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| Elden Ring Nightreign Review |
"How splendid the garden when embraced by flowing streams..."
Who walks willingly into the darkness? Who knocks on the door of the unknown knowing salvation doesn’t lie beyond it? Who dares believe the story ends when the misshapen ascend the throne? And who claims that only the light can shape destiny? What if nightfall is not the end, but the beginning not for the world, but for you?
Elden Ring: Nightreign doesn’t ask whether you’re ready—it asks how far you're willing to be broken again. Will you walk into the shadows knowing they may never return you?
Welcome to the review of Elden Ring: Nightreign, where the questions begin and the answers never truly end.
Developer / Publisher: FromSoftware, Bandai Namco Entertainment
Genre: Action-Adventure, Combat, Third-Person
Platforms: PS5 – Xbox Series X|S – PC
Release Date: May 30, 2025
Price: $39.99
Playtime: ~25 hours
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Story & Narrative
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| Story & Narrative |
From your first steps into the Lands Between, a haunting stillness clings to every rock and ruin. Dust trails the mountain edges, the ruins hum with silent predators, and the sun’s rays twist timidly, as though night has already won. Here, darkness doesn’t fall it attacks, carrying with it a nightmare embodied: the Lord of Night, a living dread who draws the twisted souls of the deformed from faraway lands, united by a single goal free their realm from his grip.
Much like previous FromSoftware titles, the story in Nightreign isn’t just a backdrop it’s a labyrinth of hidden traps and layered whispers. It draws you forward, offering reward, but always at a price. Sometimes, that price is the blood of a companion.
Gameplay & Classes
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| Gameplay & Classes |
Building on the foundation of the original Elden Ring, Nightreign introduces faster-paced mechanics and a cooperative system where up to three players must coordinate during limited in-game cycles. Players choose from six Nightfarer classes, each with unique abilities:
The Stalker: Balanced offense and defense. Agile with powerful combos but requires precise timing and struggles against heavy defense.
The Sentinel: Defensive powerhouse and team anchor. Excellent at crowd control, though offensively limited.
Iron Eye: Ranged specialist with armor-piercing arrows but vulnerable in close combat.
The Ravager: Aggressive and relentless, favoring constant attack over precision or defense.
The Hermit: Elemental and arcane expert, dealing high damage from a distance but weak in melee combat.
The Bladesworn: Fast and elusive, capable of chaining rapid strikes, but demands high skill in managing attacks and retreats.
Note: New characters can be unlocked through in-game battles.
What’s New in Nightreign?
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| What’s New in Nightreign |
Unique Skills: Each class has a defining ability. For example, the Stalker uses Claw Shot, a grappling hook that pulls enemies or zips across terrain.
Wall Jumping & Climbing: Enhanced movement freedom lets players scale walls, leap across cliffs, and reach new heights literally.
Ultimate Arts: Devastating moves triggered after filling a special meter. The Stalker’s Onslaught Stake summons a giant iron spike that explodes on impact.
Relic Rites: Permanent stat buffs activated through ritual placement in specific relic slots. Relics can be bought, sold, or found during exploration.
New Enemies & Bosses: Fierce, unforgiving foes challenge players like never before coordination and skill are key to survival.
New Locations: Inspired by titles like God of War Ragnarök, the environments blend nostalgia with fresh designs, offering both familiar and entirely new regions to explore.
Character Switching: Done at the central hub “Roundtable,” where players can swap roles, test abilities, and teleport to active zones.
Falcon Travel: Summon a falcon to glide between key areas for faster navigation and exploration.
Progress Retention: Upon death in boss battles, progress is retained, making repeated attempts less frustrating and more rewarding.
Loot & Rewards: Defeated bosses drop rare gear that upgrades abilities and unlocks new styles of combat.
Combat System Highlights
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| Combat System Highlights |
Health depletion reduces players to limited mobility. A special meter appears and can be extended if they survive near-death states.
Teammates must strike the downed player to “shatter” the death bar and revive them.
On death, players respawn near their fall location, losing a level and dropping all runes (including the lost level’s XP). Dying again before recovery results in permanent loss sometimes to an enemy who must be defeated to reclaim them.
World & Visual Design
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| World & Visual Design |
Stunning Visuals: The Lands Between remain a breathtaking blend of artistic flair and moody ambiance.
Environmental Storytelling: Rich, atmospheric backdrops and character designs silently narrate the world’s history and mystery.
Dynamic Lighting: Plays a pivotal role in creating immersive tones and unforgettable vistas.
Map Features: Allows pin placement, ally locations, strategic highlights, and a tactical overview of objectives.
Persistent Gear Items: Special consumables stay in inventory between missions, allowing for long-term resource planning.
Recommendations by Playstyle
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| Recommendations by Playstyle |
Aggressive Fighters → Stalker or Bladesworn
Strategic Defenders → Sentinel
Magic Lovers → Hermit
Sneaky Archers → Iron Eye
Chaotic Brawlers → Ravager
Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Full multilingual support including polished Arabic localization.
- Balanced variety of classes to suit all playstyles.
- Freedom of movement with wall-jumps, climbing, falcon travel, and skill-based mechanics.
- Rich mix of returning and new characters with striking designs.
- Faster pacing compared to the original Elden Ring.
- Strategic team-based gameplay with thrilling ultimate skills.
- Smart inventory management with persistent tools.
- Distinct playstyle per class enhances replayability.
- Deep map interactivity supports cooperative play.
- Clean, straightforward tutorials ease new players into the world.
- Progress is saved against bosses, reducing frustration.
- A soft, welcoming intro sequence lowers the learning curve.
- Beautiful, painting-like visuals and thoughtful lighting.
❌ Cons
- Heavy focus on 3-player co-op may disappoint solo or duo players.
- Some roles may feel repetitive without regular content updates.
- New players might feel overwhelmed by layered systems.
- Reused environments may feel uninspired to returning fans.
- No in-game voice/text chat limits coordination.
Conclusion
A Rooted Identity 8.5/10
Elden Ring: Nightreign isn’t just a side tale spun from the studio’s grim mythology it’s a full-fledged, identity-rich experience. It carves a distinct path while staying tethered to its source, inviting players to lose themselves and reconsider the fate of the Lands Between.