You really don’t need us to tell you that a new Jeff Minter game is coming. You know a Jeff Minter game when you see a Jeff Minter game. That said, yes, a new Jeff Minter game is coming.
I, Robot is a new psychedelic reimagining of the 1984 arcade classic of the same name, with Llamasoft and Atari partnering up once again after their previous efforts on Akka Arrh and Tempest 4000. Due for launch in Spring 2025, it’ll be gracing the Nintendo Switch as a digital download (though given Atari’s strong history with physical releases, we can probably expect a boxed version later down the line – make sure your wishes are heard!).
Elden Ring Nightreign: Answering 20 Burning Questions
Will Tuttle, Editor in Chief, Microsoft Game Dev
When it was announced a few months ago at The Video Game Awards, FromSoftware’s Elden Ring Nightreignimmediately set the internet aflame with burning questions about what sort of experience it would offer. The trailer showed off plenty of Elden Ring-style action that we know and love, as well as some surprising cameos from bosses featured in other FromSoftware titles. Still, a lot of fans still had plenty of questions. Now, I’m able to help answer some of them.
Ahead of this weekend’s Closed Network Test on Xbox Series X|S, I had a chance to spend a couple of hours playing Elden Ring Nightreign and I can safely say that this is a wholly unique experience, one that seamlessly blends a surprising variety of gameplay mechanics, while remaining true to the core FromSoftware style. Directed by Junya Ishizaki, Battle Director on Elden Ring, Nightreign is sure to delight new and old fans alike when it releases on May 30, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S.
So, without further ado, let’s dive in and start answering some of the questions that I (and many other fans) had going in.
Is Elden Ring Nightreign a sequel to Elden Ring, an expansion, or something completely different?
It’s something completely different! While there’s clearly plenty of overlap with the beloved 2021 action/RPG hybrid (I mean, Elden Ring is right there in the name), Nightreign does not continue Elden Ring’s story and won’t feature any of the same characters or locations. The best way to describe it is that it’s a parallel experience, simultaneously feeling familiar and completely new.
What sort of game is Nightreign?
Hooooo boy, here’s where things get interesting. Officially, Nightreign is a “session-based RPG” that will be different every time you play it. But it’s not an RPG in the traditional sense of the term. You won’t create a character and build up that character’s stats, there aren’t dialogue trees or anything, and there really isn’t much of a narrative outside some general character and world lore. It’s truly a unique animal that borrows gameplay mechanics from a wide variety of genres, including hero shooters, battle royales, and, yes, RPGs.
OK, so it’s an RPG but it’s not an RPG? I’m already confused.
That’s alright, it’s a lot to take in! I’ll admit that it took me a little time to wrap my head around it. Here’s the gist of the core gameplay loop: You and two other players (it’s always a three-person game and you can’t play solo) are dropped onto a map called Limveld, where you’ll need to survive for three days against the forces of night, leveling up your character and finding better and better loot. Your ultimate goal is to be powerful enough to take on bosses that you encounter.
FromSoftware bosses? Now we’re talking!
Exactly. At the end of every day, you’ll battle a boss that will reward you with loot that will (presumably) make it easier to survive. At the end of the third night, you’ll face off against a Nightlord. Beat that boss to earn semi-permanent character boosts (more on those later). One of the coolest things about Nightreign is that it features bosses from several FromSoftware’s games, including Elden Ring (including Margit and Demi-Human Queen) and the Dark Souls series (hello, Nameless King!). If you’re a fan of From’s boss fights, you’ll be in heaven.
Are there bosses from any of FromSoftware’s other game?
Unfortunately, From has only confirmed bosses from the Dark Souls games and Elden Ring, but I think we’re all really hoping to see some bosses from Sekiro and maybe another game that isn’t on Xbox (I think you know which one). I will say that I feel confident that we won’t see any bosses from the Armored Core series.
So, if you’re not making your own character, who are you playing as?
Before each session, players will choose a Nightfarer, each of which has their own abilities and own set of skills. Each Nightfarer also has an ultimate power that could be categorized as damage, defense, or utility. Figuring out how ultimates work together and timing them is one of the most rewarding parts of the game. What’s more, players can choose to be three different Nightfarers or go with two or even three of the same ones. As you might imagine, there are benefits and drawbacks to each, so it pays to work together and communicate.
