Elden Ring: Nightreign Has Millions Addicted – But Is This the Right Direction?

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The long-awaited release of FromSoftware’s “Elden Ring: Nightreign” has hit all platforms, and although opinions have been varied, particularly on Steam, it’s clearly a success. In just one day, the developer reported over 2 million digital sales and shipments globally. This is noteworthy when compared to “Shadow of the Erdtree,” which sold over five million units in three days. It took “Elden Ring” less than three weeks to reach 13 million. Quite an achievement!

Furthermore, there are numerous other aspects that make this game unusual. To begin with, FromSoftware emphasizes that this isn’t a typical Elden Ring experience, despite the name having some marketing allure. It is a game in the rogue-like genre where players attempt to conquer one of the eight Nightlords during runs lasting three days. The game doesn’t shy away from incorporating mechanics found in battle royale titles, such as a shrinking play area, hero characters (Nightfarers), limited inventory space for weapons and items, and even a hint of base-building (albeit not fully developed).

Describing the extensive nature of a rogue-like game without giving away spoilers can be tricky, but this game manages to convey the vastness of Limveld effectively. It showcases how the layout of Limveld varies with each playthrough, introduces various bosses, and so forth. The weapon crafting aspect offers a nice blend of trying out diverse weapons and gathering loot for their associated passive abilities.

Despite receiving a “Mixed” rating on Steam, based on 15,958 user reviews with approximately 66% being positive, Nightreign still managed to achieve noteworthy launch figures, reaching close to 314,000 simultaneous players at its peak.

Indeed, the factors contributing to that rating feel quite familiar. There’s no duo mode available, and communication beyond emotes is limited, if not absent entirely. FromSoftware has mentioned potential frame rate issues for those with high-end GPUs on PC. The single-player experience can be challenging due to a lack of adjustable difficulty settings, but a forthcoming update should address some concerns.

Despite some anticipation, this game’s success has surpassed expectations, even mine, as it sold over two million copies in under a day. Given that it was already ranked third in Steam’s global best-sellers before release, I wasn’t sure if players would embrace or reject it due to its multiplayer nature. However, the development team appears to have made the right moves from the start – choosing not to go for a live service model and pricing it at $39.99 seems to be the key to its impressive sales.

As a player, I can tell you that there’s no need for daily log-ins or microtransactions in this game. You can immerse yourself in limited-time events and aim to conquer all the bosses across various characters (though it’s not compulsory). Once you’ve accomplished that, you’re set! However, I ponder over how this might affect matchmaking as time goes by, particularly with the absence of crossplay. Still, with the promised DLC releases this year, there could be an exciting boost before the developers move on to new projects.

Indeed, the triumph of Elden Ring Nightreign has me pondering if FromSoftware might explore deeper into multiplayer-focused games like this one in the future.

To put it simply, most of the games developed by this team over the past few years – including the entire Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, and Elden Ring – have included multiplayer options such as co-op or PvP, but they’ve mainly focused on a single-player narrative with a linear progression. In these games, the multiplayer aspects are optional. However, in Nightreign, it appears to be a solo game experience, which might seem unusual given that the gameplay seems to revolve around quickly defeating enemies and gathering loot to have a chance against bosses. I mentioned in my review that even during Remembrances when fighting special Elite enemies for personal objectives, this approach felt awkward.

Following the announcement of “The Duskbloods” for Nintendo Switch 2, a major point of discussion is whether FromSoft will prioritize multiplayer games in their future projects, given that it’s their second title to be multiplayer-only. However, director and president Hidetaka Miyazaki emphasized that this doesn’t signify a move towards creating more multiplayer-centric games. Instead, he confirmed that they will continue to create single-player focused games like “Elden Ring,” maintaining their traditional style of development.

Before Elden Ring Nightreign was released and gained its current level of success, which is expected to increase in the coming months, it’s important to note that the studio isn’t following in Bungie’s footsteps. However, Nightreign appears to be a trial run based on early reports. As Director Junya Ishizaki stated, they were uncertain about its long-term impact and how players would respond to this type of game and new challenge for the studio. While some critics have had mixed feelings, sales numbers, even with valid criticisms, suggest otherwise.

Not only does The Duskbloods debut a fresh universe and characters, but it also expands on Player versus Player interactions and introduces novel mechanics such as designating others as allies or adversaries, and altering one’s bloodline history. Given FromSoftware’s track record, particularly with Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition, if the latter proves popular, there’s a strong chance that The Duskbloods will also thrive. It might even persuade a substantial number of gamers to acquire the Switch 2 for this game.

Despite the popularity of trends, FromSoftware has never been swayed by them. Even when numerous multiplayer games faltered throughout the years, they remained steadfast and developed titles like Nightreign and The Duskbloods. Instead of giving fans more Dark Souls or Bloodborne, they surprised everyone with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, a unique experience that kept their distinct style intact. After the unprecedented success of Elden Ring, they decided to work on Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, marking a return to the Armored Core series after almost a decade.

Every project may not have been a success, but this developer certainly marches to the beat of its own drum, disregarding popular trends. If they decide to venture into multiplayer games in the future, they might follow a path similar to Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio with their Yakuza series. The mainline Like a Dragon titles feature turn-based combat, while spin-offs like Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii and The Man Who Erased His Name stick to real-time action. They also have new series underway such as Judgment and the upcoming Project Century.

Despite allegations of FromSoft reusing assets from Elden Ring and previous games, it’s clear that they didn’t pour all their resources into Nightreign. Takahashi mentioned that development took place within a limited time frame, making it a challenging project for them.

It’s quite probable that we’ll need to allocate more funds for The Duskbloods, but keep in mind that even this amount might not cover the extensive development period and resources typically required for games like Armored Core 6 or Elden Ring. Intriguingly, it could potentially branch out into different game genres such as a free-to-play gacha game featuring non-purchasable characters, a fighting game, a first-person action RPG with competitive aspects, or even something entirely new. The possibilities are truly endless when you consider the potential directions this project might take.

At present, the studio sees itself as a provider of standalone games and has no plans to change that. Despite some gamers criticizing the game Nightreign and labeling it as “following trends,” it’s simply another addition to FromSoftware’s impressive collection and managed to be successful. Whether they decide to delve deeper into this genre depends on their own preferences, but rest assured, they will ensure that someone will continue to develop games, whether you like it or not.

Please keep in mind that the opinions expressed within this piece are solely those of the writer, and they may not align with or be endorsed by GamingBolt as a collective entity.

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2025-06-02 16:13