There's a lot going on here, and I'm not sure what to make of it yet.
As much as I love FromSoftware’s games like Elden Ring and Dark Souls, I’ve never been the biggest fan of its PvP. That’s why I’ve been skeptical about The Duskbloods from the day of its reveal.
The Duskbloods is part Bloodborne, part Elden Ring: Nightreign, and even part Armored Core, and these are all three games I love quite a bit. That’s why, after playing it for several hours during the network test this past weekend, it pains me to say I don’t love it yet. In fact, I don’t really know what I think about it yet.
The root of the issue, as will be the case with most people that Duskbloods does not strike a chord with, is that it’s a PvP-focused game. In other FromSoft titles, PvP is part of the core experience at times but also more of an add-on than a focus. In Duskbloods, it’s everything.
While the new Switch 2 exclusive is a PvPvE title with AI enemies and bosses roaming its maps, in the end, it comes down to you against other players. And while the combat is fun, fast-paced, and unique, you have to wade through a mountain of confusing mechanics and features to get there.
Like Elden Ring: Nightreign before it, Duskbloods has the potential to have a lot going on in any given match, except this time you need to worry about dealing with other players while it’s happening. Pulling up the map, reading its numerous icons, and planning out a route of attack to best farm the points you need to stay alive and make it to the final showdown is very daunting at first. Learning it will come with time, but it felt like a filter to me.
Nightreign vibes also ring true with the gameplay loop of slaying enemies quickly, finding bosses, and farming foes to rack up score and level up so you can better face the tasks at hand. But then the endgame comes, and it devolves into a PvP battle royale where FromSoft’s trademark jank feels even weirder now thanks to some over-the-top movement abilities like triple-jumps and mid-air dodges.
Nearly every fight becomes a struggle of both sides spamming buttons to avoid damage, so naturally, certain characters and abilities will end up feeling stronger than others. And at that point, I’m playing a sweaty multiplayer game and not a FromSoft game anymore, so I feel like I’ll end up getting over it pretty quickly.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.destructoid.com/duskbloods-network-test-impressions-switch-2/
