Elden Ring Nightreign – A Spin-Off Full of Potential
FromSoftware became well known thanks to its souls-like games such as Dark Souls and Bloodborne, and after the success of Elden Ring and its DLC, the release of Nightreign is something curious, to say the least. Transforming its formula and changing its style have pleased many and even attracted new people to the franchise. Just as some veterans liked its different formula, there were also some who didn’t like the game.
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First of all, this review comes from the point of view of a person who has completed a few Souls-like games—those with difficulty options—and I’m not a big player in the genre. The original Elden Ring itself, I didn’t get very far into. I admire the game, but it wasn’t for me; I liked watching it more than playing it. However, Nightreign really pleased me with its gameplay, and I’ll talk more about it in this review.
Elden Ring Nightreign Offers a Fresh and Accessible Take on the Souls-Like Genre
Although the developers didn’t mention the roguelike/lite genre, Elden Ring Nightreign uses many of its mechanics. Fans of these games will be curious to try it out—as was the case with me. One of my favorite genres is roguelike/lite, and one of my least played genres is Souls-like. This unusual mix of the two worked well, at least for me.
Here we have pre-prepared characters, 8 in total, each with their own unique mechanics and playstyles, I might add. Each hero has 1 passive skill, 1 active skill, and an ultimate skill, already bringing something different from the company’s other games. In addition, gameplay has been accelerated, allowing you to traverse the map much more quickly and without the need for a mount. The removal of fall damage also allows players to jump off mountains and reach their objectives quickly. And here, that’s very important.
One word to describe Elden Ring Nightreign would be frenetic. From the moment you descend on the map, you need to analyze the points of interest and work out the most optimal route possible. Time is important here: as the game progresses, a circle will close to a specific point on the map. If you are caught outside the circle, your life will be reduced until you are killed and receive the punishment of losing a level and being teleported to the nearest safe point. So there’s no pause here, there’s no respite—it’s endless action. This was something very interesting that makes the matches dynamic, together with the random mechanics of roguelike/lite games, bringing greater replay value to the game.
The general objective of the game is to defeat the Night Lord. So far, we have 8 available. Within the game, we go through days and nights, where at the end of the night, we are surrounded by enemies and then followed by a random boss. There is a great variety coming straight from the original Elden Ring, and to our big surprise, bosses return from other games by the company, which brings a good dose of nostalgia for longtime fans.
After two nights, you’re taken to a separate area, where you do some final preparation before facing the mighty Night Lord. And here it’s no joke—they’re quite powerful and will test your skills and your team’s cooperation. So, preparation is essential.
Teamwork Is Essential in Elden Ring Nightreign’s Multiplayer Gameplay
The game focuses on multiplayer mode, where cooperation is essential for victory, so moving together, organizing yourselves to defeat powerful enemies and helping wounded allies is a must, but the basic communication mechanics required in games like this are lacking. With no text or voice chat, basic ping system and not even a quick warning command, the experience with random players can be unpleasant. Overall, I had good experiences, but there were also times when a player who didn’t follow the group caused problems and we couldn’t get strong enough.
And here comes a point that can frustrate players who don’t have much knowledge of Elden Ring or even FromSoftware games. The game only teaches you the basics and for the rest you’re left to learn on your own, by reading the in-game texts or researching online. Thanks to playing with people experienced in the franchise, I had a smoother transition into this environment, but I can see how difficult it can be for people looking for a roguelike/lite and trying to learn on their own, after all, it’s a mix of two genres already known for their difficulty and learning curve.
At the end of each match, whether they win or lose, players receive crystals, which allow them to further customize their Heroes. Here we can make changes such as more attributes, starting with elements in the weapon, some passive skills. In other words, even if you’re defeated, you won’t come back empty-handed and you’ll be better prepared for future runs. There are also points to spend in the in-game store, allowing you to buy new crystals, improvements and new appearances for your characters, further increasing their customization.
Elden Ring Nightreign Is Perfect for Streamers—If They’re Up for the Challenge
Streamers will have a amazing time with this game, especially if they have the patience. Due to its great learning curve, many players are interested in following their favorite streamer, picking up, learning and teaching their audience mechanics, secrets and tricks to advance in the game. What’s more, being cooperative, it’s possible to team up with other streamers or audiences to play together, unfortunately the lack of crossplay, which is strange these days, really hurts this interaction. In addition to the current limitation of 3 players being mandatory online, it’s impossible to play as a duo. But I must add that this is something that has already been confirmed and will be added in the future of the game.
Another interesting part is the possibility of playing solo, which is challenging but interesting, especially for those watching. Here the player has the possibility of reviving once a night and getting stronger faster. It is possible to complete the entire game solo, but it will be a difficult adventure. Streamers can take advantage of this too, after all the game has stories and missions for each of the characters with skins rewards after finishing their story.
Its performance, at least for me on my machine, is within the requirements. At first glance, there were problems and crashes. After making some settings within the game and in the video drivers, I managed to solve the problem, but I hope there will be some improvements in future patches. After the modifications, I had no problems, however, those who played with me experienced errors and the game closed during play. Something for streamers to keep an eye on, after all, no one wants to miss out on fun moments on their live stream because the game closes out of the blue.
The game is available in a total of 15 languages, which increases access for most people, whether they want to play or watch. Text and interface only, not dubbing.
STREAMER SCORE
Elden Ring Nightreign Game Review
Overall
4
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Performance
-
Streamability
-
Engagement
-
Replay factor
User Review
( votes)Summary
In the end, my experience with Elden Ring Nighreign was quite positive, I didn’t expect that and I think that even if you don’t like souls-like games you should give it a chance, especially if you can play with someone who has the experience. It’s more inviting and also opens up interest in trying the company’s previous titles. I believe that the product here has the potential to become an excellent multiplayer if there are good updates, patches and especially improvements to its communication system, which is the key to a good cooperative game.
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