Though many are skeptical about it, Elden Ring Nightreign is a fundamentally unique and promising project, with the potential to reframe FromSoftware's design philosophy and release portfolio moving forward. The spin-off will retain several elements of Elden Ring—and, interestingly enough, Dark Souls—but it will nestle them within a cooperative roguelike framework, through which it will incorporate its greatest mechanical and structural changes.
Among these fundamental departures is how Elden Ring Nightreign will handle death. When players die during a cooperative session, they can be revived by their companions, but failing this, they will lose a level and respawn nearby, given one chance to reclaim their lost runes. This all changes at night, however, as a complete team kill will result in a game over: players will not be able to continue their current run, and will instead be forced to restart completely. This is fairly common practice within the roguelike genre, but it's decidedly less conventional in soulslikes, which could prompt a radical reinterpretation of the all-too-common phrase "git gud."
Elden Ring Nightreign Could Offer Redemption For the Most Hated FromSoftware Boss Ever
With Elden Ring Nightreign bringing back old-school Dark Souls bosses, one controversial encounter could get a shot at redemption.
Elden Ring Nightreign Players Can't "Git Gud" So Easily
Players Can't Brute Force Their Way Through Elden Ring Nightreign
The ever-present, often ironically delivered, phrase "git gud" is often used to describe the process of throwing oneself at a boss again and again, suffering through repeated deaths in an attempt to, well, get good. This trial-by-fire mentality is rampant in the FromSoftware community, especially among longtime fans who fell in love with earlier games like Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, which have far fewer accessibility considerations relative to the likes of Elden Ring.
Whatever one's opinion on the "git gud" mentality is, it's clear that it won't really apply to Elden Ring Nightreign, at least not in the same way. If a solo player, or an entire team, dies at night in the game, they will lose all their progress in the current run; they won't simply be able to tackle the same challenge again and again until they conquer it. Even setting aside the obvious fact that it will be less convenient to progress through an entirely new run given the heavy playtime penalty for death, Nightreign's procedural generation means that no two runs will be the same, at least in theory. This could wind up having a transformative effect on how players engage with its high difficulty, especially when viewed through the lens of FromSoftware convention.
What Elden Ring Nightreign's Roguelike Structure Could Mean for Trial-and-Error Playstyles
There's an obvious appeal to the "git gud" mantra: it nurtures an iron will of sorts, but it also hides an unassuming degree of optimism, assuring players that they will eventually have the skill to overcome whatever challenge they are facing. All it takes is patience and willpower. Elden Ring Nightreign will no doubt allow for this accumulation of player skill through its gameplay, but its more modular, randomized, high-stakes structure also means that such skill development will work differently.
For one thing, players won't be able to simply rush past a boss's fog wall again and again, getting one percent better each time. This means that learning a boss's movements and devising smart strategies will be a more on-the-fly experience, grounding players in the present moment since an immediate retry isn't guaranteed. Additionally, there could be a greater emphasis on mastering character abilities and movesets, since these are the only real constants between runs.
Hopefully, these fundamental structural changes result in a gaming experience that is more visceral and intense without being frustrating. Many FromSoftware players will first approach a new boss or enemy gauntlet under the assumption that they will die, and so the games prompt long-term mastery rather than real-time attention and improvisation. Elden Ring Nightreign could be the opposite, urging players to think quickly and prioritize the short-term.
Elden Ring Nightreign
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 78%
- Released
- May 30, 2025
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, From Software
WHERE TO PLAY
"ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN is a standalone adventure within the ELDEN RING universe, crafted to offer players a new gaming experience by reimagining the game’s core design.
Join forces with other players to take on the creeping night and the dangers within featuring 3-player co-op.
Take command of uniquely skilled heroes, each possessing their own abilities and distinct flair.
While individually formidable, their skills create powerful synergies when they unite as a team.
Overcome a relentless environmental threat that sweeps through a land that changes between each game session and defeat the magnificent boss of that night!"
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Number of Players
- 1-3
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- PC Release Date
- May 30, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- May 30, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- May 30, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Soulslike, Roguelite
