FromSoftware, known for creating narrative action RPGs, typically opts for games with levels designed in a more linear and straightforward manner, using elements like Metroidvania-style interconnecting passages or progression branching points to introduce nonlinearity. However, the critically acclaimed 2022 release Elden Ring broke away from this pattern by adopting an open-world design – a significant shift for the studio. Yet, this bold move proved fruitful as Elden Ring swiftly soared to the top of FromSoftware’s ARPG catalog, gaining immense popularity and success.
Three years on, the developer is employing their latest project, Elden Ring Nightreign, to explore even more creative avenues. This daring spinoff significantly alters the “Soulsborne” gameplay structure into a cooperative multiplayer roguelike setting. It features diverse characters each with specialized abilities, familiar and fresh bosses from previous FromSoftware titles, unpredictable loot drops, and an innovative mechanic inspired by the battle royale genre.
After spending about a week and a half immersed in this game, I must say it’s been an absolute blast to play! FromSoftware has certainly taken a daring step with this release, but it’s paid off wonderfully. The unique approach to Elden Ring’s combat and sandbox world is truly brilliant, offering something fresh for fans. However, there’s one significant issue that prevents it from reaching its full greatness.
What is Elden Ring Nightreign?
- Elden Ring Nightreign is a co-op roguelike spinoff of Elden Ring.
- The game was developed by Elden Ring’s FromSoftware.
- Three players team up to hunt minibosses for upgrades and levels, then fight a main boss.
As an ardent follower of Elden Ring Nightreign, I’ve been captivated by the trailers and even had the privilege to try it out during the network test back in February. If you haven’t had the same experience, let me catch you up before we dive into the details of this review, giving you a brief rundown of its concepts and gameplay mechanics.
| Category | Elden Ring Nightreign |
|---|---|
| Release date | May 30, 2025 |
| Developer | FromSoftware |
| Publisher | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| Genre | Action RPG |
| Players | 3-player co-op |
| Install size | ~21GB (consoles), 30GB (PC) |
| Playtime | 30+ hours (all bosses and Remembrances) |
| Platforms | Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PS5, PS4 |
| Xbox Game Pass | No |
| Reviewed on | Windows PC |
Nightreign is a standalone game in the same universe as Elden Ring, but it doesn’t connect directly to the main storyline. It introduces eight courageous heroes called Nightfarers who have come to the Lands Between with a single objective: to defeat the terrifying Nightlords and eradicate the Night Plague that has afflicted the realm.
In contrast to typical FromSoftware games that are usually played solo or with summons, Nightreign focuses heavily on three-player cooperative gameplay. This co-op can be established through matchmaking or by inviting friends. The quest to defeat each Nightlord takes place during “Expeditions” lasting 30-45 minutes, where you quickly traverse a map with a gradually decreasing play area, defeating enemies and mini-bosses for random loot, upgrades, and experience (runes) that can be used to level up. At the end of each run, you and your team confront the Nightlord using the builds you’ve created.
Significantly, many mechanics in Elden Ring have been significantly revamped to encourage swift cooperative play. For instance, armor is now cosmetic, there’s no equip load, weapon stat prerequisites, or fall damage. Instead, your character’s upgrades are determined by the Nightfarer you choose, and they automatically follow a set path. Each Nightfarer also comes with unique skills and powerful ultimate abilities that can be effectively utilized at strategic moments. Additionally, all Nightfarers can sprint faster using Surge Sprint and scale vertical surfaces marked by white paint to navigate the map quickly.
In your gaming experience, regardless if your run is victorious or not, you will receive unique Relics through random draws, which can provide fascinating attributes for your character in upcoming missions. These traits may include a damage increase when taking damage, among others. This permanent progression serves to strengthen your character over time and reduces the influence of Random Number Generation (RNG) during Expeditions, giving you more control over your character development. Additionally, you will gather Murk currency, which can be utilized to acquire additional Relic slots combinations as well as character skins at the Roundtable Hold.
