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The highly anticipated Elden Ring spinoff has just been released, but the reception is mixed at best. FromSoftware faces some serious feedback from the fans, with many blaming the lack of some core co-op features from Elden Ring: Nightreign.
Elden Ring: Nightreign is the new release from FromSoftware. It is not a DLC for Elden Ring, but rather a sort of spinoff, where you team up in teams of three and try to survive for two nights. Sounds pretty sweet, and the fans were all excited for some co-op action. Knowing how successful Elden Ring and its DLC were, we were all optimistic about this one. Unfortunately, it looks like FromSoftware made some critical errors.
Elden Ring Nightreign Starts With Mixed Reviews – The Lack of Core Co-op Features Turned Out to Be a Huge Problem
Games like Elden Ring are pretty ruthless and require a bit of skill. When you have a couple of people next to you, coordinating your actions is basically essential for success. Unless you are playing with some friends in the same room, that requires some form of in-game communication. Surprisingly enough, it is just what Elden Ring: Nightreign lacks. There is no in-game voice chat option, meaning that you have to rely on third-party apps (if your platform supports those), which can be tricky if you are playing with “randoms”. And that leads to the other problem.
Besides lacking in-game voice options, Nightreign also lacks the option to play as a Duo, meaning only you and one friend. As it stands, you can only play it completely solo or with two other people. If you team up with a friend, the game will automatically match you with a third player, meaning that there is no option for you and your mate to play by yourselves. And, as a cherry on top, there is still no crossplay, meaning that you can’t play with friends on different platforms.
Fans Are Far From Happy About It
For a game that is co-op multiplayer-focused, there are all serious oversights, and the fans are all pretty dumbfounded by it all. Many say it is FromSoftware’s outdated view on games that is to blame. “Almost without fail it’s complaining about a severe lack of communication options in a co-op game, and no ability to play duos.” said Paul Tassi on X, and “Lack of crossplay, in-game voice chat, and other contextual communication options are huge misses for a multiplayer-centric game. Japan struggles to keep up with standards set by Western games when it comes to online or multiplayer. Look how janky MP is with Monster Hunter [Wilds]” added Gemini Jack.
These are just a couple of many comments along the same lines. However, some say that the game is intended as a Rogue-like through and through, so we only have our expectations to blame. In any case, we can’t deny that the reviews for the game aren’t stellar, so hopefully, FromSoftware will do something about all of this very soon.