Elden Ring Neightreign is a unique take on the Soulslike formula, providing players with a roguelike experience that has you play as one of 8 characters in teams of three, trying to take down various bosses, all while scouring for levels and loot.
Dot Esports attended a preview event for Nightreign at the end of January, with travel provided by Bandai Namco. We were among the first players in the world to play the game hands-on, and we were pleasantly surprised by what was on offer. But we had many concerns about what players were working towards.
When you complete a playthrough, you are rewarded with currency for a shop that didn’t exist yet in the build we were playing on and equipable items known as Ruins, which you can equip to characters to give them additional buffs, items, or abilities. Outside of Relics, though, we were puzzled about what players could work toward as it wasn’t explained.
Thankfully, Nightreign’s director, Junya Ishizaki, was on hand during a press round table to give us more details on what players could expect to unlock for their hard-earned matches.
“The main flow of the game is created in this objective to defeat the Night Lord at the end of each night and eventually defeat all Night Lords in the game,” Ishizaki told Dot. He continued explaining how he hopes players enjoy discovering “cosmetics, these new characters, and, of course, the Relic System.” Ishizaki didn’t detail if characters would be unlockable and what cosmetics would be available on day one.
When pressed for more details on end-game content, Ishizaki didn’t reveal much but said he hoped players would want to use what they did earn to “experiment with a brand new character, to change their play style, how they encounter their favorite bosses, or if they might want to change up their equipped Relics entirely.”
It feels like currently, after you defeat all the bosses and try all the characters out, the team at FromSoftware wants players to keep experimenting and playing to unlock new Relics and items to become more powerful, having them create their own challenges.
While that sounds suitable for a hardcore Soulslike player, we worry that the game might become stale and repetitive for most casual players after a few attempts or if they only want to use one character. Therefore, keeping the player base engaged in the long run with the current offerings being discussed feels off.
As Ishizaki puts it, he hopes fans will “figure out new combinations and synergies to create a more powerful build ” and that, by doing so, they will “provide a more rewarding experience on successive playthroughs.”
Others Asked
What is the premise of Elden Ring Nightreign and how does the game structure work?
Elden Ring Nightreign is set in the Elden Ring universe where players must survive three days against the Forces of Night. It is a session-based roguelike RPG in which players face off against a series of bosses, culminating in a big boss at the end of day three. Players must collect items, weapons, and other valuable resources during gameplay to become powerful enough to defeat these bosses.
Can I play Elden Ring Nightreign without having the original Elden Ring, and how does the gameplay differ?
Yes, you can play Elden Ring Nightreign without owning the original Elden Ring. The game is more battle-focused with roguelike elements, differing from the traditional RPG gameplay of its mainline entry.
How has movement changed in Elden Ring Nightreign compared to the original Elden Ring?
In Elden Ring Nightreign, movement has become faster and more agile. Players can jump, climb walls, and move nimbly regardless of their armor, with no effect from armor weight. This change is meant to fit the fast-paced nature of Nightreign.
Published: Feb 12, 2025 09:00 am