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Elden Ring launched in 2022 and quickly became one of the most popular games of the generation. While most fans thought the journey was over with the excellent Shadow of the Erdtree expansion in 2024, FromSoftware surprised everyone with the announcement of a rougelike, cooperative spin-off known asElden Ring Nightreign.
This is a new direction for a developer known for crafting ambitious and brutal single-player experiences, and while you can play Nightreign by yourself, it’snotoriously easier to play with other people. There is a lot of mystery surrounding this new adventure, and if you’re on the fence about hopping into Limveld alone or with friends, we’ll help you decide whether Elden Ring Nightreign is worth it or not.
Review
One of TheGamer’s Executive Editors, James Lucas, covered the game for the website in his piece “Elden Ring Nightreign Review: You’re Worried About The Nameless King? He’s The Easy Boss” and was so impressed with his experience with it that hegave it a score of 4.5/5.
James went into the game with mixed expectations and waseventually impressedby its satisfying combat, stunning boss fights, and FromSoftware’s fresh take on their familiar formula.
It’s an interesting take on the Soulslike formula, bottling the usual loop into short-burst rounds.
Nightlords aremassive bosses you fight at the end of each run(the end of the third day) and are the main thing you’ll build your character towards beating during each session. “The arena becomes a canvas for them to unleash some of the most stunning attacks I’ve ever had the pleasure of dying to. Sure, it can be frustrating, but my god is it beautiful to watch the chaos unfold.”
As dazzling as these encounters can be, there are some small issues with these bosses. They areincredibly fast and hit hard, but if you’re with a team of two other people, at least they can revive you so it’s not an instant game over. This could be frustrating for some, but Lucas noted in his review, “…even the rockiest of beginnings can be clawed back from the jaws of defeat, making those final moments as a boss fades into the aether some of the most rewarding FromSoftware has ever produced.”
The biggest complaint against the Nightlords was about howspongy they are and how long it takes to beat them. “There were plenty of games where it became clear my teammates were exhausted and running on fumes, getting swept up in attacks they’d otherwise perfectly dodge, sending us into a spiral of avoiding the boss and reviving each other until we inevitably bit the dust.”
An impressive aspect of Nightreign is how itsignificantly expands the lore of Elden Ringand its characters without compromising FromSoftware’s complex storytelling. Multiplayer games usually don’t focus on narrative, but the game is surprisingly dense with little details that help you understand more about the history of this mysterious world.
Another thing Lucas enjoyed about Nightreign is that it makesstatus effects actually feel important for once. “When used against Nightlords, these weaknesses have unique effects that completely turn the tide. Gaping Jaw, for instance, stops leaping around the arena to throw up the poison, giving you a brief window to go all out.”
His biggest issues and concerns about Nightreign revolved aroundfrustrating matchmaking issues and the questionable decision not to include cross-platform play. “Given that the foundation of Nightreign is co-operative play, hopefully, these kinks are ironed out.”
Ultimately, Lucasthoroughly enjoyed his time with Elden Ring Nightreigndespite some minor hiccups along the way. It’s a fascinating evolution from one of the most beloved developers of the decade, and there is still a ton of potential for the game as it continues to receive updates down the road.
Cost
Elden Ring Nightreign is currently available physically and digitally on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series consoles, and PC. If you want to buy the standard version of the game for any of these platforms, it willcost you $39.99.
There is also a deluxe version that includes the base game, access to additional DLC, a digital artbook, and a mini soundtrack for$54.99.
Finally, there is a collector’s edition that is only available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Steam for$199.99. Aside from the base game and access to future DLC, you also get a 25cm statue of Wylder, SteelBook case, Nightfarer Cards, a 40-page hardcover artbook, a collector’s box, and a download code for the digital soundtrack.
Time Expenditure
There are a lot of small factors that will impacthow long it takes you to finish Elden Ring Nightreign, from waiting in lobbies to how frequently you die against bosses. Expeditions are three days long, and each one lasts about 15 minutes, soa successful run should take you about 45 minutes, depending on how long it takes you to defeat the Nightlord.
You need to defeat four Nightlords to unlock the final boss, so if you beat them all on your first run, it would only take youjust under four hours to finish the game, though this would be a Herculean feat. you may realistically expect to spend somewhere closer to 10–20 hours, depending on your skill level and how many other people you play with.
If you plan on doing everything Nightreign has to offer, from completing all eight Nightfarers storylines to unlocking every trophy and achievement, it should take youcloser to 30–40 hoursto finish your quest.
What Players Are Saying
Big On The Bosses, Less On The Story - Hilton Webster
I loved the original Elden Ring. It felt to me like the revitalization Souls games needed. Those worlds were great, but they started to become predictable and stagnant on a replay. With the freedom to go almost anywhere from the beginning, Elden Ring felt like everyone could experience it in a completely different way. Add on some great quality of life improvements in combat and build variety, and it was a winner.
Nightreign is a very focused view of Elden Ring, one where combat is king. If you always wanted to play Dark Souls or Elden Ring with your friends and throw down the gauntlet, Nightreign will be everything you ever wanted. Matches are fast and snappy, and give you a microcosm of the Elden Ring combat experience. But if you loved exploring the world in search of a story, of digging deep into a new area in search of a weapon that would reveal something about the world, then Nightreign will disappoint.
Nightreign knows what it wants to be, and that is a multiplayer boss rush. It’s good at it too, but it won’t be for everyone.
Should’ve Learned The Attack Patterns - Thomas Turner
For someone like myself who has sunk hundreds of hours into every Souls game FromSoftware has made, along with hundreds of hours in games like Fortnite and Apex Legends, Nightreign feels like it tries to be too much and fails at a lot of it.
The idea of a Souls-roguelike is an inherently fascinating idea, with how in-depth and satisfying the combat in these games can be. Using Elden Ring as a base with the sheer amount of weapons and bosses is also a great place to start. And bringing back fan-favorite bosses from previous titles should’ve been the cherry on top.
But the design decisions that From Software made when designing Nightreign’s multiplayer are just mind-boggling. If you’re designing a game around team-based co-op, why aren’t there any options for proper communication with teammates besides pinging? Why release this game on almost every platform and then choose not to include cross-play? If roguelikes are built on their random elements, why does every run of this game feel almost exactly the same?
Elden Ring Nightreign had the opportunity to be the next big multiplayer co-op game if it had learned from other games in its genre. Proper voice chat and cross-play could’ve made this a game that anyone could enjoy with their friends, or make new friends with. But outside of the combat, there is nothing that Nightreign does to put itself above its multiplayer competition.
Not Really An Elden Ring Game - Mohamed El Ouardighi
This is coming from someone who completed all Souls and Soulslike games to ever exist, but the core of what makes a Souls game is just not here, sadly.
If it was a DLC or a new mode for Elden Ring, it would make sense, but making it a standalone game was not necessary.
Did I enjoy it? To some extent. Was it the best? Not really.
And before you come for me, yes, I completed the game, and this is my opinion.
