For the last decade or so, FromSoftware has failed to miss a beat. WhileDemon’s Soulslaid the foundations for the formula, 2011’sDark Soulswould take FromSoft to astronomic heights, with its intensely challenging gameplay loop quickly spawning a whole genre of its own. In the 14 years sinceDark Souls' release, there have been two sequels, as well asBloodborne,Sekiro, andElden Ring, with each one earning more critical acclaim than the last. But that doesn’t mean FromSoftware’s record has been spotless.
While its gameplay is riveting, presentation is always well-polished, and world design is usually unparalleled, there are plenty of shortcomings to be found in FromSoftware’s action-RPG formula, though most of those are overlooked due to the sheer quality of the rest of the experience. One such shortcoming is ranged combat, something thatElden Ring Nightreigngoes out of its way to remedy.
FromSoftware’s History with Ranged Combat
Melee combat is FromSoftware’s bread and butter. Throughout theentireDark Soulsseriesand all of the successors that have followed it, players are naturally encouraged to engage in melee combat due to its responsive controls and feedback. Though players can pick up a magical staff or a bow, they’re not always rewarded for doing so.
Most ranged weapons in FromSoftware’s past titles are exceptionally one-note, having just one attack and often dealing very little damage. These attacks also often take quite a long time to prepare, leaving the player vulnerable to enemy attacks. This is even worse inFromSoftware’s earliest action-RPG entries, where players couldn’t move and shoot at the same time.
Over the years, FromSoftware gradually improved ranged combat, adding a wider variety of weapons and refining those shooter mechanics. But regardless of the changes, FromSoftware’s ranged combat always paled in comparison to melee and even magic. ButElden Ring Nightreignhas finally changed that.
How Elden Ring Nightreign Fixes FromSoftware’s Ranged Combat
Ironeye Packs a Significant Punch
The newly released three-player co-op roguelike,Elden Ring Nightreignpresents players with a total of eight playable classes called ‘Nightfarers’. One of these Nightfarers, the Ironeye, is solely dedicated to ranged combat. And in a rather shocking turn of events, Ironeye is actually one ofElden Ring Nightreign’s best Nightfarers.
Right out of the gate, Ironeye’s bow deals a significant amount of damage, far more than the starting bows inElden Ring’s base game. This damage output only grows more impressive during the course of a match, with players being able to find new variations and upgrades that imbue their ranged weapon with new status effects and stat boosts.
Ammo is also unlimited inElden Ring Nightreign, removing the need to find crafting materials entirely, and allowing the player to unleash as many shots as they can during a battle. Most bows inNightreignwill also come with at least three possible attacks, including a single-shot primary fire, a multi-shot secondary, and a special Weapon Art ability such as a power shot or a hail of magical arrows. This increased weapon variety, unlimited ammo, and higher damage output makesElden Ring Nightreign’s Ironeyea blast to play.
Ironeye Is Vital for Team Composition
Along with being incredibly fun to play,Elden Ring Nightreign’s Ironeye is also a vital part of the game’s meta. At the end of the day,Nightreignis ateam-based game, and team composition is of the utmost importance. Though skilled players can make just about composition work, the teams that perform the best will often have at least one Ironeye in their ranks.
Ironeye is great at drawing an enemy’s aggro while remaining far enough away from it that it poses little threat, opening up a brief window for the rest of the team to lay into the enemy. Ironeye’s ranged attack is also very useful when it comes to reviving downed allies, as it can be done safely, away from the wide swings ofElden Ring Nightreign’s hulking bosses.
