When you think about the best open-world titles, a certain set of prerequisites comes to mind. Does it encourage you to go out of your way to explore? Is the very act of exploration enjoyable? Is there sufficient friction to subtly and not-so-subtly nudge you in particular directions? Are the rewards worth the risks?
FromSoftware’s Elden Ring is over three years and one critically acclaimed expansion old at this point, yet it fulfils those requirements, and then some. The Lands Between aren’t just pushing you to become stronger and fight for the remnants of the Elden Ring. They tease you with mysteries and feed that inquisitive nature, escalating the surprises, reveals and challenges all the way to the end (yes, even with the occasional stumble in the latter half).
The Land of Shadow is similar but takes the design philosophy of “something interesting around every corner” and layers it into a more condensed space. Verticality was often cited as its strength, manifesting at times as platforming challenges but it also changed the mood of exploration. Feeling out those secrets becomes more harrowing, obtaining them all the more worthwhile.
It’s interesting to consider Elden Ring Nightreign in the same breath. Cue the “95 percent recycled assets” and “single-player rules, multiplayer drools ” comments – which I somewhat empathize with. After all, when FromSoftware is capable of such incredible single-player titles, why would it bother wasting its efforts on a – gasp – online co-op game? The fact that Nightreign shares some similarities with battle royale and extraction titles also doesn’t elicit much enthusiasm from those tired of the trend-chasing.
However, as someone who’s on-again-off-again with co-op titles like Helldivers 2, Destiny 2, and Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, and looking forward to the likes of FBC: Firebreak, Nightreign intrigues me, in no small part thanks to its world. Based on the gameplay showcased thus far, Limveld feels like it’s hitting that sweet spot between serving as a carefully curated map for multiplayer and feeling like an actual living world, at least based on the gameplay showcased thus far. That FromSoftware can achieve this balance while reusing so many assets from Elden Ring is pretty notable, and speaks to a better understanding of multiplayer flow than many other titles.
Elden Ring Nightreign’s entire premise revolves around the Nightfarers and their battle against the darkness sweeping the world. It’s due to the Nightlord, though how this is possible – and how it could potentially tie into the base game – is unknown. Regardless, your mission is to drop into Limveld via Spirit Falcon, rummage for supplies and ultimately become strong enough to challenge the Nightlord. Or at least make it to the next day.
Because as with many of FromSoft’s titles, your excursions aren’t cut-and-dry. They’re composed of three days – two in which you must survive and battle a random boss and the third culminating in a battle with the Nightlord. During the daytime, you have extensive freedom to wander around, but as time passes, a ring will slowly enclose the map, battle royale-style. Standing outside of it is fine, if an express ticket back to the Roundtable Hold, which serves as your base of operations before venturing out, is your goal.
In any other battle royale or extraction title, you would choose a location, acquire weapons/ammo/armor/healing items and move on to the next, slowly working through other players along the way. The slowly closing ring creates pressure, limiting the play space, so even if you try to avoid other teams, you inevitably have to face them to win. However, there’s no guarantee of survival if you visit a popular location.
Nightreign channels that same decision-making and maintains the structure of its map between runs but randomizes the rewards. The mini-bosses that can be fought for better rewards are also random, as are the bosses at the end of Days 1 and 2. So while you might find places like Evergaols, caves, and the giant castle in the middle to be static – and offering up Runes that can provide an incremental increase in power – your actual rewards may not be what you’re looking for. Or they could be an essential part of your build and help carry the run.
And while FromSoft takes some notes from the vertical design inherent in Shadow of the Erdtree, it also imbues exploration with much more mobility, from faster sprinting to clambering environments. However, you’re still mostly on foot and can’t clear every part of Limveld. Do you opt for farming up Runes and taking on the tougher mini-bosses for stronger rewards? Maybe clearing camps and forts to obtain more information on the surrounding area? There are more than a few familiar places, but the pacing and overall design of Limveld create an altogether different atmosphere, not unlike how the Land of Shadow did when compared to the Lands Between. One that’s measured at times, frenetic at others, yet still feels distinctly Elden Ring.
However, there’s also Shifting Earth, a modifier that causes new points of interest to appear on the map, like Crater. Teeming with molten lava and challenging foes, it also promises some great rewards, but you need to prioritize. But do you level up beforehand and then take the plunge, potentially with less time before the circle starts shrinking? Do you risk going in earlier, counting on your skills, current build and teamwork to make it through? Is it worth possibly going down and losing out when it comes time to tackle the boss? All these decisions and more influence the run, and must be made at a rapid clip.
Another interesting wrench in all of this is the Remembrances. Each character unlocks more lore about themselves as you play, but eventually, you receive personal objectives that require venturing to specific parts of the map to complete. It provides a clear impetus for visiting potential new locations and challenges you to adjust strategies for that run. I am somewhat concerned about how this will work when playing with a team, especially if you need to take down a specific boss and your teammate wanders off to complete their personal objective. Then again, the objectives vary depending on the Nightfarer – the Raider, for instance, is more about participating in 1v1 battles in a coliseum and seemingly has nothing to do with exploring out-of-the-way places in Limveld.
Combined with the rogue-like system mechanics, FromSoftware encourages players to master the map – all the unchanging locations and potential Shifting Earth modifiers – and refine their chosen Nightfarer’s build. The sheer quickness of leveling and being able to use equipment with far fewer restrictions is balanced by the randomness of loot – sometimes, you must adjust on the fly for an optimal build. And hopefully, it’s enough to take down the corresponding Nightlord.
While the network test offered a significant view of Limveld’s environments, I hope it only scratched the surface of the secrets on offer. I’m interested to see how else the map could change and what bosses lay in wait. Even if it isn’t offering the same open-world experience that put Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree, Nightreign has the potential to be one of the most involving Souls-like co-op experiences out there when it launches on May 30th.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.