One of the most intriguing—but also maligned—elements of the upcomingElden Ring Nightreignis its ostensible inclusion of creatures and concepts from theDark Soulsfranchise. This is promising because, naturally,Dark Soulsis incredibly popular and increasingly nostalgicfor countless gamers, but troubling because of what it means for the narrative integrity of both it andElden Ring.
Deep and nuanced lore sits at the heart of FromSoftware’s modern games, even if many players aren’t actively aware of it. The granular and complex history of games likeElden Ringhelps them land their grandiose, theatrical, and emotional high points, as just about everything feeds into a broader in-game plot. The subtle manner in which this lore is communicated has made for years of fan theories, speculation, and deep, nuanced analysis, so the notion that this lore could be trivialized by seemingly inexplicable crossovers inElden Ring Nightreignmay undermine bothDark SoulsandElden Ringin the eyes of many fans. This is certainly a valid concern, and not one that is likely to be alleviated ahead ofNightreign’s launch, but there could be a silver lining to this cross-pollination, regardless of how it actually shakes out story-wise.
Elden Ring Nightreign Could Show Old Dark Souls Bosses In a New Light
Nightreign’s Dark Souls Bosses Won’t Serve Any Major Lore Purpose
In a recent interview with GameSpot,Elden Ring Nightreigndirector Junya Ishizaki confirmed thatthe inclusion ofDark Soulsbosseswas motivated purely by a desire to provide more interesting gameplay opportunities. Speaking with a flippant joyfulness that surely irritated some of the most intense FromSoftware lore scholars, Ishizaki explained the crossover content rather concisely, stating that he simply “thought it’d be kind of fun.”
This would be far from the first time thatFromSoftware has undersold its projectsahead of release; perhaps Ishizaki is taking a page out of Miyazaki’s playbook with these comments, intentionally misdirecting audiences from some grander narrative plan inNightreign. But for now, it’s best to take his words at face value.
So, there is apparently no greater narrative purpose for the likes of The Nameless King andCentipede Demon cropping up inNightreign, meaning that their arrival is solely for the benefit of gameplay. This may be disappointing for obvious reasons, but it’s exciting for an even more obvious one: older FromSoftware bosses, perhaps those from the black sheep of the series, can get their due time in the spotlight now.
Dark Souls 2 Bosses Can Shine With Elden Ring Combat
It’s no great secret thatDark Souls 2is the red-headed stepchild of the FromSoftwarefamily. It’s been criticized for a number of reasons, but one of the most prevalent points of contention is its combat: it’s slow, sluggish, and bogged down by inexplicable design choices like the Agility stat being tied to invincibility frames. All in all, it’s not a terrible game, but its gameplay simply feels “off,” especially when compared to the intuitive and well-wrought combat of its younger and older siblings.
Many of its bosses have come under fire as well, but perhaps they would be more popular with fans if not for the aforementioned combat issues. This iswhereElden Ring Nightreigncomes in, as it can reprise these bosses, and perhaps even smaller-scale enemies, but within the gameplay framework ofElden Ring—a much better game by most accounts. Getting the chance to fight the likes of Duke’s Dear Freja, but with the mechanics (not to mention improved performance) ofElden Ringcould be a real treat for players who turn their nose up atDS2. And who knows, perhaps the older game will be viewed in a new, more favorable light, if its bosses are given the chance to shine.
Elden Ring Nightreign
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“ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN is a standalone adventure within the ELDEN RING universe, crafted to offer players a new gaming experience by reimagining the game’s core design.Join forces with other players to take on the creeping night and the dangers within featuring 3-player co-op.Take command of uniquely skilled heroes, each possessing their own abilities and distinct flair.While individually formidable, their skills create powerful synergies when they unite as a team.Overcome a relentless environmental threat that sweeps through a land that changes between each game session and defeat the magnificent boss of that night!”
