Elden Ring Nightreign’s world design was inspired by Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away. Read on to learn more about FromSoftware’s thought process in the game’s design and what the latest patch addressed.
Elden Ring Nightreign Latest Updates
Not Too Different from Elden Ring
Elden Ring Nightreign’s Environmental Artist Saori Mizuno shared her thoughts on making the game feel familiar at first, then gradually changing the atmosphere. In an interview with IGN on May 29, she said that their goal was not to make Nightreign feel that much different from Elden Ring.
"One specific direction we did get early on was to create something that at first feels and looks familiar and gradually transforms into the unfamiliar and into the unknown," Mizuno stated. She mentioned Elden Ring’s gorgeous painterly-feel environment, but the team wanted Nightreign to feel, at a glance, beautiful, but hides something sinister as players look deeper.
Mizuno also revealed that one of the inspirations they had was from Studio Ghibli’s 2001 animated film, Spirited Away. The movie’s concept of being unable to go home and getting stuck in a dream is something they wanted to harness while designing the worlds.
"Even when designing Limveld, the initial environment on the first day, I wanted it to feel beautiful, like, from an outward glance, beautiful and inviting, but pretty quickly you feel like something’s off or something is not quite right," she said.
Peculiar Aspects Compared to Previous Titles
Nightreign Producer Yasuhiro Kitao took to Twitter (X) on May 30 to express his heartfelt gratitude to fans who tried their latest title. He stated, "Nightreign has some peculiar aspects to its game design and is different from our recent titles in various ways.
Nonetheless, many of you have bravely jumped into this world, and for that we're immensely grateful."
Kitao also noted its similarities to their previous titles, such as Demon’s Souls in 2009 and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice in 2019, where players were surprised by the changes and new mechanics they introduced. He said, "Once you overcome the initial hurdle, it'll surely provide a sense of accomplishment that's also its very own."
Single Player Mode-Exclusive Adjustments and More
Following their initial announcement on the upcoming improvements on the game, developer FromSoftware revealed the patch notes for their next update for Nightreign. In a Twitter (X) post on June 2, the developers announced that Patch 1.01.1 is now available.
The patch contains gameplay and stability improvements, as well as bug fixes with a focus on solo expeditions. As previously reported, solo runs will now feature "Automatic Revival Upon Defeat" and will increase the amount of runes obtained.
There will also be an increase in the amount of high-rarity Relics to get as rewards on Day 3 of expeditions, and a higher probability of obtaining high-rarity Relics from Scenic Flat stones purchased at the Small Jar Bazaar.
A plethora of bug fixes will be introduced, such as the "Ghostflame Ignition" attack not occurring under certain times, some attacks of Raider with Greataxe and Great Hammer weapon types had higher damage than intended, some Passive effects not displaying their effects at correct values, and much more.
Additionally, PC players on Steam will have exclusive fixes with the "Climb Up" action not functioning well for keyboard and gamepad, and some graphics not rendering well in "Low" settings.
With the patch’s focus on improving solo expeditions, many hope that this update will make solo runs more doable and enjoyable. However, fans still want to see some changes with the game’s multiplayer aspects, such as better teammate visibility and the inclusion of voice chat.
Time will tell whether FromSoftware will adhere to these requests, but their prompt response in making the solo experience better is a good sign for future updates. Regardless, fans are enjoying FromSoftware’s jab at a multiplayer-focused Souls game, which has "Mostly Positive" reviews on Steam.
Here at Game8, we gave Elden Ring Nightreign an 84 out of 100 for its unique twist of bringing FromSoftware’s savage Soulsborne grit into a whirlwind of multiplayer chaos that keeps you playing round after round. Despite some chinks in its co-op and solo runs, though still fun, tip into wild imbalance—leaving you bruised, battered, and beyond tarnished. To know more about our thoughts on the game, check out this article!
3.5 Million Players in 5 Days
Nightreign has achieved another milestone as FromSoftware announced on Twitter (X) on June 3 that the game has reached over 3.5 million players in just 5 days of its release. The developers also said that "the Night is far from over" as they plan to deliver more exciting updates this year.
The post reads, "In addition to the DLC releasing later this year, new additions will be gradually implemented, including enhanced fights against existing Nightlords starting this month, as well as Duo Expeditions at a later date."
FromSoftware has yet to reveal anything regarding the game’s upcoming DLC, but has discussed the possibility of Duo Expeditions in future updates. There are no official announcements on when these features will come to the game.
Despite Nightreign being multiplayer-focused compared to other FromSoftware titles, the developers aim to keep the same allure and vibe that fans have known them for. Elden Ring: Nightreign is now available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below!
Source:
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN – Patch Notes Version 1.01.1
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN Steam page
Elden Ring Nightreign Producer Twitter (X) post on Thanking Fans for their Support
Elden Ring Nightreign Artist Speaks on Imbuing Day 3 with ‘Finality’ - IGN First