Elden Ring Nightreign review: Gameplay and combat
- Elden Ring Nightreign’s combat is largely the same as Elden Ring’s with some notable additions.
- Nightfarer character abilities are unique, distinct, and effective, and the game’s boss fights are stellar.
- However, there’s only one map to play on, and overall environmental and enemy variety is lackluster.
In every FromSoftware game, combat is a fundamental aspect – they are action RPGs, after all. However, the emphasis on combat in Elden Ring: Nightreign is greatly intensified compared to other aspects such as exploration and storytelling. While Elden Ring invites you to delve deeply into its map and scrutinize each location, Nightreign urges you to dash swiftly from one fort filled with enemies to the next. Conquering the minibosses within may reward you with weapons dropped randomly from the original game’s massive sandbox or peculiar buffs that can enhance attributes like stamina regeneration speed or produce odd effects such as generating fields of rain magic stars when walking slowly.
From the start, significant landmarks are instantly marked on your map as soon as you set foot there. Additionally, you might find yourself dashing over to churches for healing items or Sites of Grace to replenish them and quickly level up. Keep in mind that these points should be a frequent target throughout your gameplay. Sprint towards them, leap into battles with your team, and explore the map as you go. Initially, the pace seemed a bit hurried, but I eventually adjusted after my first day of playing. If possible, I’d prefer it to move a tad slower.
In Nightreign, battles are just as captivating as those found in typical FromSoftware games, thanks to the diverse enemy types and their intricate stamina-based combat systems. What sets it apart is the freedom to experiment with weapon combinations that might seem unconventional in Elden Ring. Since there’s no strict requirement for weapon stats, you can pair up unusual weapons like two greatswords dealing different elemental damages, a combination that would usually necessitate high stat levels to be effective.
Each Nightfarer character offers a distinctive touch to gameplay, contributing to an exciting overall experience by fostering potent teamwork synergies. For instance, the Ironeye archer uses a dagger to tag enemies, causing them to sustain heightened damage from all team members, while the Guardian, with his bird-like armor, soars aloft before descending swiftly to revive fallen comrades (usually done by hitting them) and erect a protective shield that absorbs all damage. The Executor, an intriguing character among them, wields a cursed sword capable of mirroring Sekiro-style deflections to break enemy stances and possesses an incredibly powerful Ultimate Art in the form of a beastly transformation, particularly effective against bosses.
The exploration of the map and character progression carries on until evening, with a battle royale-like zone closing in twice during the day to guide you towards an arena for a confrontation against a significant boss. Overcoming that boss initiates a fresh day where you repeat the process – this time, the locations of additional field minibosses are marked on your map. After defeating another major boss, you’ll have the opportunity to face off against the Nightlord itself.
In Elden Ring and previous Dark Souls games, bosses are found at the end of each play day. These bosses from Elden Ring have been updated with exciting moves to challenge veteran gamers, making it thrilling to battle iconic foes like Dark Souls 2’s Smelter Demon or Dark Souls 3’s Dancer of the Boreal Valley using Elden Ring’s new features.
The most impressive aspect of Nightreign’s boss battles is the ones against the Nightlords. In total, there are eight unique encounters designed specifically for these fights, and each one is incredibly thrilling. These battles can be mastered over time due to their movesets being clearly indicated, and they also incorporate innovative mechanics that encourage cooperative play or reward players who perfect them. They truly embody the best of FromSoftware’s philosophy of “challenging, but fair.
For instance, consider a scenario where a Nightlord contaminates you with a toxic organism that gradually multiplies and can only be eliminated by a few blows from a teammate. On the other hand, another boss may offer an extended period to deal extra damage if you carefully decipher their location through subtle auditory cues when surrounded by dense fog. It’s essential to mention that each of these bosses boasts unique and diverse appearances, ensuring that transitioning between them during your playthroughs remains engaging rather than repetitive.
