Bloodborne is often hailed as one of the best games of the PS4 generation, so to see nothing else come out of the IP is, at times, concerning. Rumors have reared time again about Bloodborne remasters or upgrades, PC ports, and even sequels, but nothing has come true. Indeed, a Bloodborne 2 is unlikely if only because FromSoftware and Hidetaka Miyazaki do not like doing sequels, but it’s undoubtedly one of the most demanded games out there.
Bloodborne 2 may be unlikely, but if it ever happens, it should take a few notes from Elden Ring.Not all FromSoftware games have to be open-world going forward, but perhaps Bloodborne 2 would be worthy of the expansion. After all, Yharnam was already quite expansive, so building out the world more would not be too much. It would also allow for the best features of Elden Ring and the best features of Bloodborne to come together quite nicely.
Elden Ring’s Open-World Features in Bloodborne 2
Of course, Bloodborne 2 would need to take its gothic Victorian setting and adapt it closely to Elden Ring’s features. Perhaps Yharnam could be revisited, but other locations could be equally expanded. There could be plenty of countryside to explore, built on with adding new locations and perhaps even new cities. It would be interesting to see the amount of detail put into the Healing Church and Yharnam spread out across an entire landscape.
Things like Stakes of Marika would need to appear of course, and because Elden Ring is quite giving with Sites of Grace, Bloodborne 2 lanterns should be as viable. Just like Elden Ring has the main two flasks and the Flask of Wondrous Physick, new Blood Vials would help with this a lot, making sure exploration, safety nets, and spawn points aren't too strict. Elden Ring’s open-world is also rewarding in and of itself to explore, which is admittedly a trademark of all Souls games, and Bloodborne 2 would do well to adopt this style. To make it more approachable, a mount like Torrent would be great for the new Bloodborne hunter, and it would even make the "hunt" feel more legit. It could be that certain Old Gods or something even required more hunt or chase-like options that would really expand on a Bloodborne 2 open world.
In truth, while it would be this simple, using Elden Ring’s open-world approach of exploration, challenges, and rewards be a baseline for Bloodborne 2 would certainly be welcome. There could be territories akin to Caelid, which are endearing but dangerous; worldbuilding elements like the capital of Leyndell changing that could bring Bloodborne 2 to life, with perhaps a new city similar to Yharnam; and tons of other options, like completely secret areas, scattered puzzles like the secret medallion, and more that make the open-world functional.
Elden Ring Dungeons, Legacy Dungeons, and Bloodborne 2 Chalice Dungeons
One big deviation in Bloodborne was Chalice Dungeons, which were localized in the Hunter’s Dream. However, to bring the expanded world of Bloodborne to life, it would be great to see more general dungeons and legacy dungeons worked into Chalice Dungeon requirements—as if there were three types around the game world.
Perhaps Chalice Dungeons and their rituals would be localized to certain graveyards or gravestones that can only be unlocked when the rest of a certain sub-region was explored, and these rituals would create new depths for those dungeons, expanding them into Chalice Dungeons or simply unlocking. Now, of course, there are some big differences in Legacy Dungeons and Chalice Dungeons, but somehow combining the depth of a Chalice Dungeon with the design of a Legacy Dungeon, scattering these throughout the world, would make for some interesting encounters.
Elden Ring’s Build Variety and Bloodborne’s Build Depth Make for a Perfect Sequel
If Bloodborne 2 were to essentially adopt Elden Ring’s open-world formula and design, it would be best if it married Bloodborne’s build depth with Elden Ring’s build variety. While there are certain dominating builds in Elden Ring, there is a ton of variety in how to approach builds. Sure, Rivers of Blood is great for a bleed build, but there are options on how to make it unique. Dex, Str, Faith, Magic, and all the other sub builds have a ton of options, if not necessarily a lot of depth.
Meanwhile, Bloodborne’s build variety is perhaps a little less appealing, but the depth there to each weapon is amazing. This is because of how offhand weapons and trick weapons make Bloodborne stand out from other games, so to combine the two in Bloodborne 2 would be great. Every state, Str, Dex, Faith, Bloodtinge, Arcane, and so on could all be key components for a variety of builds, with each one supported with a ton of different and interesting weapons. It could be as simple as an offhand pistol tricking into a short staff for magic or something as elaborate as a colossal weapon tricking into a giant railgun that could take the depth and variety concept and push them even further.
Bloodborne 2 may never happen, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t. Enough lessons from Elden Ring combined with the unique qualities of Bloodborne would make a sequel fans would never forget.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Bloodborne is available on PS4.