Elden Ring Nightreign: How Limveld Will Change From Run to Run – IGN First

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One key question that lingered following Elden Ring’s February network test was: “How will the world of Limveld vary in the final game”? This is because Nightreign, essentially, is a roguelite, which means there’s an element of randomness or procedural generation to ensure each playthrough feels unique. Nightreign demonstrates this with its loot system, where every run provides different rewards and necessitates crafting a build based on the items obtained during that specific run. Similarly, enemy and boss encounters in Nightreign aren’t set in stone, except for the Nightlord battle on Day 3. However, we didn’t get to witness how the world of Limveld alters from one playthrough to another during the Network Test.

Over a span of two days spent at FromSoft’s workspace, and approximately 10 complete playthroughs, I discovered the solution. Here is a breakdown of how Limveld may evolve from one run to another in Elden Ring Nightreign:

Throughout my 2-day visit to FromSoft’s office and after nearly 10 full games, I uncovered the answer. Let me share insights on how Limveld could transform between game sessions in Elden Ring Nightreign:

Elden Ring Nightreign: How Limveld Will Change

In fact, we made a hasty move. Before we delve into how Limveld is set to transform, let’s first clarify what remains unchanged.

  • This overall structure of Limveld will not change. The shape of the island, the major geographical features, the positioning of the cliffs, rivers, and lakes, will all be the same, barring a few major exceptions that we’ll cover in just a bit.
  • The locations of sites of grace, evergaols, the launching spirit springs, cave entrances and exits, the spectral trees and the wind currents, all of these are static and do not change location from run-to-run.
  • There is also a giant castle that features exceptionally tough battles and big rewards right smack in the middle of the map that will never change.

All other factors such as where additional attractions are found, the nature of the prizes at these locations, the roaming mid-level enemies, and the boss battles you’ll encounter at the close of Days 1 and 2, are all determined randomly.

To add to that, there are two significant aspects that can significantly change a gameplay experience. Firstly, unpredictable geological phenomena called “Shifting Earth” can occur. These events may be announced before you start a level, and during our gaming sessions, we encountered a “Crater” modifier which drastically altered the northern part of the map. A massive crater was formed in the center, surrounded by rivers of molten lava. The adversaries around and within this crater were formidable, dealing us heavy losses when we initially approached it on our first day.

You’ve gotta check it out, and I recommend doing so as soon as the second day starts if you’re feeling adventurous. Delving into that crater took up almost our entire second day, but once we finally reached the bottom, we encountered a boss that dropped an epic rarity level reward all by itself! That wasn’t all though; we also got the unique prize of being able to max-upgrade any weapon in our inventory for free! It’s a daring mission, mind you. To get out of the crater, you’ll need to navigate using spectral trees and ride hawks from platform to platform, which can lead to heart-stopping escape sequences if you linger too long in the crater and now have to race against time as the circle starts closing in around you.

Another significant factor that can alter runs is the unexpected emergence of specific events, often appearing at random and disrupting what would otherwise be a regular run. I’ve encountered a few instances of such occurrences, and some may recall the Margit incursion from the Network Test, where Margit the Fell could suddenly appear in your game, relentlessly pursuing your team regardless of their location.

In a recent encounter, I came across an unusual phenomenon – a whirlpool in the sky resembling a tornado. As our team moved closer, we were ambushed by a formidable gang of Nightfarers controlled by AI, as if they had arrived from another dimension. These enemies, much like the non-player characters (NPCs) in Elden Ring, demonstrated greater intelligence and packing a harder punch than usual foes. The decision to explore areas near these skyward twisters now carries a significant risk/reward balance due to the increased difficulty of the AI-controlled opponents.

Among all these unexpected occurrences, the most significant was the emergence of a enigmatic boss who could attack from great distances with mortar blasts containing level-reducing insects. Yes, being struck even once by these predictable mortar strikes would lead to a loss of a level, and the consequences didn’t stop there. A second hit would result in the loss of another level. The only method to regain those lost levels was to locate and eliminate the boss, which required tracking the bugs to his concealed location. Sadly, I don’t possess any footage of this event, nor am I aware of the reward for defeating him. By the time we discovered the boss by following the trail of bugs, the danger zone had begun its encroachment, and we simply wouldn’t have been able to kill him before the danger zone killed us instead. To be honest, it was quite disheartening to have to abandon those levels that he took from us, and it essentially set our campaign off on the wrong foot from the very start.

There are definitely areas I haven’t explored yet, such as the forest of corruption, the towering madness, and others shown in the official trailer from FromSoftware. It’s important to note that if you find the Shifting Earth modifier inconvenient, you can rest in the bed located at the Roundtable Hold, which will either remove the modifier or replace it with something different.

I hope this helps clarify things a bit! Let me know if there’s anything else I can help with.

Despite how destructive some of these elements can sometimes be, I’m still excitedly looking forward to encountering more of them. They add an invigorating dose of unpredictability to what could otherwise become monotonous, and they’ve led to some remarkable instances of intense emotion between me and my teammates as we desperately tried to escape the crater, or were taken aback by a sudden ambush, or felt genuine sadness when we discovered that the levels we had lost would never return. Such moments are what make any good roguelite stand out, and I hope Nightreign can continue to deliver them consistently.

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2025-05-14 20:46