4.5/5 ★ – Pixelguy9's review of ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN.

Elden Ring: Nightreign is FromSoftware’s most experimental title to date, yet despite this, it still maintains the standard of quality that so many of us have come to know from their previous games. Elden Ring: Nightreign is first and foremost a co-op game, and in this regard, I think FromSoftware did a great job, especially considering this was their first attempt. Having beat the game without friends to chat with while doing so was an interesting experience, as I don’t think the game really requires as much communication as many other games in the genre. Another big departure from previous FromSotware titles are the preset characters you play as. Each has specific skills and proficiencies, passive effects, and ultimate abilities. My favourites out of the eight were definitely Wylder for his high damage potential and Claw Shot skill for better mobility, Ironeye for his support capabilities, and Executor for his seemless integration of Sekiro’s parry mechanic into Elden Ring’s gameplay loop. Each Nighfarer has a remembrance, a story unlocked by completing small objectives, and this might be one of my personal favourite parts of the game; uncovering the stories and motivations behind each of these characters. Elden Ring: Nighreign’s gameplay loop consists of dropping into the map, Limveld, and visiting various points of interest as a battle-royale-style circle closes in on a location where the players will be forced into a boss encounter. This loop is very satisfying once you get the hang of it, and optimising routes to collect smithing stones and flasks while fighting enemies is very fun, especially when you and your two other companions are tearing through healthbars by the beginning of the second night. Unfortunately, outside of a few select Shifting Earth events, the landscape of Limveld doesn’t change from run to run, and the rarity of some of these Shifting Earth events mean that you will likely be spending much of your time running through the same map. There is enough interesting gameplay with the variations in the points of interest to keep the game from getting boring, but some more drastic changes to Limveld in future updates would be appreciated. FromSoftware games are infamous for their challenging bosses, and Elden Ring: Nightreign doesn’t disappoint in this regard. At the end of each night, players will be forced into combat with a boss; anything from a Tibia Marina or Bell-Bearing Hunter to the Smelter Demon from Dark Souls II or the Nameless King from Dark Souls III. While the return of old bosses from previous games is an awesome addition, I feel as though they are only scratching the surface with this, as there are only six returning faces, many of which being far from the best choices for this new entry, in my opinion. However, where Elden Ring: Nightreign truely shines is in its Nightlords, each of which are fought at the start of the third day. Some of the Nightlords are among some of the best bosses out of FromSoftware’s catalogue. Only one boss I think sits below the rest, that being Maris, a sea creature whose fight is similar to the Elden Beast battle in all the worst ways. Thankfully, the rest of the roster is jam packed with great fights. Gladius is a great first Nightlord, testing the player’s ability to work in a team and avoid large sweeping attacks. Adel is a showcase of the effectiveness of elemental weaknesses, while also displaying the importance of dodging and breaking out of grab-attacks. Gnoster encourages ranged combat and teaches the player how to deal with a new take on the duo mechanic common in FromSoftware games. Libra, above all else, is a test of skill, requiring precise dodges, carefully timed ultimate abilities, and coordination to beat. Fulghor is another test of the player, requiring speed and knowledge of his weaknesses and openings to best. Caligo is largely a spectacle fight, but also makes use of several punishing AOE attacks that have specific cues for the player to exploit. The roster of Nightlords culminates in what might be one of FromSoftware’s best bosses, Heolstor the Nightlord. Heolstor will use moves unlike anything you’ve fought up until this point, almost resembling Gael from Dark Souls III as he fights, however, this changes halfway through his second phase, where he splits open the sky, absorbing the element of a previous randomised Nightlord. At this point, he not only gains a nuke attack, but only leaves trails behind each swing. His fight is easily the best in the game, and also the best to do solo. This review isn’t even touching the Everdark Sovereigns; upgraded versions of each boss featuring new moves and a third phase. Needless to say, Elden Ring: Nightreign’s best aspect are these incredible fights. Finally, Elden Ring: Nightreign is now a contender for FromSoftware’s best soundtrack, a high bar, but one I think Elden Ring: Nightreign is more than capable of reaching. Ambient tracks such as the new Roundtable Hold theme stand out, leading to many, myself included, concluding that the area is one of FromSoftware’s best hubs. But where the soundtrack really shines is in the boss themes. Libra’s intense and mystifyingly horrific track and perfectly matches the theme of madness his fight showcases. Fulghor’s theme incorporates some of the best deep male choir we’ve heard yet out of a FromSoftware game. Caligo’s theme is perhaps this game’s best; a beautifully haunting track capable of being you to tears, with piano taking the centre stage throughout, matching the majesty of this creature. Finally, we have what I consider FromSoftware’s greatest single piece of music, Heolstor’s theme begins low and ominous, almost reminiscent of Bloodborne, before building thoughout the second phase, coming to the climax in the game’s main theme in all it’s glory. More so than even Radagon in Elden Ring, this track is the best example of a FromSoftware game’s main theme returning for the final boss. Elden Ring: Nightreign is not a game for every Elden Ring fan, but it is a game willing to try something new, and have while doing it, and in that regard, it succeed ten times over. This is a game I will be playing for fun for years to come, and I hope that many of the innovations it made to the Elden Ring formula are taken forward into the future.