Elden Ring: Nightreign [PlayStation 5] | REVIEW

FromSoftware isn’t a studio known for playing it safe across their brutal releases, and Elden Ring: Nightreign is another firm reminder of that fact. This spin-off ditches the sprawling solo RPG structure of Elden Ring for a faster-paced, cooperative roguelike experience — and while not everything lands perfectly, it’s a confident and surprisingly deep experiment that certainly manages to carve its own satisfying identity.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Set in a fragmented version of The Lands Between, Elden Ring: Nightreign casts players as a three-person team tasked with stopping the Night Lords. It’s a non-canonical offshoot that utilises assets, enemies, and combat mechanics from the main game, but re-frames them within a session-based structure that borrows elements from roguelikes and battle royales to shape its refreshing gameplay loop. It might sound like an odd mix to some, but the essence of FromSoftware’s gameplay remains: tense combat, high stakes, and meaningful build choices that can ultimately determine your success.

Each session follows a distinct cycle: two 15-minute daytime phases to gather gear, level up, beat up some mini-bosses, and prepare, followed by two randomized boss encounters pulled from Elden Ring and Dark Souls (yep, that’s right – Dark Souls baddies show up here). The run ends with an original Night Lord boss fight, each one thematically distinct and mechanically demanding. Lose during any boss encounter, and your team restarts from scratch. This risk-and-reward loop is the game’s heartbeat — thrilling when it clicks, heartbreaking when it doesn’t (or when you find yourself falling at the final hurdle).

Unlike Elden Ring’s sprawling customization when it comes to building your character, Elden Ring: Nightreign trims the fat while preserving the depth. Players begin each run by selecting from one of eight specific characters, each with unique passives, alternate skills, and ultimate abilities that shape how they play. Whether you prefer crowd control, mobility, or tanking, there’s enough variety to suit different playstyles, and whilst the balance isn’t perfect — some, like Ironeye and Wylder, shine brighter than others — each offer meaningful synergies that ensure they can help form the perfect team.

Notably, the game drops armour entirely in your loadout, pushing all focus onto the weapons you decide to use. With six slots and a robust passive system in place, every piece of gear you collect — even if unused — contributes to your overall build. Meanwhile, perks like healing on kill, elemental bonuses, or damage reduction on low health drastically change how you approach fights, with this passive system encouraging experimentation and forcing players to make tough decisions on the fly (especially when the RNG isn’t on your side).

It is worth noting that the roguelike nature of Elden Ring: Nightreign means not every run feels fair. Early attempts are often chaotic, with RNG sometimes denying you the gear or upgrades that you need to suit your playstyle. But with experience, players can begin to see through the chaos, and slowly starting to learn which camps drop certain elemental weapons, how to chain boss encounters efficiently, or where to find upgrade materials adds a rewarding layer of strategy to the game’s random design. What feels like mayhem at first eventually becomes a game of optimization, and believe me, nothing feels better than stringing together a bunch of smart ideas into a successful and exciting run.

“Brutal, bold, and brilliantly chaotic, Elden Ring: Nightreign thrives when all of its pieces fall into place.”

The world of Elden Ring: Nightreign is a remix of terrain that’ll be familiar to those that played the main game. While not procedurally generated, the map features rotating layouts and varied enemy placements to keep things fresh. However, after several dozen runs, repetition does creep in, and points of interest like churches, mines, and camps often feel like shuffled copies rather than new discoveries. There’s still a sense of discovery to be found in the world, but it isn’t quite as exhilarating as when you first laid your eyes upon The Lands Between in the main game.

To counteract this, the game throws in dynamic events called Shifting Earth — modifiers that drastically alter the environment mid-run. Whether it’s navigating a scarlet rot-infested forest or a crater of lava, these challenges shake up strategies and often serve as the difference between a doomed run and a miraculous win. Randomised curses and surprise boss invasions add another layer of chaos, demanding players adapt on the fly, but come on… it wouldn’t be Elden Ring without a sense of anarchic unpredictability, right?

Still, despite these variations, Elden Ring: Nightreign isn’t immune to fatigue. It’s the kind of game best enjoyed in co-op sessions, especially with friends — which is clearly how it’s intended to be played.

Teamwork isn’t just encouraged in Elden Ring: Nightreign… it’s essential. Whether you’re syncing abilities to melt a boss or sharing loot to perfect a teammate’s build, success depends on communication and cooperation. While the game technically supports solo play and matchmaking, these experiences are noticeably less enjoyable… this is a game meant to be played with friends and plotting things out in your party chat as you do so.

Voice chat enhances the experience dramatically. Playing with a coordinated squad transforms Elden Ring: Nightreign from a cautious grind into a high-energy, tactical sprint. In contrast, solo queueing often leads to mismatched expectations and players dropping out mid-run, which can drastically hurt your odds of success. And sure, there have been updates made to the game to improve the solo experience, but Elden Ring: Nightreign is truly at its best when played with your favourite gaming buddies.

True to FromSoftware form, boss battles remain the absolute highlight of the Elden Ring: Nightreign experience. Each Night Lord is unique — from madness-infused beasts to elegant swordsmen — and every fight is tense, punishing, and deeply satisfying. The catch? All final bosses take place in the same drab, sandy arena. It’s a letdown given the creative energy elsewhere, even IF it does add to the atmosphere and sense of grandeur of each encounter. It just wouldn’t have hurt to have a couple more environments to showcase these epic showdowns.

Still, the road to these fights is what gives them weight. Every rune earned, every passive acquired, and every mini-boss defeated builds toward a final test that puts your team’s build and coordination to the ultimate challenge. Lose here, and it’s back to square one. But win, and it’s the kind of elation few games manage to deliver. When Elden Ring: Nightreign delivers, believe me, it’s absolutely tantalising and makes some of its flaws all the more forgivable.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Beyond the main loop, Elden Ring: Nightreign packs a surprising amount of content. Secret characters, hidden questlines, relic progression, and collectible currency offer plenty of reasons to return, whilst FromSoftware has already confirmed post-launch updates with new bosses, characters, and events. Elden Ring: Nightreign avoids the pitfalls of traditional live service design, but there’s clearly going to be ongoing support that’ll ensure the game is one worth coming back to time and time again in the future.

That said, the PlayStation 5 version isn’t without issues. Frame rate dips are common, whilst the lack of meaningful DualSense features makes the experience feel somewhat underwhelming on Sony’s console. It’s likely these problems will be addressed in patches, but they’re worth noting for early adopters who might be surprised to see so many stutters during their adventure.

Developer: FromSoftware
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Website: https://en.bandainamcoent.eu/elden-ring/elden-ring-nightreign