What sort of character types did you play with?
While there will be eight different Nightfarers in the final game when it releases in May, the network test will feature three:
Wylder, whose well-balanced abilities and straightforward playstyle make him the most accessible Nightfarer for new players.
Guardian, an eagle-headed warrior that’s a defensive specialist and can knock enemies back and deploy a barrier.
Recluse, a highly skilled magic user that is the most challenging to use but by far the most rewarding once you get good.
Wylder and Guardian will feel familiar to Elden Ring and Souls fan, especially because they use weapons and shields. Recluse on the other hand, breaks the mold set by magic-wielding characters in those games.
So, Recluse can’t just cast spells and refill her FP whenever it gets low?
See, that’s where things get interesting. While Recluse can indeed cast spells and launch magic attacks, refilling your FP isn’t that easy. Rather than simply popping a potion, you’ll need to collect attribute marks from enemies that appear whenever they are hit with magic, fire, lightning, or holy attacks. Once you collect four marks, you can unleash a powerful attack that’s different depending on the types of marks. She can also use the “Song of the Blood Soul” ultimate to mark enemies, allowing her squad mates to recover HP and FP by attacking. I can see high-level Recluse players being a hot commodity since she can make the whole team better.
So how does an average match start?
Before you even dive into a session, you’ll find yourself hanging out in the Roundtable Hold, which has gotten some renovations since last we saw it. The biggest addition is a sparring area featuring dummies you can practice on. You’ll be able to change a variety of parameters like your character level, amount of stamina, damage dealt, etc. It’s a nice way to practice outside of a session. Anyway, once you’re ready to dive in, you’ll launch an expedition and be placed into matchmaking. After the game has found you two other players, you’ll each be given 10 seconds to choose your Nightfarer. From there, you’ll be deployed into Limveld.
Deployed? What does that even mean?
Here’s where some of those borrowed gameplay mechanics I mentioned above come into play: as you might recognize from games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and PUBG, the beginning of every Nightreign session sees the player swooping and gliding over the map while holding onto the talons of a giant Spectral Hawk. While in air, you and your teammates can drop pins to decide where to go. It’s not required but trust me when I say that you should stick together.
Alright, so once you’re on the ground, what’s next?
After you and the squad have landed, it’s time to start what From is calling the “field exploration” phase, in which you’ll run around the map killing enemies, looting chests, and smashing every box in sight. Not only can you find gear that will give you a better chance of survival, but defeating enemies will give you and your team runes that can be used to level up.
Wait, level up? I thought you said this wasn’t an RPG?
No, I said it’s not a traditional RPG. Yes, as you make your way around the map, you’ll gain experience that can then be used at a Site of Grace to level your character up. You won’t put points into strength or intelligence or any of that, you’ll simple move from level 1 to 2 to 3 and so on. This will, among other things, dictate how much damage you do and how much damage you can take. It always pays to level up whenever you are able, since it seems like there’s a pretty noticeable difference between levels. For instance, fighting the first night’s boss at level 1 is close to impossible, but fighting it at level 6 is fairly easy.
So why can’t you just level up a bunch of times to make it trivial?
See, that is where the real fun comes in. As you’re exploring the map, leveling up and finding new gear, there’s a Circle of Flame closing around you (yes, like Fortnite, PUBG, and Apex Legends). If you’re outside of the circle, you’re constantly taking damage, so it’s always pays to be aware of where it is. As the day progresses and the circle becomes smaller, you’ll be able to tell where the center of it is. At that center is the night’s boss that you need to defeat to move on to the next day. You’ll need to move around the map quite quickly if you want to stay safe.
Just how large is the map and how hard is it to get around? Can you just call your trusty steed like in Elden Ring?
The map is big, but not nearly as big as Elden Ring’s full map. My gut feeling is that it’s probably close to the same size as two of Elden Ring’s regions combined. Sadly, Torrent does not make an appearance in Nightreign, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of options when it comes to navigating the environment. First off, you can now break into a full sprint by clicking the analog stick while dashing, and I was surprised at just how fast you can move. There are also some new parkour-like traversal options, including mantling and wall jumps, allowing you to make your way up cliffsides (bonus: no fall damage!) relatively quickly. There are also some spots where you can launch yourself up into the air with a Spiritspring and glide down on your Spectral Hawk. The speed at which I was able to traverse the world was a surprising amount of fun.
