Is Elden Ring Nightreign Solo Mode Worth It?

Published 6 days ago

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Leading up to release, the developers of Elden Ring Nightreign were very clear in positioning the game as a three-player experience, even going so far as to disallow duos altogether. Playing solo is possible, but the game's design hinging so heavily on teamwork throws into question whether playing alone is even worth the effort. Playing Nightreign without teammates is significantly more difficult than the alternative, and most players will find most enjoyment in playing multiplayer, but there may still be value in solo mode in particular circumstances.

Practically every aspect of Elden Ring Nightreign's design caters to teams of three. The game is played at an incredibly fast pace, with your general goal being to gain as many levels and discover as much loot as possible before each day ends, when you're forced into a make-or-break boss fight. It's much harder to cover a lot of ground and defeat multiple lesser bosses in solo mode, but certain dedicated players will appreciate the added challenge.

Elden Ring Nightreign's Best Players Will Enjoy Solo Mode

A True Test Of Skill

With the inherent difficulty of playing Elden Ring Nightreign solo, it will likely become an option for only a more skilled subset of players. FromSoftware's RPGs have long been a destination for exceptionally difficult challenge runs, like Dark Souls' SL1 runs, and Nightreign seems poised to carry on that tradition in some form. Conquering every Nightlord in solo mode will be a true test of your abilities, as the game is so heavily weighted against playing without teammates.

Many Elden Ring Nightreign reviews cited the frustrations of playing alone. The night bosses tend to do a tremendous amount of damage per hit, so these necessary battles become very hard when there aren't others to distract your attacker. Seeking out extra flask charges at the churches around Limveld can be a huge help, but you often won't have time to heal if bosses are haranguing you as a solo player. Similar difficulties extend to regular mobs as well, where there are so many to get through for one player, and good loot isn't guaranteed.

Solo Mode May Be Too Frustrating For Most Nightreign Players

The Odds Are Stacked Against You

Wylder wearing the Dark Souls 2 Faraam armor set in Elden Ring Nightreign.

As an average Elden Ring Nightreign player, I say this with no malice: average Elden Ring Nightreign players may find solo mode frustratingly difficult. The same sort of zen acceptance of defeat you can find in Elden Ring and FromSoftware's other notoriously hard games does not necessarily apply to Nightreign. Dying to a boss doesn't simply respawn you for another try – dying even a single time in solo mode can completely derail a run (and ends your run immediately if it's against a night boss).

Field bosses during the daytime tend to have better loot than can be found in chests and in other places.

You can only reach a maximum level of 15 in any given Nightreign expedition, and dying takes one away. Especially early in a run, dying can start a vicious cycle leading to more death as you try to recover your dropped Runes, or else quickly get to a new point of interest to make up your lost progress. There are plenty of tools at your disposal, but not as many as in previous FromSoftware games, so going toe-to-toe with a night boss is a straight bout against a foe that's been balanced to deal with three players, even if you're exploiting a Nightreign boss' weakness.

I enjoy the difficulty of FromSoftware's games, but I've never been one to engage in challenge runs, even if they are entertaining. Solo mode in Nightreign feels almost unfair, if only for the simple fact that the game is meant to be played in a team. I fully expect more skilled players to conquer Nightreign alone in short order, but I think the average player will have better luck sticking with trios. Even with randoms, working together in Elden Ring Nightreign is fairly straightforward, but it's understandable that FromSoftware fans might gravitate toward solo mode.