Sony is polling players on their favorite PlayStation games, and the list it provided undoubtedly includes some of the best PS4 and PS5 titles. However, one game is curiously missing from the list: Bloodborne. The move certainly didn’t go unnoticed, with fans wondering what’s prompting Sony to pretend that the hit FromSoftware PS4 exclusive doesn’t exist.

Bloodborne is widely regarded as one of the best PlayStation exclusive games to date

The poll, which the official Sony Group account ran on Twitter, includes the following games from both the PS4 and PS5 generations:

• Uncharted 4
• The Last of Us Part 1
• Death Stranding
• Spider-Man: Miles Morales
• God of War Ragnarok
• Demon’s Souls (PS5)
• The Last of Us Part 2
• Horizon Forbidden West
• God of War (2018)
• Gran Turismo 7
• Returnal
• Marvel’s Spider-Man
• Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
• Spider-Man 2
• Ghost of Tsushima
• Horizon Zero Dawn

One can argue that there are quite a few beloved games that didn’t make the list, but the absence of what is regarded as one of the best PlayStation exclusives of all times is pretty noticeable. A quick look at the responses to Sony’s tweet is evidence of this.

For now, fans continue to hold out hope for a Bloodborne sequel.

The post Sony Conducts Poll on Favorite PlayStation Games, Ignores Bloodborne appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Bloodborne director Hidetaka Miyazaki was recently quizzed about the possibility of a remake, to which he said that he’s “thrilled” to see how passionate fans are about the game but is unable to say anything. Developed by FromSoftware, Bloodborne remains the property of Sony Interactive Entertainment, and fans continue to be baffled by the company’s decision to leave the IP dormant.

Would a Bloodborne remake make sense on the PS6?

Speaking to Eurogamer, Miyazaki said that Bloodborne is a game that FromSoftware holds “very dear and just as much as our fans.” “It does make me very happy to see that there are still so many people passionate about it,” he added while apologizing for not being able to say anything specific.

Interestingly, Miyazaki is of the view that remakes hold more value when they are released on new hardware. While he doesn’t think that releasing remakes on upgraded consoles is the “be all and end all,” he does think new hardware allows players to appreciate those games.

So, will we get Bloodborne on the PS6 if the PS5 ship has sailed? Miyazaki, unfortunately, can’t say because the ball is in Sony’s court. However, seeing passionate fans of the game makes him and the team at FromSoftware feel “very fortunate.”

The post Bloodborne Director Hidetaka Miyazaki Responds to Remake Requests appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Bloodborne Remake rumors have been swirling yet again after God of War creator David Jaffe made the mistake of mentioning it in a YouTube video. Jaffe has since uploaded a new video to shut those rumors down, and denied implying that we’ll see the long-rumored remake at an upcoming PlayStation showcase.

David Jaffe did not “leak” Bloodborne Remake

In a feisty video clip published on Twitter, Jaffe reiterated that he’s not an insider and has no inside knowledge of Sony’s first-party games. He claims to have been sharing something he had once heard from a “reporter.”

“I don’t leak s***,” Jaffe said. “It’s not my job to do that [leak games] … it’s disrespectful to the teams.”

It’s unclear why websites have been reporting that Bloodborne Remake may turn up at an upcoming PlayStation showcase, which Jaffe says he doesn’t have any knowledge of. In his original video, he quoted the aforementioned reporter as saying that a Bloodborne Remake reveal may happen sooner rather than later.

Bloodborne and its (probably) non-existent sequel continue to be the subject of bizarre reports, none of which have ever been corroborated by reliable insiders or journalists. For now, it’s safe to take all news about Bloodborne with a customary grain of salt.

The post Bloodborne Remake Rumors Shut Down by God of War Creator appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

The official Sony Twitter account (not to be confused with the PlayStation handles) made a bit of a blooper last night by publishing a tweet that sparked Bloodborne 2 speculations again. The tweet in question posted a zoomed in photo of a part of Bloodborne’s box art, and casually asked fans “which PlayStation game cover are we zooming in on?” The replies were as crazy as you’d expect – ranging from people expressing their anger over a lack of sequel to fans speculating that an announcement is coming, prompting Sony to realize that it should have known better.