What is there to do in the world beside sprinting around and killing enemies?
A lot! You’ll want to take the time (but not too much time) to explore, as you can increase the number of health flask charges at churches, take part in battles in which you need to take out every enemy in a camp for a good reward, and even deal with dynamic events that guarantee no two matches will be the same. In one of my sessions, I had to deal with a dozen large ants erupting from the ground during the middle of a mini boss fight which, as you might imagine, did not go well.
Will you run into tougher enemies out in the field or is that reserved for the boss fight?
Oh yes, you’ll definitely come into contact with plenty of mini bosses. During my runs, I saw Godskin Nobles, Golems, Depraved Perfumers, and many more. In addition to providing a bunch of runes to level up with, these mini bosses also drop better gear than regular enemies. The one catch here is that you’ll be forced to choose between a couple of options, each with its strengths and weaknesses.
Why wouldn’t you just take the most powerful weapon?
While the amount of damage you can output is certainly something you want to consider, it’s the passive bonuses that often make more of a difference. You see, when you equip a weapon, you gain a passive bonus regardless of whether you’re using it. So, for example, that low level greatsword might not do much damage, but it’ll add lightning to the attacks you perform with your higher-level broadsword. There’s a bit of give and take you’ll need to contend with, but that’s part of the experience. Also part of the experience: dying.
Ah yes, the good old “You Died” screen. Do you leave the game when you die as in Elden Ring multiplayer?
Not only do you not leave the game, but the method of reviving also adds a fun little twist to combat. You see, if you fall in battle, you won’t die but will enter a critical state in which you can still crawl around while begging your teammates for help. If they’re able to get to you before you die, they’ll be able to revive you by… attacking you! Yes, you read that correctly. When you rush to a downed ally, just spam the attack button to bring them back to life. The one wrinkle to all of this is that it’ll take longer to revive them if your attacks are weaker, and it’ll take longer to revive them if they’ve been felled before. This led to some wonderfully hectic moments during boss fights, as you’ll be attacking the boss and reviving your teammate at the same time. Madness!
OK, so let’s say I make it to the end of the night and take down the boss. What’s my reward?
Remember when I mentioned above that there are semi-permanent character boosts? This is where those come into play. When defeating bosses each night and the Night Lord at the end of the three-night cycle, you’ll get a relic which you can apply to your character before heading into battle. Relics come in red, yellow, and green, and each character has a certain number of slots corresponding with those color. One might have two reds and a green or one of each color. Each of these relics provides a power-up that you’ll have for the entire session and all future sessions, and you can swap them out as you see fit. It’s a neat system and it feels like it will lead to some powerful combinations once people get their hands on Nightreign.
Alright, I’m sold. When can I start playing Elden Ring Nightreign?
Pre-order now and get the following bonus content:
– Bonus Gesture
This is a Gesture that can be used in-game.
*The player can also obtain this later in the game.
The Deluxe Edition Includes:
• ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN
• Additional DLC
– Additional playable characters and bosses
• Digital Artbook & Mini Soundtrack
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN is a standalone adventure within the ELDEN RING universe, crafted to offer players a new gaming experience by reimagining the game’s core design.
RISE TOGETHER
Join forces with other players to take on the creeping night and the dangers within featuring 3-player co-op.
BECOME A HERO
Take command of uniquely skilled heroes, each possessing their own abilities and distinct flair. While individually formidable, their skills create powerful synergies when they unite as a team.
TAKE ON THE NIGHT
Overcome a relentless environmental threat that sweeps through a land that changes between each game session and defeat the magnificent boss of that night!
*There is also a Standard Edition product available. Please be careful not to purchase the same content twice.
*Additional DLC will be available by Q4 2025.
Pre-order now and get the following bonus content:
– Bonus Gesture
This is a Gesture that can be used in-game.
*The player can also obtain this later in the game.
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN is a standalone adventure within the ELDEN RING universe, crafted to offer players a new gaming experience by reimagining the game’s core design.
RISE TOGETHER
Join forces with other players to take on the creeping night and the dangers within featuring 3-player co-op.
