Summary
Elden Ring Nightreignhas earned mostly positive reviews from critics, but its score is still a far cry away from FromSoftware’s other major titles. FromSoftware has become one of the most revered developers in the industry, and for good reason. Two FromSoftware games have won Game of the Year awards, and the studio consistently puts out critically-acclaimed titles. Considering this, I was expectingElden Ring Nightreignto continue FromSoftware’s streak of games to earn a “Mighty” rating on review aggregate site OpenCritic.
Elden Ring Nightreignreviews are out in the wild, and the consensus seems to be that the game successfully delivers more of FromSoftware’s signature intense action and that it is a blast to play in 3-player co-op. Criticism has been levied at howElden Ring Nightreignrecycles content from previous FromSoftware titlesand that single-player isn’t nearly as fun as 3-player. Ultimately, review scores forElden Ring Nightreignhave brought its overall rating below FromSoftware’s usual standards.
Elden Ring Nightreignreview scores have left the multiplayer roguelike with an 80 overall rating, with 79% of critics recommending the game,according to OpenCritic. An 80 is still a great score, but it’s definitely lower than expected when it comes to FromSoftware games, especially the studio’s Souls titles. Nearly every FromSoftware game sinceDark Souls 2released in 2014 has found itself in the “Mighty” category on OpenCritic, indicating an average score of 84 or above. The one exception is the VR gameDeracine, which received a 70 rating.
How Elden Ring Nightreign’s Review Score Compares to Other FromSoftware Souls Games
Elden Ring Nightreign’s lower-than-expected review average means that the game will likely not be nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025. EvenElden Ring’sShadow of the ErdtreeDLC was controversially nominatedfor Game of the Year when it came out, but it seems unlikely thatNightreignwill follow in its footsteps.
As it stands, the current Game of the Year frontrunners are titles likeMonster Hunter Wilds,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2,Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, andSplit Fiction. It also wouldn’t be surprising to see some critically-acclaimed indies get the nod as well, withBlue PrinceandMonster Train 2coming to mind. Even thoughElden Ring Nightreign’s status as a multiplayer-focused spin-offalready had some fans doubting its ability to match the original game’s review scores, I’m still surprised that it didn’t even really come close and is one of thelowest-rated FromSoftware games of the past decade.
FromSoftware’s next game is the 2026 Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods. It also has a multiplayer-focus, so it will be interesting to see how it scores compared to Nightreign and FromSoftware’s other games.
Still, 80 is a great score, even if it’s lower than expected from FromSoftware. Plus,Elden Ring Nightreignhas a budget price, which may make it even more enticing to fans of the studio’s games.
