Five Things To Get Excited For In Elden Ring: Nightreign
So, how about that Nightreign network test? We were lucky enough to get our hands on an invitation over the weekend, and after a handful of runs and several hours spent trying to best the Tricephalos, we’ve emerged to share all the juicy details. Undoubtedly, the network test saw its ups and downs, and we would love to hear about your experience. But, for now, come along as we dissect five things found during our time with Elden Ring: Nightreign, which has us clamoring for more.
5. Build Potential
Nightreign works similarly to battle royale-style games in that you’re dropped into a large map with a barebones character and tasked with exploring and looting to become more powerful. Nightreign nails this loop, ensuring players are never far from gear and upgrades that offer significant buffs. We had a ton of fun experimenting with different builds and fine-tuning them to create an unstoppable force, and we can’t wait to see all the creative ways players take advantage of these systems come launch.
4. Fast, Frantic Sessions
Part of the beauty of Nightreign is that, while it couldn’t be called a “pick up and play” type of experience, sessions are condensed to 30-45 minute runs. As such, from the moment you hit the ground, you’ll be off to the races, engaging in spectacular combat as you work towards your goal. There’s very little downtime in Nightreign, and your party will never be left wondering what to do next.
3. Another Stellar Soundtrack
Elden Ring made grown men unabashedly weep with its soaring, hit-you-in-all-the-feels soundtrack. Now, Nightreign is set to make you cry all over again. There wasn’t much to go off during the network test, but the bits of score peppered throughout were every bit as spine-tingling as they were in Elden Ring. Boss battles accompanied by booming orchestras go together like a Godskin Peeler and Eleonora’s Poleblade, and FromSoftware has mastered these set pieces.
2. Visual Powerhouse
There’s no question about it: Nightreign looks stunning. Gorgeous landscapes and eye-popping special effects are only the tip of the iceberg, too. Elden Ring already looked great, but Nightreign takes it to another level, improving on nearly every aspect of 2022’s masterpiece. Exploring all the nooks and crannies of Elden Ring was exciting thanks to superb attention to detail from the developers. Nightreign looks like it’ll take this a step further, and we can’t wait to get out there and see what awaits us.
1. Proper Co-Op
It’s about damn time. It took a ton of years and nearly a dozen games, but FromSoftware is finally ready to deliver a proper cooperative experience. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to play the network test with friends. Regardless, seamlessly navigating Nightreign with two other players in a seamless co-op session felt surreal. And everything worked as expected despite being months away from release. Hopefully this means FromSoftware will start to look at proper co-op as a feature for future games, but for now, Nightreign will reign supreme as the go-to for cooperative Elden Ring.
Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.