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Nightreign sounds like the kind of thing an Elden Ring player would want to play after returning home from a night out.
It may sound like an insult, but we think it’s a pretty compelling selling point for FromSoftware, a studio that generally specializes in vast, epic adventures where quick one-shot sessions are as far from the intended experience as possible.
However, quick sessions seem to be the goal for Nightreign. Based on the world of Elden Ring, it abandons the long single-player adventure for a fast-paced cooperative action game with roguelike elements.
Each run takes place over three nights (meaning a total time of around 30 to 45 minutes) with a map that gets smaller and smaller, battle royale style. Players, either alone or in groups of three, choose one of eight classes and have to survive all three nights, culminating in a final boss fight.
While Elden Ring invites its players to take their time and immerse themselves in everything they discover in the vast Middle Lands, Nightreign puts a rocket in their butts and tells them to keep going.
Time is of the essence as players figure out how to level up as quickly as possible. Certain areas have more difficult enemies, but they get better rewards as a result, and the three-day limit means you can’t afford to fight through the easier enemies until you feel like you’re ready to tackle those trickier sections.
There’s a strong roguelike feel to the proceedings throughout Nightreign. While most of the loot found is lost at the end of each session, players can unlock cosmetics and relics that they can keep each match.
It’s the latter that has the potential to transform the game because these relics will affect the player’s initial setup in some way, giving them more flexibility in how to prepare for each race beyond simply choosing from the eight character classes available to them.
So in theory, it’s an idea that should bring the world of Elden Ring to a wider audience. Not all players have the patience or free time for an epic that requires 60 hours to complete (let alone 100% completion), so for those players the idea of something that is guaranteed to end in less than an hour can be more attractive. proposition.
Those who prefer cooperative play over solo play may also see more appeal in Nightreign. We can see regular Monster Hunter or Destiny teams deciding to try it, at least for a change of scenery.
Where Nightreign can live or die is how it retains those players once they’re on board with the initial premise. It seems that FromSoftware has no interest in giving the game the live service treatment, and that’s admirable.
“Those who prefer cooperative play over solo play may also see more appeal in Nightreign. We can see regular Monster Hunter or Destiny teams deciding to give it a try, at least for a change of scenery.”
However, it also means you have to find other ways to keep this 45-minute loop engaging and varied enough to encourage players to stick with it long-term, rather than trying it out, enjoying the alternative spin it puts on Elden Ring. . world, then move on to something they are more willing to invest their attention in over the long term.
So far, the idea of an action-focused cooperative roguelike Elden Ring is certainly something we’re more than willing to try. This has the potential to expand FromSoftware’s user base and, who knows, might even be a more accessible gateway for those intimidated by Elden Ring to enter the world before trying out the “main” game.
However, this is uncharted territory for FromSoftware and it will be interesting to see how well it navigates this uncharted territory.
