I’ve been hooked on FromSoftware games since Demon’s Souls first hit PS3. Over the years, I’ve built weird characters, dodged too late, and lost more souls than I can count. Whether it was Bloodborne or Sekiro, every game became an instant priority. So when Elden Ring: Nightreign was announced as a roguelike spin-off, I was curious but cautious.
Elden Ring was the one that felt like it opened the door to more people, and I loved how Shadow of the Erdtree pushed long-time fans harder without changing what worked. Nightreign is a different beast. It trades open-ended exploration for short, high-pressure runs where everything’s riding on your next fight or decision. It’s leaner and more focused, but it still carries that FromSoftware DNA.
After dozens of hours, I wasn’t just playing to win. I was trying to figure out how to win better. And that’s when Nightreign started to click.
Elden Ring: Nightreign details
Platform(s): PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS4 and Xbox One
Developer(s): FromSoftware, Inc.
Publisher(s): Bandai Namco Entertainment
Genre: Roguelike, Action role-playing, Adventure, Survival
Modes: Single-player, multiplayer
ESRB Rating: M (Mature 17+)
Learning the hard way, again
No matter how many FromSoftware games I’ve played, the first few runs in Elden Ring: Nightreign still hit like a wall. This time, I went in as the Ironeye, thinking a ranged setup might give me a little breathing room. I was wrong.
One of the early runs with my team fell apart fast on Day 2. We got split between two elite camps and couldn’t agree on which one to commit to. That back-and-forth cost us both time and upgrades. When the fire ring started closing in, we were still underpowered and scattered. We barely made it to the Eldenwrought Tyrant, and when we did, he flattened us. I was trying to support from a distance as Ironeye while the others tanked and dodged, but none of it worked. We didn’t even last sixty seconds against the boss.
Once we figured out the game’s pace, things improved. You have to treat each day like a sprint, not a marathon. Take one or two fights, grab something useful, then keep moving. If you overcommit, you end up underleveled, cornered, or both. What surprised me most was how quickly the rhythm clicks. The first few hours felt chaotic, but after a while, you start recognizing patterns. You know when to chase a camp, when to skip, and when to bail. Even on failed runs, we were learning something. Just getting to Day 3 felt like progress, even if we didn’t last long.
Finding a flow that fits
After a few runs with Ironeye, I gave the Raider a shot. I figured if I couldn’t stay alive from a distance, I might as well just charge in and deal as much damage as possible. The change worked better than I expected. The Raider is all about brute force. His passive boosts melee power, and his Ultimate sends him into a frenzy that chews through enemies if you time it right. I paired him with a relic that healed me for a small amount every time I landed a critical hit. With that and a rune that boosted stagger damage, I felt unstoppable. Then I got a bit too confident.
One run, I dove into a camp by myself thinking I could clean it out before the others even arrived. I misjudged the enemy placement and got locked down by two elites. By the time my teammates caught up, I was already out of flasks and trying to kite enemies with a greatsword. They managed to save me, barely, but I learned my lesson. The relic system is what kept me experimenting. You get three slots and can swap between bonuses like elemental procs, flask buffs, or damage scaling.
Some runs, I built around fire just because that’s what the relics gave me. Other times, I leaned into regen or team support. There’s flexibility, but it still rewards planning. If your group doesn’t sync their builds, you’ll feel it fast. Nightreign doesn’t have the deep build variety of Elden Ring, but there’s enough room to try new setups and find what works for your style.
Looks familiar, plays smooth
Visually, Nightreign feels like a natural follow-up to Elden Ring, even if the format is different. The UI is stripped down just enough to support quick decisions, but you still get the usual Souls polish in things like inventory layouts and character design.
I had a moment on one run where we triggered a Nightfall event on the fourth day. It turned the whole map pitch black, lit only by torches, magic, and enemy outlines. It looked great, but what impressed me most was how readable it stayed. Even in a full-blown three-way fight with a boss and elites, I could still track my teammates, enemies, and relic drops without getting lost in the chaos.
Performance was solid the whole time. On PS5, load times were quick, framerate never dipped, and the game handled particle effects, stagger animations, and full screen spells without slowing down. I hit a few matchmaking hiccups during public lobbies, but actual gameplay never stuttered, even during some of the messier encounters.
Nightreign doesn’t push anything dramatically new in how it looks, but that didn’t bother me. It knows what it is. It’s focused, clean, and sharp enough to keep the action moving without getting in the way.
Better with friends, rough with strangers
Nightreign was clearly built with teamwork in mind. When I play with friends, everything flows better. One of us pings the route, another checks relics, and the third handles healing and revives. It’s not always smooth, but we know how each other plays. That helps a lot when things go wrong.
One run, we got jumped mid-camp by a boss-tier enemy from a Shifting Earth event. I went down early, but the others kited it long enough for one of them to revive me. We somehow turned it around, finished the fight, and picked up relics that carried us into the final night. Reviving in Nightreign isn’t simple. You have to melee your teammate back up, which is risky in the middle of a fight. It works best when you trust your team.
Public matchmaking is a different story. I joined a random group where one person sprinted ahead, opened every chest, and pulled half the map. The other teammate refused to ping or communicate. We didn’t even make it to the first boss. The group was such a mess that I split off and cleared a camp on my own, just to feel involved.
I find it’s strange that you can’t just team up with one other person. Not everyone wants a full squad, and trio-only matchmaking limits your options. There’s no crossplay either, which doesn’t help. Nightreign really clicks with friends. Without them, it can fall apart fast.
Elden Ring: Nightreign is all about teamwork, speed, and boss battles
Elden Ring: Nightreign doesn’t try to be a traditional Soulsborne. It focuses on one thing: tight, co-op combat built around short, structured runs. If you’re looking for open-world exploration, deep lore, or flexible solo play, this isn’t that. But if you enjoy team-based challenges that get better the more you play, it’s easy to get hooked.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Tight, co-op-focused combat that rewards teamwork. | No cross-play support. |
| Fast-paced roguelike structure with quick, replayable runs. | No option to play with just one other person limits flexibility. |
| Flexible relic and rune system encourages build experimentation. | Map layout stays mostly the same between runs. |
| Satisfying boss fights with high-stakes team coordination. |
My team had runs that fell apart fast when someone slipped up, and others where we barely survived with no flasks left. One night, we finished a full clear using bleed builds none of us planned. We just adapted to what the game gave us. It felt earned from start to finish. The matchmaking limits, no duos option, and static map design hold it back a bit. But the core loop is solid. Fast. Focused. Brutal in all the right ways.
Overall assessment of Elden Ring: Nightreign
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Graphics: 4.5/5
Sound: 4/5
Lasting appeal/Replayability: 4.5/5
Overall rating: 4.4/5 (88%)
If you’ve got two friends and want to try something new, Nightreign offers a new kind of challenge. It plays to FromSoftware’s strengths while trying something smaller and more direct. It’s not for everyone. But if you’re into the boss fights and want something quicker, it’s worth jumping in.
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