Nightreign’s Roguelike Elements Don’t Hit

For the last decade or so, FromSoftware has predominantly stuck to using the same action-RPG formula, albeit with a few additions and innovations coming with each new entry. Elden Ring shook up this formula pretty significantly with its switch to a grand open world, and now Elden Ring Nightreign is here to flip all fan expectations on their head.

A three-player co-op roguelike game, Elden Ring Nightreign is unlike anything FromSoftware has ever made before. It’s only natural, then, that a few of Nightreign‘s experimental features don’t hit as hard as they should. Elden Ring Nightreign‘s meta progression is the perfect example of one these features that doesn’t quite stick the landing.

Elden Ring Nightreign Launch Trailer Duchess Wylder Guardian

All Remembrance Quests In Elden Ring Nightreign

Here’s a basic rundown of every available Remembrance quest for all characters in Elden Ring Nightreign.

Elden Ring Nightreign’s Relics are a Mixed Bag

Meta progression is a vital component of any good roguelike. It’s what incentivizes the player to persevere through the roguelike’s many challenges, and keep going back to the fray run after run, as each time they’re given permanent upgrades to help them in the next one. Elden Ring Nightreign‘s meta progression revolves around its Relic system.

Upon completing a run of Elden Ring Nightreign, players are given a handful of Relics. The number of Relics given to the player is determined by how far they progressed during the run, with the defeat of a Night Lord granting them the maximum number. Each of Nightreign‘s playable Nightfarers can equip a total of three Relics at once, each filling a color-coordinated slot.

Some of Elden Ring Nightreign‘s Relics can be incredibly useful. Some can grant players sizable stat boosts. Some can grant special effects, such as imbuing the player’s starting weapon with fire. And the best of Nightreign‘s Relics offer both types of rewards at the same time.

But due to the random nature of Elden Ring Nightreign‘s loot pool, players can just as easily be presented with an assortment of worthless Relics. Players could be presented with mostly Relics suited towards Nightfarers they don’t play as, or only be presented with Relics holding a common rarity, which are rarely worth equipping at all. When players are presented with a bevy of lackluster Relics following a lengthy run, it’s hard not to feel deflated.

By completing each Nightfarer’s Remembrance mission, players are able to unlock a powerful Relic that’s unique to that specific class. These Relics can offer major class-specific improvements, such as allowing Wylder to follow up his Claw Shot ability with a fire-imbued strike. But, ironically, these Relics essentially overwrite any of the ones players might receive after completing a run, thus limiting the game’s meta incentives even further.

There Are No Other Forms of Meta Progression in Elden Ring Nightreign

Most modern roguelikes feature at least a handful of different forms of meta progression. Hades 2, for example, features upgradable Weapon Aspects, unlockable Arcana Cards, Keepsakes, Prophecy missions that reward players with useful materials, and Incantations that unlock a variety of in-game features. This means that players always have at least one reward they’re striving for.

Elden Ring Nightreign only has its Relics. Though players can be awarded leftover Runes at the end of a run, these are primarily used to unlock new gestures and other cosmetics for their Nightfarers.