With the announcement of Elden Ring Nightreign‘s revolutionary gameplay elements such as randomly generated maps, three-person cooperative multiplayer, and three-day/night cycles, it’s no wonder fans of Elden Ring are divided about the overhauled mechanics. The game is a major departure from the traditional “Soulsborne formula” seen in Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree, the Dark Souls series, and of course, Demon’s Souls, all of which have dungeon crawler elements at their core.
While there are many changes to that formula coming in Nightreign, none will be as divisive as the randomization of maps, enemies, and loot that are a primary feature of the upcoming game. Though the purpose of randomized elements is ultimately to make each session more unique and unpredictable and incentivize exploration, random features will end up being divisive for several reasons related to both gameplay and lore
Why Nightreign Will Have Random Maps And Loot
Random Features Make Each Day Feel Unique, But Come With Risk
Traditional Soulsborne fans will be in for a rude awakening in the fast-paced boss-rush style of Nightreign, and the shift to random maps may detract heavily from the role-playing elements as well. Ultimately, Nightreign will not be able to please everyone, so it’s yet to be seen whether these random features will serve their intended purpose, or if they will alienate players entirely. The purpose of Nightreign’s randomized maps, enemies, loot, etc. is to give each three-day cycle its own distinct layout and challenges and make the Nightreign co-op experience unique each time.
For the most part, this seems like a logical extension of the game’s larger focus on streamlining the RPG features from the original Elden Ring, such as the eight pre-made playable characters, an expedited leveling system, time-limited exploration, and more. And while the intention behind this consolidation of both gameplay and narrative features is to make the game accessible to a wider player-base, certain decisions make no sense for some players.
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Nightreign Might Not Be The Answer You’re Looking For To Elden Ring’s Lore
Nightreign takes place in a separate, parallel branch of the world of Elden Ring, meaning its events will not have an impact on the original lore.
Random features are ubiquitous in Nightreign, as described in IGN‘s hands-on play test, where randomized locations in Limgrave, random loot and weapon pick-ups, random end-of-day bosses were detailed. Randomization is meant to incentivize players to explore as much as possible, but it remains to be seen whether these features will be enough to keep players engaged. The decision to set Nightreign in a parallel universe to Elden Ring also seems to stem from a desire to use or recycle assets from the base game, and doing so randomly may end up seeming careless.
How Nightreign’s Random Mechanics Will Be Divisive For Fans Of Elden Ring
Random Bosses, Loot, And Maps Are A Major Departure From The Original
Elden Ring has an extremely loyal fan base, and any changes to the beloved formula from the original will come with a heated debate. Random features in Nightreign are arguably the biggest departure from what Tarnished are familiar with in the Lands Between, where each individual weapon, boss, landmark, and even crafting materials are in fixed locations on the map.
There is virtually zero randomization in Elden Ring, unless being bum-rushed randomly out of nowhere by a PvP phantom counts. If a Tarnished dies (and they will, many times), they can count on things being exactly in the same place when they try again.
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With Nighreign incorporating elements from past Souls games, there’s a chance assets from Bloodborne could make their way into The Lands Between.
This lack of randomization in Elden Ring is important for a few reasons. It opens up potential environmental storytelling opportunities, gives players a sense of discovery in their exploration, locks in familiar landmarks for points of reference, and lets players know what to expect with each successive journey.
Introducing randomization in Nightreign can become a serious limitation for both gameplay and lore, especially when considering the benefits of a “fixed world” in the original. Random maps might limit the environmental storytelling aspects that lore fanatics obsess over, and therefore limit their interest dramatically.
“Random maps might limit the environmental storytelling aspects that lore fanatics obsess over, and therefore limit their interest dramatically.”
When it comes to gameplay in Nightreign, randomness may become frustrating as players begin to excel in taking down a particular boss, but if (or rather, when) they end up failing, it’s almost a guarantee that this same boss will not appear in the next session. Whereas, in Elden Ring, failing to defeat a given boss time and time again actually familiarizes players with their moveset, and enables them to eventually take that boss down. This trial-and-error method of “getting good” is at the heart of Elden Ring’s gameplay, and it isn’t clear yet if that will translate in Nightreign.
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Elden Ring Nightreign’s Lore Makes No Sense (& That’s Okay)
Elden Ring Nightreign has taken the lore of the original game and turned it inside out by combining it with Dark Souls for a potentially fun project.
Ultimately, Nightreign’s success will depend on how it compensates for the dramatic changes from Elden Ring’s gameplay and method of storytelling. Randomization in Nightreign will definitely be divisive for any loyalists to the Elden Ring style of gameplay, but it also introduces vast potential to bring in players who didn’t find Elden Ring very accessible or approachable.
While many beloved aspects of the original format will be re-imagined, fans are hopeful that the game will balance these changes with new features that seem problematic from a distance. Random features in Elden Ring Nightreign are sure to be divisive, but also could be what keeps players coming back.
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