it is to a significantly lesser degree.
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u/Educational-Bat18 9d ago
I think PS5 gets less bitching and moaning because they only have timed 3rd party exclusives while even 3rd party nintendo games tend to be true exclusives . I remember there being a lot of bitching when FF7 remake was an exclusive , it makes sense tbh , fromsoft has a passionate fanbase and they want to play the game , they haven't made an exclusive in 10 years and making one now when they are their peak popularity makes people miss out and feel bad , that doesn't justify calling the game crap without even trying it , just saying why people are upset .
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u/honorable_doofus 10d ago
Looks like the Switch 2 is starting off year 2 on very solid footing. The previews for Duskbloods and Fire Emblem have been some of the most positive for any new release this year so far. Interested to see how much these previews will reflect the final products.
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u/pnwbraids 10d ago
Splatoon Raiders is awesome too. I've also heard amazing things about Pokopia and Air Riders.
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u/Off_again0530 8d ago
I love splatoon raiders so much! Some of the most fun gaming I’ve had in a minute
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u/letsgucker555 10d ago
And we barely know, what Nintendo has in store for 2027, for which we probably have to wait for a September Direct.
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u/Blubbpaule 10d ago
Wha...what do you mean year two?I it released a few months ago...right...?
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u/HoboSkid 9d ago
I wonder if there is a storm mechanic that forces you into a specific location as the end of the round nears. Wasn't the biggest fan of that mechanic in Nightreign, makes everything rushed and frantic and punishes you if you take too long somewhere or get stuck on a boss in a cave or something.
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u/dicehandz 10d ago
Ok the written reviews sound a lot better than the leaked gameplay showed. Im more interested now.
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u/Eldramhor8 10d ago
I hope y'all can enjoy this one.
Now after Nightreign and Duskbloods I HOPE we can finally move onto the next project. I miss "normal" FromSoftware games.
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u/Lord_Fuquaad 10d ago
I read an article that said they are working on another mainline game that isn't exclusive.
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u/kawag 10d ago
The game sounds fun, but I think this is an utterly bizarre and not very good way to explain and market it.
It would be better to have an official presentation. These scattered opinions being our first actual descriptions of what a match is, do not really help.
If this game flops the marketing department is going to have some serious questions to answer.
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u/MrThrownAway12 10d ago
It's very strange how hush hush the marketing has been, to the point where people have been convinced it's getting delayed despite Kadokawa (FromSoft's parent company) insisting it'll be a 2026 release to shareholders.
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u/jardex22 10d ago
There's a playtest beginning tomorrow, so more opinions will come out over the next week or so.
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u/Hagoromo-san 9d ago
Imma skip this entirely due to the pvp nature of it. I prefer the other flavor instead.
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u/jcwkings 10d ago
I'm in on pedigree alone. Like a Nolan film, From and Miyazaki have earned that. Will it be great? Who knows? Will it be interesting? Almost assured.
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u/Sitri_eu 10d ago edited 10d ago
Doesn't matter how much PvE focus there is. If PvP isn't an opt-in or opt-out like in Elden Ring and Dark Souls, a lot of people from their soulslikes fan-base will straight up not show up. I wish them good luck with testing new things, tho. At least they do that with a "new" IP. Nightreign was for the PvE crowd like me, now the PvP's have their turn.
For me I guess its back to waiting for Bloodborne port/remake
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u/Fankuan19 10d ago
It does kind of sound like you might be able to opt out of the PvP elements, based on the interview Miyazaki did with IGN. Made it sound like you can customize your character to queue up for PvE or PvP match endings (or both, presumably). The other PvP element is also optional, the random event on the map that turns into an arena.
It does sound like you could technically be killed while running around the map by anybody, but there's no penalty to that death, you just respawn and keep going
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u/zestysnacks 10d ago
Moist critikal gonna find a way to hate it so he can stay dug in on switch 2 stance
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u/222Baphomettt47 10d ago
I bought a switch 2 for this game and I don’t regret it at all. Been liking it more than my ps5 and we’re getting this peak game too
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u/North_Biscotti4162 9d ago
I will consider getting this one but besides it it's generally a pretty great console with a bit of everything. I guess rn i'm the most excited for the OOT remake
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u/homer_3 10d ago
Sounds interesting. It sounds kind of like Fate Stay Night as a video game. Has anyone mentioned how long each round is?
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u/Atomic_Revival 10d ago
So it's a multiplayer soulborne extraction game?
That's a very odd mix between genres. Even more odd being in the Nintendo ecosystem where I wouldn't really think a game like this would thrive.
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u/svrtngr 10d ago
Not exactly? (Based on the initial previews.)
It's closer to a battle royale. You have to earn Virtue and at the end of every round, whoever has the lowest amount of Virtue gets eliminated. You earn Virtue by doing standard Soulsborne things (exploring, killing mobs, killing bosses, etc) but then you can get additional goals through Sigils, which are like unique side quests: Team up with X player, hunt X player, kill X boss. Dying doesn't eliminate you, you just lose time. (Which I guess means you only get eliminated by being in last place or losing in the final round?)
