Soulslikes make names for themselves by being tremendously daunting regarding the shared difficulty players must overcome. Some Soulslikes have more treacherous runbacks than actual bosses while others have cakewalk runbacks and harrowing bosses, but they all primarily have players endure on their own. The most interaction with others that many players typically have in atried-and-true FromSoftware Soulslike, whether it’sDark SoulsorElden Ring, is coming across messages that are ubiquitous, mysterious, and hilarious.
Of course, FromSoftware’s Soulslike titles have always encouraged players to lend assistance to their fellow pilgrims via co-op and invasion features that have been embedded in Soulslikes since the subgenre’s progenitor,Demon’s Souls. It’s only recently that FromSoftware has been indulging more explicitly and thoroughly in multiplayer with the announcement of two new titles,Elden Ring Nightreignand Nintendo Switch 2’sThe Duskbloods, both of which have not been released yet.Elden Ring Nightreignis the more peculiar of the two on paper, and yet they will each give multiplayer gameplay its due.
Elden Ring Nightreign is Sure to Be a Bountiful Multiplayer Epic
Elden Ring Nightreigncouldn’t be more distinct from the IP it’s spinning off of.Nightreignbelonging to theElden Ringbrandseems more ostensible than anything as it bears little resemblance to FromSoftware’s blockbuster open-world action-RPG, at least aside from its environments and art style.
Boasting brand-new animations and swift traversal systems, character class archetypes dubbed Nightfarers with predetermined loadouts/playstyles, and a core gameplay loop that leans more towardFortnite’s signature battle royale formula—albeit in dedicated three-player PvE co-op—Nightreigntruly broadens the definition of what a Soulslike can be. Indeed, it’s debatable that purists should even classifyNightreignas a Soulslike game at all, regardless of its loose ties toElden Ring.
The main hook ofElden Ring Nightreignwill undoubtedly be its bosses, largely because franchise crossover inclusions such asDark Souls 2’s Duke’s Dear Freja andDark Souls 3’s Nameless Kinginfer that nearly any boss in FromSoftware’s biblical catalog is on the table.
Nightreignis and isn’t the seamless co-op experience players didn’t receive inElden Ring. Plus, PvP invasions were once more stuck on a pedestal witharena-style 3v3 combat inElden Ring’s Colosseums. ManyElden Ringplayers do dabble in the traditional means of co-op via summons, yet this only allows for players to tackle bosses with one another, and without the ability for fallen competitors to spectate whoever’s persevering.
Players may not be able to roam as carelessly as they can inElden Ring, but slaying bosses in companionship with others will be encouraged becauseNightreignis designed as an online multiplayer game that can be played in single-player mode. Either way,Nightreignwill be FromSoftware’s latest plunge into a concentrated co-op endeavor, and its popularity could be inspirational for whatever follows it andThe Duskbloods.
The Duskbloods is a Bold Question Mark Drawn in Blood
At least in the infancy of their niche popularity—long beforeElden Ring’s sweeping accessibility sensibilities—Soulslikes were heralded for their grueling difficulty in tandem with superb worldbuilding, level design, and bosses. Difficulty is certainly still a reason why such games are beloved, but many new entries in the action-RPG subgenre extend an olive branch toward players in ways they either might not realize or have been shamed into dismissing.Lies of Pis one of the most challenging Soulslikes in recent memory, for instance, and even Neowiz’s action-RPG features a robust and elaborate system for summoning a Specter NPC and imbuing them with consumable abilities.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s best quests involve NPCsat their root and go as far as to have some of them accompany players as summons in boss fights; for example, Hornsent for Messmer the Impaler and Igon for Bayle the Dread.
The term ‘cheese’ is thrown around incredibly liberally nowadays and seems to denote any strategies, weapons, or builds in a Soulslike that result in a boss fight not being insufferable, as opposed to ‘cheese’ simply meaning an arbitrarily unintended means of killing a boss. Likewise, beating a boss with the aid of summons or players online has been seen as making an encounter less of a challenge, even if doing so has scaled a boss’ health. More so than ordinary co-op, though,Elden Ringmakes a great effort to disprove the notion that Soulslikes should require players to toil and endure arduous bosses by their lonesome as it debutedNPC Spirit Summons, such asElden Ring’s infamous Mimic Tear.
However, gone may be the days of co-op and summons being seen as ‘cheese’ with two upcoming Soulslike games making camaraderie and multiplayer gameplay not only a back-burned feature but a prevailing FromSoftware ethos. Stewing in what’s sure to be rich lore and sumptuous atmosphere,The Duskbloodsappears more comparable to a classic Soulslikewhile emphasizing PvPvE gameplay and wearingBloodborne’s face. That said, it, too, will reportedly feature its own pool of protagonists, the Bloodsworn, who can be customized but may not be fully customizable from scratch.
Ironically, depending on how much online content players indulge in, PvPvE is technically what theSoulsentries could be classified as. It’s possible thatThe Duskbloodscould have a wealth of summons and cooperative play of its own, but the core ofFromSoftware’s Nintendo Switch 2-exclusive Soulslikeseems dependent on a “last player standing” loop in online lobbies. Soulslikes have come quite a long way since their inception, and it will be exciting to see how they are defined by future iterations.
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!”
