Elden Ring: Nightreign Review — Rain Portents The Night’s Reign

by

The game titled “Elden Ring: Nightreign” has certainly lived up to its hype, and after experiencing it myself, it’s easy to understand why. This multiplayer-centric exploration of the world in “Elden Ring” is incredibly enjoyable, offering the signature FromSoft challenge and compulsory exploration found in the original game. Although it might seem that “Elden Ring: Nightreign” is merely an expansion of the main “Elden Ring“, it boasts a significant amount of novelty by introducing new bosses, concepts, and most notably, unique characters that have already captivated the gaming community. Admittedly, community-created fan art played a considerable role in piquing my curiosity enough to finally delve into “Nightreign“.

As an ardent fan, I’ve been hesitant about diving into Elden Ring: Nightreign because in my perspective, a more authentic multiplayer experience of Elden Ring already thrives in the form of the Elden Ring Seamless Multiplayer Mod. The allure of exploring the Elden Ring open world simultaneously with another Tarnished felt much more enticing to me than the roguelike boss rush that Nightreign offers.

Although a formal version of the Elden Ring mod I discussed earlier seemed more appealing, I’m pleased that I eventually decided to experiment with Nightreign. Unlike just “multiplayer Elden Ring,” as you might have guessed, Nightreign offers an entirely unique experience. It functions more like a class-based roguelike, where players explore an open-world map with a damaging ring shrinking each night over the course of three days, similar to battle royale. On the third day, players must unite to defeat a challenging boss exclusive to Nightreign, known as a Nightlord, who is capable of handling three players simultaneously, be aware of this. Throughout your journey, you collect as many runes, items, and levels as possible to boost your chances against the final boss, primarily by battling bosses remixed from previous Souls series games with creative adjustments or twists added to make it more difficult.

Even though individual experiences might differ significantly when playing Elden Ring: Nightreign with random players, I must admit that it successfully offers an engaging twist on a multiplayer Soulslike experience. The heightened speed, facilitated by innovative movement features such as wall mantling and the absence of fall damage, along with the necessity to traverse the game swiftly to dodge damage from the ring and efficiently collect souls, creates a fast-paced approach that encapsulates some of Elden Ring’s excitement without demanding extensive time investment in leveling up or mastering boss strategies.

The drawback here is that the game could become somewhat monotonous due to its repetitive nature. Despite the roguelike aspects offering variation with each playthrough, there aren’t enough weapon choices to significantly alter character builds from one session to another, meaning you’ll generally play your character in a similar way each time, perhaps favoring one or two specific builds based on item drops and adjusting for status effect damage against the Nightlord. Additionally, the map doesn’t undergo significant changes, resulting in frequent traversal of familiar paths en route to defeating the final boss, although there are numerous bosses to battle. Overall, Nightreign is a game that can be completed, and once you do, it may not have much more to offer—unless additional content is introduced in future updates.

Apart from its strengths, the game encounters some genuine issues that players seem hesitant to address. For instance, the game Nightreign occasionally experiences severe glitches like desyncing, which can be disastrous in battles, or drops not appearing or vanishing, and even causing the game to crash to desktop. This could be detrimental, especially since you need a team of three to play this game, unless you’re playing solo.

It seems that the game, as I understand it, hasn’t added the popular feature for two-player duos yet. This means that instead of teaming up as a pair, players currently have to include a third member in their party. Unfortunately, this could lead to unfavorable situations considering the dynamic nature of FromSoft’s gaming community and multiplayer games in general. A game designed to challenge three players might become too difficult if one player is lagging behind or quits, or becomes angry, or plays at their own pace without regard for the rest of the team. Moreover, a game lacking communication tools can struggle significantly in these circumstances.

The game “Elden Ring: Nightreign” is fantastic. It offers a distinctive, adaptable version of the FromSoftware gaming experience, suitable for both quick and extended play sessions. You can explore this world solo with online strangers or with a tight-knit group of friends. However, some technical issues need addressing, and the game’s content may seem limited after approximately six to ten hours of playtime. For this multiplayer game to thrive, ongoing support is crucial. It’s recommended to create a lobby with friends instead of relying on random online players for the best experience.

The Final Word

Regarding Elden Ring: Nightreign, it overcame some initial technical issues and limitations in long-term play, but proved to be an impressively realized departure from the Soulslike formula. Its roguelike design, innovative cooperative elements, and classic FromSoftware challenge level create a captivating, swift-moving adventure that champions teamwork and adaptability. For those who enjoy Elden Ring seeking a blend of the familiar with something new, Nightreign is a strong competitor.

Try Hard Guides was provided a Steam code for this PC review of Elden Ring: Nightreign. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! Elden Ring: Nightreign is available on Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation.

Read More

2025-06-09 17:07