Elden Ring Nightreign, a spin-off action adventure set within the Elden Ring universe, launches on May 30.
We spoke with the game’s director, Junya Ishizaki, about what we can expect from FromSoftware’s upcoming co-op multiplayer.
Game design focused on compelling combat
PlayStation Blog: You have experience working on level and combat design for FromSoftware’s past titles. Was there anything you gave particular attention to when creating Nightreign? What were some of the challenges?
Junya Ishizaki: If I had to pick one aspect that we focused on the most, it would be combat. The game’s main goal is to defeat the Nightlord at the end of each night, and the elements that form the character builds and the world map are placed around the world to make the gameplay more compelling and to encourage players to be more strategic in their combat.
In terms of challenges, honestly, everything was a challenge (laughs). Especially when it came to making major changes to the game mechanics, we had to make sure the game was still viable and truly enjoyable. We could have changed the mechanics without putting much thought into it, but there was a risk that the game would become something completely different, even though it was part of the Elden Ring universe. Finding the perfect balance between something that felt fresh and new, while still feeling true to Elden Ring, was challenging.
What was the idea behind the unique revival system that allows you to rescue incapacitated teammates by attacking them?
Since we were using many existing assets from Elden Ring, we wanted to find ways to leverage them in interesting ways. As we were tossing around ideas, we realized that ‘attacking’ is the most consistent element of Nightreign’s gameplay. We tested to see if it would work for resuscitation, and we discovered a wide variety of tactics depending on range, frequency, and probability, so we formally implemented it. We also found it quite amusing (laughs).
After playing the network test, while I enjoyed building my characters, I also felt like the strategy aspect became a little repetitive. Can we expect more unpredictability that encourages players to be more tactical, in the final product?
Yes, we’re also pursuing that approach, so the same strategy won’t always work when fighting the bosses. Your initial strategy may be effective for a while, but the bosses will gradually evolve and your tactics will no longer be viable, forcing you to rethink your approach.
Also, in the final version of the game, you’ll be able to determine the weakness of each boss before heading out. So, if poison is effective against an upcoming boss, you may proactively search for and loot items that inflict poison more often in that run. Taking advantage of their susceptibility will give you an edge in the fights. We intentionally designed the game so that you’ll need to adapt and evolve your strategies along with the changes that happen in the game.
Fine-tuning the clarity and difficulty – adding buffs to Gladius, Beast of Night
Did you make any changes or adjustments to the game, following the results of the network test?
During the network test, some players found it difficult to understand what elements were visible on the map, and said it was hard to identify next steps or how to use some of the character movesets. To address these issues, we made some changes so that information was conveyed more clearly to players during gameplay.
We also received a lot of helpful feedback regarding the difficulty. We made some adjustments to strike a balance that makes the game challenging as you progress, but still manageable. Gladius, one of the Nightlords, will also receive some updates, so players have that to look forward to in the final game.
Eight playable characters derived from build and fantasy archetypes
Each playable character – or Nightfarer – in the game represents a different class. How did you decide on the eight characters and their unique abilities?
We mapped out what sort of characteristics we wanted our playable characters to embody, and ultimately landed on eight Nightfarers. There were two pillars that guided our thought process, and one of them was ‘build.’ In the Dark Souls series and Elden Ring, you can distribute your stats to create builds that use certain weapons or magic, and these are often labeled as Strength builds or Pure Magic builds. The other pillar was the idea of ‘fantasy archetypes.’ Swordsmen who fight on the front lines, those who protect you with their shields, wizards skilled in magic, and so on. We ruminated on how we can combine these two pillars to create playable characters that fit into the world of Nightreign. A character like a ‘macho wizard’ may exist if there were a hundred variations, but it’s a bit too eccentric when we only have a few playable characters (laughs). We simply created combinations of characters that felt most natural, and that ended up as the current eight Nightfarers.
Elden Ring Nightreign launches on PS5 and PS4 on May 30.