Bloodborne 2 has been a sore point for years

The sequel to FromSoftware’s finest and one of the best PS4 exclusives has been the subject of much debate among the PlayStation community. Many wonder why Sony continues to remaster everything under the sun while neglecting the IP to the point where even a 60 fps upgrade seems out of question. Any rumor we’ve heard about a Bloodborne sequel has been thoroughly debunked and the chances of a new entry certainly seem bleak.

It’s no surprise, then, that the tweet didn’t go down well and Sony’s social media team decided that it was best to just scrub its existence from the internet.

The post Sony Tweet Sparks Bloodborne 2 Speculations, Gets Deleted appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

A routine maintenance notice on Bloodborne has fans hoping for Bloodborne 2 news once again. A Twitter user posted a screenshot of an in-game message, which mentions that the game will be down for server maintenance for about four hours on August 31st, during which the online mode will be unavailable. Bloodborne undergoes server maintenance every couple of months so this message is nothing new but fans who are starved for information seem convinced that this has something to do with the rumored PlayStation State of Play event happening in September.

Has Sony hinted at Bloodborne 2?

Bloodborne gets server updates every few months. pic.twitter.com/MMjcw7zPoW

— Okami Games (@Okami13_) August 26, 2022

Sony has never expressed its position on Bloodborne 2 – not even a tease. The only thing we heard was the company stating that Bloodborne had exceeded sales expectations back in 2015. The last reported sales figure stood at over two million copies sold by September 2015, following which there has been no official update.

FromSoftware previously said that it’s up to Sony to greenlight a sequel as IP owner, and with the company choosing to stay mum, there really isn’t anything to go by except for baseless rumors and reports. However, that hasn’t stopped fans from getting their hopes up. From a 60 frames-per-second update to PC and PS5 ports – we’ve heard it all, but nothing has ever come out of these reports.

In light of this, it’s hard to say what Sony has in mind. There’s no doubt Bloodborne is one of the company’s best exclusive games to date, but with the focus being on high-selling blockbusters, one wonders if Bloodborne’s relatively lower sales is the reason Sony isn’t investing into the IP.

In other news, Lance Reddick has released a statement on Resident Evil Netflix cancellation, and PS5 is the only console getting a price increase ahead of the holiday season.

The post Bloodborne Will Be Down for Maintenance Soon But Don’t Get Your Hopes Up appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Time to spin up the rumor mill once again, this time about the much-beloved PlayStation exclusive title, Bloodborne. XboxEra’s Nick “Shpeshal_Nick” Baker is back again with yet another PlayStation rumor, corroborating details he and others have allegedly heard regarding Bluepoint working on Bloodborne 2, a PS5 console remaster, and the PC port of the title already being done.

“I have been told by a couple of different sources a couple of different things about Bloodborne,” Baker says. “I’ve been told there’s a PC port that’s already done.” He does not go on to specify who developed the PC port of Bloodborne, but rumors of the title coming to PC have been persisting for a while now.

“I think what’s happening with Bluepoint is, I believe Bluepoint is doing the sequel,” Baker continued. This would fall into the category of “original content” that Bluepoint said it was working on since its Sony acquisition. While not a wholly new IP, a hypothetical Bloodborne 2 would be the first “original” game from Bluepoint.

“And I think Bluepoint might also be doing the console remaster of the first one. I think,” he concluded. He reiterates that this is simply him corroborating other similar rumors people have heard with information he’s gotten from his own contacts and sources. Bluepoint’s heavy involvement makes sense from the perspective of the company that did both the PS3 remaster of Shadow of the Colossus as well as the PS4 remake. The studio working on the PS5 remaster of Bloodborne would allow them to become intimately familiar with the game to do the sequel proper justice.

Catch Baker’s comments in the XboxEra Podcast video just after the 1:30:00 mark:

Rumors of Bloodborne coming to PC and PS5 started kicking up back in June 2020. With Sony’s strategy of PC ports as well as PS5 “director’s cut” enhancements for its biggest PS4 exclusives, such an announcement would be unsurprising, and there are enough whispers to lend a lot of weight to the rumor. Bluepoint has been a PlayStation juggernaut studio, and the recent Sony acquisition gives the team even more resources and creative freedoms than ever before as it makes its first foray into developing more original content, expanding on the ideas that came before.

However, as usual, this is a rumor, and should be taken with your daily allotted amount of salt until such time that it is confirmed by Sony.

