Games

For Elden Ring Nightreign to Work, It May Need Controversial Boss Designs

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16 seconds ago

January 10, 2025

FromSoftware is perhaps the most widely respected developer working today, but even the most revered studios can’t escape criticism. In the case of FromSoftware, detractors tend to hone in on facets like difficulty and narrative presentation, which of course are loved in equal measure by other sections of the gaming community. But Elden Ring Nightreign might serve as an opportunity to flip some of FromSoftware’s most common criticisms on their head, using contentious design choices to enhance the game.

Elden Ring Nightreign stands out from the rest of FromSoftware’s portfolio by being explicitly designed around cooperative multiplayer. Co-op has been a part of FromSoftware’s soulslikes in the past, though this is generally more of an optional twist on each title’s core gameplay: bosses and other co-op-enabled sections aren’t designed primarily for multiple players. But Elden Ring Nightreign expands these co-op foundations across its entirety, which could necessitate a different approach to combat design, which runs the risk of being too easy. In other words, if all of Nightreign‘s bosses are functionally similar to those in the Elden Ring base game, they could lack the element of tension needed for engaging multiplayer gameplay. Ironically, looking toward FromSoftware’s most despised boss design trends could be the solution to this problem.

The Zelda Series Should Be Watching Elden Ring Nightreign Closely

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FromSoftware is taking a bold leap with Elden Ring Nightreign, and this move could serve to inspire The Legend of Zelda’s next steps.

How FromSoftware’s Controversial Bosses Could Be the Key to Nightreign’s Success

When thinking about boss design that works best for multiple players, it’s useful to consider challenges that can be overcome through teamwork. Luckily, FromSoftware’s oeuvre features several such challenges, which can be categorized into at least two broad categories.

Nightreign Could Channel FromSoftware’s Frustrating Boss Team-Ups

FromSoftware Bosses That Fit This Trope:

Fool’s Idol – Demon’s Souls
Capra Demon – Dark Souls
Ornstein and Smough – Dark Souls
Living Failures – Bloodborne
Godskin Duo – Elden Ring

Boss team-ups, also called gank fights, are perhaps the most notorious soulslike boss design trend, pitting the player against multiple different enemies. At their best, they can be tense battles requiring careful positioning, planning, and enemy health management. At their worst, they can simply be annoying and overwhelming, not offering the player enough time to calibrate and strategize. But if a player can even the odds with their own reinforcements, then these challenging fights can become both more manageable and more interesting, as players can work together to form a battle plan.

Gimmick Fights Could Be Much Better In Elden Ring Nightreign

FromSoftware Bosses That Fit This Trope:

Dragon God – Demon’s Souls
Bed of Chaos – Dark Souls
Micolash – Bloodborne
Folding Screen Monkeys – Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Gimmick fights can be described as any boss encounter that hinges on the player engaging in actions outside the normal combat wheelhouse. For instance, Demon’s Souls‘ Dragon God requires players to dodge its attacks while making their way to various ballistas, which can then be fired to deal damage. The problem with these boss fights is that they don’t make use of the game’s core mechanics, and are therefore not that rewarding. They can serve as nice ways to shake up the gameplay, but as boss fights, they are often underwhelming, occasionally annoying, and, worst of all, sometimes boring. But these puzzle-like fights can be infinitely more enjoyable with other players, as they could be designed around communication and multitasking, making them far more engaging.

The obvious issue with implementing these more controversial boss mechanics to a greater degree comes down to Nightreign‘s single-player mode. If these bosses are designed specifically with co-op in mind, then they will be just as annoying, if not more so, for solo players. But this would basically be an inversion of what most FromSoftware soulslike are like already, where bosses are designed for solo players, and therefore (usually) far too easy with another player’s help. With Nightreign being a co-op game first and foremost, this inversion makes a lot of sense.

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Elden Ring Nightreign

ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN is a standalone adventure within the ELDEN RING universe, crafted to offer players a new gaming experience by reimagining the game’s core design.

Join forces with other players to take on the creeping night and the dangers within featuring 3-player co-op.

Take command of uniquely skilled heroes, each possessing their own abilities and distinct flair.

While individually formidable, their skills create powerful synergies when they unite as a team.

Overcome a relentless environmental threat that sweeps through a land that changes between each game session and defeat the magnificent boss of that night!

Released: 2025-00-00
Multiplayer: Online Co-Op
Steam Deck Compatibility: Advertisement

Unknown
Number of Players: 1-3
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