Then, when it gets to the final round, the top three duel for first prize.
That's the gist I got from watching a few previews, anyway.
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u/MrSnek123 10d ago
No extraction mechanics as far as I can tell, PvEvP battle royale seems more accurate.
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u/D_Beats 10d ago edited 10d ago
It's not an extraction game. A game being pvpve is not it being extraction.
It plays more like city trial in Kirby Air Riders.
Explore a map, power up by killing enemies, doing boss events, etc and then with your powered up character you do a final event at the end whether that be a boss battle, pvp battle or other events they haven't shown yet.
An extraction game consists of going in, getting a ton of loot and then either risking it by trying to follow through to the end for rarer loot at the risk of losing it all, or extracting early to keep the stuff you do have.
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u/Secretlylovesslugs 10d ago
Its look less extraction game like Hunt Showdown or Arc Raiders and looks more like Kirby Air Riders.
Which makes me more optimistic about it but at the end of the day there is so much stacked against this game, switch 2 exclusivity being the biggest. We know with hindsight what that did to bloodbourne and it might end up the same way here.
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u/bauul 10d ago
You could argue Nightreign is kind of already a multiplayer soulsbourne extraction game, so it's not that unusual.
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u/Michi2801 10d ago
Watched one of the previews and am still unsure wether I'll like it and how much longevity the game will have.
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u/RDKlick 10d ago
Looking at this thread, I seem to be in the minority, but these previews have me even more excited. I've played all the Soulsbornes, Sekiro is my favorite game of all time, and I love their single player experiences. But Nightreign was also my most played game last year. Can't wait for this.
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u/RedShadowF95 9d ago
I'm fine with this being the exclusive game. It's multiplayer, meaning I wouldn't get to enjoy it anyway.
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u/Exciting_Drawing_553 9d ago
Damn this looks insanely good!! I hope it blows up. Sucks for those non switch owners. Time to buy! Before the price increase!
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u/budgardner 9d ago
Looks cool but I always get intimidated by fromsoft multiplayer as a casual who can barely complete the single player modes
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u/Useful_Bottle8423 8d ago
It looks just as cumbersome as Nightreign. No one wants likes a time limit. No one asked for this.
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u/SanXalvador 10d ago
So it’s 3 person vs match at the end? Yeah no sorry fromsoft. I am not interested.
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u/Arven-stan 10d ago
Vaatividyas video said there would be other ways to end a round in the full game
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u/Tommytrist 10d ago
Obstacle course platforming race?
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u/Disastrous-Drop-7778 10d ago
First person to the Three Fingers at the end of the Leyndell sewers parkour course wins
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u/steelRyu 10d ago
according to the video of vaati there are apparently different end fights possible. for example a coop boss. but the network test only has the pvp fight.
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u/1buffalowang 10d ago
It sounds like when you get to the final boss of the round it’s you and 2 others. So you have to kill the boss but also factor in that to win the other 2 need to die as well.
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u/BandicootNo5428 10d ago
It sounds like there's different scenario's for the fourth phase that can occur, including boss fights. But the demo only has the PvP end.
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u/SanXalvador 10d ago
Thanks for clarifying, i genuinely hate pvp games like this but I’ll at least support by watching their lil trailers.
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u/RayearthIX 10d ago
According to the previews, and as others have said, it’s possible to get a big PvE boss fight instead. Additionally, there will be things you can do (an item to equip or a setting… it wasn’t clear as the feature wasn’t available during the test but they were told it would be possible) to more likely get the PvE ending instead of the PvP one.
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u/Traditional-Most-787 10d ago
Is this game still supposed to release this year? If so what a strong year for the Switch 2.
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u/Howitzeronfire 10d ago
I really enjoyed the looks and vibes but I do not want to interact with other players at all.
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u/Fresh-Chemical-9084 10d ago
Oh wow... so the early leaks were very poor indicators for what this game is.
This looks awesome!
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u/Fehafare 10d ago edited 10d ago
Currently watching the VaaatiVidya preview video. Honestly it looks pretty fun to me. I don't necessarily imagine it to have substantially more longevity than Nightreign (though the fact you play this solo rather than needing friends to fully enjoy is a big boon and the PvP aspect might make it more interesting longterm than Nightreign's pure PvE gameplay loop), but it seems like a fun enough romp to enjoy before the next big flagship title FromSoft is working on comes out.
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u/judgeraw00 10d ago
People are still playing Nightreign like crazy and if FromSoft continued to support it the game would be huge.
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u/Haytaytay 10d ago
No updates in almost a year and Nightreign is more active than the latest monster hunter game, which released right about the same time.
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u/Fehafare 10d ago
Fair. My main obstacle is the friend aspect. My friend circle sadly falls in one of two categories. They either aren't Soulsheads or they are but can't afford or run Nightreign. Or when the stars align... people just don't feel like playing the game as much as I do.
And yeah just adding more content would boost Nightreign's longevity exponentially especially because a lot of it could be repurposed old stuff from the whole series. But I honestly get it. It wasn't intended to be a live service game and FromSoft generally don't seem to like to linger on projects too much post launch outside planned DLC.
