The Duskbloods’ Zork is already attracting attention as one of the game’s strangest characters: a sentient, two-legged bird in a huge armoured diving suit, apparently from the ocean depths.
Among the six revealed characters from the planned ten-person cast, Zork stands apart immediately. His equipment includes a heavy underwater cable and a speargun, while a special move allows him to launch himself forwards like a rocket. That unusual design makes him a natural talking point for fans following the game’s latest arcade and gaming news.
Zork’s bizarre vampire ritual
Zork’s strangest feature appears after he wins a match. A victory scene shows him drinking blood from a chalice through his beak, which extends out from the suit and works more like a mosquito’s feeding tube than a conventional mouth.
Hidetaka Miyazaki discussed the character’s concept in an interview, speaking to GameSpot about Zork’s origins and unusual appearance.
“I think Zork is basically as far off to the side as you can get, where he’s a bit of a wild card.”
Miyazaki said Zork draws inspiration from Ultraman and Ultra Seven. Rather than representing the familiar Victorian Gothic vampire, the character was designed as something that moves beyond that era and past the Industrial Revolution.
That makes Zork one of the game’s most deliberately unconventional figures. Miyazaki described him as a character far removed from traditional vampire imagery, but one who still belongs within The Duskbloods’ world.
A chaotic multiplayer cast
The broader aim is for the multiplayer experience to feel like a festival, with visually and conceptually different characters thrown together in a deliberately chaotic setting. Zork’s bizarre combination of bird, deep-sea diver and blood-drinking creature is intended to be one part of that contrast.
His beak may receive further explanation in a victory cutscene. Miyazaki said it extends like a straw and draws up blood “like a mosquito”, adding that the detail may also connect to another monster-inspired Ultraman reference.
Players who took part in the Network Test may have encountered the scene, although Zork was reportedly less common than expected. Many matches instead featured Layla, whose sniper rifle proved popular, while Zork’s rocket-like movement could send players accidentally flying over a cliff.
More questions than answers
The Network Test offered little clarity about the game’s wider mythology. It left open questions about a senator who can transform into a dinosaur, Bloodhand Jan’s choice of pyjamas, Zork’s exact nature and the reasons these characters are battling in a gothic-inspired town.
Whether Zork is best understood as a bird, mosquito, sea monster or some combination of all three remains unclear. That mystery is part of the appeal, especially for players who enjoy piecing together the unusual lore found in FromSoftware games.
For readers who enjoy seeing how unusual game concepts translate into physical play spaces, RETROCADE’s arcade videos offer another way to explore the culture surrounding interactive entertainment. Those considering a dedicated setup can also compare arcade machines or consult the arcade machine buying guide.
Leave a Reply