Unfortunately, I must admit that the map you’ll be navigating in each playthrough doesn’t offer the same level of variation. Each Expedition unfolds on an identical map – a refined version of Elden Ring’s Limgrave known as Limveld. However, the layout of structures within this map remains consistent and unaltered. To make matters worse, the types of enemy camps are quite limited in diversity. For instance, if you encounter a fort marked with a sorcery magic icon, it can only feature Crystillian or a pair of Battlemages as the boss. Similarly, a camp marked with a holy damage icon can only have Albinaurics or Oracle Envoys as the boss. This pattern continues throughout your journey.
The game introduces an exciting feature called “Shifting Terrain” that alters parts of your upcoming journey, turning it into a volcanic landscape, snowy peak, Scarlet Rot woodland, or walled urban area – each area offering unique boss battles and special prizes. Furthermore, the game includes unexpected occurrences like ambushes by hostile Nightfarer reflections or interruptions during missions where you can opt to engage a less powerful version of a Nightlord to acquire valuable abilities.
Although I acknowledge your gratitude, it’s clear that more is needed. The Shifting Earth variations, while valuable, impact only a minimal area of Limveld. Regardless of their differences, you can only approach a castle in the same manner and battle the same boss repeatedly, which, after a certain point, becomes rather monotonous. I fervently hope that FromSoftware could have incorporated remixed versions of other Elden Ring locations such as Caelid, Liurnia of the Lakes, or Altus Plateau. Alternatively, it would be ideal if they had introduced a broader range of architectural structures and adversaries to keep the gameplay engaging and fresh.
One of my main complaints about Nightreign is that there’s a lot of repetition, which makes tasks like clearing the same landmarks on the same map feel endless and tedious. This repetitive nature means it won’t consume my life as thoroughly as I’d expect from a new FromSoftware game. Despite finding the game enjoyable overall, I don’t think I’ll invest long-term time into it due to this repetitiveness limiting its appeal for multiple playthroughs.
Although I didn’t delve deeply into it, the mentioned Relic system seems somewhat unimpressive in my experience. The advancements it offers are relatively minor as a whole, and despite having found some good combinations, I was anticipating them to have a greater impact than they currently do following numerous hours of gameplay.
Elden Ring Nightreign review: Story (no spoilers)
- The plot of Elden Ring Nightreign is very simple compared to other FromSoftware titles.
- Narrative depth comes from side stories of Nightfarers that you unlock as you play as them.
- Remembrance quests are short but sweet with varied objectives, fun cutscenes, and good writing.
Overall, the game Elden Ring: Nightreign is not heavily focused on story and lore, with the main plot being relatively simple: defeat the Nightlords to break the Night’s curse. However, the majority of the narrative depth can be found in the playable characters, or Nightfarers, as each has a unique backstory that unfolds as they are used in gameplay.
Every time you finish a run with a character, you’ll open up a new entry about them in the journal you can interact with at the Roundtable Hold. These pages are engagingly written and effectively explain who the Nightfarers are, what drives them, and why they ventured to the Lands Between. Once you’ve discovered three or four entries for a character, you’ll receive a Remembrance quest associated with them.
Each of these features cutscenes and tasks to complete, either solo or in team play like tracking down a miniboss unique to Remembrance or locating a specified item marked on the map. Successfully finishing these tasks will advance your character’s questline, unveiling more about them and eventually concluding their story arc.
In comparison to the richly layered tales found within Elden Ring and Dark Souls, there isn’t as much depth here; however, the subplots of the Nightfarers are captivating and engaging just the same. This is further enhanced by the high-quality voice acting that FromSoftware is known for, making me grateful they’re included in the game, even though they represent a smaller aspect overall.
Elden Ring Nightreign review: Visuals and audio
- Visually, Elden Ring Nightreign is identical to the original 2022 game (and that means it looks great).
- The score, however, has many entirely new themes along with a few from Elden Ring.
- The new tracks are mostly for the Nightlord boss fights, and all of them are excellent.
