4.5/5 ★ – MechaniChris's review of ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN.

I was HIGHLY skeptical at the outset. Only online? Only 3 players? Timed matches? A damn Fortnite storm? No allowance for exploration or grinding? And no carryover progression between runs? Basically everything I knew about FromSoft Souls titles was upended in this game and for the first couple of hours, I was beginning to think I had made an enormous mistake in purchasing this game. Then, I simply locked in. It’s a bit early to start calling things Game of the Year, but my God, I have a hard time imagining another game that could possibly bring me more enjoyment or satisfaction than this one. Defeating each Night Lord feels unbelievable. This is easily the hardest of the Souls games and part of that is due to the co-op mechanic. Finding the right group is EVERYTHING. You need at least one guy who knows EXACTLY where to go and if you are that guy, then your teammates need to be able to follow orders or else your sank before you even start. I started out completely clueless and thankfully realized quickly who to follow and what to do. By the last few night lords, I was the one putting down map markers and leading teams. It’s exhilarating and frustrating and just some of the most fun I’ve ever had. I really hope the user base for this sticks around because it’s one I can see myself revisiting far more often than the others simply because you’re at square one in every match and you get the whole game’s experience in basically an hour. It’s truly spectacular.