The Reason Why Elden Ring: Nightreign’s Roguelike Elements Don’t Hit

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Over the past ten years or so, FromSoftware has mainly adhered to a particular action-RPG structure, introducing some modifications and advancements with each fresh installment. However, Elden Ring drastically altered this pattern by embracing a vast open world, and now Elden Ring Nightreign is here to surprise all fans with its unexpected twists on the established norms.

In an unprecedented move for FromSoftware, the three-player cooperative roguelike game titled “Elden Ring Nightreign” strays from their usual path. Consequently, some of its innovative aspects, such as the meta progression system in “Nightreign“, don’t quite deliver the impact they were intended to. The meta progression system in “Elden Ring Nightreign” serves as a clear example of one of these experimental features that misses its mark.

Elden Ring Nightreign’s Meta Progression Has Some Issues

Elden Ring Nightreign’s Relics are a Mixed Bag

In any quality roguelike game, meta progression plays a crucial role by motivating players to overcome numerous challenges and continue attempting new runs. This is because they are rewarded with permanent enhancements for each attempt, which aid them in the subsequent ones. The meta progression in Elden Ring Nightreign primarily centers around its Relic system.

After finishing a session of Elden Ring Nightreign, players receive several Relics. The quantity of Relics awarded to the player depends on their progress during the game, with defeating a Night Lord yielding the maximum number. Each character in Nightreign can simultaneously equip up to three Relics, each fitting into a slot that corresponds to a specific color.

In the game Elden Ring Nightreign, some relics are extremely beneficial. Some provide substantial stat enhancements to players. Others confer special abilities, like igniting a player’s initial weapon with fire. The most valuable relics from Nightreign offer both types of bonuses simultaneously.

Because the loot in Elden Ring Nightreign is randomly selected, players might find themselves with a bunch of useless trinkets known as Relics instead of valuable items. It’s possible that the majority of the Relics they receive will be for characters they don’t even play, or only common ones that aren’t worth equipping often. After spending a lot of time in a run and receiving an abundance of mediocre Relics, it can be quite discouraging.

By finishing each Nightfarer’s Remembrance mission, gamers can unveil potent Class-specific Artifacts. These Artifacts deliver significant class-tailored enhancements, like enabling Wylder to follow his Claw Shot with a fiery attack strike. However, in an ironic twist, these Artifacts replace any that players might obtain after a run, thereby restricting the game’s meta progression motivations even more.

There Are No Other Forms of Meta Progression in Elden Ring Nightreign

Many contemporary roguelike games offer multiple methods for progressing beyond the game itself, often referred to as meta-progression. For instance, Hades 2 offers various ways to enhance gameplay, such as upgradable Weapon Aspects, collectible Arcana Cards, Keepsakes, missions called Prophecies that reward players with valuable resources, and Incantations which unlock additional in-game elements. This ensures that players always have something to work towards and strive for.

In Elden Ring Nightreign, you’ll find that it solely possesses its artifacts, known as Relics. While players might receive residual Runes following each adventure, these are mainly utilized for the purpose of unlocking new poses and additional cosmetic options for your character, referred to as Nightfarers.

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2025-06-06 16:33