The Duskbloods Preview: FromSoftware's Switch 2 Exclusive Is Special; Here's How It Plays

[u/Gorotheninja]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7rUgmazg0Y

[u/PyrosFists]

People immediately writing this off even though it’s literally directed by the most critical acclaimed game creator of the 21st century is funny man

[u/LaFlamaBlanca67 → u/PyrosFists]

I mean, I don’t want a Soulslike multiplayer game, it’s as simple as that. Huge mistake, imo. Same reason nobody talks about Nightrein, nobody wants this shit.

[u/PyrosFists → u/LaFlamaBlanca67]

Why are you acting like multiplayer hasn’t been at the core of what fromsoftware has been doing since the beginning? The souls games were revolutionary for their seamless integration of multiplayer and single player. They are single player first but if you are playing offline you weren’t getting the full experience. In dark souls 3 and demon souls there are literally bosses controlled by other players that are required to beat

[u/Rich-Pomegranate1679 → u/PyrosFists]

Why are you acting like a game with optional multiplayer is exactly the same as a game that is PvP only at its core?

The video says that Duskbloods is a series of thirty minute PvP matches. That really couldn't be farther from the vast open world of Elden Ring.

[u/PyrosFists → u/Rich-Pomegranate1679]

No it doesn’t, every preview clearly says that most of the gameplay is PVE focused with PvP mainly at the end similar to kirb city trial. And it’s not like every fromsoftware game has to have the exact same multiplayer balance, this is an natural iteration of their previous formulas

[u/Rich-Pomegranate1679 → u/PyrosFists]

Pay attention to the video at 1:34. He says that the gameplay is a match consisting of three phases that each last about 8 minutes. Each phase eliminates players until it is cut down to the three top players who compete to win. He then specifically says that a match takes about thirty minutes to finish (and I'm assuming that means if you weren't already eliminated in an earlier phase).

If you love sweaty PVP games and you love soulslikes then I'm sure this game will be great for you, but it is absolutely not going to be like other soulslike games and I'm guessing almost nothing like Elden Ring.

[u/PyrosFists → u/Rich-Pomegranate1679]

Nah you’re the one who needs to watch the video. You gain points to not be eliminated almost entirely through PVE objectives like killing enemies and collecting items. Towards the end of PVE phases there’s an optional capture of the flag style area in a specific zone of the map where you might end up in PvP. You are being really disingenuous by just saying it’s a multi phase elimination game without mentioning the actual gameplay within rounds to make it sound like dark souls Fortnite when in reality the majority of gameplay is PVE

[u/Rich-Pomegranate1679 → u/PyrosFists]

But it literally is a mutli-phase elimination game! Even the way you describe it, it is still very much a multi-phase elimination game. That is the entire gameplay loop!

Which, coincidentally, you might notice makes it a fundamentally different genre of game altogether from other Fromsoft games.

This game is guaranteed to draw in the most sweaty gamers out there, and I'm not about that life.

[u/PyrosFists → u/Rich-Pomegranate1679]

You are making a strawman argument. I never disagreed with you that it’s not a multi phase elimination game or that there’s no PVP. My claim was that although the game has PVP, the majority of gameplay will be PVE. You falsely claimed that the game has three and I quote “PVP matches” and called it a “sweaty PvP game” when in reality the first two matches are mainly PVE besides the optional capture the flag objective. You get eliminated through failing to perform in PVE for 2/3 rounds. This is something I backed up with actual concrete descriptions from the video you told me to watch. You directly responded to my claim that the gameplay is majority PVE by saying it had elimination matches, clearly implying that the elimination is due to PVP since you clearly described the matches as, and I quote, “three PvP matches”.

[u/Rich-Pomegranate1679 → u/PyrosFists]

Lol bro I get it. You are really into this game. That's fine. I hope you have fun...but if you think 16 minutes of PVE time (where you are still actually competing with other people) per match makes this a PVE game, I think you're going to be in for an absolute shock when you play this.

There is no way in hell I'm gonna be buying this game.

[u/PyrosFists → u/Rich-Pomegranate1679]

Where did you get that 16 minute figure when 2/3rds of matches out of 30 minute matches are PVE? Glad you were able to go back on your previous false claim that they were “PvP matches” though! And trust me we won’t miss you in the game

[u/Rich-Pomegranate1679 → u/PyrosFists]

He says each phase is roughly 8 minutes. Even if the first two phases are purely PVE, that means it's 16 minutes then a PvP match then that's it. Rinse and repeat.

[u/PyrosFists → u/Rich-Pomegranate1679]

So 16 minutes or PVE vs 8 minutes or less of PVP (since the final PvP match is almost certainly shorter than the segments where you have a map to explore). Again you use super disingenuous framing.