Elden Ring Nightreign Redefines Loneliness Through…

Summary

Elden Ring Nightreign reimagines the core design of FromSoftware games by focusing on togetherness in multiplayer.
Solo play in Elden Ring Nightreign is challenging due to balance issues, risky mechanics, and high enemy difficulty.
Going it alone in co-op mode can result in losing character levels, highlighting the dangers of playing solo in Nightreign.

Elden Ring Nightreign is possibly the strangest FromSoftware creation yet, as it takes the developer's signature formula and essentially flips it on its head for an altogether different experience. "Spin-off" is its label, and it's an accurate one at that, being Elden Ring almost in name only with the IP's foundation beneath it and a fresh framework on top. Rather than being a game designed to make players feel alone, Elden Ring Nightreign is all about togetherness — despite having an optional solo mode. Even in its multiplayer, though, that loneliness can still be felt on occasion.

It was initially thought that Elden Ring Nightreign might be a more accessible experience, thanks to its design revolving around a preference for cooperative gameplay. In other words, newcomers and casual players would presumably have been able to hop into a group of more experienced Soulslike veterans and essentially breeze their way through the game's content. However, not only has that turned out not to be the case, but Elden Ring Nightreign also relies so heavily on players working together that any attempts to diverge from the group shine a spotlight on that lonely feeling FromSoftware games are known to invoke.

Elden Ring Nightreign Fast Pace Feature on the Table

Elden Ring Nightreign's Fast Pace Leaves One Obvious Feature on the Table

Elden Ring Nightreign understandably gives players no time to breathe, but the world outside the Roundtable Hold is perfect for a casual game mode.

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By Josh Cotts

Togetherness Is the Only Way Forward in Elden Ring Nightreign

Even in Co-op, Going It Alone Is a Death Sentence

Firstly, it's important to note how difficult Elden Ring Nightreign's solo mode currently is. A large part of this is due to some severe balance issues that are almost universally recognized at this point, but FromSoftware has thankfully made it known that some improvements are upcoming for the mode. Still, the challenge offered by Elden Ring Nightreign's solo mode is ultimately just a reflection of its design. Having been intentionally made to be played cooperatively, Elden Ring Nightreign all but demands that players experience it with others.

This also means, however, that going it alone, even in Elden Ring Nightreign's co-op expedition mode, is a death sentence. Interestingly enough, it was initially believed that players could split up in Elden Ring Nightreign to explore the world and face its dangers on their own before reconvening to face the boss at the end of each day. That is strongly discouraged, though, as breaking off from the group will often just make things worse.

Having been intentionally made to be played cooperatively, Elden Ring Nightreign all but demands that players experience it with others.

If players experience what Elden Ring Nightreign refers to as "Near Death" while they're away from their group and aren't revived in time, they will die and permanently lose a character level. This alone makes a split group a risky maneuver that isn't recommended, even for Soulsborne vets. Furthermore, almost everything in Elden Ring Nightreign is currently very difficult to tackle solo, due to enemies having high HP and player DPS being neglible at best. In short, Elden Ring Nightreign doesn't want players to go it alone — yet, anyway.

Nightreign's Cooperative Mode Amplifies the Dangers of Solo Play

Elden Ring Nightreign may have introduced a new structure built around teamwork, but that same structure only amplifies the dangers of trying to play solo. It's an interesting design choice for a game in an industry that seems to be preferring single-player experiences more and more, but it is what it is. In Elden Ring Nightreign, death comes swiftly to those who drift too far from their allies, and the consequences for doing so are severe enough to make every decision feel like a group decision. In that way, Nightreign doesn't remove the loneliness of a traditional Soulslike, but instead intensifies it by reminding players that being alone in a world meant for many can be even more dangerous than being alone in a world meant for one.

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