Bloodborne is the new PS4 exclusive from Dark Souls studio From Software. It’s being helmed by Demon’s Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki, who has explained why the RPG isn’t a follow up to his original PS3 exclusive.
Speaking with Famitsu, Miyazaki was asked why his team decided to go for a new IP instead of a follow-up to Demon’s Souls, to which he replied, “Back in 2012, before the announcement of the PS4, [Sony Computer Entertainment] originally approached us with the idea, ‘would you be interested in making a new game for new hardware?’ so this was never considered as a Demon’s Souls II.
“For us, the idea of new hardware was appealing and I remember feeling enthusiasm from SCE for a new game.”
Bloodborne takes place in the city of Yharnam, which exists in a different era to Dark and Demon’s Souls, as made clear by all the Victorian architecture, steampunk elements and gunplay. When asked why he prompted a shift in time period, he explained, “There are several reasons, the first of which is the combat.
“We were already thinking of a shift to a combat system where you would enter battle more actively than the sword and shield-based combat of Demon’s. So we adopted the idea of guns, but there was a prerequisite that we didn’t want the game to turn into a shooting game, and the Victorian age fit perfectly. It’s an era where the imagery of old guns still remains.”