BECOME A HERO
Take command of uniquely skilled heroes, each possessing their own abilities and distinct flair. While individually formidable, their skills create powerful synergies when they unite as a team.
TAKE ON THE NIGHT
Overcome a relentless environmental threat that sweeps through a land that changes between each game session and defeat the magnificent boss of that night!
*There is also a Deluxe Edition product available. Please be careful not to purchase the same content twice.
Elden Ring Nightreign, a new co-op adventure set within the Elden Ring universe, comes to PS5 and PS4 on May 30. Elden Ring Nightreign is an all-new standalone adventure by FromSoftware that thrusts players into co-op multiplayer PvE combat to take on the creeping night and the dangers within.
We recently got the chance to participate in the upcoming network test* ahead of its public release on February 14, so read on for our first impressions of our journey into the perilous realm of Limveld.
*The network test is based on a build still under development. Various elements of the game, such as specs, names, and parameters, may differ from the final product.
Experience fast-paced gameplay that encapsulates the best elements of RPGs
Elden Ring was mainly a single player experience, allowing you to explore at your own pace. Take your time, and, provided you’ve tucked yourself away in a safe location, you’re able to put the controller down to leave your room.
By contrast, Elden Ring Nightreign’s focus on three-player co-op survival action means you must always be alert and aware of your squad’s movements, regardless of whether you’re working together or strike out to explore separately.
This is because of Nightreign’s Night’s Tide mechanic, which steadily contracts your explorable play area over time, with every session concluding with you coming face to face with a powerful boss. It is crucial then to strengthen and upgrade your characters and party by nightfall to prepare for the boss fight, so you’ll need to get used to the fast-paced gameplay and split-second decision-making.
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Upgraded movesets to match intense co-op gameplay
While the basic move sets of Elden Ring Nightreign are akin to Elden Ring, Nightreign introduces new actions and movements. Examples include wall jumping and traversing the air by holding onto Spectral Hawks. You also won’t take any fall damage no matter how far you fall or jump.
Furthermore, you can sprint by holding down L3, in addition to the regular dash. The sprint is comparable in speed to Torrent, the spectral steed from Elden Ring. It almost felt like I was speed-running the game when I was wall-jumping and lunging off cliffs without worrying about fall damage. Overall, the game delivers a fresh new experience reminiscent of the original Elden Ring, while feeling unique.
Attack your fellow Nightfarers to revive them
If you are near death during battle, your teammates can rescue you by attacking you. You can also lock-on to a downed player, so you can rescue them from a safe distance with a long-range attack. A rescue is complete when the dying player’s meter is reduced. If a player goes down repeatedly, the meter will get longer, making it harder to complete the rescue. During the day, if players aren’t rescued in time, they die and respawn afterward. At night, players do not die. Instead, they remain incapacitated/”near death” until they are rescued.The meter resets when you visit a Site of Grace. The sting of death hits differently in Elden Ring Nightreign compared to the original game, as it means you’ll be putting your co-op partners at risk.
Challenging foes make for satisfying battles and triumphs
While there are a number of differences between Elden Ring and Elden Ring Nightreign, the palpable sense of accomplishment that comes from overcoming a boss is still potent. The game is undeniably challenging, like Dark Souls and Elden Ring, but learning from trial and error will help you progress through each challenge.
We failed the first four of our five attempted runs. After each loss, we ventured out further to explore more of the map, and spent time strategizing and studying the bosses’ moves until we finally managed to take it down in the final session. One run (a three day-and-night cycle) takes about 35-40 minutes to complete, and we were able to complete five runs during our four-hour hands-on, and we defeated the Nightlord on the third day of our final session. I couldn’t help myself from doing a small fist pump when it was over.
The thrill of joining forces to overcome challenges
It took some time to get the hang of co-op, but rescuing a near-death teammate is an easy way to contribute to the team, and you can help strengthen other players by offering them a weapon you acquired if it is better suited for them. Though each Nightfarer can venture out on their own, exploring and facing challenges is best as a team.
My team found success when we dropped pins on the map to make sure we were all headed towards the same direction, tackled major overworld enemies together, and made sure to upgrade our flasks at the churches. This strategy set us up for a better Nightlord fight on the third day. As we progressed, my squad mates got a better hang of their characters so they could leverage their unique abilities and Ultimates more effectively. I enjoyed the sense of solidarity that came from working as a team, and that feeling is one of the best parts about playing a co-op game.
