Should you bring an end to this Night Reign?
The world of ELDEN RING is getting a standalone multiplayer co-op action survival game that challenges players to band together in order to defeat the Nightlord. Teaming up in squads of three – or daring to go solo – they must outlast a three day-and-night cycle, making split decisions about combat and exploration across changing maps to become strong enough to take down terrifying bosses at the end of each day. In this condensed action RPG, players will never experience the same journey twice as enemies, rewards and Limveld itself are ever-shifting and evolving each session in the realm of the Nightlord, Defeating greater enemies and venturing into the more dangerous parts of the map will uncover more powerful weapons and greater Rune rewards. Successful runs against the night bring players ever closer to defeating the realm of the Nightlord and unravelling the story behind each Hero in this parallel world.
Elden Ring remains in my opinion, the best FromSoftware title bar none. Taking the Souls formula and putting in an open world with lore written by George RR Martin was a stroke of genius. Last year’s DLC was also a welcome addition to the world, but what of this co-op spin off?
Well, you can play the game solo if you dare. It was almost impossible when it launched but has been improved with updates to make it more accessible to soloists. It’s a mixture between the Souls games we all know and love, but with rogue-like and even battle royale elements thrown in. Allies can revive you or vice versa, but it does get tougher to do it each time and throw in some tough bosses that are familiar will make you decide whether to revive or survive.
The 3 day cycle feels like a nice nod to Majora’s Mask, though this is where the similarity ends. The time limit mixed with the roguelike nature makes it stressful as you have to decide quite quickly what you are going to spend your time levelling up and what loadouts to try. It will take a good few runs for you to feel comfortable with balancing your time progressing but also managing your setup.
If you do choose to play the game with others, which is highly recommended to get the most out of it…communication is key. There’s always a chance you’ll get paired with those who don’t know what they are doing, and it can make the experience a bit awkward, especially if two of you do know what to do. Or if you are the newbie and don’t know what to do, but the others are trying to carry you…that’s uncomfortable to say the least. So yes, communication is everything if you want a successful run.
The visuals do feel like a nice upgrade from Elden Ring, even if it’s not a huge leap. The good news is that it runs at a much steady framerate than the original game did, though I was playing on PS5 Pro, so not entirely sure what it is like for the base model. The music is epic as always and the overall game felt very polished.
The Verdict
Elden Ring Nightreign won’t be for everyone. Mixing up the Souls formula this way will divide opinion, but I personally enjoyed them taking a risk with it. It works well if you end up with others who know what they are doing and as long as you all communicate well, you’ll have a great experience. If not, it can be a little awkward. Still, a great spin-off in the world of Elden Ring.