Elden Ring: Nightreign is proving itself as a risky experiment more and more each day. New details have emerged about the upcoming title’s gameplay structure. The new FromSoftware game is going to have some strict or rather limited co-op rules despite being marketed as a co-op game. In Elden Ring: Nightreign, you either play solo or in co-op as a trio, nothing in between.
In an interview with IGN, Junya Ishizaki, Elden Ring: Nightreign game director, has stated that the game’s co-op mode will be limited to three players either with two other online friends or randoms. When asked whether a duo or pair option is available, Ishizaki explained with an adamant, “No, it’s either one-player or three-player.”
Sadly, randoms and strangers in a FromSoftware game can be wildcards, oftentimes, you get leeches or perhaps even griefers. That’s because Elden Ring: Nightreign will also scale its enemy difficulty and health pools based on the number of players. So you’ll want to ensure that the other two players aren’t being dead-weight (the same goes for you).
Hence, the only way to ensure reliable teammates in co-op would be to invite your friends who also play. Ishizaki further explained why FromSoftware made such a decision for the trio-only co-op mode:
“This was largely a game-balancing decision, rather than a game-design decision. So it came as development progressed. You know, we found that while we wanted each player to have that sense of accomplishment, that sense of rewarding co-op gameplay, this was like a sweet spot with three players in order for it not to feel too overwhelming or too busy.
It allowed each player to go off on their own potentially and cover a bit of the map but also to you know that final experience coming together, that was three players felt like the sweet spot eventually,” said Ishizaki.
Sadly, gamer couples will need to bring a third wheel to their Elden Ring: Nightreign date nights. It’s not going to be It Takes Two with swords and dragons.
Junya Ishizaki’s History with FromSoftware
It’s worth noting that Elden Ring: Nightreign would be Junya Ishizaki’s first time as a game director. Previously, he worked on FromSoftware as a Dark Souls and Bloodborne level designer.
Meanwhile, Ishizaki also worked on Dark Souls 3 and Elden Ring as the combat designer. You have to admit Ishizaki’s previous roles instill confidence that Elden Ring: Nightreign will have compelling and stylish combat.
Still, Ishizaki also stated that Elden Ring: Nightreign won’t have a lot of hand-holding mechanics just to usher in newer players. The Nightreign game designer trusts the skill levels of the players to adjust to the game. So you shouldn’t expect difficulty levels or assist features in Elden Ring: Nightreign, after all, the game only expects you to play in trio co-op.
