XBOX REVIEW | Elden Ring Nightreign

I went into Elden Ring Nightreign with admittedly lower expectations than I normally would for a Souls-like game. Spin-offs of established franchises seldom do much to improve on the playability of the originals, with a few exceptions. However, Elden Ring Nightreign blew all of my misconceptions out of the water, and I found myself thoroughly enjoying my journey through the world of Limveld, fighting alongside other warriors who I had to trust, and who had to put their trust in me… the fools.

Now, as stated, this is a little different from the previous Elden Ring entry in that it sort of plays like a cooperative battle royale, with the map shrinking as time progresses until such a point where a night lord appears, and let me tell you, you better have farmed as much EXP and weaponry as you can get your hands on because these bosses do not play around. But if you have a team that plays well together even without the use of voice chat, you will have a blast taking down Limveld’s most dangerous adversaries.

Let’s get into the meat of the review.

Things I liked!

• Graphics | The world of Elden Ring Nightreign is absolutely stunning, more so than it really needs to be, and let me tell you that the attention to detail is appreciated by someone like myself in so many ways. However, it does seem a bit of a shame when you are too busy fighting for your life to notice some of the more nuanced artwork, but on the same hand, it just wouldn’t feel right to not have such beauty in such a fast-paced game. From the backgrounds to the creatures you face, everything looks as though it could have come from a world-class artist. If you had the option to pause the game, each scene would just look amazing as a still image in its own right. The attention to detail also extends to the weapons and potions you use, making this one of the most aesthetically pleasing games I have played in a wee while. There are others out there, to be sure, that have better graphics, but in terms of a game that is designed to be fast-paced, as I mentioned, they just seemed to go above and beyond what was needed, and it is gorgeous.

• Sound Design | Music isn’t something you tend to notice when you are fighting your way through some of the most dangerous enemies in Limveld, but its subtlety makes the adventure so much more epic. Coupled with the roars and screams of the creatures you battle, it makes for a soundscape that feels visceral and real. The clash of the weapons, the twangs and thuds of projectiles, the roar of flames, and so much more show how much work has been put into the sound design of Elden Ring Nightreign. Everything just has a weight to it, and when you’re listening with headphones, it is absolutely mind-blowing.
  
  
• Characters | I know a lot of people might be a little unhappy about the lack of character customisation options in Elden Ring Nightreign, but honestly, I think it would detract from the experience. Each of the characters has their own tale to tell and all have been designed to work in a way that allows you to play to your strengths without having to worry about what to level up or what kind of haircut you should have. Yes, I know that sometimes character creation is half the fun, but in a game where speed and skill are needed more than the latest skins, you might find out that having that particular choice removed actually makes for a more enjoyable game experience. There are several characters to choose from, with a few becoming unlockable with game progression, and you will quickly find your favourites as you play. Personally I like Ironeye for his ranged attacks, which keep me from the wrong end of a giant sword or being roasted by dragon’s breath, but with such a fun roster of characters, you might find it hard to pick just one you enjoy, so experiment and find out what playstyle suits you better.
  
  
• Multiplayer | I’m not usually a big fan of multiplayer games these days, due to some bad experiences with hacks and uncooperative teammates. But with Elden Ring Nightreign, I discovered a new love for the genre. Even without voice chat, I found myself in some amazing teams of people nine times out of ten, and even when they were not as amazing, it wasn’t because of any bad reason but simply because, like everyone, they have to start the game from somewhere. Admittedly, I was probably carried through the majority of my first few rounds, but there was no toxicity; everyone helps each other for the most part, and your goal is the same, so there is no point in rivalry. There was occasionally a wait for a team to play with, but it never took too long, and of course you could have a solo game as well, but I will get into that later. Elden Ring Nightreign multiplayer is just a lot of fun to play, and if you have friends to play along with, it is even better, but don’t let that put you off random match-ups because you might find some secrets you would never find with familiar faces.
  
  
• Weaponry | Each character has their own weapons, but that doesn’t mean you’re limited to them. In fact, you’ll find multiple weapons throughout each round, along with many awesome upgrades to be had as well. I do tend to stick to my favourites, as is my prerogative, but with so much choice on offer, you can test out so many different ways of playing with each character that you are unlikely to get bored. My top two at the moment are the Full Moon Crossbow and the Thorned Whip for both reach and accessibility for Ironeye.

Mixed & disliked!

• Solo Play | In order to fully test out Elden Ring Nightreign, I had to, of course, check out if the solo gameplay was any good. Unfortunately, at the time of reviewing the game, I found it to be a cumbersome endeavour. Now I understand the game is primarily for playing in teams of three, but what if you want to just go out and have an adventure by yourself? In basic terms the game does not differentiate between solo play and team play, meaning the difficulty remains the same, so enemies that require a team to defeat will be exceptionally difficult for a single player to defeat. I enjoyed the multiplayer aspect, but the lure of exploring by myself is something I will always heed the call of, but I found myself dying in the first round more often than not as I tried to take on battles too much for my single character to handle. I feel that a difficulty slider for solo mode is greatly needed, and the option for playing solo should be made more apparent in the options than it is at the moment.

• The Night Rain | One of the most irritating aspects of modern multiplayer gaming is this concept of a closing circle of playable area. Now I understand it’s a popular mechanic, but it just doesn’t feel right in this world. The circle in this case is shown as a deadly rain that saps your energy if you stay in it and don’t head to your designated area in time. I don’t know why, but it just seems like something the game could do without. If you want to restrict movement, put us in a dungeon. If you want to get the characters to a certain point, then give them a reason other than this random wall of water is going to destroy you. In a game that is meant to be about killing huge monsters, I would think that the very monsters themselves would be reason enough to move on and escape to safety, but nope, the rain is more dangerous than a dragon or a fall from a great height. In terms of the game, it just doesn’t make sense to me. Leave the ring of doom to the other battle royale games and give us something that works in regard to the world.

How long did I play the review before publishing? 36 hours
How long to beat the story? 45 mins per round or up to 60 hours for the full story
How many Achievements did I earn before publishing? 28/37
How long to achieve 1000G | 40 – 50 hours
You’ll love this game if you like these | Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Risk of Rain 2

CONCLUSION

Score: 89/100

Elden Ring Nightreign is an enjoyable addition to the Elden Ring universe, through it is not without its faults. For the most part, I enjoyed the difficulty and the challenge of facing an adventure alongside strangers I had never met before, but on the same hand, the solo adventure was a huge let down in a game that held a lot of promise for me. Aside from all of that, though, I did find myself playing longer than I intended to in order to find new areas, new weapons and, of course, new ways to defeat the Night Lords. All in all, I would recommend Elden Ring Nightreign to people who enjoy a challenge but who aren’t too bothered about a lot of plot. In other words, if you like fighting the bad guys with friends, have fun. If you are looking for deep lore, play the original Elden Ring.