Reigning in expectations

Elden Ring: Nightreign's not my favorite kind of co-op, but it still rings true

Few pastimes delight me more than FromSoft co-op. Patient guidance from friends got me into these games, and I’ve since returned the favor by shepherding a long-suffering buddy through Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring.

I knew Nightreign, out this week, wouldn’t offer the same experience. Its short sessions are even more frenetic than Hunt: Showdown — which, apart from its white-knuckle PvP fights, lets you roam and murder at a comfortable clip. Nightreign is like Elden Ring with a shot clock — you’ve got be focused and speedy.

I reviewed the game for NPR.org after playing it with my colleague Justin Lucas and volunteers on a Discord server Bandai Namco’s PR assembled (special thanks to IGN’s Jada Griffin who really showed us the ropes!).

Nightreign marks a major pivot into multiplayer design. You can play it solo, but you really shouldn't.

That's because the game demands tight tactics and timely coordination. Nightreign shrinks Elden Ring's sprawling map and epic storyline into intense "expeditions" that last around an hour (at most!). Once you air-drop into the world, you'll scramble to collect healing flasks from ruined churches and powerful upgrades from minibosses. Where you once leisurely explored astride a trusty horse-elk-thing, you'll now scamper on foot, quadruple-jumping up crags and plummeting off cliffs (thankfully, you won't take any damage, no matter how far you fall)!

With its unrelenting pace, Nightreign makes Elden Ring look like a tea party. I soon learned to ignore all but the most important loot-dropping enemies. I slammed consumable items early and often. I hoarded weapons and frantically swapped between them. I never felt free to explore the contours of what's otherwise a rich and dense world. Nightreign isn't about vibes — it's a speedrun. You'll have to churn through levels quickly, or a mandatory boss will absolutely send you home early.

As stressful as this new formula might be, Nightreign still effectively synthesizes the arc of a role-playing game, both inside and outside its frenetic expeditions. Its eight playable characters each wield divergent abilities and ultimates. Even failed runs give you resources to buy modular gems that slightly improve a hero's starting stats. And when your team finally defeats one of several possible Nightlords, you'll feel nearly as accomplished as when you triumph over a difficult chapter in an 80-hour RPG.

But I suspect Nightreign will not have the same broad appeal as the original Elden Ring. While it boasts the trademark sparse dialogue and cryptic lore, it's not the same kind of open-ended adventure you can carve out on your own terms. Along with the upcoming Nintendo-exclusive, The Duskbloods, Nightreign blazes a new era of multiplayer-focused FromSoftware games. That thrills me as someone who's always hungry for great co-op. But I hope the studio I fell in love with never stops making the layered worlds that simply can't be bound by this more limited format.

Read the rest of my review here.

I spent a recent Amtrak trip jamming to a T, out this week from indie auteur Keita Takahashi (who was just interviewed on a NPR podcast!). The game’s about a 13-year-old stuck in a T-pose, going about daily routines and ordering sub sandwiches from a friendly neighborhood giraffe. You also discover you can spin your arms to fly like a helicopter!

to a T breezes along on catchy songs and mechanical jokes. In the hours I’ve played, it hasn’t quite congealed into something as brilliant as Takahashi’s Katamari Damacy. But it’s cheerful and wholesome — and there’s nothing quite like it.

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