FromSoftware’s Elden Ring: Nightreign sets out to challenge even the most seasoned Tarnished, introducing a roguelike twist to the beloved Soulsborne formula. Yet as I ventured alone into Limveld a haunting, twilight world caught between ruin and rebirth I couldn’t help but feel that my solitary quest was at odds with the developers’ ambitions. While there’s no doubt this game will please cooperative adventurers, those who prefer to walk alone, like me, may find themselves fighting not only the Nightlords but the very design of the game itself.
As a solo player who’s been hooked on FromSoftware’s dark fantasies for years like the unforgettable journey through Sekiro, which I explored so thoroughly in my review. I was ready for another soul-shattering ride. However, in Nightreign, the balance tips a little too far in favour of group play.
The world of Limveld is an undeniable triumph of art direction and world-building. Each winding ruin and moonlit glade evokes a sense of foreboding wonder where I was struck by that game’s eerie, unsettling beauty. Nightreign draws me in immediately with its decaying grandeur and sombre palette, but as I navigated the treacherous paths, I quickly realised this world wasn’t designed for me alone.
The core of Nightreign revolves around three-day expeditions a loop that sees me scouring each environment for materials and battling increasingly fearsome foes. In theory, this should be a tantalising challenge. In practice, playing solo turns it into an exhausting grind. Bosses like the Nightlords clearly expect players to flank them in unison, yet with only my lone blade, every encounter felt like an uphill battle. Unlike the tightly balanced duels of Dark Souls, which I recently celebrated in my 10-year retrospective, Nightreign’s fights can feel punishing to the point of tedium for lone wolves.
The game tries to accommodate solo players with slight tweaks boss health adjustments and a few concessions here and there but it doesn’t go far enough. When I reviewed Lords of the Fallen and called it “Deja-Vu Dark Souls”, I captured that feeling of familiarity tinged with slight disappointment. I found myself in a similar situation here: Nightreign evokes the grandeur of past FromSoftware titles but stumbles in offering the same fairness and sense of accomplishment to solo players.
Classes, another standout feature, range from the steadfast Guardian to the enigmatic Duchess. They’re diverse and visually arresting, yet once again, their true potential is clearly intended for groups. As I delved deeper into Limveld, I realised that certain class abilities are practically useless without allies to exploit synergies. It’s a shame because there’s a wealth of potential here that simply doesn’t get to shine if you’re playing alone.
Narratively, there’s the flicker of something compelling. The personal “Remembrance” quests for each class offer tantalising lore fragments, but they often feel like incomplete threads when I’m not interacting with others to piece the puzzle together. In my exploration of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, I delved into the importance of story threads woven throughout a FromSoft experience. Unfortunately, Nightreign’s storytelling can feel skeletal without those shared co-op moments to flesh it out.
Despite these frustrations, there’s no denying Nightreign’s fleeting brilliance. The level design still echoes that deliberate layering of paths and secrets that made Yharnam and Lothric such unforgettable places. There were times when, even in the silence of my solitary play, I marvelled at the world around me. The soundscape howling winds, distant chimes, the crunch of gravel beneath your feet ensures you never forget you’re in a world that wants to break you.
When I finally managed to bring down one of the Nightlords, there was a rush of triumph that recalled my own battles across Soulslike titles. It’s a testament to FromSoftware’s enduring skill that these moments still resonate, even when the rest of the game seems to push you away if you’re not in a group.
Yet for every moment of wonder, there were twice as many where frustration took hold. Resource gathering becomes a chore rather than a joy when there’s no one to share the burden. Exploring a world meant for three meant I was constantly overmatched, constantly scraping by. I began to miss the balance I’d felt in Bloodborne or Dark Souls a fair fight where skill, not numbers, decided my fate.
Ultimately, Nightreign left me conflicted. As a solo player, I was both awed and exasperated by Limveld. I couldn’t help but think of my reflections in my various Soulsborne pieces: how these games have always balanced brutality with an unspoken fairness, always welcoming the solitary player even as they tested their limits. Here, that spirit feels diminished. There’s beauty, no doubt, and brilliance in places, but too often it’s buried beneath a design that assumes you have friends at your side.
For those who do have a trusted group of companions, Nightreign could be a thrilling evolution of the Soulslike formula. It’s easy to imagine the camaraderie of shared triumphs, of three blades flashing in the gloom as you topple yet another monstrous foe. But for those of us who prefer to walk alone who cherish that solitary struggle at the heart of Dark Souls Nightreign offers only a muted echo of what it could be.
In the end, I can’t help but give Elden Ring: Nightreign a cautious 6 out of 10. It’s a bold experiment that deserves recognition, yet as a solo player, I felt more like an afterthought than a true participant. There’s a spark here, a flicker of that FromSoftware magic, but too often it’s drowned out by the chorus of a game that never quite learns to sing for one voice.