Three years after Elden Ring’s 2022 release, Elden Ring: Nightreign is set to debut. Despite being released later, its graphical quality is similar to the original Action Role-Playing Game (ARPG), which I find perfectly acceptable. While Elden Ring might not boast the highest visual resolution, it more than compensates with its captivating art direction inspired by mythology and fantasy, featuring vivid colors contrasted by a somber moodiness. This aesthetic charm is evident in Nightreign as well, making it just as visually appealing now as it was before.
The soundtrack varies significantly, drawing on a handful of melodies from Elden Ring, but predominantly offering a fresh collection of tunes tailored for each Nightlord boss. Similar to the experiences with the Nightlords, these themes are majestic, impactful, and varied, boasting orchestral renditions that intensify in line with the peaks of combat. Each one is impressive, with a few immediately becoming my favorite tracks within the Soulsborne series.
Elden Ring Nightreign review: Performance
- In my experience, Elden Ring Nightreign ran near-perfectly on my high-end gaming PC.
- Its requirements are almost the exact same as Elden Ring’s, so if you can play the 2022 game, Nightreign should run fine for you.
- I did encounter some stutters in my playtime, but these were both short and rare.
In terms of performance, Elden Ring: Nightreign ran smoothly for me; with maximum settings at an ultrawide 3440x1440p resolution on my Intel i5-12600K, NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, and 32GB DDR4 RAM setup, I encountered no issues in maintaining a steady framerate of 60 FPS, which is the cap for Nightreign, much like Elden Ring before it. To be clear, my hardware exceeds the suggested requirements for Elden Ring: Nightreign, as they are virtually identical to those of Elden Ring. However, if you can run the 2022 game smoothly, you shouldn’t face any issues playing the spin-off either.
The primary issue I encountered was infrequent momentary pauses or hiccups, but these occurrences were rare and fortunately never coincided with critical moments like during intense boss fights. However, it’s worth noting that your experience might differ based on your system configuration. Regarding console performance, as I had only the PC version for this review, I can’t offer personal insights into its functionality on consoles.
Elden Ring Nightreign review: Conclusion
✅You should buy this if …
- You like the sound of Elden Ring with a roguelike twist.
Despite the scarcity of additional maps and diverse adversaries, the roguelike twist in Elden Ring: Nightreign’s adaptation of the Soulsborne gameplay dynamics has proven to be an enjoyable adventure. If you find this concept appealing, I strongly recommend giving it a try.
❌You should not buy this if …
- You’d prefer a more traditional Soulslike RPG.
Elden Ring: Nightreign, a daring venture by FromSoftware, is not a game that will captivate every gamer. Although I believe it’s well-made, its unique style may not resonate with all players accustomed to their typical releases. If you’re seeking something distinctly different from their usual output, however, this could be just what you’re after.
The Nightreign version of Elden Ring, crafted by FromSoftware, represents an even larger experiment than the original Elden Ring, and I must say, it has proven to be a rewarding one. As a devoted admirer of FromSoftware’s action RPGs, particularly Elden Ring, I’ve found immense enjoyment in this imaginative cooperative roguelike spin-off. It encapsulates the fundamental combat mechanics of the original game, yet provides novel ways to engage with them and offers both new and returning boss battles that demand mastery.
Although I am still enthusiastic about Nightreign, I can’t hide my sense of disappointment that it hasn’t fully reached its potential. The game has faced significant limitations such as the scarcity of only one map or insufficient variety in enemy and miniboss populations across various locations. It is possible that these issues may be addressed with future updates, but for now, they are hindering Nightreign from achieving true greatness, which is quite disappointing.
In summary, if you’re a devoted Soulsborne fan or just appreciate action RPGs in general, it’s definitely still worth giving this game a try. The Nightlord battles themselves are more than enough reason to purchase the game, and I can’t wait to conquer them alongside my friends.
On May 30, 2025, Elden Ring: Nightreign will be available for purchase on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4. The price is set at $39.99.
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2025-05-28 17:14