Being a spin-off to Hidetaka Miyazaki’s master piece, Elden Ring Nightreign, ever since its inception, was destined to always be compared to the original installment in the franchise. However, there remains a core difference between the two titles, that while the original game cements its legacy through single-person open-world exploration, Nightreign focuses more on a faster and session-based co-op structure.
Unlike Elden Ring, Nightreign was never designed for players to lose themselves in for 100+ hours at a time. Instead, it encourages more fast-paced combat loops, introducing refined mechanics that make it seem more fun than what Hidetaka Miyazaki built back in 2022, a trait that can land it in deep trouble within the Souls community.
Elden Ring Nightreign’s strength is one of its biggest flaws
FromSoftware, by pioneering the Souls genre over the years, has built a legacy of introducing lore-driven games that players find themselves drowning in, making them explore every nook and corner for the slightest of hints. On the other hand, Elden Ring Nightreign defies this very philosophy by pushing for quick runs and refined mechanics that push for speed.
What I am trying to discuss here is how the game is, in some ways, fundamentally different from what we usually see from the studio. Elden Ring Nightreign does not eliminate the depth in Souls games; it simply shifts it to the combat-driven environment of Limveld.
As I mentioned before, the game, directed by Junya Ishizaki, not only takes mechanics from Elden Ring but also refines them. The majority of this can be seen in the game’s movement, like the wall climbing and no-fall damage features.
These refined mechanics are precisely what make Elden Ring Nightreign and its combat-driven depth feel different from the original game. If it instead tried to find its depth in deep lore and vast exploration, it would become an even hotter mess than it is now.
How Elden Ring Nightreign sets the path right for FromSoftware’s very uncertain multiplayer future
Hidetaka Miyazaki, the renowned director and president of FromSoftware, has promised the community that despite pushing out two multiplayer titles at once, Elden Ring Nightreign, and The Duskbloods, the studio is not redefining its signature offering to this one particular genre.
Unfortunately, despite Miyazaki’s comments, many fans speculate that Nightreign’s and the Nintendo Switch 2’s exclusive performance might just make the shareholders push FromSoftware to do otherwise. And if that came to be, then the feedback on this latest release should be the one thing that guides them on the right path in the future.
One of the biggest criticisms levied at Nightreign is its perceived lack of narrative weight. But FromSoftware didn’t forget how to write lore, they just knew it wasn’t needed here. Nightreign is built around mechanics, not mythology, and only a few understand that.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
