Soulslikes have always been a hard sell for me. I’ve tried countless entries in the genre, particularly from From Software. Games such as Bloodborne and Elden Ring would hook me for the first few hours, only for me to lose interest not that long afterward. Of course, this is partly due to the difficulty. More than that, however, I never quite clicked with the gameplay, the mechanics, and the way they usually tell their stories through hidden lore rather than cutscenes.
Elden Ring is the biggest example of that for me. I put almost a hundred hours into the entire game and I never quite found traction with the story, gameplay, bosses, and world. So when From Software announced a rougelite co-op standalone game for Elden Ring titled Elden Ring Nightreign, I wasn’t as enthused as most others.
When given the opportunity to check out the game’s recent Network Test on PlayStation 5, though, I figured I should give it a chance. After nearly three hours and testing three out of the four main classes, my impressions are that Elden Ring Nightreign is a very bizarre experiment that hasn’t really changed my opinion of the Soulslike genre. That said, it’s an experiment that I still had a lot of fun with that has slightly re-evaluated my perspective on the genre.
A Bizarre Combination…
As mentioned before, Elden Ring Nightreign combines several different genres together. The base aesthetics and gameplay are pulled from the base version of Elden Ring, but there are now elements of the roguelite and co-op genres. There are even elements pulled from other games and genres that become abundantly clear as you play more.
When starting the game, you are immediately thrust into a hub not too dissimilar from the one in Elden Ring. All of the NPCs in the hub currently have no dialogue other than asking if you need any help (you can’t respond). When you leave the hub, though, is when things start to get interesting.
You get a chance to pick one of four classes after a brief matchmaking window: Recluse, Duchess, Wylder, and Guardian. More classes will be available at launch, but each of these classes fit into the established playstyles from the base game. Wylder is a strength-build, Guardian is more focused on defense, Recluse is magic-oriented, and the Duchess is a quick and slippery rogue.
After picking your classes, you hang on to an eagle as you drop into the world of The Lands Between. It was hard for me not to make any immediate comparisons to the battle royale genre, with how you aim a glider into an area of the map alongside your allies. From there, you’ve got a goal: to hunt down a specific monster across a multi-day cycle.
There’s a lot going on all at once as you navigate the familiar yet drastically different landscape of the Elden Ring universe. There are new monsters, new bosses, new weapons, new designs, it all feels new yet familiar. This both works to the game’s benefit and detriment.
It’s easy to look at Nightreign and think of it as nothing more than a transfer of assets to make a multiplayer title that will sell lots of copies, have DLC, and have a wide array of players that will continue to enjoy the game years after it launches thanks to a steady stream of updates and patches. For those who are fans of From Software’s other IPs, the overabundance of Elden Ring content may be frustrating, especially if you’re not as much of a fan of it compared to their previous works.
I very much fit into that category, so going into Nightreign, I wanted it to impress me and change my mind about the Elden Ring franchise. Unfortunately, it really doesn’t because of how it tries to do so many different things all at once. Not only are there the co-op elements, there are also several unique abilities that almost function like ultimates from a game like Marvel Rivals.
There’s the day/night cycle and the use of a multiple-day structure. Your progress will reset if you die a set amount of times, but players can also revive each other if they’re downed. The idea of hunting down monsters in expeditions almost feels reminiscent of Monster Hunter and there are, of course, the trademark RPG mechanics that people expect from the genre.
Worse still, one of the most interesting elements of From Software’s games, its commitment to storytelling and narrative, has taken a backseat here. There doesn’t seem to be a cohesive story as seen from the trailers and the Network Test doesn’t exactly hint at anything in that same vein. Instead, the focus is more on the gameplay and the aforementioned genres that have been fused together.
These elements work great when in isolation, but when put together, it feels very messy and unfocused. This game is for a specific group of people who like roguelites, From Software games, and cooperative adventures. If you like these genres combined, then Nightreign is the game for you. If not, this may not be what you’re looking for, especially considering the price tag.
With all that being said, there is still one thing I’ve neglected to mention. Sure, the Network Test presented a mess of different genres that rarely work in combination with each other, but how does the game actually feel to play? Well, I’m pleased to say that the gameplay is deeply enjoyable and was enough to make me forget about my frustrations.