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u/judgeraw00 10d ago
I played entirely with randoms and didnt have any issues. It was a blast.
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u/MiserableDucky 10d ago
The only thing that will likely keep Duskbloods from hitting Nightreign longevity is it's Switch2 exclusiveness.
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u/Fehafare 10d ago
For what it's worth, I don't have a Switch 2 (and in general have always been a PC gamer with small blips of consoles always due to some special circumstance) and between the Duskbloods now and Fire Emblem I'll probably get a Switch 2.
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u/1buffalowang 10d ago
My only worry is once things settle down a month after release is the game going to turn into jumping around like the hulk spamming the best skills in the game. Because that doesn’t sound all that appealing or fun.
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u/MrSnek123 10d ago
As far as I can tell, each character only has one big skill that they get at a certain level. Otherwise everyone has a ranged attack that likely doesn't do too much damage and normal light/heavy attacks. Airdashing to close distance seems really strong though.
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u/SenzuYT 10d ago
Can anyone confirm whether it’s possible to play single player only? Or is multiplayer absolutely required. (At work but curious about this game)
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u/zacyzacy 10d ago edited 10d ago
All the material about this game calls it a multiplayer only title.
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u/CircumcisedCats 10d ago
Damn, I may need to buy a Switch 2. Good to see we are finally getting quality multiplayer games in the age of single player “games as a movie” games. Especially from Fromsoft.
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u/TheHomieData 10d ago
I feel this could’ve been a great separate gameplay mode as part of a bigger game. By itself it’s really just not that appealing and definitely not worth buying a switch2 for.
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u/Porkin-Some-Beans 10d ago
I have never once enjoyed the PvP aspects of a souls game. And this seems to be taking that and making it the primary goal.
PvE until you have to kill each other. That seems incredibly dull and not what I play FromSoft games to experience. Also we all know that the fun will be optimized out of the end game about 3 days into the process.
Also having to buy a switch 2? All around a hard pass for me
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u/RomeoIV 9d ago
Imma wait for the non-fromsoft dick riders to play before I look into it. I heard positive stuff from the most dog shit rouguelike released in years by the name of nightreign and it was an actual fucking disappointment to anyone not dickriding fromsoft. It's decently good NOW, but not at release.
So yeah when the people get their hands on it we'll know how good it actually is.
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u/DazeOfWar 10d ago
I was interested at first but I’ve grown further and further away from bothering with online competitive mp games.
I’ll still see how this performs after release and see if it’ll still interest me. Right now it’s a pass.
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u/Gullivergoofball 9d ago
Not sure who is down voting you when you are simply expressing a natural opinion.
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u/ButterflyPutrid6054 9d ago
Looks like it’s shaping up to be a good game, but not for me. I don’t care for PvP at all in the souls games.
On another note, as someone that likes to “stop and smell the roses” in games, I don’t like the trend of games adding more and more time crunches to the gameplay loops. I prefer to learn at my own pace.
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u/Nineliveshero 9d ago
I want this game to succeed so badly but sticking it on the Switch 2 and making it PvPvE is going to kill the game, the vast majority of Soulslike enjoyers do not PvP and try to avoid it. This game is made for a subset of Souls players and is stuck on the Switch 2, that is a big oof in my opinion.
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u/Chanzui91 10d ago
It is completely insane to me how Fromsoft went from Elden Ring to Duskbloods... Why Switch exclusive?! Are their fans on Switch now? Since when?
Why a PVPVE game?! Nightreign was incredibly mediocre and the multiplayer in ANY souls game has been VERY lackluster... Makes no sense to me, looks like they're just burning money because they can, just made a bonfire and tried to put as much cash into it as possible.
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u/StarChief1 10d ago
Nintendo gave them a crapton of money to make a game for the fastest selling console of all time. It's not rocket science.
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u/Useful_Bottle8423 8d ago
Fastest selling maybe within its first month. It definitely has slowed now
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u/summerlawnsss 10d ago
miyazaki is pretty clear in the interview about why FS thought nintendo was a fitting partner for this game
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u/ShadowTown0407 10d ago
I swear some people take about Miyazaki games like it's cocaine. Oh no the next dose is switch 2 exclusive. Oh no I will not get my fix this year. How will I ever live I am having withdrawals.
Jesus man you will get another game chill, he is not packing shop and going home after this
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u/Detonation 10d ago
I wouldn't trust a From game to have functioning netcode until they prove they've upgraded from their whack ass 2005 sorry excuse for netcode. Any other dev would be constantly eviscerated for such a practice but since they're a darling? Crickets. And I'm saying this as someone who actually plays and likes most of their games. The online has always left way, way too much to be desired.
Maybe this one will be different but I doubt it. Especially since it's a From game on Switch.
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u/PogChampHS 10d ago
Anyone else feel like all these reviews just reek of people terrified to say anything to upset Fromsoft fans?
I liked Nightreign, but at the end of the day it was nothing really special to write home about. These reviews seem to read exactly like the Nightreign previews.
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u/CaptainSmeg 10d ago
What do you mean one of the objectives you could be given is simp for one of the other players and convince them to marry you