Elden Ring: Nightreign Reviews
The co-op spin-off isn't perfect, though. There are various issues, from balancing to bugs to other minor inconsistencies. Furthermore, the lack of cross-play support is a real shame. If you can't get enough of "Elden Ring" and want to take on a major challenge with your friends, it's definitely worth giving "Nightreign" a try!
Review in German | Read full review
Going into Elden Ring Nightreign, I admit I was skeptical, wary of FromSoftware venturing into unfamiliar multiplayer territory. Yet, after countless runs and shared triumphs with fellow Nightfarers, it’s clear my concerns were unfounded. Nightreign isn’t merely a multiplayer spin-off; it’s a testament to FromSoftware’s ability to innovate while fiercely guarding the essence of what makes a Souls game so compelling. It masterfully blends the unforgiving challenge and rich lore we’ve come to expect with a seamless, exhilarating cooperative experience that genuinely redefines what a ‘Souls game’ can be. While I hope the mainline series remains true to its roots, Nightreign proves that a bold new path can be forged, offering a fresh, addictive ‘one more run’ loop that will keep you, and your friends, coming back for more. It’s truly one of the standout titles of the year, a shared journey you won’t soon forget.
This is a bold reinterpretation of the Souls-like formula, which retains FromSoftware's DNA but bets on a cooperative and roguelike format marked by constant time pressure and high difficulty. The experience demands dedication, resilience and repetition, rewarding the most persistent with memorable moments of conquest.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
my mostly solo-play experiences were a mixed bag at best, preventing me from praising the game too much or giving a high “review-in-progress” temporary score.
Elden Ring Nightreign feels like a near-perfect blend of From Software's souls-like formula and addictive roguelikes that make this experience feel like a step above the rest. The combat still feels just like Elden Ring and other souls-like games we have come to love, but the faster exploration and bite-sized expeditions kept my attention longer than most other souls-like games have. I adore the new roguelike mechanics, which make each run feel distinct and impactful, while also maintaining the quality that further elevates the experience. The Relic system can feel a little underwhelming, and the story for the characters feels significantly less complex and meaningful compared to the original game, but it's still a great, high-quality roguelike that should satisfy both fans of each genre Nightreign encompasses. It also runs quite well on the Steam Deck, even if there are some fluctuations with framerate and visuals. A lot of the issues come from an underwhelming PC port that lacks some essential settings, like V-Sync and in-game framerate limiters. However, it's still very playable, both online and offline, and is still a solid way to play this wonderful experience.
Elden Ring Nightreign takes the best elements of Elden Ring and applies an engrossing core gameplay loop that will have Nightfarers in a trance. Everything is better with friends, and this makes Elden Ring Nightreign the best multiplayer game of the year.
Elden Ring Nightreign introduces an unexpected yet compelling multiplayer PvE experience, offering a fresh take on the series while incorporating familiar roguelite mechanics. True to FromSoftware’s reputation, Nightreign delivers challenging gameplay that rewards perseverance and strategic play. Players won’t face the trials alone this time, and playing with a full team enhances each encounter's depth and intensity. Despite lacking some basic features like crossplay and voice chat, Nightreign successfully delivers a distinctive Elden Ring experience that will hopefully get more content in the coming months.
Elden Ring Nightreign is a fascinating multiplayer experience, which with the right group of players, can be the best gaming experience of the year. The amount of bosses and enemies from a big portion of the series, together with the amazing playable classes, lets you easily forget some of the technical shortcomings, that the studio sometimes lays themselves in the way.
Review in German | Read full review
Elden Ring Nightreign is another triumph for From Software, where jolly co-op greatly enhances the experience - a worthy spin-off to Elden Ring that's unmissable for fans and newcomers.
Overall, Elden Ring: Nightreign isn’t just a spin-off; it’s a massive triumph. With more direct storytelling, mindblowing boss fights, including a final boss that is one of the best they’ve ever crafted and a brilliantly tense gameplay loop, it stands tall as a worthy standalone game. FromSoftware has once again delivered a haunting, unforgettable world that challenges and rewards you.
For From Software's first game of this kind, Elden Ring Nightreign is nothing short of an incredible co-op souls-like experience with plenty of fun and memorable encounters.
The game, which will upset those who want to develop tactics and progress at a slower pace, and those who want to play a fun game alone, will satisfy players who say "let's gather friends and beat Souls bosses" to a certain extent. Its price is already determined accordingly, it is a game where we can spend 50-80 hours of fun with friends by paying 40 dollars.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Elden Ring Nightreign delivers a dynamic, adrenaline-fuelled take on the Souls formula. It’s tailored for hardcore fans with fast pacing, and brutally tough bosses... But its reliance on recycled content, and long expedition times may deter newcomers or those seeking a more traditional Elden Ring experience. For seasoned FromSoftware devotees like myself, it’s a compelling challenge. I only hope matchmaking improves at launch — because I’m itching for another run.
Elden Ring: Nightreign redefines multiplayer games and elevates them to a whole new level of challenge. In this nightmare-like adventure where mercy doesn’t exist, there’s no place for the weak. You’ll face breathtaking bosses where there’s no room for mistakes. And if you think playing with friends will make the journey easier, think twice, because Nightreign will mercilessly crush your bones… and your friends too.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Elden Ring: Nightreign offers a fast-paced gameplay and a return to the kind of raw challenge I’ve come to love in soulslikes. And that’s exactly what I wanted, the more time I spent with Nightreign, the more I found myself enjoying it.
Elden Ring: Nightreign takes FromSoftware’s mastery of tension and triumph and remixes it into a co-op formula that’s stressfully brilliant, borderline ridiculous—and dangerously addictive. It’s not trying to out-Elden Elden Ring. Instead, it turbo-charges the experience with a multiplayer twist that turns despair into shared laughter, and panic into camaraderie. The rogue-lite loop keeps things snappy, the class system is absurdly well-designed, and even as someone who’s never touched a Souls game before, I felt like I belonged in this world of moonlit carnage and beautifully timed dodges.
Elden Ring Nightreign is a blast to play. It has a lot going for it and is an Elden Ring game at its core. The game is challenging and fast-paced, forcing you to adjust to whatever is thrown at you. Running through some of the best bosses in the FromSoftware catalog is something I never thought I could do in one game. But at the same time, not having a mode to play with less than three people does shoot itself in the foot, and the lackluster story is disappointing.
Elden Ring: Nightreign manages to seamlessly blend multiple gameplay systems, creating a highly addictive gameplay loop. Despite some solo balancing issues, it is another FromSoftware masterpiece, and one I hope will stick around for many years to come.
Με το Elden Ring Nightreign, η From Software πειραματίζεται ξανά πάνω στην κλασσική συνταγή, αυτή τη φορά με περισσότερη ελευθερία
Review in Greek | Read full review
Elden Ring Nightreign gripped me from start to finish and constantly fills my every waking thought. This is a game that will have me glued to my chair for many nights to come.