At this point, I anxiously follow just about everything From Software is working on, but I'm most excited for Elden Ring's co-op, flawed though it was, so any game that attempts to deliver the same sort of experience with more seamless options for playing with friends would naturally be at the top of my list. But more so than that, Nightreign has already demonstrated a willingness to take creative risks. It looks like Elden Ring, but it plays like a totally different game.

Nowhere is that clearer than in the various character trailers FromSoft has put out ahead of Nightreign's release, showcasing each of the Nightfarers and their unique abilities. The most recent trailer focuses on The Executor, introduced as "a condemned warrior who wields a cursed katana blade." That's all well and good, but The Executor has one unique new ability that may have already made him my favorite character, and proves that I was right about at least one thing: Elden Ring Nightreign is going to get really weird with it.

Nightreign's Executor Can Transform Into A Beast

New Crucible Spells

Blink and you might miss it, but the new gameplay reveal for Nightreign's Executor reveals that he'll have a new incantation in his arsenal - Aspects of the Crucible: Beast. This is a special incantation that allows Executor to transform fully into a giant werewolf-like creature, who attacks enemies with his claws before summoning a giant, spectral, curved horn.

This is Executor's Ultimate Art, an incredibly powerful ability he can only activate after satisfying certain conditions - as the name implies, his ultimate. In other words, you won't be playing entire rounds of Nightreign as an altered beast. This'll only be a limited ability you can use from time to time. But still, it looks like a lot of fun, and it'll be useful when you can summon the power to transform.

The Next Evolution Of Elden Ring's Bestial Magic

How Nightreign Is Building On Elden Ring

Now, Aspect of the Crucible skills already exist in base Elden Ring. They're collectively known as bestial spells, as each one allows you to summon a different beastly body part and use it to execute a devastating attack on the enemy. But there's a crucial difference: in the original RPG, bestial spells are limited to one body part each - there's no way to transform fully into an animal.

This is just one small way in which Nightreign is setting itself apart. It'd be all too easy to just port a bunch of regular Elden Ring classes into a co-op game, fiddle with their stats a bit to make them better balanced, and then call it a day. But this is FromSoft we're talking about: there has to be more to it. FromSoft is actively expanding on ideas it introduced in Elden Ring, turning run-of-the-mill, simple spells into totally unique new gameplay mechanics.

Nightreign's Character Builds All Look Fun

Expanding On What Came Before

It's not just The Executor, either; each and every Nightreign class looks incredible, beautifully balancing ideas from Elden Ring with unique new twists. The Revenant breathes new life into Spirit Ash summoning, while The Duchess takes Elden Ring's stealth to new heights. The Iron Eye deepens Elden Ring's long-maligned archery build, while The Raider gives new meaning to the term "giant weapons." Each of them takes a classic Elden Ring build and twists it into something unique and bizarre.

In a way, being based on but not beholden to Elden Ring gives Nightreign a lot of room. Room to get weird with its character classes, room to mix and match its map elements, room to include new and more difficult bosses. FromSoft has an interesting track record when it comes to sequels: they're rarely direct, instead expanding on the concepts and ideas introduced in the previous game. It seems to be doing the same thing with Elden Ring Nightreign, and I can't wait to see all the new ways it manages to innovate on a familiar formula.

Source: Bandai Namco Entertainment America/YouTube