Is Elden Ring Nightreign A Souls Game? Developer Says No

by

Is Nightreign a Soulslike? The Director’s Statement

In a recent chat with IGN, the game’s lead director, Junya Ishizaki, who has experience designing battles in Elden Ring and Dark Souls 3, clarified his stance.

“We’ve always been seen as a company that makes these Soulslikes or this kind of traditional formula of Soulslike games and so I saw this as an opportunity to do something different. To challenge both myself and the company to build something new while still using what we’ve cultivated with our previous titles.”

In simpler terms, Nightreign deviates from the traditional Soulslike structure and instead offers a compact role-playing game (RPG) experience with speedier gameplay and a tighter focus. According to Ishizaki, it retains aspects players appreciated in Elden Ring, but presents them in a more accelerated format.

What Makes Nightreign Different

Co-op Focus

In contrast to FromSoftware’s past games which featured multiplayer, Nightreign is uniquely designed as a three-person cooperative adventure. This design choice was made by Ishizaki with the aim of preserving the satisfying feeling of overcoming challenges together, such as defeating a boss or mastering a map, while also presenting this experience in a new and exciting manner.

Speed and Action

In contrast to the deliberate tempo of the Souls series, Nightreign offers a quicker, more dynamic playstyle that resembles the intense, fast-paced experience often associated with speed running, complete with wall jumping and intensified battle strategies.

Character System

In contrast to Souls games that let you customize your character entirely, Nightreign offers eight distinct characters already created, each with their unique skills and gameplay styles. As Ishizaki mentioned, this was designed to provide a multiplayer experience that allows for easy and casual participation.

What Nightreign Keeps From Souls Games

Despite these differences, Nightreign does retain some elements familiar to Souls players:

  • Challenging boss encounters
  • A sense of accomplishment from overcoming difficult scenarios
  • The Souls-style combat foundation (though faster and more action-oriented)
  • Asynchronous online elements (like seeing phantoms of other players and encountering the gear of fallen players)

The Lore

To fans who love a good tale, Ishizaki made it clear that Nightreign stands apart and runs alongside the primary Elden Ring universe on an independent track. This divergence occurs post-Shattering events, but it doesn’t merge with the main game’s plotline. In contrast to the original Elden Ring, George R.R. Martin played no part in constructing Nightreign’s world or narrative.

In essence, Elden Ring: Nightreign offers a new path, yet it’s not strictly a Soulslike game. This innovative title could introduce an entirely new gaming experience that may redefine what we understand as a Soulslike game.

Read More

2025-05-18 21:09