Elden Ring Nightreign launches May 30 on PS5 and PS4.
Elden Ring Nightreign is not a battle royale. Not that you ever thought it was, but as a former battle royale enjoyer, I can’t help but compare the white-knuckle moments I get when the Storm closes in on me in those last gripping moments of a half-hour-long session of a Fortnite match to the nail-biting bits where I’m desperately trying to outrun the encroaching circle and make it to a life-saving site of grace in Nightreign. PVP elements are completely absent in Nightreign, though not missed one bit. Still, you’ll drop onto a map with a squad, start from nothing, and spend your time ransacking the map to hopefully power yourself up for a final battle.
From the risk-reward moments of looting a church for one more flask charges as the circle closes in, to the wave of sadness you feel when experiencing a devastating loss after taking so much time building yourself up – it’s hard not to see the battle royale influences. But after four hours of playing the upcoming Stress Test build, I’m ecstatic to report that Nightreign will probably not tarnish the Elden Ring name.
Nightreign will probably not tarnish the Elden Ring name.
When beginning a match, you’ll be given a choice to pick one of four available classes, though there will be a total of eight when Nightreign launches. The current options will be the all-arounder Wylder, the speedy glass-cannon Duchess, the tanky Guardian, and the magic-wielding Recluse. Each class has its own strengths and weaknesses, of course, but in my time with this build, I found that the most fun class to play was the Duchess, thanks to her powerful abilities and swift and nimble dodges. I also spent some time with the Recluse, which was incredibly powerful, but ran out of FP quite often, and with no FP flasks (they aren’t in this Elden Ring), she’ll definitely be one of the harder classes to play effectively.
Each class comes equipped with a leveling path which I’ll talk about more in a moment, but more importantly, they all have a unique skill and ultimate abilities. The Duchess, for example, has an incredibly powerful skill that repeats the last 1.5 seconds of damage an enemy has just taken, and it has a short cooldown to boot. And it’s not just your damage, it’s everyone’s damage. So while you’re flipping around the battlefield landing attacks, you’re also waiting for huge health spikes to try and capitalize on doubling that damage. It’s great stuff.
Other skills also match the class’ predetermined role. The Wylder can do a blast attack to try and land big damage, the Guardian can create a large shield, both negating damage and reviving fallen allies, while the Recluse can curse an enemy, granting all attackers HP and FP bonuses. So while players can double up classes in a run, it’s always a good idea to talk about team strengths and weaknesses to diversify your group.
When starting completely fresh, players will find themselves in Nightreign’s Roundtable Hold. After matchmaking with two other random players or using a multiplayer password to play directly with your friends, a small cutscene will play, and everyone will soar over Limveil (not Limgrave) before landing and beginning their run.
A full run of Nightreign lasts around 30-45 minutes, depending on how fast you take down the ending bosses.
A full run of Nightreign lasts around 30-45 minutes, depending on how fast you take down the ending bosses. While it’s presented as a three-day cycle, it really boils down to five separate phases – day one, night one, day two, night two, and the final boss. When day one begins, the map is fully open, and that’s when you’ll begin exploring and leveling up. Every round begins with players at level one with basic starting gear, save for relics that you’re rewarded with at the end of every round that grant you persistent buffs between matches, with better relics being offered for better performances. When you land, my team always beelined for the first enemy camp we could find to get a quick boost of experience to begin leveling up, which was key to defeating stronger does. From there, you’ll then decide what your team wants to do by looking at the surrounding area on your map, as it will be littered with points of interest for you to explore.
Each point of interest typically comes with predictable rewards: Churches will house a flask charge to increase your overall health potion uses; Castles will feature a mini-boss that drops more powerful gear; and Rises, similar to Ranni’s Rise found in the Lands Between, will present a simple puzzle to solve before entering to find even more gear; just to name a few of many. Where to go in Limveil feels overwhelming at first, but the threat of the ever-closing circle will eventually train your brain to keep on the move.
