Fans of the Soulsborne series have been asking for a sequel toBloodbornesince the original game was released. The fast-paced, Lovecraftian-themed game became an instant classic and gave players a nicechange of pace from the classicDark Soulsexperience.
Even though a sequel toBloodborneis highly unlikely, it is not entirely out of the question, but with the way the canon ending of the original game left the story, the second entry could risk drastically affecting the near-perfect ending ofBloodborne. That being said, the lore heavily focuses on what happened in the past that led to the current events of Yharnam but never fully delves into the details of the past. A newBloodbornetitle set before the events of the first game could have serious potential.
RELATED:Dark Souls 3 Gets Bloodborne Overhaul With New Mod
Where the Canon Ending Left Bloodborne
Much like the other Soulsborne games,Bloodborneallows players to achieve multiple different endings, each with its own requirements and implications for the story. The ideal, or true, ending ofBloodborneis called Childhood’s Beginnings, and it requires the player to find and consume three Third Umbilical Cord items before speaking to Gehrman at the end of their journey.
Once the player consumes the items and defeats Gehrman, they are confronted with a second final boss,the Moon Presence. AsBloodborne’s lore implies, once the player is able to defeat a Great One such as the Moon Presence, the hunter themselves is able to transcend their human form and become a Great One. The final scene ofBloodborneshows the Doll cradling the infant Great One and praising the good hunter.
The Childhood’s BeginningsBloodborneending wraps up the hunter’s missionand would make it difficult to continue the storyline unless the developers introduce a new hunter who continues the hunt and search for insight. Though that is not exactly out of the realm of possibility, it would essentially be the same story retold. Many fans would not complain about a retelling ofBloodborne’s story; however, taking the next game in a different direction could flesh out the lore even further.
Bloodborne’s Past is Rich with Lore
Not every game series would benefit from a prequel. The biggest downfall of creating a prequel is that the players know where the story goes and can likely put the pieces together themselves, creating an ineffective plotline. That being said,Bloodborne’s story has a lot of callbacks to hunters and beasts of the past. The beastly scourge that plaguesYharnam is shrouded in mysterybut lore implies that past societies discovered and fell victim to the scourge before Yharnam.
The entirecity of Old Yharnam is full of lore, from the Ashen Blood to the heretical Powder Kegs. Players explore the old, burnt-down city streets and only catch glimpses of what really occurred in Old Yharnam’s prime. A prequel could further develop the story of Old Yharnham and explore why and how it was burned and abandoned. Looking into the past could also explain the Powder Kegs and their beginnings and eventual falling out with the Healing Church.
On top of just exploring the Powder Kegs, a prequel could further explain the old hunters such as those featured in theOld Hunters DLCand more specifically, Gehrman, Ludwig, and Maria, as the latter three are major characters that ultimately become bosses who have either lost their way or succumbed to the beastly scourge. Though many of these characters do have storylines inBloodborne, it would be interesting to see their beginnings with the church and what led them to their ultimate demise.
Perhaps the biggest mystery that has still gone mostly unexplained inBloodborneisthe Chalice Dungeons and the Pthumerians. Considering that the ancient civilization of the Pthumerians, who were led by Queen Yharnam, was said to have originally contacted the Great Ones and begin the use of blood healing, it is surprising that the original game did not further explore the now extinct civilization. Since the Chalice Dungeons are completely optional and require a lot of time and dedication to successfully complete, many players could go through the entirety ofBloodbornewithout ever knowing about the Pthumerians or Queen Yharnham, aside from briefly seeing her in the main game.
RELATED:The Hardest Trophies to Unlock in Bloodborne
How a Prequel Would Benefit Bloodborne
The beauty of creating a prequel toBloodbornewould be in the player being fully aware of the downfall of the Pthumerians, Old Yharnam, andthe Healing Churchas a whole. BecauseBloodborne’s theme is centered around an eerie sense of fear and gaining insight to see the world for what it truly is, the player having knowledge of what is to come would fit right into the theme and add a looming sense of dread to the already tense environments.
The established lore and backstories provided by the original title are mostly enough for players to gather knowledge about the Healing Church and itsaffiliation with Yharnam, but there is so much more that could be explored that is hinted at or implied but never fully fleshed out. Though this is a common trope in the Soulsborne games, the demand for another entry in theBloodborneseries on top of the trove of unknown information could effectively kill two birds with one stone.
A prequel would allow players to continue to uncover the mysteries of theBloodborneuniverse while also providing them with a new game that does not oversaturate the series. Instead, the new game could provide an in-depth look at the events andmisfortunes that created the world ofBloodborneas it stands today.
Considering that creative director Hidetaka Miyazaki has moved on to different IPs and Sony owns the rights toBloodborne, a new game in the series seems more like a pipe dream than a possibility. However, even though Miyazaki has stated he prefers creating new IPs over sequels, as of 2019 he also claimed thatBloodborneis his favorite Soulsborne game and admitted that creating a sequel is not entirely up to him. WhetherElden Ringhas usurpedBloodborneas his favorite game is uncertain, but Miyazaki’s words should give an inkling of hope to fans who arecontinuing to wait forBloodborne 2.
