The roguelike genre has exploded in popularity over the past several years, with both the indie scene and the AAA market investing heavily in the space. This is exemplified by several titles, the most recent one beingElden Ring Nightreign, a delightfully unique cooperative twist on the bread-and-butter gameplay tropes that FromSoftware has been so well known for. WhileNightreignis far from perfect, it is a strong example of what can be accomplished when a developer steps beyond its comfort zone and into a new arena.
That said,Elden Ring Nightreignowes quite a bit to its predecessor roguelikes, borrowing from and iterating upon myriad core mechanics and broader concepts that have been staples of the genre for years. Naturally, this has drawn and will continue to draw comparisons betweenNightreignand other leading roguelikes, with many gamers commenting on the former’s strengths and weaknesses relative to its contemporaries. Since such comparisons often form the brunt of manyNightreigncritiques, it’s worth dissecting just how similar the FromSoftware co-op roguelike is to the biggest names in the space.
Why Elden Ring Nightreign Is More Like Risk of Rain 2 Than Hades
Elden Ring Nightreign Has No Business Being Compared to Hades
First launched in late 2019, Supergiant Games’Hadesquickly became the de-facto roguelike experience, filling the role of touchstone in the wake of smash-hits likeThe Binding of Isaac.Hadesis a great game in many ways—its core combat mechanics, narrative, and aesthetic are all top-class—and its roguelike elements complement all these factors. In this way, it has become a monolith for other roguelikes to look up to and emulate, with even AAAfranchises likeGod of WarandDynasty Warriorsissuing spin-off games that are very muchHades-inspired.
Some ofHades' most central elements, like getting a sneak peek of what’s behind each door and a heavy focus on meta progression, have bled into several other contemporary roguelikes, leading some newcomers to the genre to believe that such elements are simply part of the genre’s fundamentals. But this isn’t actually the case, andElden Ring Nightreignis proof that not every roguelike needs to have strong cross-progression or room-based runs, for better or worse. No,Elden Ring Nightreignis most definitely not a “Hades-like” roguelike, but it may find a kindred spirit in Hoppo Games’Risk of Rain 2.
In some ways,Hades' impact on the roguelike genre is similar toDark Souls' impact on action-RPGs: they are both seen as the definitive releases in their genre.
Elden Ring Nightreign Feels Like FromSoftware’s Take on Risk of Rain 2
Though not quite as popular asHades,Risk of Rain 2is a terrific game, and arguably works better as a proper roguelike. This might sound implausible to some, asRisk of Rain 2lacks several of the elements most closely associated with roguelikes in the wake ofHades: it has minimal meta progression, and drops players on sprawling, open-ended maps rather than prompting them to go through a series of rooms.Risk of Rain 2’s main approach to meta progression comes in the form of Survivors, playable characters who each have unique playstyles and special abilities. As these Survivors, players traipse through extensive maps in pursuit of a larger, final goal.
It’s not much of a stretch to say thatElden Ring Nightreignis far moresimilar toRisk of Rain 2thanHades. Its Nightfarers function in the same manner asRoR2’s Survivors, and its wide-open, POI-focused map design puts it in conversation with Hoppo’s roguelike as well. This isn’t to say thatNightreignis better or worse for these similarities, but they are worth considering, especially when looking to recommend the game, or a good chaser for it.
Elden Ring Nightreign
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“ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN is a standalone adventure within the ELDEN RING universe, crafted to offer players a new gaming experience by reimagining the game’s core design.Join forces with other players to take on the creeping night and the dangers within featuring 3-player co-op.Take command of uniquely skilled heroes, each possessing their own abilities and distinct flair.While individually formidable, their skills create powerful synergies when they unite as a team.Overcome a relentless environmental threat that sweeps through a land that changes between each game session and defeat the magnificent boss of that night!”