Speed is the name of the game during the day cycle, and luckily, everything seems to be built around that. For starters, leveling up is as quick as a button press. As I mentioned, each of the four network test classes has a predetermined stat upgrade path. So when you run up to a Site of Grace to refill your health, FP, and flask charges, you’ll also be presented with the leveling menu, which only requires you to press Confirm to increase your level. Heck, you might even have enough runes to level up three or four times, and with three or four button presses, you’re all done and substantially more powerful.
If you have experience in Souls games, the day phases should be a breeze. While searching the map for loot upgrades, I ran into recognizable Elden Ring mobs. My team and I decided to take down a camp, but first, we had to fight three scattered fire chariots before getting our loot reward. Another time, we climbed to the top of a castle to fight a Godskin Noble boss. That should be scary, but with two other Tarnished by your side, these mobs and bosses go down pretty fast.
Moving around is way faster than in the original Elden Ring.
Moving around is also way faster than in the original Elden Ring. You won’t be clawing the controller anymore, since sprinting is moved from Circle (or B) to simply clicking the left stick. Sprinting is also about twice as fast as regular Elden Ring. Fall damage? Nope, none here. Getting down a cliff is easy, and you can even run up walls parkour-style or use Spiritsprings to get around.
Besides just rune hunting to raise your level, you’ll also be trying to build a character to take on the night bosses. There is no armor (save for shields) in Nightreign, only six weapon slots and two amulet slots. How it works is: in typical Elden Ring fashion, you can switch between your left- and right-handed weapons and shields on the fly, but everything on your person will give you buffs. For example, let’s say you found a Reduvia Dagger with high bleed; if you so choose, this could be the start of a bleed build. Now let’s say you take down a boss, and you’re presented with a few other weapons to choose from, and you spot a spear that increases your status effect build-ups. You’re not going to use that spear, as you’ll want to stick with your dagger, but you’ll still benefit from the status effect build-up the spear provides just by having it on you. Think of it almost like a roguelike – sometimes the synergy of weapon effects and stat upgrades you’ll get will build off each other so well that you’ll eventually start melting mobs left and right. Other times you’ll want something like a poison build, only to keep getting weapons that increase your FP regeneration. Bummer.
Weapons aren’t the only rewards either. Oftentimes when looting a boss, you’ll get to choose a stat upgrade or modifier. Some of these are less exciting than others, such as a 10% increase in physical damage. Useful, yes, but exciting, not so much. Other times you’ll get something really cool like a passive power-up that drops a big, poise-breaking lightning strike every time you dodge. Or an enemy-slowing frost nova every time you begin to sprint. You can work these into your build for powerful combinations.
While the day phases can feel like a walk in the park, it’s the night bosses that serve as a real skill check. After the circle has closed enough to end a day phase, a minor Erdtree will appear, signaling that it’s time to take on the night boss. Over the hours I played, my team ranged from completely decimating the night-one boss to barely scraping by. If someone goes down, you’ll revive that person by simply attacking their downed body, with ever-increasing attacks needed the more often they drop. Regardless, the way the night one ends will usually inform you how the rest of the run could go. I’ve seen teams come back from barely scraping by the night-one boss, but if that boss was tough, you’re likely behind in your leveling and you’ll have an uphill battle ahead of you to have a chance against night two.
While the day phases can feel like a walk in the park, it’s the night bosses that serve as a real skill check.
Day two begins the same way day one did. You’ll once again have the full map to explore to level and find better equipment. Occasionally, you’ll be invaded by a random Margit, The Fell Omen who will chase you until he dies or he wipes your party. If your team wipes during the day, you’ll drop your runes and respawn at the nearest Site of Grace. You can recover your runes, but the main thing lost here is time – which was wasted fighting an enemy you didn’t get a reward from and wasted having to recover your lost runes. If your team wipes during a night boss, it’s game over, and you’ll need to begin a new run.
By the time night two rears its ugly head, it’ll be time for the final skill check. During our playtest, we were met with two different night bosses. You’ll either be faced with The Centipede Demon, who is tough but feels somewhat manageable or three Sentinel Knights that really, really suck. Not only are they just plain difficult to take down, but they require extreme coordination with your team to make sure you’re all focused on firing on one of them. Things begin to get easier as they each go down, but it’s a battle of attrition. Eventually, you’ll all run out of flasks and will be left trying to revive teammates who become increasingly more difficult to pick up. In my six or seven full runs of Nightreign, my team was only able to get past night two just once.
