IGN’s in-depth Bloodborne video series continues today with a new behind-the-scenes look at From Software’s forthcoming PlayStation 4 exclusive.
Narrated by Head of External Development Masami Yamamoto, the footage gives us some insight at the legacy lurking behind From’s Victorian-themed RPG, and how the collaboration with Sony spawned from the groundbreaking reception of Demon’s Souls in 2009.
We started this project because we had been hoping to create a new game with Miyazaki-san and From Software since the success of Demon’s Souls in Japan and other regions. Usually, developers come to us with their ideas to start a new project. Bloodborne was a bit of a special case, as we had a strong desire to work with Miyazaki-san, we brought the idea to From Software.
As fans of the Souls series are already well aware, From’s beloved franchise gained its status thanks to an old-school approach to game design. Yes, the series has become synonymous with extreme difficulty, but there’s a tremendous amount of depth beyond their ability to punish the player. In fact, looking ahead to Bloodborne, Sony’s Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida touched upon this carrot and stick mentality, stating that Hidetaka Miyazaki — game director behind the PS4 title — doesn’t want to unbalance the game.
“[Miyazaki] doesn’t necessarily want to make the game harder or more difficult from the difficulty. Rather, he would like to make players feel that at any time they might die. He wanted to make the battle combat more active, so that the players go more aggressive, and the risk/reward dynamic will change much higher.”
Bloodborne is slated to release exclusively for PlayStation 4 on March 24 here in North America, meaning that if Shuhei Yoshida is indeed right about the game’s steep difficulty curve, you have exactly one month before preparing to die, again.
