FromSoftware has always been quite particular about their Souls experience. From the deliberate pacing to the enigmatic narrative, they consistently deliver meticulously crafted journeys that just fit right. So, when the development studio pulled back the curtain on Elden Ring Nightreign, their rogue-like co-op Souls venture, it absolutely blew everyone’s minds.
Considering how Elden Ring served as the foundational bedrock for Nightreign, you can imagine the collective gasp we let out when the director of the multiplayer spinoff actually came out and said how his game has a better “battlefield experience” than Elden Ring. Yes, you heard it right. Let’s delve deeper into this and find out more.
Elden Ring Nightreign provides a shorter Elden Ring experience
Elden Ring Nightreign is a roguelike multiplayer action RPG developed by FromSoftware and was released on May 30th of this year. While the game can be played solo, it is suggested that players bring their two other friends to experience the joy of dying again and again together. The game became so popular that it sold more than two million copies in its first 24 hours.
Nightreign has a completely different pacing than Elden Ring, and this was done because the developers wanted it to be a shorter experience than what Elden Ring fans are generally accustomed to. However, does it really offer a better on-field experience? The title’s director, Junya Ishizaki, seems to think so. In a candid interview with CNET, he commented on how Elden Ring is more linear and the spin-off is more combative.
I would describe the Elden Ring experience as more of a journey, while Nightreign’s experience is more of that on the battlefield.
Nightreign undoubtedly offers that fast-paced thrill of being in the Lands Between, where fighting off bosses and exploring for better loot is the norm, but it’s nowhere near as intense as the original. While this multiplayer take on the Souls combat is a “battlefield experience” on its own, the nuanced experience of the original Elden Ring, it is a different aspect overall.
Every corner of the Lands Between in Elden Ring feels like a perfectly designed stage for the players to experience. It’s not just about fighting enemies or beating the boss; you are engaging with the environment itself, and each area presents a unique set of strategic considerations that make those environments more alive than ever.
The way Elden Ring forces you to constantly adapt to your build and approach based on the specific threats and geography is unparalleled. Although Nightreign emphasizes more on the rapid-fire encounters and is designed for quick bursts of action, it can never beat Elden Ring’s slow and interconnected battlefield that shows no mercy, no matter what build you are playing with.
Elden Ring keeps your heart racing for hours at a time
Elden Ring just hits differently than Nightreign. The enemies in there aren’t just there to slow you down like in the coop spinoff, but they corner you and punish you for getting too comfortable. And just when you think that you have got it under control, the game throws something completely unexpected at you.
From every area to every boss, each of them demands something different from you, and you have to plan ahead, or switch up your approach if you actually want to survive in the world of Elden Ring. Compared to that, Nightreign feels like a highlight reel, where it is action-packed, yet it’s not as deep.
In the end, whether you’re riding solo through the hauntingly beautiful valleys in Elden Ring or getting your face smashed in with two buddies beside you in Nightreign, one thing is for sure is that FromSoftware did not make either of the games easy. Nightreign does not aim to replace what Elden Ring achieved, but instead it builds upon the game and takes it in a new direction.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
