Elden Ring: Nightreign bucks the extraction trend, but it would have been a better game if it hadn’t

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Nearly reached the base of the volcano. Following our descent into the infernal core, battling hordes of Fire Prelates, Finger Creepers, and Flame Chariots, we’ve almost reached the ancient altar, which holds the power to craft our own mythical weapons. As we get close to the smithing station, a Magma Wyrm erupts from the ash—our final challenge before claiming our prize. After an intense struggle, I reach the anvil and forge my first one-of-a-kind legendary weapon.

Then I recall that I won’t be able to keep it. In truth, I’ll only get to use it for the next ten minutes. It’s disheartening to accept that instead of my plunge into the volcano becoming a cherished memory or an achievement (akin to overcoming a tough boss in Elden Ring), if I wish to craft another legendary weapon, I must repeat this event over and over, repeatedly.

In Elden Ring, Nightreign seems to struggle with repetition. Over time, it becomes apparent that each playthrough follows a similar pattern: waiting for luck (RNG) to provide favorable map layouts, passive skills, and landmarks to obtain a weapon that exploits the Nightlord’s vulnerability. Meanwhile, you find yourself repeating the same tasks—gathering flasks from churches, assaulting as many bosses as possible, collecting smithing stones. As some have humorously pointed out, it might just be the longest series of boss encounters in FromSoftware’s game history.

In the roguelike genre, elements like Random Number Generation (RNG) and repetition play significant roles, but what truly defines a great roguelike is the ability to strategically collect items to create a successful build. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Nightreign. Over time, players will learn which passives and affixes benefit their Nightfarer character, and they’ll aim to get them during each run if possible. However, in Nightreign, there’s often little room for flexibility; you’re either prospering or struggling with suboptimal loot.

It’s true that you can strategize for a Nightlord’s vulnerabilities by selecting the relics you carry at the outset of an adventure, but obtaining these items is also largely dependent on luck. Moreover, the extent to which they can influence the unpredictability of your journey is rather limited. To me, the most frustrating aspect of the Nightlord weakness system lies in the fact that you can defeat the final boss and obtain a relic that allows you to change affinity just by switching weapons, effectively rendering the system irrelevant after you’ve completed the game. In essence, it feels like “You’ve won the game! Now you no longer need to deal with this bothersome mechanism.

Appreciate your response, but I’m curious, what was the purpose of including this feature in the game when it seems to restrict creative construction processes?

I can’t help but imagine a version of Nightreign where randomisation isn’t the be-all and end-all

In my mind, there could be a different take on Nightreign where luck isn’t the primary focus, but rather we can gather and keep some of our loot for future challenges. This way, we could strategize better for tougher expeditions while accepting the risk of losing equipment. Essentially, I believe Nightreign could have benefited from having more extraction aspects akin to Dark and Darker’s PvE mode, creating an exciting journey from poverty to power through looting and returning with powerful gear.

Re-phrasing: It would have been more meaningful if completing the Shifting Earth events didn’t feel so insignificant. Right now, the rewards are temporary boosts that rarely align with the Nightlord you’re battling, apart from The Crater and Noklateo. In Extraction Nightreign, they could have given a more substantial reward to keep, making these events feel less like an unused part of the map that players tend to avoid.

In extraction games, you have the freedom to decide which challenges to face and the level of reward you aim for. Picture a game like Nightreign, where instead of scouring the map for bosses on every playthrough, there are various activities that demand varying degrees of readiness. You get to decide how far you delve and gradually work your way up to confronting more challenging events across multiple gaming sessions.

Perhaps the game allows you to acquire the skill to extract prior to the Nightlord boss encounter, offering you some flexibility if you prefer to concentrate on a Shifting Earth event rather than the standard progression.

1. Elden Ring Nightreign guide – Begin your adventure wisely

2. Nightreign rankings – Top nighttime adventurers

3. Optimal Nightreign rune farming route – Rapid leveling

4. Ideal Nightreign team configurations – Aim for success

5. Premium Nightreign relics – Essential equipment

6. List of Nightreign bosses – Every Nightmaster

7. All Nightreign remembrances – Quests for each character

Maybe the game could even let you earn the ability to extract before the Nightlord boss

For me, one standout aspect of Elden Ring is embarking on a fresh journey by creating a new character – the thrill of stepping into the Lands Between as a Wretch, discovering loot along the way, and choosing my character’s build. There could have been an alternate Nightreign where each mission mirrored that initial excitement. In a game structured around runs, the ‘loot-and-build’ mechanism would have been ideal for achieving this, starting with nothing and gradually progressing based on the items you uncover.

Translating this into simpler and more natural language: Having the option to obtain gear during gameplay would give us more control over buildcrafting, allowing for customization beyond accommodating Nightlord’s weaknesses or relying on each expedition’s random chances. This flexibility could be countered by losing the acquired equipment if we failed. Additionally, Nightreign could have incorporated Player versus Player (PvP) elements, as the game already features Nightfarer invaders who drop their gear upon being defeated.

The main point is that to make Nightreign extraction possible, it might require more difficulty and additional objectives other than just defeating Nightlords. Additionally, the boss weakness system needs to be removed (meaning you can’t collect weapons exploiting their vulnerabilities), as I believe this feature highlights the problems with the game’s randomization and is detrimental from a roguelike building perspective. In simpler terms, we might need to make Nightreign tougher and eliminate a system that makes the game too predictable when it comes to creating a roguelike experience.

Despite Nightreign’s identity issues, I still find myself enjoying it. However, for a FromSoftware fan like me, it feels more like an experiment in side-job multiplayer rather than a mainline game, which has seemingly hindered its development. It’s nearly there, on the brink of becoming a much better game, but the only explanation I can find for why it isn’t is its scope.

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2025-06-03 20:04