Summary
It almost goes without saying thatElden Ring Nightreign’s gameplay approach does a number on the Soulslike formula fans are familiar with, to the point that it has proven to be quite divisive in its youth. The patience and deliberation once required to overcome some ofFromSoftware’s toughest encountershas been thrown out the window in exchange for a fast-paced gameplay loop fueled by the constant pressure of a shrinking ring of death and the challenging bosses obstructing the road ahead. Ultimately, this means that players rarely have a moment of respite, apart from any time they may spend atElden Ring Nightreign’s Roundtable Hold between expeditions.
Elden Ring’s Roundtable Hold was a vibrant, lived-in central hub for players, where they could interact with various NPCs who offer quests, lore, and other services, upgrade and customize their gear and Spirit Ashes, and it would open up and evolve more as the game’s story progresses. For all intents and purposes, it’s more practical than anything else.Elden Ring Nightreign’s Roundtable Hold, while it might be more defined by its overgrown, melancholic, and tattered aesthetic, feels like an entirely different type of escape, on account of the game’s core gameplay loop. Somehow, it ends up feeling more like a home thanElden Ring’s practical hub.
Elden Ring Nightreign’s New Roundtable Hold Feels Like a True Escape
A Place of Rest in a World That Never Stops Moving
It’s true thatElden Ring Nightreign’s Roundtable Hold does have a somber atmosphere, which is only reinforced by its decayed environment. Tattered drapes, eroded banners, broken floorboards, and overgrown vegetation all serve to give the Hold its own distinct identity apart fromElden Ring’s. But while that might make it sound like it would bring less comfort, the atmosphere its design serves to create is one of quiet reflection — a perfect complement to thefast pace ofElden Ring Nightreign’s world.
Players can still customize their Relics and change their current character inElden Ring Nightreign’s Roundtable Hold, among a couple of other services.
There’s a stillness inElden Ring Nightreign’s Roundtable Holdthat allows players to breathe for a moment, which is something they don’t even have time to think about doing out on an expedition. AsNightreign’s gameplay essentially demands that players never stop moving, its Roundtable Hold needed to be a place where they were allowed to without worrying about the clock or the next boss they need to defeat. The negative space of this dilapidated home, then, is a refreshing sight, as it means there are no immediate threats, nothing to explore, and almost nothing to do.
When a Hub Becomes a Haven
WhereasElden Ring’s Roundtable Hold would see players regularly on the move, completing various tasks, and preparing for the next part of their journey,Elden Ring Nightreign’s version of the Hold can’t help but invite players to slow down. Much of this is due to just how much it has been stripped down in comparison to its predecessor, with the bare minimum of necessities available, despite its substantial size. There is an area to train and a shop where players can buy emotes and other items, but apart from those amenities, most of the NPCs present areElden Ring Nightreign’s inactive Nightfarerswho don’t even have much to say.
There’s a stillness inElden Ring Nightreign’s Roundtable Hold that allows players to breathe for a moment, which is something they don’t even have time to think about doing out on an expedition.
The background music forElden Ring Nightreign’s Roundtable Hold is especially complementary to its home-like feel. The swelling dynamics of harps, violins, and a soft piano gently fill the silence, once again serving as a stark contrast toElden Ring Nightreign’s fast-paced and punishing world. In almost every way, this new version of the Roundtable Hold outshines the original, not because it offers more services to the player, but because it serves the player by being the quiet reprieve they need in a world that will otherwise never give them a minute.
