Like more than a few people out there, my first reaction to Elden Ring: Nightreign was "ah crap, it's a multiplayer thing." But the more I've thought about it, the more I came to realize there's not only a lot to be excited about with Nightreign, it's also pretty much the experience a lot of fans have either requested FromSoft add to Elden Ring, or otherwise inserted into the game through popular mods.
One of the first things I thought when learning about Nightreign through senior editor Wes Fenlon's extensive coverage was "my god, they're doing their own Seamless Co-op." If you're not familiar, that mod project is basically essential if you're looking for a full on, beginning to end co-op experience of Elden Ring with a friend, as opposed to the base game's grandfathered in, drop in and get disconnected after each boss system from Dark Souls.
With Nightreign, FromSoft is building something from the ground-up to be experienced cooperatively—even to the exclusion of PvP, though I was relieved to learn I and my fellow Destiny dungeon soloing, pre-patch Radahn purist freakazoids will be able to go in solo. Regardless, I think this co-op focus shows some canny awareness by FromSoft of its own fanbase, an attempt to fulfill the demonstrated desire for co-op forward Elden Ring itself instead of leaving it to the modders.
And on a similar beat, Wes noted in his preview and staff writer Harvey Randall pointed out to me that Nightreign's random, roguelike structure had to have been at least partially inspired by the popularity of randomizer mods among Souls streamers and speedrunners. A static environment with randomized item and enemy placements is clearly something that not only jives with the Souls formula, but has an audience ready for it, given randomizer mods' ubiquity among FromSoft's games.
I was also struck that Nightreign is an oblique means of satisfying the demand for a Sekiro-style boss rush mode in Elden Ring—a way to keep enjoying Elden Ring's excellent combat without digging into PvP or committing to a full new game plus run. Nightreign is not exactly boss rush, but it seems like it's trying to fulfill the same craving for a more manageable dose of Elden Ring on the fly, and it also does so without compromising the immersion and structure of the original game with a built-in "greatest hits" menu of climactic moments.
We already knew that FromSoft devs were both aware of and impressed by Seamless Co-op, and Nightreign serves as another reminder that, even though FromSoft isn't chatting with fans on an official Discord server or otherwise engaging in "community building," it's always paying attention. Previously, you could see that in how the studio's games contain many design flourishes and surprises that feel like they're in conversation with fan complaints and consensus about previous entries.
Including yet more Ulcerated Tree Spirits in Shadow of the Erdtree after the frequently reused boss enemy was so hated in the base game felt like FromSoft tweaking our noses: "The Ulcerated Tree Spirits will continue until morale improves." Similarly, the expansion added Rakshasa's Great Katana, a giant version of the original game's beloved and reviled OP PvP champion, Rivers of Blood. In that same spirit, I think FromSoft is giving us what we asked for with Nightreign, just not how we ever expected.
