Summary
- The Duskbloods trailer ended with a shot of a mysterious winged rat.
- It seems this rat is FromSoftware’s attempt at being cute and “Nintendo-esque”.
- I’m confused by what FromSoftware’s idea of cute is.
There’s nothing cute about FromSoftware‘s games. The developer is known, and loved, for creating nightmares beyond our comprehension, whose health we are expected to whittle down with one bonk at a time in between dodge-rolls. All the way from Demon’s Souls to Elden Ring, Hidetaka Miyazaki and his studio have thrown everything at us, from giants to cosmic horrors.
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The Duskbloods Isn’t FromSoftware’s First Nintendo Exclusive
FromSoftware’s new Switch 2 exclusive might come as a surprise, but it has a fascinating history with Nintendo.
You wouldn’t expect anything to be different in the studio’s upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, The Duskbloods. While the game leans more towards Elden Ring Nightreign rather than Bloodborne, thanks to its PvPvE formula, FromSoft has attempted to be a bit more “Nintendo-esque” with this title, given the platform it’s on.
Even FromSoftware’s Attempt To Be “Cute” Is Terrifying
The Duskbloods’ trailer was one of the high points of the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. An exclusive FromSoftware game is a huge get, even for Nintendo. The start of the trailer had everyone thinking that Bloodborne 2 would finally be a thing. We eventually learned that the studio is expanding upon its multiplayer catalogue, first with Nightreign, and now The Duskbloods. However, the trailer ended with a focussed shot of a winged rat, which confused many of us.
It seems the focus on this rat was for no other reason than to showcase FromSoftware’s attempt to be cute for the Nintendo audience. In a Creator’s Voice blog for The Duskbloods, Miyazaki explained the significance of the character (thanks, GamesRadar).
“That character shares a similar role with the fire keepers from the Dark Souls series,” he explained. “They remain in the hub area, providing the player with advice and guidance. I suppose you could say we tried doing something a little Nintendo-esque in the spirit of the partnership.”
“We tried something cute for a change. Although I will say this character is actually an elderly gentleman,” he laughed.
I’m not sure what exactly the horror factory of FromSoftware considers to be cute, but I suppose anything that’s not a giant serpent with a man’s head or gravity controlling corpse could be considered cute.
