I've seen this around the web and it irks me a bit. People have been calling this a spiritual successor to the past Souls games and I couldn't disagree more. I think this is just a straight sequel in the Souls line of games. Same look, same combat, (yes I know it's plays faster), same obtuse game design. It does nothing to make you think other than this is the 4th game in that series. Hell, when ever I die I always say I have to get my Souls back, not Blood Patches.

The story is too different, that's why it isn't a sequel. Dark Souls was not a sequel to Demons Souls. Parallels in gameplay does not make it a sequel. Hence why people are calling it a successor, because you can draw more differences between the Souls games and Bloodborne then similarities easily.

There's already a thread for this.