Finally, day three is incredibly straightforward – there isn’t one. Instead, you’ll be able to spend your last bit of runes either leveling up or buying consumable items from a vendor, and then you and your team will take on the final boss of the run.
As I mentioned before, depending on how far you got on your run, each player will be rewarded with a relic that provides a persistent upgrade for your characters. These can range from simple stat increases to modifiers that will set you on a build path right from the jump. For our test, this seems to be the only meaningful progression Nightreign has to offer, though I imagine the full game may have more in store for us.
Elden Ring Nightreign is a lot of fun. Pulling off victories by the skin of your teeth provides the same sense of accomplishment you’ve felt when taking down some of Elden Ring’s toughest bosses. The moment a round ended, I couldn’t wait to jump back in to see what kind of build I’d get the next time around. And the cheer my team let out when finally taking down that blasted day three boss reminds me why I love the souls-like genre so much. In its current form, Nightreign could be seen as a little content-lite, so I’m incredibly interested to see how it shakes out when it releases sometime in 2025. But for now, it’s been a few days since I’ve played Nightreign, and still, it’s all I think about. I absolutely cannot wait to jump back in for more.
Well, this is nice. Remedy’s exceptionally good horror game Alan Wake 2 is finally making royalties for the studio for the first time since its release in late 2023, after shifting over 2 million copies. The jubilant news comes from Remedy latest financial report, as spotted by VG247.
As of September last year, the musical-with-guns had “recouped most of its development and marketing expenses”, but still wasn’t quite in the green. Since then, they’ve released both The Lake House expansion and physical console editions, which appear to have done the trick. “October saw particularly high activity around Alan Wake 2,” says the report.
Over 70 years have passed since the events of Killing Floor 2, and the Horzine Corporation continues finding new ways to make our lives miserable. Few things are worse than the relentless pursuit of Zeds, especially now they’ve been augmented into something worse, yet Killing Floor 3 refines the existing formula to deliver a significant leap over its predecessor. What’s here so far feels flashier, stylish, and it’s shaping up to be a bloody good time.
Going hands-on before next week’s closed beta test, I was joined by fellow critics and Tripwire’s staff for some intense co-op matches. The Stronghold leaves a good first impression as your new base, letting you access facilities while exploring. It’s a more immersive approach that doesn’t place everything behind menus, though that remains an option for quick convenience. Once you’re ready, choose your location and prepare to head out.
Survival remains your main goal, and the six specialists provide an appealing range of play styles to suit different tastes. Blasting through Zeds with a shotgun as the Engineer feels great, as does slicing them into finer pieces as the Ninja. I personally prefer giving Zeds a quick cremation with Firebug, each character has compelling perks and versatile loadouts at the start.
Blasting through Zeds with a shotgun as the Engineer feels great, as does slicing them into finer pieces as the Ninja.
Killing Floor 3 offers great evolutionary changes over Killing Floor 2, though it doesn’t change the fact that defeating zombie waves is an idea done to the absolute death. You’re still clearing through waves as they appear across a series of well-designed expansive maps, while stocking up on goods between missions from trading stations feels cleaner and more streamlined. The core idea remains intact while boasting significantly improved visuals, boosted further by welcome user interface changes.
Tripwire’s brought back the Massive Evisceration and Trauma system, or M.E.A.T., for added visual flair to these enjoyably brutal kills. Special abilities are useful in a pinch when Zeds suddenly surround you, though a lengthy cooldown means you can’t rely on this too heavily. Dismembering heads and limbs alike soon becomes utter carnage with the suitably excessive blood splatter as you tear down these well varied enemies. Grotesque acid spewing Bloats still haunt these maps, Sirens are terrifying screamers, and who on earth thinks to give these cursed creatures a chainsaw?
I’m also enjoying how Killing Floor 3 implements its light narrative through assignment challenges, something Tripwire aims to use for an evolving story. You can safely ignore these if all you want is plow through more hordes, yet giving you optional criteria to hit during a mission provides that little extra for those who’d like it. Granted, the endless hordes can become relatively irritating as you try searching for particular parts, though it’s a welcome inclusion regardless.