[Via: PSU]

The post Rumor: Bloodborne PC is ‘Done,’ Bluepoint Working on Bloodborne 2 and Remaster of the First Game appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Bluepoint Games has said that it’s aiming to make “Game-of-the-Year quality” titles and is actively recruiting for numerous positions – from Combat Designer to Senior Lighting Artists and Graphics Engineers.

As spotted by Twitter user Shinobi602, Bluepoint made its ambition known as an introduction to nearly all of the advertised positions, majority of which mention that the studio is looking for experienced professionals and games industry veterans as opposed to entry-level applicants.

“Bluepoint Games has begun the exciting work of original development and seeks passionate, industry-leading talent to join our pursuit in crafting Game-of-the-Year quality titles,” reads the jobs site. “Our studio is renowned for critically acclaimed titles that exceeded what the world expected of us, from the remaster of Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, to the remake of Shadow of the Colossus, and most recently the PS5 launch title Demon’s Souls.”

As we previously reported, although Bluepoint seems to be moving away from remasters and remakes, “original” content could either mean a new entry in an established franchise or a new IP from scratch. As a matter of fact, it could mean both, if the studio is up for simultaneous development.

Speaking of established franchise, Last Stand Media’s Colin Moriarty (who’s pretty well-connected within the games industry) claimed to have heard through the “grapevine” that Bluepoint “may be on a journey to Yharnam.” If true, we’ll find out in due course if Sony has pegged the studio to make the next Bloodborne game rather than handing the project to FromSoftware.

[Source: Bluepoint Games, Colin Moriarty (Twitter)]

The post Bluepoint Aiming to Make ‘Game-of-the-Year Quality’ Titles, Actively Recruiting for Numerous Positions appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

The mere mention of a hypothetical followup to 2015’s Bloodborne immediately gets rabid fans all riled up. And there are a ton of die-hard fans out there, especially when you consider just how well it sold. But what’s going on with the sequel? That decision isn’t up to Director Hidetaka Miyazaki. In an interview with GameSpot Brazil, Miyazaki explained his love for Bloodborne and shed a little light on what’s going on with a possible Bloodborne 2.

Thanks to a translation from ResetEra user Gbraga, we know that the decision to make Bloodborne 2 is not up to Miyazaki. While he didn’t divulge any information about who it is up to, it’s implied that he’s talking about Sony, the publisher of the original game. Sony owns the rights to Bloodborne, so it would be the company’s decision to go forward with a sequel.

Bloodborne is one of PS4’s best-selling games, despite being extremely difficult. According to NPD, Bloodborne is the 5th best-selling PS4 exclusive in the United States, ahead of Days Gone, inFamous: Second Son, and several recent MLB: The Show games. With that in mind, it’s easy to believe we’ll see a sequel, at least from a business perspective.

Fans were intrigued when a reference to Bloodborne appeared in FromSoftware’s PSVR game Déraciné, which many believed to be hinting towards a sequel, but that was not the case. Miyazaki explained that this reference was simply that; a reference and not a hint towards the future.

Still, fans have continued to express their love for Bloodborne, even going so far as to organizing their own unofficial in-game Halloween event called “Official Return to Yharnam,” in which the community is encouraged to wear various costumes, invade one another, and keep the game alive.

Do you think we’ll ever get Bloodborne 2? Perhaps it’ll happen on the PS5. Let us know your thoughts!

[Source: GameSpot Brazil via ResetEra]

The post Director Hidetaka Miyazaki Says the Decision to Develop Bloodborne 2 is Not Up to Him appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Welcome, and thank you for joining us for another addition of Celebrating a Series. This where we gush about our favorite PlayStation franchises and look forward to their future. Today, we’ll be taking a look at Bloodborne, a game that is absolutely beloved and considered to be one of the greatest games of this generation. (Some may even consider it one of the greatest games of all time!) Even if you don’t agree with that sentiment, there’s no denying the importance of this game and how its fans would kill for a sequel.

To those unaware, Bloodborne released in 2015, exclusively on PS4, coming off the heels of Dark Souls II. Immediately, fans were hooked by the game’s aesthetic, fluid combat, and interesting mechanics. It’s hard to not talk about Dark Souls when discussing Bloodborne, since so much of its DNA is rooted in the Souls series. But really, they are vastly different, especially in setting.

Away with Yharnam

The first thing you’ll notice is the beautiful Gothic setting, with Victorian-looking architecture and an almost Lovecraft take on the enemy design. The city of Yharnam is a character itself, and truly makes this game special. It really is a unique aesthetic that helps it stand out among the many action games we’ve seen within the past decade. Despite that, in Bloodborne II, it would be disappointing for it to stay in Yharnam, simply because many players know that city inside and out.

