Elden Ring's Night Reign was a huge surprise when it was announced at The Game Awards 2024, considering FromSoftware had confidently stated that it wasn't working on Elden Ring 2. Although not a true sequel, and a spin-off set in a world parallel to that seen in the original Elden Ring and is poised to deliver a co-op experience that many Soulsbornes fans have long wanted. In fact, this is the main premise and the attraction Night Reignbeing more of a cooperative rogue-lite than a traditional soulslike.
It should be noted that the Soulsborne games have had online features in the past, with players able to summon others to help with certain sequences or bosses, but these online systems were not conducive to playing with friends throughout the game. It could still be done, but players would have to do the sequences twice, once for themselves and once for their friend; however, Night Reign is picking up what the perfect co-op mod did Elden Ring and making it official. Still, playing Night Reign with a friend may not be as simple as it should be.
Elden Ring Nightreign players will not be able to pair up
Is it single player or in trio
Although Elden Ring's Night Reign is already known as the cooperative souls game with Fortnite-like elements, does not allow two characters to attempt a three-day race. Players can play alone or in groups of threeaccording to IGN. There is no middle ground, and this is an odd choice considering many players tend to pair up when playing Soulsborne. FromSoftware games have always been known for making strange choices here and there, but this can be a huge turn-off for players who want to start the game with a friend.
This doesn't mean players won't be able to play as duos, as random matches will likely take up the final spot. It also doesn't seem like this location can be created by an NPC, since The offline game has been described as single-player only so far, and players won't have a mime to carry them. It appears that FromSoftware is trying to encourage random play and a vast array of online games, but it should be noted that Night Reign will not be a live service title like Fortniteto which it is mockingly referenced.
Having three players instead of two is strange
The entire game is based on a team of three
FromSoftware choosing to base the game around three people instead of two is strange, and it was stated by Junya Ishizaki (game director) that it was an intentional choice to make the game unique. In fact, the game seems to be a unique combination of many elements, from closing the ring to the arrival of a bird on the map, and even the enemies are based on fighting three opponents. The three-headed enemy dog ​​can split into three to chase players, and the Centipede (based on DS1Centipede Demon) can attack in three directions at once.
The game will be different depending on whether there is a team of three or a single player, and the changes will likely be the number of enemies on the map or the type of bosses faced. It seems like these modular difficulty settings could have been used to change enemies when there's a duo, but Night Reign and FromSoftware are convinced the game will have one or three players. There is a chance that this could change in the future if there are enough protests, but that chance is slim to none.
Nightreign could be the future of Soulsborne co-op play
It's a big experiment from FromSoftware
Night ReignThe trailer appears to paint the game as a grand experiment for FromSoftware, making it a faster-paced title than ever before. There are more traversal options, characters with exaggerated abilities and co-op exploration that could be the future of FromSoftware's co-op game. Instead of reviving at a Site of Grace or Bonfire, players will have a downed state in which they can be revived by other squad members when hit by them, which serves as a unique method of revival and a fun way to illustrate the frustrations with the downed person. player.
There's so much going on with Night Reign that while the game will have elements from other titles, it will be unique for a Soulsborne game. Yousing Elden Ring as a base allows this game to try something entirely newand these experiments could be carried over to future large-scale games. The traversal and cooperative exploration options could go beyond this rouge-lite title and be part of a Dark Souls 4 or a Elden Ring 2provided that FromSoftware delivers with Elden Ring's Night Reign.
Source: IGN