Although it came as a bit of a surprise, Elden Ring Nightreign's development shouldn't have come as a shock considering how big the IP has become after only one game. Before its release in 2022, Elden Ring was one of the most hyped games of all time and went against the grain of other recent releases by managing to live up to the hype. After Shadow of the Erdtree broke records for gaming expansions, it seems like the Elden Ring IP couldn't be any bigger considering how new it is, yet that doesn't mean the title is flawless.

Before the release of Shadow of the Erdtree, FromSoftware fought hard to have the sole rights to Elden Ring (which were previously co-owned by Bandai Namco) and it all makes sense after announcing a spin-off. Despite the change in genre, with Nightreign being a rogue-lite title rather than a grand, open-world RPG, it shows that FromSoftware is willing to experiment and expand with its latest cash cow. It could also be a chance to right some wrongs from Elden Ring, even if the genres are so different between the two titles.

Nightreign Can Improve On Elden Ring's Melina

Nightreign Will Likely Have The Soulsborne Guide Character

Even though it is a rogue-lite title, Nightreign is clearly still a Soulsborne title, with the series' famed difficulty and gameplay formula evident in the initial trailer. The gameplay is perhaps the fastest in the Soulsborne series, provided Sekiro isn't included, but there are plenty of familiar elements that fans are accustomed to. The Nameless King returns to terrorize players after killing them constantly in Dark Souls 3, and the Fire Keeper makes a comeback too, likely serving a similar role to the one she had in DS3 as a guide of sorts, similar to Melina in Elden Ring.

The Duke's Dear Freja (from Dark Souls 2) and a version of the Centipede Demon (Dark Souls 1) also make a comeback in Nightreign.

Female guide characters have been a trope in Soulsborne games for a while, such as the Maiden in Black in Demon Souls, The Doll in Bloodborne, The Emerald Herald in Dark Souls 2, and so on. These characters tend to be well-liked by the community, with Melina acting in this role in Elden Ring, although she leaves a bit to be desired compared to her contemporaries. There is more to her from a lore perspective, and the mystery of who Melina actually is makes her interesting, but as a character, she doesn't seem around much to act as a guide, even though she is a valuable source of lore.

One of Melina's biggest problems is her lack of screen time and interaction. She appears when she wants and vanishes (whether through leaving or setting herself on fire), meaning that she isn't always available to interact with, unlike other guide characters in other titles. This is somewhat alleviated by other characters in the Roundtable Hold having plenty of interactions, like Gideon, Roderika, and Fia, although this further highlights how little Melina gets from a gameplay perspective compared to the mystery of her lore.

The Return Of Dark Souls 3's Fire Keeper Could Improve On Elden Ring

FromSoftware Can Go Back To The Old Guide Formula

The Fire Keeper is perhaps the quintessential example of a guide character in the Soulsborne series and many fans were endeared to her thanks to her endless and how she reacted to the Ashen One's emotes. The lore of the Fire Keepers kept her background interesting and there was a neat secret with her eyes that resulted in a different ending, although there wasn't much to her personally. If she acts as a guide to the Nightfarers of Nightreign, she could be an endearing, friendly face to come back to, especially if FromSoftware expands on her personality more.

Whether by chance or design, all Fire Keepers in the Dark Souls world are female.

Although only seen for a glimpse in the trailer, her coming to the Nightfarers to ask for their help shows more agency than in DS3 and her explaining the jumbled lore of the Elden Ring spin-off could be vital to lore lovers. She won't help the Nightfarers level up as guide-characters tend to do in Soulsborne games, since this is done during a run, but if Nightreign is like other rogue-lite games, she could help with other kinds of upgrades. If she is the one to enlist the Nightfarers, then she really will have a Melina-like role in the game.

If the Fire Keeper takes up residence in the Roundtable Hold, like she did in the Firelink Shrine of Dark Souls 3, she will at least be around more than Melina was for Elden Ring, which is a shame too, considering that some of her easily missed dialogue is very well-written. With the Fire Keeper and the other Nightfarers who aren't descending into Limveld populating the Roundtable Hold, it will help the place feel like a homely hub, something that Melina could never contribute to. Hopefully, it will make up for Roderika and Hewg's absence, at least.

Melina Has So Much Unfulfilled Potential

It Doesn't Seem Like FromSoftware Is Going To Expand On Her

This isn't to say that Melina was particularly bad in Elden Ring, but she didn't fulfill the role of being the player's companion and guide particularly well. Although she had intentions with the Erdtree, she feels like a enger in the story, rather than other characters having arcs and questlines, like Nepheli becoming Lord of Limgrave or Ranni's Age of Stars ending. She doesn't have a lot to do in the story, nor does she interact a lot with the player as a familiar, friendly face, like the Fire Keeper did in DS3.

Considering how big a mystery Melina actually is (as a demi-god child of Marika) she doesn't seem to have much going on, especially compared to the other, relatively friendly demi-god, Ranni. She isn't even that endearing, and it feels like she would have benefited from sitting with the Tarnished at every Site of Grace just to be around more, considering that she doesn't stay at the Roundtable Hold either. With how Soulborne games tend to stick with a formula, it does seem like Melina was meant to be around more and her content suffered from cuts.

Although the returning Fire Keeper probably won't have the intrigue and mystery that Melina has, fans are happy to see her return, especially with how beloved she became in Dark Souls 3, despite her being quite simple. It shows how endearing a character can be by just being a friendly face that players can interact with in a safe space, and hopefully she will have a similar role in Elden Ring Nightreign. The Fire Keeper could even be given more backstory and personality, improving a character that is already loved by Soulsborne veterans.