Elden Ring Nightreignis unlike anything FromSoftware has ever made, at least in the last decade or so. WhileDark Souls,Bloodborne, andElden Ringall featured the ability to join online friends in co-op or invade other players, that online connectivity has always been viewed as an additional feature rather than the main attraction.Elden Ring Nightreignreverses that.
Elden Ring Nightreignis a three-player co-op roguelike that sees players choosing a distinct class, dropping on a randomly-generated map, gathering loot, and facing off against the game’s uniqueNight Lord bosses. For better or worse,Nightreignproves that FromSoftware is willing to experiment with new gameplay ideas, and its loop should go on to inspire a new staple game mode for future FromSoft action-RPGs.
Elden Ring Nightreign Should Inspire Future FromSoftware Games to Have a Boss Rush Mode
Elden Ring Nightreign is Essentially One Long Boss Rush
A match ofElden Ring Nightreigntakes place over the course of two in-game nights. Each one sees players exploring a map filled with various points of interest, ranging from castles to underground mines. Inside those POIs are a variety of enemies andbosses taken fromElden Ring’s base game, along with the precious loot that they’re guarding.
Players need to visit as many of these points of interest in as little time as possible, as when night starts to fall, players will become encircled by a ring of fiery rain. The general goal ofElden Ring Nightreignis to get as powerful as possible within that limited timeframe so that players can overcome that night’s boss, and eventually, the big bad Night Lord at the end of the second night.
There are many different ways to approachElden Ring Nightreign’s map, but the current meta revolves around defeating as many bosses as quickly as possible. The reason for this is that bosses drop the best upgrades inNightreignon top of a load of Runes, allowing players to find the best weapons and stat boosts while simultaneously earning enough cash to level up. GivenElden Ring Nightreign’s time-based nature, players are encouraged to prioritize encounters that will net them the best rewards, and that means speedrunning through as many boss arenas as possible before the Night’s Tide approaches.
Though regular enemies might be encountered along the way,Elden Ring Nightreign’s current metaessentially turns the game into a boss rush mode, which is something future FromSoftware games might want to take note of.
Elden Ring Nightreign Isn’t The First FromSoft Game to Feature a Boss Rush
Around a year and a half after its launch,Sekiro: Shadows Die Twiceadded a dedicated boss rush mode. Titled the ‘Gauntlets of Strength,’ these boss rush challenges saw players defeating a set number ofSekiro’s bossesin a row without dying. If players could conquer the Gauntlet, they’d receive new outfits and new Memories that would increase their attack power in the base game.Sekirofeatures some of the strongest bosses in FromSoft history, so it’s incredibly gratifying to be able to jump in at any time and fight through them again.
It might be hard for FromSoftware to balance a boss rush mode in a more traditional action-RPG due to certain bosses being crafted with late-stage character leveling in mind, butSekiromanaged to find a nice balance by keeping the player’s attack power at a consistent level.