FromSoftware typically changes the setting with each of its games, so this shouldn’t be a major concern. However, the Souls games do all tend to blend together, since they’re all so similar. That’s why Bloodborne is memorable: After years of sticking with a fantasy setting, we finally got something different. It would be a shame if Bloodborne II stuck with the same setting as the original.

With a sequel, maybe a different time period could work, almost like how Assassin’s Creed gives us a new historical setting almost every entry. Because of how weird Bloodborne gets, especially towards the end, it really could do anything. There are giant Cthulhu-like monsters and even alien-looking creatures at one point, so there’s a lot of room for exploration in a new entry. I’m not saying we need octopus monsters in space, but it needs to be different enough to stand out. Maybe even taking place in an area that resembles ancient Japan could work.

Ultimately, though, the team at FromSoftware knows what it is doing and I trust them with whatever Bloodborne II looks like.

Combat is King

Don’t expect an in-your-face narrative when playing Bloodborne. The lore is hidden deep within item descriptions, environmental story-telling, and conversations with the NPCs you find throughout the world. This gives emphasis to the gameplay, which is the real star of the show. That isn’t to say the story should be dismissed—in fact, it’s quite interesting—but the main draw is in mastering the game’s exceptional combat system. When looking ahead, it’s hard to pinpoint what a sequel could include, since the combat is already so good.

One thing that wouldn’t hurt, is the inclusion of more diverse weapons. Sure, the weapons in Bloodborne do all have their own unique qualities, but seeing some wild off-the-wall weapons could spice things up. The Old Hunters, the DLC expansion includes a few more weapons to choose from, which is most definitely a step in the right direction, so Bloodborne II could double-down on that idea.

This might coincide with a new setting, as the time period would dictate which weapons you’d have at your disposal. But I want more of a reason to try every weapon. It’s far too easy to just stick with whichever weapon does the highest damage, while ignoring the rest, so Bloodborne II should give us incentive to experiment with everything available and maybe having some more interesting weapons to choose from could help.

The weapon transformation mechanic, wherein each weapon has two attack modes, was a fantastic inclusion. Bloodborne II should extrapolate on this, giving us more options for unique weapons.

Should Accessibility Be Taken into Consideration?

It’s tough, because despite how great Bloodborne is, it’s hard to recommend to everyone. When thinking about a sequel, FromSoftware might be at odds with what to do, in terms of accessibility. On one hand, the design is meant to test your skill, make you overcome a challenge, and reward you for doing so. Any drastic changes to this formula could negatively impact an upcoming game. From a creative standpoint, I feel for the developers who are tasked with solving this issue.

As a creator, you probably want everyone to be able to experience your game, so creating something so difficult will, by default, alienate most players. Should Bloodborne II change things up and be designed in such a way that will allow more players to experience it? Maybe. A few simple mechanics in Bloodborne give it its own identity, like the health recovery system, the lack of shields, and the ability to parry from a distance.

A new creative solution like the ones mentioned above could help take Bloodborne II to a new direction, allowing more players to hop in. It needs to be balanced in such a way that won’t ruin the game for experienced players, while still letting newcomers join in. Changing too much might cause it to lose what makes the original so great.

One of the most controversial aspects is how difficult the game is right from the start. Seriously, most players drop off within the first ten minutes of the game, once they get to the villagers surrounding the fire. Many fans believe this is important, because it prepares you. Others think it’s too hard right off the bat and should ease you in more, with a gradual increase in difficulty. I’m torn on this, because I can see both points, so it’s up to the wizards at FromSoftware to tackle this issue.

At the end of the day, the hardcore Bloodborne fans might be against this notion, but I think allowing for more players to enjoy a sequel could be a positive thing.

Quality of Life (or Death)

Despite its exceptional quality, Bloodborne is not perfect. There are many ways a sequel could improve the formula. One of the biggest issues is how it’s a tad clunky to navigate throughout the world. I don’t mean just walking around, but fast traveling between areas. In Bloodborne, you must go back to the Hunter’s Dream every time you want to warp to a new area. It might be more streamlined if you could simply fast travel between lamps, much like in the Souls games.

