Although the PlayStation 5 has captured the audience's attention, many action game purists are still firing up the PlayStation 4 for yet another playthrough of one of the most iconic games released on that console, Bloodborne. For many Dark Souls fans, Bloodborne is still the series' pinnacle. The title is a Gothic horror masterpiece that is as moody and gorgeous as it is thrilling to play. Developer FromSoftware delivered a modern PlayStation classic, and over five years later, the question on the minds of many fans is simple: When will the community get its next Bloodborne fix?
FromSoftware hasn't said anything about a Bloodborne sequel just yet. But, in PlayStation's history, there is a similar series that is prime for a resurrection. This is a franchise that delivered just the kind of Gothic horror Bloodborne fans love almost twenty years prior. That series, Nightmare Creatures, was an action horror franchise that was ahead of its time, and now is the perfect opportunity to bring it back.
Originally released in 1997 and developed by Kalisto Entertainment, Nightmare Creatures took place in a Victorian England plunged into chaos. An evil cult, the Brotherhood of Hecate, conducted occult experiments in order to find a key to superhuman power. However, the experiments only succeed in creating hideous monsters and abominations. The cult instead decided to use its nightmare creatures as an army and unleashed the horde into the streets. London found itself in a panic as evil occultist, Adam Crowley, recruited the cult for his nefarious schemes. Only the expert priest Ignatius and his heroic daughter Nadia could save the world from being victim to the horrors of dark magic.
The original Nightmare Creatures and its sequel succeed in creating a Gothic horror world simultaneously based on real-world events while mixing in fantastical horror elements. Ancient cults, heroic secret societies and unspeakable black magic all combined to create a deep and stylish experience. Nightmare Creatures is not only remembered as a brilliant experience for the time, but one that could be brought back to build on the iconic gameplay and setting of Bloodborne.
Despite the limitations of its early 3D polygonal art style, Nightmare Creatures brilliantly creates a moody aesthetic. Its real-world London streets are full of shadow-covered alleyways and citizens cowering in fear, hidden away from the monstrous creatures that roam freely throughout. Nightmare Creatures leans into its inspirations, coming from the esoteric and satanic studies of real-life mystics like Aleister Crowley (which series main villain Adam Crowley is clearly based on) and Madame Blavatsky who lived during the setting of the game.
Much like Bloodborne's inspiration from Lovecraftian horror, Nightmare Creatures is a unique take on a specific horror genre that worked brilliantly. Gothic horror is still a great setting that is underused today, and a new Nightmare Creatures game that brought back this fascinating time period mixed with genre horror could deliver a great compliment to Bloodborne.
Although Nightmare Creatures shines in its aesthetic and presentation just like Bloodborne, it also delivers with respect to its gameplay. The original Nightmare Creatures and its sequel both featured incredible animations for the time. Players were able to chop enemies apart smoothly and fluidly. Combat was mixed between primary melee attacks and a trusty ranged weapon like a revolver or spell, again similar to Bloodborne's focus on fast-paced, aggressive combat.
A new Nightmare Creatures that featured challenging combat could deliver a similar experience to Bloodborne's critically-acclaimed mechanics. Perhaps a modern Nightmare Creatures could include a mixture of real-world weaponry that fits the Victorian setting with more fantastical equipment like Bloodborne's arsenal. A new entry that gave players access to melee and ranged weapons alongside mystical spells could blend the gritty, real-world aesthetic further with the fantastical.
The parallels between the franchises seemingly make a possible resurrection of this overlooked classic a no-brainer for fans of action horror experiences. Survival horror is a genre that couldn't be more popular right now, with the recent success of Resident Evil Village proving that fans are eager for more horror games. Hopefully, this classic series will get another shot and be able to occupy the void left by the lack of a Bloodborne sequel. But, only time will tell if Nightmare Creatures will one day get the resurrection it deserves and not suffer the curse of remaining another great series left for dead.