FromSoftware has become notorious for the difficulty of its games, but despite the many similarities betweenElden Ring Nightreignand its predecessor,Elden Ring, comparing the two challenges isn’t exactly straightforward.Elden Ringalready subverted FromSoftware’s usual scaling by introducing its open world, where players are free to leave a tough boss and come back when they’ve gained more levels and better gear. The classic “get good” mantra still applies generally, but there’s a lot you can do to mitigateElden Ring’s difficulty.
WhereElden Ringsimply introduced new opportunities,Nightreignhas turned the Soulsborne gameplay loop on its head. Its roguelite structure is simultaneously more constricting but unpredictable. It is, however, designed to be tackled in teams of three. There’s an option for solo play built intoNightreign, but this further complicates the question of its difficulty in comparison toElden Ring’s.
Elden Ring Nightreign’s Solo Experience Is Generally More Difficult Than Elden Ring
You Have To Do The Work Of Three Players
Elden Ring Nightreignis more difficult to play aloneby virtue of its design. A major factor in differentiating the two is the speed at which they’re played.Elden Ringencourages thorough exploration, and gives you all the time you need to progress through the game. Even players who aren’t particularly familiar withElden Ringcan grab a big shield and carefully round every corner in a dungeon.
Nightreignputs you on a constant timer. Every time you land in Limveld, the game becomes a mad dash to gain levels and gather loot before Night’s Tide encroaches. These tasks are far more difficult when playing solo.Fighting every enemy and boss alone will take more time, so you’ll consequently have fewer options when it comes to choosing loot, and you’ll likely have a harder time gaining levels.
Elden Ringgets a lot of flak for all of its duo bosses, which can easily overwhelm a single player, but the RPG is generally designed to be conquerable alone. Even if you refuse to use co-op or Spirit Ashes,Elden Ring’s challenges can be overcome with enough determination and leveling.Nightreigndoesn’t afford you that luxury alone, especially since you’re forced into encounters designed for three players.
When you die and lose a level inNightreign, it’s a major setback– you’ve lost time, your stats are lowered, and your Runes still need to be recovered. Without teammates to thin the herd, a single death can jeopardize a run, because now you might be fighting to get those Runes back or find enough elsewhere to regain that level, both of which can easily lead to subsequent deaths.
Nightreign Co-Op Is About As Hard As Elden Ring
RNG Can Complicate Things
Broadly speaking,playingNightreignwith a full team is about as difficult asElden Ring, but it’s still not a direct comparison. Especially once you’ve gained a few levels,Nightreignco-op feels a lot likeElden Ringco-op– you’ll breeze through most mobs, lesser bosses can be a bit tricky, but the real challenge comes from the night bosses. They hit very hard, and if you don’t take the time to increase your flask charges, you may be repeatedly downed during the fight.
Success or failure can also hinge onNightreign’s RNG. InElden Ring, you’re largely in control of your fate with long-term character building; you get to choose your favorite weapons and armor, and allocate stats where you please.Each ofNightreign’s Nightfarershas set statistical scaling when you level up, andthe weapons you end up with are completely random. You may gain plenty of levels, but never find a weapon that does well against a particular boss.
Bosses are ultimately a bit of a wash when comparing the two games' difficulty. Each night boss inNightreignis tough, and the Nightlords are loosely comparable toElden Ring’s more difficult bosses. It’s hard to draw direct comparisons because the power scaling inElden Ring Nightreignhappens so quickly on each expedition, but for the later Nightlords, you’ll want powerful Relics, just like you’ll need endgame gear forElden Ring’s tougher opponents.
Elden Ring Nightreign
FromSoftware has announcedElden Ring: Nightreign, a standalone multiplayer game set in Limgrave, a region of the Lands Between.
