Although it seemingly dropped out of nowhere at The Game Awards,Elden Ring Nightreignis causing quite a stir with the new take on the Soulsborne formula. Of course, anything with theElden Ringname is going to turn heads, especially after the records broken by the base game and the expansion,Shadow of the Erdtree, butNightreignis also causing some confusion with the direction it is taking. Rather than being a more typical Soulsborne title,Nightreignis a rougelite, although that hasn’t stopped it from continuing to learn from other past FromSoftware titles.
The new direction ofElden Ringis courtesy of a new director, Junya Ishizaki, who worked as a designer for many other Soulsborne titles, includingElden RingandBloodborne. The fresh take has proven to be puzzling, with some even comparingNightreigntoFortniteof all things thanks to the Ring of Reign that closes in as night approaches in Limveld. Despite this,there are a lot of Soulsborne features that are continuing to be evolved. One comes from the most experimental title in the Soulsborne catalog, themasterpieceSekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Elden Ring Nightreign Has A Deflection Mechanic
Straight From The Heart Of Sekrio
Nightreigndoesn’t have customizable characters andinstead has the Nightfarers, set characters with specific abilities and equipment. Although not all have been named, many are shown off in the gameplay reveal (above) that was part of the game’sannouncement at the Game Awards, and one is able to deflect or perfect block, similar to the mechanic that became the heart ofSekiro’s award-winning gameplay. This deflection system is even able to stagger enemies, just like inSekiro, although there doesn’t appear to be a visible poise meter. This isn’t surprising considering that poise has always been a hidden stat in Soulsborne games aside fromSekiro.
Poise can be increased with armor and Talismans inElden Ring. It doesn’t have a visible bar like Madness does, but having lower poise means less damage can be taken before getting staggered.
TheNightreignreveal trailer went out of its way to show this mechanic and Nightfarer off, which is important in demonstrating FromSoftware’s intent with it. This isn’t the first time such a mechanic has been used inElden Ring,since it was first used inShadow of the Erdtreethrough the Deflecting Hardtear, a Crystal Tearthat could be mixed into the Wondrous Physick. The boost was temporary, but the mechanic was a liked addition toElden Ring, offering players another approach to their many battles which increased the pace of the gameplay.
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While the mechanic inShadow of the Erdtreeacted more like a perfect block, it worked particularly well with Guard Countering, delivering swift strikes that quickly ate away at an enemy’s poise. Now that the mechanic seems to emulateSekiroeven further inNightreign,the deflecting Nightfarer could be the perfect fighter to destroy an enemy’s poise. With this experimentation, deflecting or perfect blocking could be a more permanent and prevalent mechanic in future Soulsborne games, especially ifNightreignis well-received, whether through something like a Talisman or a specific weapon trait (i.e. a Weapon Art or Ash of War).
Sekiro’s Influence On Elden Ring Keeps Growing
Nightreign Is The Fastest Game In The Soulsborne Series Besides Sekiro
FromSoftware isn’t just leaning intoSekiro’s deflection mechanic for its biggest IP.Nightreignseems to have the fastest movement of any Soulsborne game besidesSekiro, even eclipsingBloodborneif players take control of the Duchess. Characters are able to run around so quickly that there isn’t a need for Torrent and are able to climb up walls by running at them. Light parkour elements are typically a stranger toElden Ring, Bloodborne, andDark Souls, but vertical level design, rapid roaming around dungeons, and wall climbing are a staple ofSekiro.
Where Does Nightreign Take Place On Elden Ring’s Timeline?
Elden Ring Nightreign has a lot of confusing elements with characters from different games, but does it fit on Elden Ring’s known timeline anywhere?
The name of the game withNightreignseems to be making gameplay as quick as possible, which makes sense regarding how a run is split up into three 10–15-minute nights that require players to be constantly alert. It is important to have speed when so much ground has to be covered in such little time, as opposed to the leisurely pace that many players can take withElden Ring. The slower, moremethodical gameplay ofElden RingandDark Soulswouldn’t work forNightreign’s seemingly frantic pace, but adding a dash ofSekiro’s speed can only help.
Sekirois sometimes considered the hardest FromSoftware game due to having only one approach. There isn’t a way aroundSekiro’s combat other than improving.
For a quicker pace,Sekirois the best title that FromSoftware can borrow from, since the mechanics are vaguely Soulslike with revival at shrines and grueling difficulty, so many of the features should slot into something likeElden Ringwell. Although the sheer speed seen inNightreignmight not be seen again in Soulsborne games,some of the traversal options, like being able to wall-climb, could make a comeback later down the line. It feels likeNightreignis experimental to see what new changesand features will stick for a massive FromSoftware game yet to be in development.
Deflection Might Be Here To Stay In FromSoft Games
It Works So Well With Elden Ring’s Guard Counters
AlthoughElden Ringfelt more likeDark Soulsbut open-world, rather than a proper experiment likeNightreignwill probably be,it almost feels odd that deflecting wasn’t already in the base game after being added inShadow of the Erdtree. It worked so well with the new Guard Countering mechanic that it seemed to fitElden Ringlike a glove, but even with its addition, it was only added tentatively through a Crystal Tear. With it being a part of a Nightfarer’s base kit, it seems that FromSoftware is more confident about adding the mechanic moving forward.
You’re Making A Mistake If You’ve Already Dismissed Elden Ring Nightreign
Dismissing Nightreign’s lore this early is a mistake and there’s a good chance FromSoftware will produce a story just as rich as Elden Ring’s.
Sekirohas always felt like a bit of an outlier in FromSoftware’s library after Hidetaka Miyazaki became the studio’s president, although the integration of its mechanics seems to be an indication that it is being pulled into the fold.Armored Core 6will probably be the outlier moving forward, since it couldn’t be any less of a Soulslike, and with FromSoftware doing more and more with the deflection mechanic fromSekiro, it finally feels like the game fits with the others. AnewDark Soulsor Soulsborne IP could make the feature even more prominent.
Not everything fromElden RingNightreignwill make a comeback. This is likely the last that will be seen of the Fire Keeper and Nameless King fromDark Souls 3, but that isn’t the case with some of the mechanics introduced. Yes, the Ring of Reign won’t work for another open world or more standard Soulsborne game, but the better traversal and especially the deflection mechanic could be permanent additions in the future. It finally feels likeSekirowill fit in with its Soulsborne compatriots and FromSoftware’s future library will be all the better for it.
Source:Bandai Namco Entertainment America/YouTube
Elden Ring Nightreign
FromSoftware has announcedElden Ring: Nightreign, a standalone multiplayer game set in Limgrave, a region of the Lands Between.
