As is tradition at this point, Elden Ring Nightreign will have a poison swamp just like previous Souls games.
That said, it’s a little different this time. Nightreign will feature “large-scale changes to terrain in the form of procedurally appearing volcanos or swamps or forests”.
That’s according to director Junya Ishizaki, who spoke to PC Gamer (via GamesRadar) to discuss these changes to the game’s map.
“We wanted the map itself to be a giant dungeon, so players have the chance to traverse and explore a different way every time they play,” he says. “You have to choose the boss you want to face at the end of the third day.
“Once you’ve made that choice, maybe you have an idea of how you want to strategize against that boss, and this might change how you approach the map. We wanted to offer players that agency, to decide ‘I need to go after a poison weapon this time to face this boss’.”
It certainly seems inspired by Fortnite‘s map changes, that altered familiar locations with the addition of volcanoes and swamps over time, albeit here with the possibility of happening – or not – each match. As previously announced, Nightreign also features a battle royale-style shrinking zone, as players outlast its day and night cycle over three in-game days. The procedural nature of these terrain changes also fits with what seems to be a roguelike-esque structure to the game.
Indeed, the reveal trailer for the game appears to show a variety of environments we can now assume are procedurally generated, including a seemingly poisonous area and a lava-filled cave.
Swamps aren’t the only returning feature either, as Ishizaki previously confirmed a “small number” of enemies from across the Dark Souls series will appear in Nightreign. Eagle-eyed fans already spotted The Nameless King from Dark Souls 3 in the trailer, but presumably more will be included, perhaps as part of these randomised events?
It won’t be long before we can find out more about Nightreign as its beta test takes place this weekend for those who previously registered. The test will last from Friday 14th February to Monday 17th February as a series of three hour long sessions.
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