Elden Ring Nightreign is easily one of FromSoftware's more left-field experiments, but it's also reflective of the industry's recent embracing of the roguelike genre. Yes, roguelikes have been around for decades, but it wasn't until the 2010s that they exploded in popularity, reaching a point where even casual gamers are familiar with the likes of Hades and The Binding of Isaac.
It's not just the indie scene that's feeding the genre, either. In late 2023, Santa Monica Studios surprised audiences by releasing the Valhalla DLC for God of War Ragnarok, free of charge for anyone who owned the base game. Free DLC is always a crowd-pleaser, but Valhalla takes the extra step: it's actually great. Both from a narrative and gameplay perspective, Valhalla proved itself to be definitively robust and impressive, making it a must-play extension of the base game experience rather than a cheap gimmick. If it were a little bit broader, with some extra bells and whistles, Santa Monica could have most likely gotten away with charging for it. In some ways, Elden Ring Nightreign is FromSoftware doing exactly that.
Elden Ring Nightreign Could’ve Kicked Open the Door to Nostalgia, But Only Left It a Crack Open
Elden Ring Nightreign caused a lot of discussion when its Dark Souls content was revealed, but its inclusion flies in the face of industry trends.
Elden Ring Nightreign Is Basically Elden Ring's 'Valhalla' Moment
How God of War Ragnarok's Valhalla DLC Recontextualizes Its Combat Loop
Part of why Valhalla works as well as it does actually seems rather counterintuitive: it makes precious few changes to the combat of the base game. Rather than introducing a bevy of new weapons and skills (though the DLC does bring new tools to the table, to be sure), the expansion is mostly effective by virtue of recontextualization. Put another way, Valhalla condenses the progression systems of the base game, granting players long-term rewards for short bursts of effort, and the elements of choice, those being what paths to take and what upgrades to invest in, offer players some degree of control over their progression trajectory.
It's through this control that experimentation is facilitated and rewarded. It's much easier to craft a unique combat build in Valhalla, as progression is both fast-forwarded and temporary: players won't have to be stuck grinding out a specific build for hours, only to discover that they don't really like it. Through these deceptively complex tweaks, Valhalla is able to offer a unique and expressive spin on the base game's combat mechanics, effectively making the combat sandbox more rewarding in the process. It's not hard to see the similarities in Elden Ring Nightreign.
Elden Ring Nightreign Pulls Similar Design Tricks as the Valhalla DLC
Much like the Valhalla expansion, Nightreign introduces new weapons and abilities into the formula—the Nightfarer-specific powers are the most obvious example of this—but the majority of the combat experience is the same as in the Elden Ring base game. Players will still be chipping away at enemy health with melee and ranged weapons, they will still have to manage their stamina, and they still need to make expert use of dodge rolls and I-frames to avoid taking damage.
But also like Valhalla, Nightreign is defined by its condensing of the core Elden Ring gameplay and progression. Being able to quickly and effectively experiment with different weapons, perks, talismans, and the like means that Nightreign feels more flexible and focused than its progenitor, whose combat and build-crafting are freeform at first, but eventually crystallize over so many hours. Shrinking Elden Ring's progression systems doesn't merely make Nightreign feel like a smaller version of the 2022 game, however: it fosters an entirely different combat experience, one that would not have been possible without its roguelike construction. This makes it strangely similar to Valhalla in spirit, and could indicate a wider adoption of this trend moving forward.
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
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Soulslike, Roguelite
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
