I played Elden Ring Nightreign for goofy co-op shenanigans, but wound up punched in my feelings by the Revenant’s remembrance questline

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In Elden Ring Nightreign, I didn’t need much time at all to complete all the tasks set before me. I vanquished all the Nightlords, dabbled in the majority of Nightfarers, undertook numerous adventures with my friends, and achieved most of the milestones. Even though I had accomplished everything, I found myself yearning for more. Consequently, I delved into the Remembrance quests.

Every nightfarer embarks on a Remembrance mission each night in Nightreign. These often involve smaller quests or tasks that contribute to a short narrative, providing insights into the nightfarers as unique characters, revealing their past and personal beliefs. Be advised: the following contains spoilers for the Revenant questline.

In many Remembrance missions, the last task involves overcoming one of the Nightlords, similar to how Ironeye vanquished the Darkdrift Knight. However, there are instances when you’ll encounter a distinct form of wickedness instead.

Among the characters in the game, I had a particular fondness for the Revenant from the beginning. As I embarked on the series of Remembrance quests, she was high on my priority list due to her intriguing character design. Her appearance is reminiscent of a doll, but when you activate her ultimate ability, a part of her face splits open to unveil a vengeful spirit within.

I stumbled upon various hypotheses suggesting she might be a doll or duplicate of Miquella, yet Nightreign provided no concrete evidence to support these theories beyond her appearance. However, my curiosity piqued, I felt compelled to uncover the truth about this mysterious figure and her true identity.

From the get-go, it’s evident that Revenant harbors a strong desire for revenge, harbors intense dislike towards the Night Aspect, and struggles with teamwork. This is largely due to her grumpy demeanor and sharp retorts, yet her threats didn’t seem credible until Chapter 5, as she appeared overly charming.

Following your victory over either Tricephalos or the Darkdrift Knight, it’s time for the second part of your journey at Chapter 5. Instead of heading to Limveld or battling another Nightlord, you encounter Recluse, who stands near a wooden bench outside. Here, you learn that if you aim to defeat the Night Aspect, you must first overcome your personal fears.

In her characteristic sarcastic manner, Revenant asserts she’s never afraid, but when Recluse persists gently, Revenant concedes, settles on a bench, and decides to confront her apprehensions.

What followed wasn’t just some throwaway scene, it was brutal, bloody, and unnerving.

Unexpectedly, without giving me time to ponder, I found myself whisked away into an ominous, decaying mansion. It was only later that I learned this place was known as House Northerncroft, once belonging to a prosperous noble family and previously owned by the spectral entity called Revenant.

In this mansion, there isn’t a lot to discover; it mainly consists of a few corridors and a dimly lit space where a life-sized doll is tucked away in one corner, remarkably resembling the Revenant. Upon closer examination, it appeared to be an exact likeness. After engaging with this doll, I encountered something called Corrosion – weak adversaries that can be defeated effortlessly using your summoned allies. Later, I returned to the doll and read an inscription: “My dearest little Daphne.

However, it couldn’t possibly be that straightforward; instead, I encountered another adversary, this time called Containment. It might look like a different version of the Royal Revenant, but let me tell you, those blows are painful in such a confined area. After the battle concluded, all that was left to witness was a brief cutscene, but it wasn’t merely an insignificant scene; it was intense, gory, and unsettling.

In Revenant’s final cutscene, there are no monstrous figures, divine entities, or sword-wielding wolves. Instead, it shows only her estranged family members. The once animate Revenant appears lifeless and helpless, resembling a discarded doll, incapable of providing solace or shielding young Daphne, who cowers in the corner as her father ruthlessly slaughters the rest of their kin.

It appears that his violent behavior might stem from the Night Aspect, given how his nighttime blue flames are visible through the windows. However, just as Daphne attempts to flee, she makes a sound. The camera then zeroes in on her trembling body, before pulling back to reveal her father looming over her menacingly. Blood splattered on the floor and on Revenant, a doll that proved powerless to safeguard the one person Daphne cared about, leaves her stunned, halting her progress in achieving her goals. That’s for certain.

I wasn’t anticipating Nightreign to deliver such an emotional blow. I thought it was just going to be a fun, multiplayer spin-off of Elden Ring, but the quests have become my favorite aspect of the game. It reminded me how much I missed storytelling in The Lands Between, and how skillfully FromSoftware can craft a narrative using subtle hints and whispers, or create a hauntingly beautiful gothic tale drenched in blood and violence.

To date, I’ve also accomplished missions for Recluse, Wylder, Duchess, and Executor, and each one has significantly improved Nightreign. Delving into the lore of the Nightfarers is an often overlooked yet significant aspect of this game; it’s something that deserves attention. Not only do you receive beneficial relics, chalices, and a fresh costume for completing these missions, but there’s really nothing not to appreciate about them!

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2025-07-01 19:49