Bloodborne remains one of the most acclaimed entries in the massively popular 'Soulsborne' series, and offers what is arguably FromSoftware's most flesh-out and fully-formed world in Yharnam, its nightmarish location.
Released in 2015 on PlayStation 4, the game has gone on to inspire a whole generation of players – and now, publisher Tune & Fairweather is releasing an "anthology of Bloodborne criticism" which aims to dig even deeper into Hidetaka Miyazaki's grim, gothic masterpiece.
Blood Echoes: A Bloodborne Anthology features 16 essays examining elements of the game, with around half a dozen being unpublished and exclusive to this book. Selected authors include Christian Donlan, Seth Killian and Matthew Seiji Burns.
Alongside these essays, you'll find an out-of-print interview with Miyazaki, which was originally published in the official Bloodborne guide, as well as interviews with Bloodborne ‘demake’ creator Lilith Walther, Bloodborne lead translator Ryan Morris and Bloodborne speedrun world record-holder Chase “Genso” Morrissey. The book is illustrated by Soulsborne artist Shimhaq, and edited by author and video game journalist Simon Parkin.
The book will cost £72, and you can pre-order it here. You can download a free digital sampler here. It is expected to ship in Q4, 2023.
Here's the full spec from the publisher:
- 6 x 9 inches (14.5cm x 22cm)
- 269 pages (exact count subject to revision prior to final printing)
- 150gsm Abbey Pure Rough premium uncoated design paper
- 10 full-color plates on 190gsm Stucco Pergamenata
- Spine blocked in Ghost Silver foil
- ‘Full-eclipse’ blackout effect on page edges
- Three-quarter bound in silktouch Nuba vegan leather
- Two-color red and black printing throughout featuring ‘blood-smear watercolor’ illustrations
- Red-and-black striped head & tail bands
- Protective slipcase with blind-stamping and blocking in Ghost Silver foil