𝔟𝔩𝔬𝔬𝔡 𝔯𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔢

The general gameplay loop

"The game has a so-called “hub” area, where players can choose their character, customize them and enter online multiplayer. Online multiplayer supports up to 8 players. [...]

Online matches are generally last player standing, however there are certain cases where victory conditions differ. For example, players may be tasked with teaming up to take down a powerful boss enemy, or find themselves in other special circumstances."

The game's characters & setting

The game’s protagonists are known as “Bloodsworn” - a group whose members have achieved super-human abilities through the power of special blood. Fromsoft tried to extract the sort of romantic aspects they found interesting from concepts such as vampires while working on the game.

"As human society reaches an end, something known as "First Blood" flows in an event called the “Twilight of Humanity.” The Bloodsworn are summoned to the Twilight of Humanity across a variety of different times and places in a bid to obtain First Blood. Due to this, there is no fixed era or location in which The Duskbloods takes place. There are more traditional Gothic- or Victorian-style maps as well as those depicting the closing years of the early modern period, like the one glimpsed in the trailer with the train running through it."

There are over a dozen characters for the player to choose from, each with their own identity and appearance. Each character can be customized to a certain extent using rewards from online matches, "allowing players the fun of building a character that feels like their own."

"The fragments [of lore and worldbuilding details] this time are found in character customization items: their “blood history and fate.” Customizing a character will reveal a piece of information regarding the world and its unfolding story. [...] Analyzing and altering a character’s blood history and fate allows players to customize all sorts of things, from their abilities, appearance, and inner characteristics to the role they play in the world and relationships with other characters."

Roles & "role-playing"

"Roles give players special responsibilities and objectives that often lead to unique interactions and relationships between players based on their corresponding roles.

For example, if a player possesses the “Destined Rivals” role, another player is designated as their rival, and they are tasked with finding and defeating that player. Doing so counts as achieving a personal goal, separate from the overall victory conditions.

Another example is “Destined Companion,” where one player is required to seek out another designated as their companion, which results in a special reward if they form a bond with one another.

Roles can be assigned to any character via blood customization, allowing players to enjoy role-playing in a literal sense and hopefully adding to the drama of these engagements."

Rat lore :)

"That character shares a similar role with the fire keepers from the Dark Souls series. They remain in the hub area, providing the player with advice and guidance.