Summary
- Elden Ring Nightreign is set in an alternate version of Limgrave called Limveld, which offers a chance to overhaul Elden Ring's dungeons.
- The game should introduce brand-new dungeons to avoid filler content and enhance challenge.
- Nightreign must avoid the repetitive dungeon design seen in Elden Ring, opting for unique mechanics.
Elden Ring Nightreign may be set in Elden Ring's Lands Between, but it's really in an alternate version of the setting. More specifically, if Nightreign took place in the same version of the Lands Between that Elden Ring does, it would be restricted to the Limgrave area, as it is actually set in Limveld, a reimagined and parallel version of Limgrave. While Limveld shares foundational lore with Elden Ring, particularly events like the Shattering War, it still tells its own story, and in a unique environment no less. In light of that, Elden Ring Nightreign has a chance to overhaul one of Elden Ring's most prominent features that just so happens to be due for an overhaul: its dungeons.
Dungeons are very common throughout Elden Ring's open world, as they are in almost any FromSoftware game. Unfortunately, they fall very short of the mark in one undeniable way, despite being rewarding enough to invest in. Now, Elden Ring Nightreign has a chance to make up for these shortcomings on account of its somewhat-shared setting with Elden Ring, and it's a chance it arguably can't afford to miss.
Elden Ring Nightreign Can't Miss What Could Be the Final Chance to Explore One Character
While almost all of Elden Ring is shrouded in mystery, one character has remained unexplored, and Elden Ring Nightreign should put an end to that.
Elden Ring Nightreign Should Overhaul Elden Ring's Dungeons
Elden Ring Nightreign's Setting of Limveld Should Feature Brand-New Dungeons
Firstly, considering Elden Ring Nightreign takes place in an alternate version of Limgrave, there's potential there for its Limveld region to feature the same dungeons as its alternate-dimension counterpart. If not the same dungeons, then at least little more than an "upside-down" version of the same dungeons, similarly to how The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest did with the original game's dungeons. However, rather than simply featuring a reorganized version of Limgrave's dungeons, Elden Ring Nightreign's Limveld might be better off giving players entirely new dungeons to explore instead.
If Elden Ring Nightreign were to simply feature "the same but different" dungeons in its alternate version of Limgrave, there's too much of an opportunity there for them to be perceived as nothing more than filler content, which the third Elden Ring gaming experience in three years really can't afford to fall victim to. Brand-new dungeons, on the other hand, would not only be a delight for newcomers but also give Elden Ring veterans fresh gameplay opportunities they aren't already familiar with.
It's also important that Elden Ring Nightreign features brand-new dungeons for the sake of the game's challenge, as Elden Ring veterans might find a rehash of Limgrave's dungeons to be too simple a feat.
Elden Ring Nightreign Needs to Avoid the Repetitive Nature of Elden Ring's Dungeons
Apart from the fact that Elden Ring Nightreign should feature new dungeons to counter familiarity, there's also the repetitive nature of Elden Ring's dungeons to consider, which new dungeons could potentially alleviate. Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC showed that FromSoftware is indeed capable of featuring distinct dungeons in the base game's world, but the difference between it and Elden Ring Nightreign is that it takes place in the Realm of Shadow, whereas Nightreign is merely set in an alternate version of the Lands Between.
As such, Elden Ring Nightreign's dungeons, new or simply rearranged, need to do everything in their power to avoid the repetitive nature of Elden Ring's dungeons, which essentially all look and function the same way, despite offering different encounters and rewards. Ultimately, it would be better for Elden Ring Nightreign to take a Shadow of the Erdtree approach with its dungeons and design them to each have unique characteristics and mechanics, but that may be challenging if Nightreign is hoping to reflect Elden Ring's Limgrave to some extent.
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
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Number of Players
- 1-3
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Soulslike, Roguelite