Along with that, the loading screens are still noticeably long. They were vastly improved after the game was released, but since you have to travel to two places to get to where you want to go, the loading times tend to add up. A lot has changed since Bloodborne released, and some of it might feel outdated if released today.

Additionally, the Chalice Dungeons were such a neat idea, and I would love to see something like that in a sequel. Admittedly, this mode wasn’t as fully fleshed out as it could have been, but it’s an awesome starting point for something that could be really cool. If you ask around, many players either completely ignored this mode or weren’t too wild about it, so Bloodborne II could make it more worth your while to play.

Aside from that, there are some technical issues that should be addressed, like the framerate, which would no doubt be fixed in a sequel. If Bloodborne II is a PS5 game, it might be realistic to have it running at 60 fps instead of 30 fps in the original.

Most notably, though, the online aspect needs some work. While I have fond memories of playing, many memories involve me just waiting for a friend to join my game or for a specific person to invade. Sure, it’s gotten a lot better with updates, but Bloodborne II could streamline this and make it easier to play with others.

Realistically, Will a Sequel Happen?

Here’s another tough one: Will we actually get a sequel? At first, it seems like a no-brainer. Sure, we could. But as more discussions happen and as we get further away from the original, maybe Bloodborne II isn’t in the cards. To be clear, I still think it’ll happen, but from a development standpoint, it must be really challenging to come up with what to do for a sequel. From Software doesn’t release bad games, so to them, it needs to be up to their standards before even considering releasing something.

Maybe it’s in development and FromSoftware is working tirelessly on making sure it captures the essence of the original, while including enough new features to feel fresh. Or maybe the team doesn’t want to tarnish the Bloodborne name and have moved on from the idea completely. FromSoftware would be leaving money on the table if a sequel was skpped, but who knows what’s really going on over there?

At the end of the day, Bloodborne is one of the most iconic PlayStation franchises so far. It’s spooky, has some satisfying and fluid combat, and there’s a dark and memorable aesthetic with interesting themes that make it a near-perfect video game. A sequel needs to do all of that but better, which is probably no easy task.

What would you like to see from a Bloodborne sequel? Do you think we’ll get us? Let us know in the comments.

The post Celebrating a Series: Bloodborne 2’s Thirst For Blood appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Since Bloodborne’s March 2015 release, fans have been awaiting an announcement of a sequel. With FromSoftware’s Déraciné launch on PlayStation VR, anticipation’s been fueled once more, due to Déraciné’s featuring a blatant Bloodborne Easter Egg in the form of a doll. Does the Bloodborne nod mean FromSoftware is developing Bloodborne 2? According to President Hidetaka Miyazaki, the answer’s no. In fact, the Easter Egg was meant only as an Easter Egg, nothing more.

During an interview with Spanish publication Xataka, Miyazaki was asked to address Déraciné’s Bloodborne reference. He responded as follows,

In reality, this is just a conversation my team and I had. It’s the type of conversation we have during development because there are Easter Eggs… However… the easter eggs isn’t an indicator that we’re going to release Bloodborne II. I’m not in the position to talk about the possibility of Bloodborne II’s release. However, we love Bloodborne; for that reason this Easter Egg has created a lot of curiosity [among fans]. But, I repeat, it’s not a sign for Bloodborne II. It’s just something we explored between us because we love Bloodborne.

This probably isn’t FromSoftware’s first time shooting down Bloodborne 2 speculation, and it’s unlikely to be the last. The most recent rumor dates back to weeks after E3 2018, where the sequel appeared on an Amazon Italy listing, alongside the likes of Splinter Cell, and an evidently incorrect Dreams release date.

Miyazaki has previously stated that Dark Souls is finished. FromSoftware’s Promotion and Communications Manager, Yasuhiro Kitao, once followed up on this, stating that the studio instead wants to focus on “fresh experiences.” This seemingly suggests there’s hope for Bloodborne to return in some fashion.

For now, however, fans will have to get their Soulsborne fix elsewhere, specifically in FromSoftware’s upcoming release of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Fortunately, Sekiro will compare to Bloodborne and Dark Souls with regards to the scope of the older titles. Yet, gameplay additions to Sekiro, such as stealth, are sure to differentiate the new release from its predecessors.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will come to the PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One on March 22, 2019.

[Source: Xataka via Wccftech]

The post Miyazaki Says Bloodborne Easter Egg in Déraciné Is Not a Bloodborne 2 Tease appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.