Of all FromSoftware’s modern games, Bloodborne is a strong candidate for the most tragic. This isn’t just because of the bleakness of its world, or the existential dread evoked by its cosmic horror themes, but also because of its lack of further development: to this day, there has never been any word about a Bloodborne sequel, nor have FromSoftware or Sony expressed any plans to remake or remaster the title for modern hardware.

But of course, not all hope of a Bloodborne continuation has dried up, and many are still clasping their hands together in prayer for a Bloodborne 2. Such a project is definitely a bit unrealistic considering Miyazaki’s apparent distain for sequels, but it wouldn’t be an impossible feat. On the contrary, the world of Bloodborne is rich and bizarre enough to inspire a number of additional games within its universe, exploring different Great Ones, cosmic conflicts, and even civilizations beyond Yharnam itself. Whatever this theoretical project may or may not look like, it’s important to note that its premise would need to be substantially different from the first Bloodborne‘s for it to even get off the ground.

If There Is Ever a Bloodborne Sequel, It Will Need To Be a Radical Reinvention

None of Bloodborne’s Endings Result In a Clear Conclusion

Bloodborne has three endings, referred to by PlayStation Trophies as the following:

• Yharnam Sunrise
• Honoring Wishes
• Childhood’s Beginning

Yharnam Sunrise is the easiest ending to achieve, and it completely bypasses the final boss fight against Gehrman: the player-character will agree to have their “dream ended” by Gehrman, who promptly decapitates them before the game segues into a short scene of the protagonist waking up in a Yharnam drenched in early-morning sun. This ending is ambiguous, but heavily suggests that the cycle of death and rebirth that defines the Bloodborne experience has ended. Conversely, the player can attain the Honoring Wishes ending by refusing Gehrman’s offer, initiating a boss battle. Upon defeating Gehrman, the player will be embraced by the Moon Presence, which results in the former assuming Gehrman’s role as the First Hunter and keeper of the dream.

Bloodborne‘s most interesting ending is Childhood’s Beginning, which occurs when the player consumes three “umbilical cord” items found throughout the game, before defeating Gehrman in the final fight. Under these circumstances, the Moon Presence will be unable to turn the player-character into the First Hunter, prompting a secret boss fight. Overcoming this challenge will result in the player-character’s transformation into a slug-like creature, which is strongly implied to be a newborn Great One meant to usher in a new era of humankind.

All of this is to say that the world of Bloodborne is irrevocably changed in almost all interpretations of the above endings. In Yharnam Sunrise, the fight has ended, at least for the player-character; in Honoring Wishes, the cycle continues, but without the key figure that is Gehrman; in Childhood’s Beginning, humanity is at the dawn of an unprecedented age of experience, for better or worse. None of these outcomes leave the door open for a straightforward sequel, but maybe that’s a good thing.

Any Bloodborne Follow-Up Will Need To Flip the Script

Just like the Dark Souls games, Bloodborne‘s transformation into a franchise would need to be predicated on, at the very least, a new protagonist, as the player-character from the first game reaches the firm end of their journey, no matter what. If Honoring Wishes were made the canon ending, then it could allow for a direct repeat of the first game’s story, though this would be underwhelming to say the least. And if Childhood’s Beginning were made canon, then FromSoftware would need to conjure an entirely new cosmic nightmare, which could be almost unrecognizable from its predecessor.

Bloodborne

Systems

Released

March 24, 2015

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence

Engine

Havok

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