While the internet is currently ablaze with GTA 6 leaks (as if we didn’t already know everything), there’s a far more important development unfolding in the gaming world: From Software’s upcoming Switch 2 exclusive, The Duskbloods. We finally have concrete details about this highly anticipated title, and among the exciting revelations is the introduction of playable characters known as Bloodsworn. One character, in particular, has captured the internet’s attention.
Meet Zork: The Undersea Oddity
Behold, Zork! This peculiar individual sports an exceptionally pear-like diving suit and wields a length of undersea cable as his weapon. But that’s not all; he can also unleash a bloodcurdling howl, fire a cannon mounted on his back, and launch himself at enemies with the ultimate form of humiliation: knocking them off the map.
For those of us who struggle to create compelling characters in games – my Commander Shepard always ends up looking suspiciously like the box art model – Zork represents a breath of fresh air. So often, pre-made characters fall into the trap of generic appeal. But Zork? He’s delightfully uncool in the traditional sense, and his inclusion as one of the six playable characters in The Duskbloods’ network test is genuinely thrilling.
And it’s not just Zork who stands out; the names of the other Bloodsworn range from simple monikers like “Albert” to more elaborate titles like “Senator Samir Patres,” a name I vow never to abbreviate.
Miyazaki on Mayhem: Embracing the Absurd
speaking with From Software’s Hidetaka Miyazaki
During a recent interview, our own Jake Dekker had the opportunity to discuss Zork with From Software’s legendary director, Hidetaka Miyazaki. “There will always be your traditional characters, especially in a vampire-like game,” Miyazaki explained. “You have your traditional Victorian Gothic characters, and then you have other characters that are a little bit more off to the side with Asian influences [like Trang Lanh]. I think Zork is basically as far off to the side as you can get, where he’s a bit of a wild card. It’s always fun to have characters like that, and there’s always people who like characters like that.”
“I really want the multiplayer landscape of this game [to] almost feel like a festival,” Miyazaki continued. “You have all these different kinds of characters, they feel and look very different from each other, and [they all come] together and it [feels chaotic]. Zork is definitely a piece of that–just a weird guy who’s in the midst of it, right?”
The Beak: A Vampire’s Essential Accessory
We also delved into the mystery of that prominent beak on Zork’s mask. And yes, for a game about vampires, it is indeed designed for drinking blood.
“[I]f you ever win with Zork, you’ll get a cutscene that will probably reveal that a little bit more,” Miyazaki explained. “[His] beak thing extends like a straw, and sucks [blood] up like a mosquito. That’s probably another Ultraman reference of some sort, some sort of monster.”
Miyazaki also revealed that Zork is one of his favorite characters to play as in the network test version of the game. Based on the internet’s reaction so far, I suspect he won’t be alone in that.
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