…But This Combination Is Still Extremely Fun
When all of Elden Ring Nightreign‘s pieces work together in tandem, it is extremely fun. What helps is that it doesn’t have the same elements of a traditional From Software game. Unlike Elden Ring, there is no fall damage and no mount like Torrent to ride on. Instead, characters can run across the world far faster than they could before.
The feeling of running across the world alongside your team of capable warriors, tearing apart any monsters in your path, is extremely satisfying. It helps that the visuals are absolutely beautiful. At the beginning of day 2, I saw a group of shadowy giants walking in the distance, and my jaw actually fell open at the sight. It is one of the most striking visuals I’ve seen in a game in a long time.
The classes also feel very fun to use. I tried out Guardian, Wylder, and Duchess. When I first played, I tested out the Guardian, and I really didn’t click with how he played. He’s extremely slow and the emphasis on the shield feels off, at least for my playstyle. I wish Nightreign elaborated on the different capabilities and controls of each class, though I imagine that’ll be adjusted in the launch version.
When I switched to the Wylder and later the Duchess, it all clicked into place. The Wylder is an extremely fun heavy hitter who can deal a large amount of damage, albeit very slowly. There are admittedly some odd moments with his hitbox where some of his weapons will scrape past an enemy despite them being an inch away, so hopefully that’ll be fixed soon.
The Duchess though is easily my favorite class so far. She’s very fast and can hit attacks quickly before an opponent even has a chance to react. Running circles around opponents and flanking them in combination with the rest of my team feels so satisfying. Being able to choose a class before an expedition instead of having to commit to one for the entire game is also a great touch. I can’t wait to see how the other classes perform.
The monsters and bosses are fantastic, in true From Software fashion. In my playtime, I fought a giant centipede, had a rematch with Margott, The Fell Omen from Elden Ring, and a three-headed dog. Each of these bosses had immaculate designs and absolutely brutalized me, but they were still fun to fight (at least on a first run). The teased implementation of bosses throughout From Software’s history is very exciting, and I for one really hope we can fight a mech from the Armored Core franchise.
The best part of the Nightreign experience, though, is easily the co-op. Regardless of whether you’re playing with friends or with complete strangers, it feels great to work in tandem with people against a collective threat, regardless of your skill level. If you’re of a similar skill level, it feels like three Davids vs one giant Goliath and that feeling of hopelessness and desperation is thrilling, terrifying, and kind of hilarious all at the same time.
However, if you happen to be paired with someone who knows what they’re doing, the feeling of exhilaration at watching someone absolutely obliterate a boss that you struggled with first-hand is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in a game. The satisfaction I felt at being able to contribute to aid in our collective progression was immense and at one point in the Network Test, we even made it all the way to the target of our expedition.
That dopamine release I felt after beating a boss, even if it was because I was partly carried by players who were far better at the genre than I was, made me finally realize the appeal of From Software’s games. It made me want to continue to chase that high and that, on its own, is a testament to the potential of Nightreign. That potential is especially apparent after the Network Test, even if I’m still very concerned with the game’s incoherent combination of ideas.
Give Me More, But Make it Clearer
There are a lot of odd decisions at the heart of Elden Ring Nightreign. The combination of the roguelite, Soulslike, and co-op genres, the messy implementation of so many different mechanics and ideas from other games, the idea to have bosses and characters reappear from other From Software games, even the game’s premise and lack of emphasis on story. These are features that should not work, and oftentimes, they don’t.
There appears to be very little cohesion between these ideas and I would typically feel extremely confused as I floundered around trying to figure out all of the mechanics and control. I never quite understood the way the unique abilities worked, what separated all the classes, and what exactly was the significance of the closing zones. Considering the $40 price tag, Nightreign is still an extremely hard sell for me.
At the end of the day, however, I still had a lot of fun with the Network Test. The gameplay feels immensely satisfying, the classes are fun and allow for a great degree of customization, the visuals are stunning, and it still has the trademark From Software satisfaction you get when you overcome an extremely hard challenge. The cooperative elements especially are a highlight and I can’t imagine how much fun it’ll be when played with friends.
Even if I have a lot of problems with Elden Ring Nightreign and the Soulslike genre as a whole, I can now see the merit and appeal of both. I may not end up buying Nightreign when it launches, as it’s not typically the kind of game I see myself sinking a lot of time into.
That said, my time with the game made me want to go back and try other entries in the genre, and maybe that was From Software’s goal this whole time. If so, then its experiment will almost certainly prove to be a success when the game eventually launches in May.
