"Elden Ring's Nightreign Echoes Forgotten God of War Spirit"

This past weekend marked the initial network tests for Elden Ring Nightreign, a forthcoming standalone multiplayer title branching from FromSoftware's acclaimed Elden Ring. Unlike last year's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, Nightreign diverges significantly from its predecessor. It eschews the expansive open-world format for a more condensed survival mode, where three-player teams must navigate shrinking maps, combat enemy groups, and face increasingly formidable bosses. This design echoes the influence of Fortnite, which has captivated over 200 million players this month alone.

However, Nightreign's gameplay more closely mirrors that of a less celebrated but intriguing predecessor: 2013's God of War: Ascension. This connection is not only noteworthy but also beneficial.

God of War: Ascension, released between 2010's God of War 3 and the 2018 Norse reboot, serves as a prequel set before the original Greek mythology trilogy. It follows Kratos as he attempts to break his oath to Ares. While it may not have matched the epic finale of the initial trilogy, Ascension is often unfairly maligned. Despite not reaching the narrative heights of Kratos' battle with Zeus, Ascension boasts impressive set-pieces like the Prison of the Damned, a dungeon carved into the body of a 100-armed giant. Moreover, it introduced a feature new to the franchise: multiplayer.

In Ascension's story, players encounter an NPC in the Prison of the Damned who prematurely thanks them before being crushed by the level's boss. Upon accessing multiplayer mode after this point, players take on the role of this NPC, transported to Olympus and pledging allegiance to one of four gods: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, or Ares. Each god equips players with unique weapons, armor, and magic attacks, used across five multiplayer modes, four of which are competitive PvP. The fifth mode, Trial of the Gods, is cooperative PvE, strikingly similar to Elden Ring Nightreign.

Gameplay previews of Nightreign, shared by prominent "Soulsborne" YouTubers like VaatiVidya and Iron Pineapple, as well as IGN, highlight similarities with live service games like Fortnite. Nightreign features randomized loot, resource management, and environmental hazards that challenge players as the game progresses. It even nods to Fortnite's iconic imagery with players parachuting into the level, guided by spirit birds to their chosen landing spot.

While God of War: Ascension lacks the battle royale-style drop-in, a deeper look reveals shared elements with Nightreign. Both games offer cooperative modes where teams tackle progressively tougher enemies, including iconic bosses from their respective series. Both employ countdown timers and utilize maps that either shrink or are already small. Additionally, both titles were developed by studios renowned for single-player experiences, without direct oversight from their original series creators; Hidetaka Miyazaki is currently working on a new project, while the directors of the original God of War trilogy had left Sony Santa Monica by the time Ascension was developed.

Nightreign elicits a similar response from players as Ascension's Trial of the Gods did. Participants in FromSoftware's network test described their runs as a thrilling, fast-paced race against time. This contrasts with the more relaxed pace of the base Elden Ring game, where players can explore various scenarios at their leisure. Nightreign, by contrast, compels players to act quickly and efficiently, with constraints that, according to VaatiVidya, were "made in the name of speed and efficiency." Without Torrent, players can channel an inner spirit to run faster and jump higher.

Similarly, Ascension's multiplayer mode adjusted its single-player mechanics for tighter pacing, employing techniques like increased run speeds, extended jumps, automated parkour, and a grapple attack, which Nightreign's Wylder character also uses. These new abilities are crucial as the cooperative mode throws numerous enemies at players, necessitating swift and decisive action.

The similarity between Nightreign and Ascension is unexpected, not only because Ascension has faded from memory but also because the Soulslike genre, which Elden Ring epitomizes, initially stood in stark contrast to God of War. Where God of War allows players to embody a god-slaying warrior, Soulslike games cast players as nameless, cursed undead facing daunting challenges. The frequency of game over screens in Soulslike games is much higher, often leading to a cycle of frustration and triumph.

However, the challenge that once defined FromSoftware's earlier titles has lessened over time as players improved and developers introduced more powerful weapons and spells, culminating in the game-breaking builds seen in Elden Ring. Nightreign aims to reintroduce a level of challenge without these powerful builds, while also offering players the thrill of being a time-pressed, vengeful Spartan, akin to the experience provided by God of War: Ascension.