00:00To be fair, the words FromSoftware and Switch to exclusive were not something I ever expected to
00:05see together. So in this respect, the Duskbloods has always felt like a bit of a curveball since
00:09its announcement last year. Characters move extremely quickly, dashing across areas and
00:14leaping swiftly through the air. It feels so much faster than any other FromSoft game,
00:18and it runs very well on the Switch too. The Duskbloods has a beautifully dark visual design,
00:22with the kind of fantastically grotesque bosses we have come to expect from FromSoftware. There's a
00:27lot of variety and methods of attack. Each character comes equipped with a primary weapon,
00:32a ranged weapon, two skills and several passive abilities. The gameplay comes in four phases.
00:37During the first three, the focus is on collecting virtue, which you can do in a multitude of ways.
00:42You can earn it by defeating mini-bosses, completing quests, lighting flames, defending flags during
00:47rituals or sometimes enemies will just drop it. If you manage to collect enough virtue, you spare
00:52yourself from being culled by the Dusk. There are so many different virtues and objectives that it feels
00:57convoluted at points and would admittedly benefit from being marked out a little clearer.
01:01The game also has a kin system, which is a companion behaviour system where you command a summon.
01:06In the first three phases, you team up with others to tackle enemies or attempt them solo.
01:11Then the fourth phase is a 1v1v1 battle, which I am ashamed to say I lost every time.
01:16The Duskbloods is not a traditional PvP game in any sense of the word, nor is it a traditional
01:20FromSoftware game. It's the sound of FromSoftware marching to the chaotic beat of their own drum
01:25at a frenetic pace.
