Is Elden Ring Nightreign a Souls-like?

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Is it unclear whether Elden Ring Nightreign falls under the ‘Soulslike’ category? This article aims to clarify and delve into different viewpoints on the subject.

In late May of 2025, FromSoftware unveiled their latest game, Elden Ring Nightreign. Instead of sticking rigidly to the traditional Soulsborne formula, they’ve crafted a unique experience by transforming it into an online cooperative roguelike game. Now, players no longer need to face foes on their own, as the developers have made online gameplay in FromSoftware titles more accessible than ever before.

In past games, multiplayer functionality was often an afterthought or inconvenience due to their single-player design focus. However, Elden Ring: Nightreign has prioritized cooperative gameplay from the start, which means that various aspects of the game, such as level designs, NPCs (Nightfarers), and especially bosses, have been specifically crafted for multiplayer experiences.

Indeed, the numerous adjustments to the game mechanics have sparked an intriguing debate. Is Elden Ring more accurately described as a Souls-like game or not? To clarify, it is not. In truth, Elden Ring embodies a fusion of Souls-like and Roguelike elements.

Elden Ring Nightreign Is Not a Souls-Like

To grasp the distinctiveness of Elden Ring Nightreign compared to conventional Soulslike games, it’s essential first to comprehend what makes a game a Soulslike. The roots of this genre can be traced back to Demon’s Souls, often recognized as its originator. Since then, every Soulsborne game – such as Demon’s Souls, the Dark Souls Trilogy, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring – has followed a similar core structure or formula, despite each being unique in its own right. These games share common characteristics that define a Soulslike game today.

In their game designs, FromSoftware incorporates elements such as environmental narrative, extensive progression systems, challenging game mechanics, intricate lore, and a focus on exploration. Rather than using straightforward storytelling methods, they prefer to use the environment, item descriptions, cryptic conversations, and enemy design to express the main stories and themes of their games. This method seamlessly connects to our next topic, which is the emphasis on exploration.

Instead of many RPGs that guide players through their journey, Soulslike games immerse you directly into their worlds, encouraging self-discovery. Unlike some games, they won’t provide step-by-step instructions but will reward your curiosity in exploration. This self-directed approach is particularly suitable for environmental storytelling because the more you explore, the deeper you delve into the game’s universe and its hidden narratives. This can be incredibly satisfying given that Soulslike games are known for their extensive and intricate lore.

Moreover, Soulslike games offer intricate character development systems. At the start of gameplay, you can select from various character classes, but afterward, your protagonist essentially starts as a tabula rasa, allowing you to shape them according to your preferences. Keep in mind that there are exceptions like Sekiro where the character growth is more linear.

A sturdy character advancement mechanism is further enhanced by a challenging game structure, often found in Soulslike games. These games are well-known for their massive bosses and high difficulty levels. This means that the process of progressing through the game becomes more satisfying because you’ll need to consistently upgrade your character to withstand the tough opponents you’ll face along the way.

How Elden Ring Nightreign Deviates From a Soulslike Title

Although Elden Ring: Nightreign shares some similarities with Souls-like games, it significantly departs from others in numerous aspects. Essentially, Nightreign blends elements of cooperative roguelike and soulslike genres. This means that while the game boasts impressive world design, its narrative is not particularly expressive.

In essence, the game follows a predetermined map where random occurrences happen. It involves multiple day-long expeditions and presents numerous bosses for you to confront.

In essence, while the game is multiplayer, it doesn’t offer much in terms of environmental storytelling. Instead, the map primarily functions as a battleground and the enemies act more as obstacles than narrative devices or lore builders. To clarify, Nightreign is a spin-off from Elden Ring, meaning it doesn’t have its own history, but rather draws heavily from the original game. The details about the world, events, enemies, and the Nightfarers themselves are sketchy at best, with little explanation provided. The game concentrates on cooperative play, so there’s no real need to delve into backstory.

Unlike many Soulslikes, Nightreign features a unique character progression system. Instead of creating your own protagonist, you’ll be selecting from a curated list of characters known as the Nightfarers. These predefined warriors offer limited room for growth, and you won’t have the option to customize your character from scratch. Furthermore, each Nightfarer has a fixed build with varying stats, leaving fewer opportunities to level up. While you can acquire better weapons and equipment during expeditions, this is the extent of your progression options, which stands in stark contrast to the typical leveling systems found in Soulslike games.

Conclusion

After considering all the distinctive features, it can be easily stated that Elden Ring Nightreign departs from the Soulslike genre. This doesn’t imply any negative assessment of the game. Generally, Soulslikes are designed for single-player experiences, whereas Nightreign offers a multiplayer mode. As a cooperative game, it stands independently. It twists the conventional formula to deliver a unique experience that could also attract players who aren’t fans of the traditional Soulslike style. In essence, even if it doesn’t conform to its ancestors’ category, it certainly brings a refreshing change.

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2025-06-02 07:03