2022 was a monumental year for Japanese developer FromSoftware. The critical and commercial success of the Game of the Year Elden Ring saw Hidetaka Miyazaki and his team given more media attention than ever before. Despite being considered a new IP, the game drew heavily from FromSoftware's back catalog of titles, primarily the Dark Souls trilogy, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, a collection more widely known as the Soulsborne series. FromSoftware's next project is Armored Core 6, and many expect Elden Ring DLC to be announced imminently. Despite this though, the developer's existing IPs still have plenty of life left in them, and the prospect of any of them getting sequels is incredibly exciting.
Of all of FromSoftware's titles, Bloodborne is truly crying out for a sequel. The twisted, Lovecraftian setting of Yharnam is one of the most vividly detailed game worlds ever created, and not returning to it for another outing feels like a huge missed opportunity. Dark Souls has already had two sequels, but such is the series' popularity that news of further iterations would be met with almost unrivaled anticipation. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the only Soulsborne title that didn't get DLC, so a sequel to the 2019 Game of the Year would be another opportunity for players to put their shinobi skills to the test.
Bloodborne 2 Would Have Big Boots to Fill
Many consider 2015's PS4 exclusive Bloodborne to be among the finest video games ever created. Adapting several of Dark Souls' gameplay concepts into a fast, aggressive combat system that rewards the player for taking calculated risks, the title exceeded fan and critical expectations and proved to be an unforgettable experience. Unfortunately though, the video game landscape keeps evolving, and Bloodborne is beginning to show its age. While the gameplay is still rock-solid, Bloodborne is stunted by a 30FPS frame rate (even on PS5).
It's hard to imagine a sequel that didn't take place in Yharnam. The world has so much potential, that to abandon the setting entirely would feel unnecessary. Bloodborne 2, with the full power of the PS5 behind it, should focus on diving deeper into the world of Yharnam with bigger maps, perhaps even using an open-world setting, applying some of the newer gameplay features displayed in Elden Ring such as a jump button and giving the player access to a mount.
Dark Souls 4 Could Be More of the Same in a Good Way
The Dark Souls trilogy has sold over 27 million copies to date and is responsible for the creation of an entire sub-genre: the Soulslike. Many games have tried to replicate Dark Souls' success, but not all Soulslikes as successful as others. The franchise's trademark style of cryptic storytelling, revealing much of the lore through NPC dialogue and item descriptions, leaves much to the imagination.
Fans have enjoyed piecing together as much of the lore as possible while using vivid imaginations to fill in the blanks. This, coupled with robust gameplay and mechanics leading to some of the best melee and ranged combat encounters ever made, has resulted in an experience like no other, and the trilogy has grown in popularity with each iteration. A fourth installment could choose to transition from semi to fully open-world, coming fresh off the back of Elden Ring's success.
However, it's important to note that not every FromSoftware game needs to be open-world like Elden Ring, and a semi-linear experience has just as many advantages. The series has done a great job of refining its systems with each entry, and Dark Souls 4 would likely continue this trend, offering gameplay even faster and more fluid than in Dark Souls 3. While a narrative carries on through the trilogy, the story is vague enough that a sequel would not be bound by any real restrictions, and FromSoftware would have the freedom to create a whole new world should it wish to, only keeping core elements such as bonfires.
Dark Souls 3 does seem to bring the series to a natural conclusion, though. While Miyazaki has not permanently closed the door on another sequel, it feels as if such a project is nowhere near the top of FromSoftware's priority list. Elden Ring, Armored Core, and even probably Bloodborne seem more likely to receive more attention in the immediate future. Other games on the horizon could potentially serve a similar purpose, with upcoming Soulslike The Lords of the Fallen, in particular, looking like it could fill the Dark Souls 4 void.
A Sekiro Sequel Should be More Accessible
Every Soulsborne game is known for its punishing difficulty, but perhaps Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the most brutal example of this. The game many fans consider to be FromSoftware's most challenging is also the one that deviates the most from the traditional formula established in Demon's Souls. Offering more of a story, and little variety in terms of player builds and weapons, as well as no options to summon friends in order to make boss encounters more manageable, Sekiro truly puts the player's skills to the test. However, any potential sequel could choose to take a slightly different approach.
Elden Ring's unprecedented success is attributed to many factors, but one of the most prominent of these is its accessibility. It offers gamers multiple ways of making the experience more forgiving. There are no difficulty settings, but certain weapons, builds and other mechanics such as spirit ashes and summons can make the game more manageable. The wealth of routes the player can choose also helps, as for every potential wall they may run into, there are plenty of other options to take.
With this in mind, if FromSoftware ever did return to Sekiro for a sequel, it may well choose to replicate some of these accessibility options, possibly making the game more appealing for those not looking for an elite-level challenge, but rather an immersive and engaging game. Either way, any Sekiro sequel would likely be a highly polished experience, packed full of innovative boss designs and beautiful settings. Giving the player more choices around weapons and builds would probably be a priority. As unlikely as it seems right now, a Sekiro 2 would probably be right back in the running for Game of the Year.