I’m also pleased by the horde balancing depending on your team size; playing with a group of four or playing solo all feels adequately scaled. My big concern is that the action will become stale during longer sessions, so I’m pleased Tripwire’s introduced gameplay modifiers that kick in across rounds.Changing criteria like ensuring only crawlers try to attack you ensures these threats remain sufficiently varied.
There’s a lot I’ve yet to see, so I’m hesitant to make any definitive calls yet on Killing Floor 3. The launch game features seven maps, three difficulty modes, six specialists and different levels for customizing your character, and Tripwire plans post-launch similar to Killing Floor 2. So far, I’ve only tried three maps and half the specialists, while the store didn’t include finalized item pricing.
Still, it’s a promising start. Plowing through Zed hordes is nothing particularly new, yet Killing Floor 3 feels like it’s doing enough to compellingly refresh this familiar format. Whether it can maintain that momentum long-term is another matter, but I’m ready for more when Killing Floor 3 launches on March 25 for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5. The closed beta kicks off next week from February 20 to February 24.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 lets players act how they like in the medieval open world but not without consequences, and it turns out being an absolute arse all the time unlocks a secret, utterly dire ending.
Warning! Spoilers for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 follow:
GamesRadar spotted an X/Twitter post from @NikTekOfficial that shows what happens when you “commit multiple crimes” in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. “This is impressive,” they said of the scene that sees protagonist Henry executed.
Guards will accost Henry if he commits too many crimes, presenting him with an option to pay off his sins or continue the chaos by fighting his way free. The amount set is seemingly always too high, however, as Henry can only say he can’t afford the price and is instead thrown in prison.
If you commit multiple crimes in Kingdom Come Deliverance II, you will get a full execution cutscene. This is impressive! pic.twitter.com/m5IX7hUQ1J
A near two minute cutscene then shows Henry — who can exist as a hero of the realm beloved by all in other playthroughs — sitting in a cell awaiting a march to the gallows. He’s then taken away and jeered at by a crowd as he’s escorted to the hangman’s noose. Looking sad all the while, Henry’s life ends as the wood is kicked from under him and the game over screen appears . “You have been executed for your crimes,” it says.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 arrived February 4 as a story driven RPG that looks to emulate the atmosphere of 15th century Europe. It’s proved incredibly popular so far, having almost immediately sold one million copies, and it also earned high praise from critics.
In our 9/10 review, IGN said: “Armed with excellent melee combat and an exceptional story, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is one part sequel and one part coronation, bringing a lot of the original’s ideas to fruition.”
Trains are great. We love a good train ride. It’s even better these days given the advancements in technology, space, and comfort (though granted, there’s still also a load of work to be done; especially in the UK), making particularly lengthy journeys a joy if you happen to have some suitable entertainment with you.
Amtrak, the national passenger railroad company in North America, is seemingly going one step further in promoting its onboard capabilities, specifying its suitability for gamers in particular. As spotted by user Smyles on social media, Amtrak is specifically encouraging passengers to bring along CRT displays to help facilitate onboard Super Smash Bros. Melee tournaments.
The developers of upcoming survival game Subnautica 2 have warned fans that some dastardly do-badders are sending “fraudulent invites” to a playtest for the game via Steam messages. The playtest isn’t real, say Unknown Worlds, who point out that any such invite will only come in an email from their own domain.
In its latest financial report to investors, Remedy said the milestone — coupled with the release of The Lake House expansion and Alan Wake 2 Deluxe Edition — now means the game has “started to accrue royalties” after recouping its development and marketing costs.
Looking ahead, the studio also teased that Control 2, which is being developed in partnership with Annapurna, “has been finalizing the production readiness stage” and will enter full production at the end of February 2025, along with Max Payne 1&2 Remake, which is also “making steady progress in full production.”
Similarly, FBC: Firebreak, Remedy’s multiplayer Control spin-off, continues in full production following a “successful” closed technical test in December, which saw external players test matchmaking and back-end services. While no firm release date was confirmed, FBC: Firebreak will be self-published by Remedy later in 2025.
“We are in a great place to begin our strategy period and have set targets we are confident in reaching,” CEO Tero Virtala said.
In IGN’s Alan Wake 2 review, we awarded the sequel an impressive 9/10, calling it a “superb survival horror sequel that makes the cult classic original seem like little more than a rough first draft by comparison.”
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
