Elden Ring Nightreign Channels the Spirit of a Forgotten God of War Game

This past weekend marked the initial network test phase for Elden Ring Nightreign, the eagerly awaited standalone multiplayer game derived from FromSoftware's acclaimed masterpiece. Unlike last year's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, Nightreign diverges significantly from its predecessor, shifting away from the open-world exploration that defined Elden Ring to embrace a more focused survival format. Here, teams of three players parachute into maps that progressively shrink, battling waves of enemies and increasingly formidable bosses. This design choice clearly echoes the influence of the wildly popular Fortnite, which has captivated over 200 million players this month alone.

However, Nightreign draws even more striking parallels with a less celebrated and often criticized title: 2013's God of War: Ascension. And this comparison is far from negative.

Launched between 2010's God of War 3 and the 2018 Norse-themed reboot, Ascension served as a prequel set in the Greek mythology era, chronicling Kratos' struggle to break his oath to Aries. Despite not matching the epic scale of the original trilogy's conclusion, Ascension earned a reputation as the franchise's black sheep. Yet, this label is somewhat unjust. While Kratos' battle against the Furies in Ascension may not have reached the dramatic heights of his clash with Zeus, the game featured stunning set-pieces, such as the Prison of the Damned, a dungeon intricately carved into the body of a giant. More crucially, Ascension ventured into uncharted territory for the series by introducing multiplayer.

The "Trial of the Gods" mode in Ascension is a cooperative PvE experience that mirrors Elden Ring Nightreign in many ways. As players navigate the Prison of the Damned in the single-player campaign, they encounter an NPC who prematurely celebrates their rescue, only to be crushed by the level's boss. In multiplayer mode, this same NPC becomes the player character, transported to Olympus just before their demise. Players then pledge allegiance to one of four gods—Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, or Aries—each granting unique weapons, armor, and magical abilities. These tools are used across five multiplayer modes, with "Trial of the Gods" being a cooperative PvE mode strikingly similar to Nightreign.

Gameplay previews of Nightreign from notable "Soulsborne" YouTubers like VaatiVidya and Iron Pineapple, along with IGN's coverage, have highlighted the game's similarities to live service titles like Fortnite. Nightreign incorporates randomized loot, resource management, and environmental hazards that challenge players by damaging their health and restricting their movement. The game even nods to Fortnite's iconic skydiving entry, with players being transported by spirit birds to their chosen landing spots.

While God of War: Ascension lacks the battle royale flair of Nightreign, a deeper look reveals significant similarities. Both Nightreign and Ascension's "Trial of the Gods" are cooperative experiences where teams confront increasingly difficult enemies. Both games allow players to battle iconic bosses from their respective series, such as Hercules from God of War 3 or the Nameless King from Dark Souls 3. They feature countdown timers and take place on maps that are either small or shrinking. Moreover, both titles are multiplayer ventures from studios renowned for their single-player narratives, developed without direct oversight from their series' creators; Hidetaka Miyazaki is currently working on a new project, while the original God of War trilogy's directors had left Sony Santa Monica by the time Ascension was developed.

The player feedback from Nightreign's network test echoes the reactions to Ascension's "Trial of the Gods." Participants describe their experiences as a thrilling race against time, contrasting sharply with the more relaxed pace of the original Elden Ring. Nightreign compels players to rely on instinct, accelerating the gameplay and limiting resources, which, as VaatiVidya noted, is "made in the name of speed and efficiency." To compensate for the absence of Torrent, players can now harness their inner spirit horse, enabling faster running and higher jumping.

Ascension's multiplayer mode similarly adjusted its single-player framework for a more dynamic pace, employing techniques akin to those in Nightreign. It enhanced player movement with increased run speed, extended jumps, automated parkour, and a grapple attack for pulling objects—mechanics also seen in Nightreign's Wylder character. These enhancements are crucial, as the combat, while not overly challenging in isolation, becomes intense in "Trial of the Gods" due to the sheer number of enemies, pushing players to move swiftly and decisively.

The unexpected similarities between Nightreign and Ascension are intriguing, especially given the latter's relative obscurity and the stark contrast between the Soulslike genre and the power fantasy of God of War. While Soulslike games traditionally present players as struggling against overwhelming odds, the challenge has lessened over time as players have mastered the games and developers have introduced more powerful tools. Nightreign aims to reintroduce this challenge by limiting access to game-breaking builds, while still offering the exhilarating experience of feeling like a time-pressed, vengeful Spartan, much like Ascension did.