Elden Ring Nightreignis easily one of FromSoftware’s more left-field experiments, but it’s also reflective of the industry’s recent embracing of the roguelike genre. Yes, roguelikes have been around for decades, but it wasn’t until the 2010s that they exploded in popularity, reaching a point where even casual gamers are familiar with the likes ofHadesandThe Binding of Isaac.
It’s not just the indie scene that’s feeding the genre, either. In late 2023, Santa Monica Studios surprised audiences by releasing theValhallaDLC forGod of War Ragnarok, free of charge for anyone who owned the base game. Free DLC is always a crowd-pleaser, butValhallatakes the extra step: it’s actually great. Both from a narrative and gameplay perspective,Valhallaproved itself to be definitively robust and impressive, making it a must-play extension of the base game experience rather than a cheap gimmick. If it were a little bit broader, with some extra bells and whistles, Santa Monica could have most likely gotten away with charging for it. In some ways,Elden Ring Nightreignis FromSoftware doing exactly that.
Elden Ring Nightreign Is Basically Elden Ring’s ‘Valhalla’ Moment
How God of War Ragnarok’s Valhalla DLC Recontextualizes Its Combat Loop
Part of whyValhallaworks as well as it doesactually seems rather counterintuitive: it makes precious few changes to the combat of the base game. Rather than introducing a bevy of new weapons and skills (though the DLC does bring new tools to the table, to be sure), the expansion is mostly effective by virtue of recontextualization. Put another way,Valhallacondenses the progression systems of the base game, granting players long-term rewards for short bursts of effort, and the elements of choice, those being what paths to take and what upgrades to invest in, offer players some degree of control over their progression trajectory.
It’s through this control that experimentation is facilitated and rewarded. It’s much easier to craft a uniquecombat build inValhalla, as progression is both fast-forwarded and temporary: players won’t have to be stuck grinding out a specific build for hours, only to discover that they don’t really like it. Through these deceptively complex tweaks,Valhallais able to offer a unique and expressive spin on the base game’s combat mechanics, effectively making the combat sandbox more rewarding in the process. It’s not hard to see the similarities inElden Ring Nightreign.
Elden Ring Nightreign Pulls Similar Design Tricks as the Valhalla DLC
Much like theValhallaexpansion,Nightreignintroduces new weaponsand abilities into the formula—the Nightfarer-specific powers are the most obvious example of this—but the majority of the combat experience is the same as in theElden Ringbase game. Players will still be chipping away at enemy health with melee and ranged weapons, they will still have to manage their stamina, and they still need to make expert use of dodge rolls and I-frames to avoid taking damage.
But also likeValhalla,Nightreignis defined by its condensing of the coreElden Ringgameplayand progression. Being able to quickly and effectively experiment with different weapons, perks, talismans, and the like means thatNightreignfeels more flexible and focused than its progenitor, whose combat and build-crafting are freeform at first, but eventually crystallize over so many hours. ShrinkingElden Ring’s progression systems doesn’t merely makeNightreignfeel like a smaller version of the 2022 game, however: it fosters an entirely different combat experience, one that would not have been possible without its roguelike construction. This makes it strangely similar toValhallain spirit, and could indicate a wider adoption of this trend moving forward.
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!”
