Elden Ring Nightreign is a bold new take on the critically acclaimed 2022 Elden Ring. Even though Nightreign shares the same name as Bandai Namco’s previous title, it’s drastically different in various ways, making its entry into the Souls-like genre much more approachable than most players would expect.
Nightreign may be a bit easier to pick up than other souls-like games in the genre, it’s still Elden Ring at its core, and that comes with a lot of larger-than-life bosses, stressful situations, and, of course, dying… a lot.
Elden Ring Nightreign
Developer: FromSoftware
Price: $39.99
Platform: PC (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5
MonsterVine was supplied with a Steam code for review
Heading Into The Night
When loading for a run, you’ll often have the option to pick from several bosses. These range from all sorts of creatures like three-headed dogs, giant bugs, and dragons to name a few. But it’s not all doom and gloom either because, before dropping in, you’ll often be told what kind of attacks do the most damage, which will become important as the game progresses. After all, it’ll give you a clear idea of what build you want for this run.
Each game starts the same. You and your party land somewhere on the map and are tasked with surviving three days in-game. But doing that is a lot easier said than done. Because the second you put boots on the ground, a timer starts, and the map will slowly close in, similar to how Fortnite works. That said, it’s essential to have a clear plan of attack on what you’ll want to accomplish. You’ll need to survive two days of pure combat to make it to the final boss.
The map will always be marked with objectives for you to complete. These can vary from run to run, but most of them involve you clearing out enemy camps/castles, exploring areas for better loot, or going into mines so you can upgrade weapons. While exploring camps and castles, you’ll often know what loot these bosses drop. So, if you go into a world where the main boss is weak to holy damage, it’s usually a good idea to prioritize those areas versus a place where they drop fire damage weapons. That being said, it’s often a good idea to create the best build for that world. Because once you make it to the final boss fight, you’ll need all the help you can get. Nightreign will often encourage you to explore these areas because it’s one of the quickest ways to obtain valuable loot/gear. That’s all, without mentioning the world bosses that are just hanging out in specific areas of the map.
To make things complicated, more often than not, a world event will activate that’ll frequently force you to rethink some strategies. Sometimes, these can be a volcano that’ll suddenly erupt, take up a quarter of the map, and spawn equally scary bosses. Other times, these events will infect areas with Rot, and you’ll often be forced to venture deep into the area and cure the lands before it becomes a bigger problem down the road.
Since you’re racing against the clock, you’ll often want to prioritize fighting bosses more than anything else, since they provide the most runes you can use to level up. The problem is, though, you never really know who you’ll be going up against until you arrive at the camps and castles. This can sometimes be a double-edged sword because you can get lucky and have someone who you and your team can kill in two seconds. But you can also be going up against someone who hits like a truck and can easily kill you.
Like other soul-like games, dying is extremely punishing. But more so this time around with Nightreign because you’ll drop a level each time you die. The leveling system is very straightforward. You’ll always begin at level 1 at the start of each run. But as you kill more bosses, you’ll be rewarded with runes that can be used at grace sites to level up. This time, you don’t have to worry about investing points in specific areas because the character you play is already locked into a particular build with a unique ultimate attack that reflects each character’s style. Once you’re eligible to level up, all you need to do is press a button, and you’ll be ready. If you die, you’ll immediately lose one level and drop all of your runes. This will quickly become a problem if you find yourself dead in the middle of a storm or in an area where a boss is significantly stronger than all of your party members.
Once the storm fully closes in, you’ll have to kill a small wave of hostile NPCs. After those are dealt with, the big boss for the day will finally appear. What’s nice about this is that the NPCs before the boss fight will almost always give away what you’re about to go up against. On top of that, it’s almost always one of the iconic bosses that aren’t exclusive to Elden Ring. So don’t be surprised if you go toe-to-toe with someone like the Nameless King from Dark Souls. If all of your teammates die during the final boss fights on any of the three days, you’ll lose the game and be sent to the main lobby. But if you survive day one, the map will open up again, and you’ll be free to explore and level up. The same can’t be said for night two, however, mainly because after the fight ends, you’ll be sent to a new location where you’ll be forced to fight the world boss.
The prelude to the primary boss fight will always start the same way, no matter what. You’ll be taken to a new location where you can speak to a vendor who sells various upgrades before beginning the final fight, like I pointed out in our preview for Nightreign, the final boss fight resembles the Radahn fight because it is in an open area with little to no cover. That’s the only thing these boss fights share because each has its own visual spectacle that’s beautiful to watch and music that you can’t help but get lost in while fighting for your life.
Knights Of The Round Table
Successful or not, you’ll always return to the Roundtable after each run. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s almost a near copy of the main hub players would visit in Elden Ring. Before loading in, you’ll usually be rewarded with relics that give various buffs. Additionally, you can purchase relics, emotes, and other upgrades with the runes you obtained.
That’s not the only thing you can do here, either. Because this also doubles as a training ground. While exploring, you can pick from various characters and see what their abilities do in action. This is especially helpful because, as previously mentioned, every character is locked into some build. So, if you’re looking for a magic-based person, someone like Recluse is more suited for you, or if you want to use a bow, someone like Ironeye is perfect for your play style. As you progress through the game, more characters will become available to unlock. Sometimes, this can be as straightforward as defeating a main boss, while others require you to complete a series of tasks to unlock them. Lastly, one of the most important things you can do here is catch up on the game’s lore.
It’s Dangerous To Go Alone
Even though Nightreign does a lot right and captures the Elden Ring charm, some significant things hold the game back. The first is the lack of cross-play. It’s hard to believe that a game centered around teamwork and communication leaves out such a key feature. Especially when you consider that the game is built around you playing with friends.
Another thing worth pointing out, too, is how the game is hard locked into a three-person run. This means if you only have one other person to play with you, the difficulty bar will be set significantly higher than it would have been if you had a third. The option of being unable to run with duos or even solos natively seems like a giant swing and a miss. If you happen to load into a game with random people, being unable to speak to them can severely handicap your run and experience.
The last thing I’d like to point out is how lackluster the story is. Over the years, FromSoftware has gained a reputation for telling in-depth stories you can get lost in for days. But that’s not the case for Elden Ring Nightreign. A lot of the time, it feels like something slapped together at the last second, and exploring the story is something you can easily miss. The only way to engage in it is by completing a series of challenges that’ll unlock more tidbits as you progress.
The Final Word
Elden Ring Nightreign is a blast to play. It has a lot going for it and is an Elden Ring game at its core. The game is challenging and fast-paced, forcing you to adjust to whatever is thrown at you. Running through some of the best bosses in the FromSoftware catalog is something I never thought I could do in one game. But at the same time, not having a mode to play with less than three people does shoot itself in the foot, and the lackluster story is disappointing.
MonsterVine Rating: 3.5 out of 5 – Fair
