GamesAction RpgElden Ring NightreignElden Ring spinoff Nightreign is a co-op roguelike with battle royale and Monster Hunter juice, but FromSoftware says it’s “not what we’d consider a live service game"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesAction RpgElden Ring NightreignElden Ring spinoff Nightreign is a co-op roguelike with battle royale and Monster Hunter juice, but FromSoftware says it’s “not what we’d consider a live service game"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: FromSoftware)
PC Gamerwent to Tokyo for some hands-on time with the upcoming game (I’m not jealous, you’re jealous) and an interview with its director, Junya Ishizaki. Elden Ring: Nightreign is a co-op roguelike adventure set in a parallel version of the Lands Between that changes each time you play. There’s no character creator; instead, you choose from several heroes and clear levels while avoiding a “battle royale-style wall of deadly rain” that closes in on you. You’ll have to survive two days of the game’s cycle, with a boss to fight each night and a chosen big bad you face at the end of each “30-ish minute run.”
For those of you worried thatFromSoftwareis jumping on the live service bandwagon, you can breathe a sigh of relief. “We wanted to have a game that felt like a complete package out of the box on the day of purchase, so everything is unlockable… it’s not what we’d consider a live-service game,” Ishizaki says via interpreter.
The roguelike DNA shines through in the progression. Each run will award you with relics that you can equip to one of your heroes in future matches to buff their abilities, so don’t worry if you don’t get to the end. One gives your healing flask a group effect, PC Gamer found, restoring the health of your teammates.
(Image credit: FromSoftware)
“The focus was condensing this experience down – the RPG elements, the exploration, the character building and leveling. We wanted that to feel like it was all coming together and culminating in a boss fight but in a more concentrated form,” Ishizaki explains.
Not unlike a MOBA, you start off at level one and have to explore and defeat weak enemies to get stronger and stand a chance against the deadly bosses of the night. Sites of Grace function much like they do in Elden Ring, allowing you to refill your flasks and increase your stats. Unlike Elden Ring, all your stats get upgraded at once, so you don’t need to slow down and decide how to invest – it’s more like going up a class rank.
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Asked how he’d respond to the idea that Nightreign is just a combination of popular elements from topical games, Ishizaki said: “For this new sense of accomplishment that you wouldn’t quite find with Elden Ring or our previous titles, we felt like we needed some new mechanics and some new elements to add into that mix. We’ve never really held the stance, ‘let’s absolutely not do anything that other companies are doing or not follow any trends.’ So we didn’t really see this as chasing a trend, but we saw these as interesting elements that could work well within our multiplayer-focused session-based gameplay.”
As for the bosses, you may want to consider being part of a team rather than going solo, synergizing abilities and communicating to make sure you can succeed. That said, solo play is fully supported. If you’re worried about the game getting repetitive, there are evidently “large-scale changes to terrain in the form of procedurally appearing volcanos or swamps or forests,” per Ishizaki. It wouldn’t be a FromSoftware game without a poison swamp, now would it?
For everything else revealed tonight, check out ourlive coverage of The Game Awards 2024.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5
Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
1
Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”