Elden Ring Keeps Learning From Sekiro, & It Might Change FromSoft Games Forever

Although it seemingly dropped out of nowhere at The Game Awards, Elden Ring Nightreign is causing quite a stir with the new take on the Soulsborne formula. Of course, anything with the Elden Ring name is going to turn heads, especially after the records broken by the base game and the expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, but Nightreign is also causing some confusion with the direction it is taking. Rather than being a more typical Soulsborne title, Nightreign is a rougelite, although that hasn't stopped it from continuing to learn from other past FromSoftware titles.

The new direction of Elden Ring is courtesy of a new director, Junya Ishizaki, who worked as a designer for many other Soulsborne titles, including Elden Ring and Bloodborne. The fresh take has proven to be puzzling, with some even comparing Nightreign to Fortnite of all things thanks to the Ring of Reign that closes in as night approaches in Limveld. Despite this, there are a lot of Soulsborne features that are continuing to be evolved. One comes from the most experimental title in the Soulsborne catalog, the masterpiece Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

Elden Ring Nightreign Has A Deflection Mechanic

Straight From The Heart Of Sekrio

Nightreign doesn't have customizable characters and instead has the Nightfarers, set characters with specific abilities and equipment. Although not all have been named, many are shown off in the gameplay reveal (above) that was part of the game's announcement at the Game Awards, and one is able to deflect or perfect block, similar to the mechanic that became the heart of Sekiro's award-winning gameplay. This deflection system is even able to stagger enemies, just like in Sekiro, although there doesn't appear to be a visible poise meter. This isn't surprising considering that poise has always been a hidden stat in Soulsborne games aside from Sekiro.

Poise can be increased with armor and Talismans in Elden Ring. It doesn't have a visible bar like Madness does, but having lower poise means less damage can be taken before getting staggered.

The Nightreign reveal trailer went out of its way to show this mechanic and Nightfarer off, which is important in demonstrating FromSoftware's intent with it. This isn't the first time such a mechanic has been used in Elden Ring, since it was first used in Shadow of the Erdtree through the Deflecting Hardtear, a Crystal Tear that could be mixed into the Wondrous Physick. The boost was temporary, but the mechanic was a liked addition to Elden Ring, offering players another approach to their many battles which increased the pace of the gameplay.

Related Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Review - FromSoft's Greatest Hits Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is a victory lap for FromSoftware, bringing in elements from past games without losing what made it special.

While the mechanic in Shadow of the Erdtree acted more like a perfect block, it worked particularly well with Guard Countering, delivering swift strikes that quickly ate away at an enemy's poise. Now that the mechanic seems to emulate Sekiro even further in Nightreign, the deflecting Nightfarer could be the perfect fighter to destroy an enemy's poise. With this experimentation, deflecting or perfect blocking could be a more permanent and prevalent mechanic in future Soulsborne games, especially if Nightreign is well-received, whether through something like a Talisman or a specific weapon trait (i.e. a Weapon Art or Ash of War).

Sekiro's Influence On Elden Ring Keeps Growing

Nightreign Is The Fastest Game In The Soulsborne Series Besides Sekiro

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FromSoftware isn't just leaning into Sekiro's deflection mechanic for its biggest IP. Nightreign seems to have the fastest movement of any Soulsborne game besides Sekiro, even eclipsing Bloodborne if players take control of the Duchess. Characters are able to run around so quickly that there isn't a need for Torrent and are able to climb up walls by running at them. Light parkour elements are typically a stranger to Elden Ring, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls, but vertical level design, rapid roaming around dungeons, and wall climbing are a staple of Sekiro.

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The name of the game with Nightreign seems to be making gameplay as quick as possible, which makes sense regarding how a run is split up into three 10–15-minute nights that require players to be constantly alert. It is important to have speed when so much ground has to be covered in such little time, as opposed to the leisurely pace that many players can take with Elden Ring. The slower, more methodical gameplay of Elden Ring and Dark Souls wouldn't work for Nightreign's seemingly frantic pace, but adding a dash of Sekiro's speed can only help.

Sekiro is sometimes considered the hardest FromSoftware game due to having only one approach. There isn't a way around Sekiro's combat other than improving.

For a quicker pace, Sekiro is the best title that FromSoftware can borrow from, since the mechanics are vaguely Soulslike with revival at shrines and grueling difficulty, so many of the features should slot into something like Elden Ring well. Although the sheer speed seen in Nightreign might not be seen again in Soulsborne games, some of the traversal options, like being able to wall-climb, could make a comeback later down the line. It feels like Nightreign is experimental to see what new changes and features will stick for a massive FromSoftware game yet to be in development.

Deflection Might Be Here To Stay In FromSoft Games

It Works So Well With Elden Ring's Guard Counters

Although Elden Ring felt more like Dark Souls but open-world, rather than a proper experiment like Nightreign will probably be, it almost feels odd that deflecting wasn't already in the base game after being added in Shadow of the Erdtree. It worked so well with the new Guard Countering mechanic that it seemed to fit Elden Ring like a glove, but even with its addition, it was only added tentatively through a Crystal Tear. With it being a part of a Nightfarer's base kit, it seems that FromSoftware is more confident about adding the mechanic moving forward.

Related You're Making A Mistake If You've Already Dismissed Elden Ring Nightreign Dismissing Nightreign's lore this early is a mistake and there's a good chance FromSoftware will produce a story just as rich as Elden Ring's.

Sekiro has always felt like a bit of an outlier in FromSoftware's library after Hidetaka Miyazaki became the studio's president, although the integration of its mechanics seems to be an indication that it is being pulled into the fold. Armored Core 6 will probably be the outlier moving forward, since it couldn't be any less of a Soulslike, and with FromSoftware doing more and more with the deflection mechanic from Sekiro, it finally feels like the game fits with the others. A new Dark Souls or Soulsborne IP could make the feature even more prominent.

Not everything from Elden Ring Nightreign will make a comeback. This is likely the last that will be seen of the Fire Keeper and Nameless King from Dark Souls 3, but that isn't the case with some of the mechanics introduced. Yes, the Ring of Reign won't work for another open world or more standard Soulsborne game, but the better traversal and especially the deflection mechanic could be permanent additions in the future. It finally feels like Sekiro will fit in with its Soulsborne compatriots and FromSoftware's future library will be all the better for it.

Source: Bandai Namco Entertainment America/YouTube