Summary
- No fall damage in Elden Ring Nightreign simplifies route optimization for speedrunners.
- The lack of fall damage opens new possibilities to exploit boss fights for speedrunners.
- Elden Ring Nightreign’s departure from fall damage allows players to be less cautious and calculated.
Successfully speedrunning a FromSoftware game is considered a major feat for a gamer, as the developer’s titles have been known to pose a significant challenge to even the most hardcore demographic. Yet, FromSoftware often provides the best playgrounds for such feats, as even overcoming their challenges normally is an accomplishment in and of itself, so completing one with various strings attached is most impressive. However, the developer’s upcoming co-op adventure, Elden Ring Nightreign, seems to all but hand speedrunners the victory by breaking one of FromSoftware’s most prominent traditions.
Elden Ring Nightreign isn’t here yet, but hands-on previews of the game have pointed out some interesting details about its gameplay. One detail, in particular, has disclosed that there is no fall damage in Elden Ring Nightreign. This is a massive departure for FromSoftware, but one that makes sense, as it will give players one less thing to worry about during Elden Ring Nightreign‘s somewhat fast-paced gameplay. Nevertheless, the implications that such a feature carries are rather weighty, especially when it comes to speedrunners looking to overcome Elden Ring Nightreign‘s challenges as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Related
Elden Ring Nightreign Hands-On Preview
Game Rant gets an early look at Elden Ring Nightreign’s co-op roguelike gameplay, trying every available class on the way to toppling the final boss.
No Fall Damage in Elden Ring Nightreign Speeds Things Up
No Fall Damage Means Speedrunners Can Optimize Routes More Efficiently
The lack of fall damage in Elden Ring Nightreign is a big deal, mainly because it will allow players to turn a roundabout journey into a straightforward one by literally cutting corners. Rather than looking for a safe path down a massive cliff, players can simply leap off of it without penalty. In the past, FromSoftware has used fall damage as a way to force players to slow down and be more intentional with their decisions, considering how much is often at stake if they die. As such, Elden Ring Nightreign‘s departure in removing fall damage altogether changes the game entirely, especially for speedrunners.
While each run in Elden Ring Nightreign will feature a procedurally generated world, it will likely still be possible for the most dedicated players to recognize patterns between each run, thereby allowing them a chance to determine what the most optimal routes to take will be. Elden Ring Nightreign‘s lack of fall damage, therefore, should come in handy for speedrunners more than anyone else, as they will not allow themselves to be distracted by anything “extra” and instead will be looking for the best routes to take to each necessary objective. The lack of fall damage plays into this by increasing the efficiency of route optimization, as players won’t need to worry about treating height as a hazard.
Speedrunners Can Exploit the Lack of Fall Damage in Boss Fights
Something else likely to come into play with Elden Ring Nightreign‘s lack of fall damage is the ability speedrunners should theoretically have to make boss fights far more manageable. With no fall damage in Elden Ring Nightreign, players may be able to use height to their advantage, firstly, to escape a world boss’ wrath, and secondly, to perform attacks from the air that they normally wouldn’t be able to without punishment in a different FromSoftware game. Of course, there is a chance each boss in Elden Ring Nightreign has been placed far away from any high ground to prevent these exploits from taking place, but soulslike veterans, especially speedrunners, have been known to find a way regardless.
The lack of fall damage in Elden Ring Nightreign is a big deal, mainly because it will allow players to turn a roundabout journey into a straightforward one by literally cutting corners.
Elden Ring Nightreign‘s removal of fall damage is a radical departure from the FromSoftware norm, but it makes sense because of the direction the developer is taking its latest game. Even so, by eliminating a mechanic that once required players to be more cautious and calculated, Elden Ring Nightreign opens up new possibilities for speedrunners to tackle it more efficiently.
Action RPG
Soulslike
Roguelite
