Elden Ring Nightreign, the new multiplayer game by FromSoftware using theElden RingIP, has becomethe company’s worst-reviewed game to date. The game has started well from a player count point of view, but players have mixed feelings aboutNightreignand have made themselves heard through Steam reviews. A day after launch, the game has dropped to mixed reviews on its Steam page.
Sitting at 66% of positive reviews as of writing (viaSteam),Elden Ring Nightreignhas the worst reviews of any full game in FromSoftware’s library, only bested byDark Souls 3’s first DLC expansion,Ashes of Ariandelwith a 57.9%. Despite the might of theElden RingIP, many have taken to Steam to express their complaints about the title, although this hasn’t stopped the game’s popularity.Nightreignmanaged a peak concurrent player count of 313,593 as of May 30, according to itsSteamDBcharts, but many are still displeased.
Elden Ring Nightreign Is FromSoft’s Worst Reviewed Game On Steam
The Mixed Reception Could Be A Warning For Future Releases
Elden Ring Nightreign’s 66% positive review rate is by farFromSoftware’s worst reviewrate, with thesecond worst going toDark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin,sitting at 84%by comparison, making it Very Positive on its Steam page. This is a substantial drop-off for FromSoftware, considering how well the rest of its library has been received and the legendary reputation it has built up.Nightreigncould be a bump in the road for FromSoftware’s multiplayer-focused future, withThe DuskbloodsPvPvE model being the next to release.
This hasn’t stopped the game’s popularity, however, sinceNightreignhas FromSoftware’s second-highest concurrent player count, behind only the originalElden Ring, which managed a staggering 953,426 players at its peak. This beats 2019’s Game of the Year winner,Sekiro’s 125,315 players, andDark Souls 3’s 129,975 player peak, showing the strength and pull of theElden RingIP. The real damage might be felt later, and this poor reception could affect the game’s longevity.
Early Nightreign Reactions From Players Are Mixed
It is Missing Features, Not Gameplay, That Has Caused The Problem
Nightreign’s negative reviews on Steam largely paint the same picture. Most complaints refer tothe lack of multiplayer features to make the game click.Nightreignlacks crossplaysupport, a voice chat feature, and doesn’t allow players to do a run in a duo, meaning that there is often a random player. Many complain about a lack of communication and coordination, with Steam user M♱ropele stating:
FromSoftware dropping the hardest boss ever: HAVING FRIENDS… Very bold
WhileElden Ring Nightreignshould have launched with these multiplayer features to begin with, especially duo runs, it seems that the gameplay itself isn’t the problem for many. Should these features be added at a later date with the core gameplay loop, there is still time for the Steam reviews to make a recovery and fit more neatly with the rest of FromSoftware’s library. The studio is demonstrating growing pains with this multiplayer title, and while not having all the online features is a huge oversight, they should be simple to fix.
