Though FromSoftware's "Soulsborne" action RPGs like the Dark Souls games, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring have always offered co-op summoning as an option for players, the studio's offerings have by and large been single-player experiences that you progress through on your own. For the first time, though, that's changed with Elden Ring Nightreign — a new roguelike spinoff of the 2022 title in which multiplayer is a core component of the game.
Indeed, Nightreign is built from the ground up to be a co-op experience, with its dynamic map and its eight major "Nightlord" boss fights designed to be explored and challenged in groups of three. However, FromSoftware isn't blind to the fact that some players either don't have friends to play with, don't want to matchmake with randoms, want to be able to play while their internet is down, or would simply prefer to cleanse the Night from the Lands Between on their own. So, alongside the standard three-player option for Expeditions, there's a single-player mode, too.
But should you actually play Elden Ring Nightreign solo? It's a question on the minds of many fans, especially since FromSoftware never marketed the single-player experience and most reviews naturally focused on the game as it's played in co-op.
Having done several solo runs myself, now, I'd say that for now, I'd avoid jumping in by yourself. Soon, though, the solo experience may be considerably more enjoyable.
For the unaware, a TL;DR explanation of the way Nightreign works is that instead of carefully exploring the world and slowly building up your character in exactly the way you want, you're instead given eight "Nightfarer" classes to pick from each match that have stat spreads and unique abilities conducive to specific playstyles (tanky Strength brawler, backline sorcery caster, and so on).
You're then tasked with quickly bouncing from location to location in a remixed version of Elden Ring's Limgrave map, defeating minibosses, earning randomized drops of gear and upgrades, and leveling up with accrued runes (experience) — all while a battle royale-style circle periodically creeps inwards and funnels you to an arena where you fight a major boss as night falls. This process happens twice before you're then transported to a final battle with a Nightlord boss.
Co-op plays a big role in the experience, as having two other players with you lets you clear out points of interest and take down bosses much faster. Teammates can also (comically) revive allies by hitting them, and most Nightfarer abilities synergize together in a variety of ways, too.
Nightreign scales down enemy and boss health in solo play, but at the moment, that's the only change made to balance the single-player experience. And even with that tweak, it's far more difficult to defeat minibosses and raze enemy camps on the map alone than it is with a squad. With nobody to revive you, going down once is also a guaranteed end to your 45-minute run in major boss fights as well.
For those reasons, playing Nightreign solo is honestly kind of terrible — at least right now. Something important to note, though, is that FromSoftware recently announced that improvements to the solo experience are coming next week, with the studio planning to implement two key changes in the Patch 1.02 update.
The first is a huge boon for solo play: one free self-revival in each of the major night bosses in an Expedition, including the ones you fight at the end of each in-game "day" and the Nightlord battle itself. This should make playing alone far more forgiving, as you'll be allowed to die once in each of these fights without your entire run slipping through your fingers.
Secondly, the amount of runes solo players get from slain enemies and bosses is also increasing, which should make it easier to level up enough for the tough battles at the tail end of your Expeditions.
I was hoping to see more time allotted for the exploration phase and a healing flask charge increase, too, but regardless, these are major changes that should make the solo experience a lot better than it is now. So while I'd stick to playing multiplayer at the moment, definitely give some one-man runs a shot after Patch 1.02 is out.
Elden Ring Nightreign is a bold new experimental spinoff from FromSoftware that spices up the original game's Soulsborne combat with a roguelike, co-op driven twist. Though it has sizable issues like only having one map or underwhelming enemy variety, it's nevertheless going to be one of this year's best Xbox games and best PC games for Souls fans craving action. It's $39.99, but you can get it for $33.99 at Newegg with the promo code XVSAVE (Xbox) or EPES3Z23 (PC).
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