Critics Are Split On FromSoftware's Experimental New Elden Ring Roguelite

Summary

• Elden Ring Nightreign's reviews are mixed.
• The game currently holds a "Strong" score open OpenCritic.
• Some critics appear to love the gameplay loop, while others find it tedious.

Reviews for Elden Ring Nightreign have just been released, and, perhaps surprisingly, the multiplayer component of 2022's mega-hit Elden Ring has proven to be a mixed bag among reviewers.

Nightreign was always going to be an interesting experiment by FromSoftware. The developer's games tend to have multiplayer elements, but a dedicated multiplayer experience is a completely different endeavour.

Nightreign is designed for parties of three, thrusting players into a battle royale-style mode where they must survive against brutally hard bosses for two days, all while powering up to face a final Nightlord on the third and final day.

FromSoftware has made a habit of releasing critical darlings, but Nightreign hasn't quite hit that mark, holding a score of 78 on Metacritic and 79 on OpenCritic, denoting a "Strong" score.

Elden Ring Nightreign Debuts To "Strong" Review Scores

To start, TheGamer's own 4.5/5 review from executive editor, James Lucas, who says that Nightreign has "perfected the Soulslike multiplayer format." They praised the strategic possibilities of the game's boss fights, saying that experiencing the "Soulslike loop in a microcosm" was "unbelievably satisfying." They were critical of the lack of cross-play, however, which is a big omission in a multiplayer-focused title in 2025.

Jordan Middler of VGC was less impressed, giving Elden Ring Nightreign a score of 3/5, saying runs become tedious the more you play Nightreign, and the need for perfectly optimised runs greatly reduces enjoyment. "The spectre of one of the greatest RPGs of all time hangs over what is an uneven multiplayer experience," the review concludes.

Will Sawyer of GamesRadar+ writes, "Nightreign is Elden Ring at arguably its most brutal, but at least you can suffer with friends," in his 3.5/5 review. He says the game can swing from exhilarating to frustrating depending on how a run is going, and he questions how much longevity there is in the experience.

Wesley LeBlanc of Game Informer praises the game's combat and difficulty, but is critical of some of the matchmaking and procedural generation elements, ultimately giving the game an 8/10.

Elden Ring Nightreign

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