Summary
- Nightreign is an experimental cooperative game with roguelike elements in the Elden Ring universe.
- Elden Ring Nightreign is conditional, restricting player agency and requiring perfect teamwork.
- The game's pacing and design depart from traditional Soulsborne games, showing the limitations of experimentation in the subgenre.
FromSoftware is known for its attempts at being as innovative as possible with its signature Soulslike formula, but its most recent experiment, Elden RIng Nightreign, is its biggest leap yet. Rather than being a traditional Elden Ring experience, or even a traditional Soulslike experience for that matter, Elden Ring Nightreign is a cooperative game with punishing roguelike elements merely set in the Elden Ring universe. This design choice has been a bit divisive, to say the least, and while it hasn't been universally dismissed, it might still shine a light on the future of Soulslikes.
Innovation can be a tough hurdle to get over for developers who are known for creating one type of experience that has worked just the way that it is. Not stretching things far enough can cause franchises to grow stale, whereas taking things too far can cause those same franchises to lose their identity, and in the process, their biggest fans. In its current state, Elden Ring Nightreign might be one of those examples of an idea gone too far, despite being somewhat justified by its spin-off label. In short, it may be a sign of what Soulslikes can do, but also what they should arguably stray from doing.
Elden Ring Nightreign's Fast Pace Leaves One Obvious Feature on the Table
Elden Ring Nightreign understandably gives players no time to breathe, but the world outside the Roundtable Hold is perfect for a casual game mode.
Nightreign Shows the Line Between Innovation and Identity
Elden Ring Nightreign Is a Bit Too Conditional in Its Current State
Elden Ring Nightreign is an admirable experiment by FromSoftware, as it has already proven to have good ideas that would perhaps be better received if they were just executed differently. Of course, impending and tabled updates, patches, and improvements could change all of this, but for now, it remains an experiment that shows the good and bad of crossing the line.
Right now, Elden Ring Nightreign is perhaps too conditional — a characteristic that is highly uncommon in Soulslikes, especially games developed by FromSoftware. Soulsborne titles are known for their flexibility and unabashed emphasis on player agency, and Elden Ring Nightreign strips players of that freedom by requiring them to choose from a set of pre-defined playstyles, keeping up with an ongoing clock, and having a degree of difficulty that can't just be remedied by personal growth.
Elden Ring Nightreign is an admirable experiment by FromSoftware...but for now, it remains an experiment that shows the good and bad of crossing the line.
Elden Ring Nightreign's roguelike formula undeniably works, seeing players working through each session to strengthen their characters enough in time for the final boss battle. However, in its current state, it almost requires that players have a perfect team for every session if they hope to succeed. If even one player doesn't perform well, the entire group is put at risk. With no way to verbally communicate with others, and such a heavy reliance on perfection, Elden Ring Nightreign breaks Soulsborne tradition by putting strict conditions on its players.
Even Elden Ring Nightreign's pacing is a bit too restrictive, as it essentially requires that players be constantly on the move and never stop once to smell the roses. Of course, the fact that this title is a roguelike multiplayer experience and has already been explicitly described as much by FromSoftware is a perfectly valid argument. However, it can't be denied that this is a significant departure for a Soulsborne — a subgenre known for letting players pace themselves.
Nightreign Proves That Experimentation Is Okay, But Boundaries Are Too
If Elden Ring Nightreign is making anything clear about the future of Soulslikes, it's that, while experimentation is okay, the subgenre might be better off staying within its borders. Soulsborne games thrive when the player is in control, and Elden Ring Nightreign largely takes that control away from them. If nothing else, Nightreign could be providing a glimpse of where Soulslikes probably shouldn't go.
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
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Soulslike, Roguelite
