Elden Ring Nightreign was a surprise to almost everyone when it was announced at The Game Awards 2024, but what's even more surprising to anyone that's lost over 100 hours to the base game is that FromSoftware is actually calling this co-op spin-off a "short RPG."
Dark Souls and Bloodborne level designer Junya Ishizaki is in the director's chair for Elden Ring Nightreign, and he revealed a ton of information to Famitsu (with translations from Automaton) about the upcoming three-player game and how it's condensing what FromSoft does best.
But first, what exactly is Nightreign? Playing alone or with co-op squads, you essentially enter matches that last for three in-game days (or around 40 real-life minutes) and need to survive predictably gruelling obstacles until a final boss appears on the last day. There's eight characters to choose from, each with their own unique skills and special moves, though you'll still be fighting for upgrades and better loot until night falls.
"We're calling it a 'short RPG' among ourselves," Ishizaki explains, "and we're basically aiming for a rich playing experience that condenses the fundamental fun of RPGs, such as exploration, character growth, and battles with strong enemies, into one-time missions."
While Nightreign is shrinking the base Elden Ring loop into something you can bang out in one sitting, Ishizaki still wants you to approach things a little differently here. "For example, in past titles, encountering an enemy on the road felt like having a barrier in front of you, but in this game, it feels more like 'I've found prey to strengthen my character with.'" In that sense, Elden Ring Nightreign's cycle of pillaging and a seemingly shrinking map almost makes it seem like a PvE take on battle royales, though we'll need to wait until it drops on PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4 in 2025 for more.
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