FromSoftware has been sneaky with the announcement of its latest title,Elden Ring Nightreign.Although Hideo Miyazaki was clear that there wouldn’t be another expansion, despite the success ofShadow of the Erdtree,and firmly stated thatElden Ring 2wasn’t in development. Many believed thatElden Ringwould be left on the backburner for some time, but FromSoft has come back swinging in The Game Awards with the announcement of a spin-off, promising co-op gameplay, and a continued evolution of the Soulsbornecombat system.
As with anything that FromSoftware announces, there are more questions than answers after the initial announcement trailer. There seems to be a brand-new story withNightreign, since Marika, the demi-gods, and anything to do with the Erdtree isn’t mentioned at all. Instead, new characters have been shown asking for the player’s assistance to avert some kind of crisis, and while this could be something convoluted and mythical, as is the case with FromSoftware titles,there are some indications that this game is linked with titles from theDark Soulsseries, particularly with the third title in the series.
Elden Ring Nightreign’s Reveal Trailer References Dark Souls 3
From The Nameless King To The Fire Keeper
FromSoftware revealedNightreignwith a trailer at The Game Awards, and while the game features seamless co-op, which many fans have called for, this isn’t what stole the show. The return of The Nameless King causedDark Souls 3fans to go wild in the comments section. The Nameless King gained notoriety because of how hidden he was inDark Souls 3and how tough he was to beat. The trauma is being used to draw eyes to this new game, since the boss has returned exactly as he was in his prior appearance.
The Nameless King is the firstborn of Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight, and was exiled for allying with dragons.
Althoughthe Nameless Kinghas come back exactly how he was inDS3with the exact same swordspear and his Storm Drake friend, he isn’t the only character that seems to have made a return.It looks like the Fire Keeper fromDS3or someone similar (perhaps another Fire Keeper) is in the trailer too, wearing the mask that covers her eyes beneath a cloak. Just like the Fire Keeper, this character might act like a guide, enlisting the player (who might not be the Tarnished) to help avert tragedy, butDS3isn’t the only game being referenced.
Amazingly, the onlyDSgame that wasn’t directed by Miyazaki (Dark Souls 2) gets a few references too. There’s a spider figure in the trailer that could be a reference to Freja, a boss inDark Souls 2;however, the more overt reference is the massive door at the end.This door looks eerily similar to the one in front of the Throne of Want at the end ofDark Souls 2, and could link this game to bothElden Ringand the other Souls games, considering thatDS2has always stood out on its own.
Could Elden Ring And Dark Souls Exist In The Same World?
Painted Worlds Could Be The Answer
Fans of FromSoftware games probably know that anything is possible and everything has an answer in the lore if they search hard enough.Dark Souls 3showed dozens of timelines and worlds crashing into each otherdue to the continual Linking of the Flame causing strange distortions in space and time, and this could be the result of that. It was also implied by Junya Ishizaki, in an interview withIGN, thatNightreignexists in a parallel world, and this world could just be the one from theDark Soulsseries, but later on, or otherwise linked to that series.
Junya Ishizaki is a new director at FromSoftware and was given the full reign ofNightreignafter Miyazaki contributed to the initial concept phase.
Painted Worlds from theDark Soulsseries are like a form of parallel world and have often been a way to introduce such worlds, as with Ariandel inDS3and Ariamis inDS1.Perhaps this parallel world Ishizaki speaks of is like a Painted World inElden Ring,or even the world painted at the end ofThe Ringed CityDLC, called Ash. This is far-fetched, but FromSoftware games tend to have strange lore, and it would explain why The Nameless King, Fire Keeper and the door to the Throne of Want are all in the reveal trailer.
Elden Ring Fans: Mark Your Calendars For The Nightreign Test Sign-Ups
Elden Ring; Nightreign was only announced last night, and it’s now been announced that network test beta registration will begin very soon.
Then again, the game could just be linked toDark Soulsfor no good reason.Dark Souls 2is very oddly placed in the series and the links with its predecessor are just strange, so FromSoftware could decide that these elements exist for nostalgia’s sake, although almost everything usually does have a reason behind it when it comes to Soulsborne games. There are hundreds of Erdtrees at the end ofElden Ring, implying that the Greater Will has reached many other worlds, although the Greater Will isn’t referenced in the trailer, it seems.
What Could This Mean For The Lands Between
A Parallel World Could Give The Game Many What If Scenarios
There isn’t much indication of when this game takes place and if the events ofElden Ringare even relevant to this version of the Lands Between seen inNightreign.Marika’s rise to powermight not be a massive event in this parallel version of the Lands Between, or this could take place either long before or long afterElden Ring’s story takes place. Then again, even though the areas shown look like the Lands Between, it might not be, andNightreigncould take us somewhere else entirely that might be more recognizable toDark Soulsfans.
Is Elden Ring Connected to Berserk? The Evidence Doesn’t Lie
Elden Ring and Berserk have many undeniable connections, showing how important the bestselling manga’s legacy is.
It is clear that this isn’t the same world that players have already explored to death inElden Ringand there is a chance that, beyond the fog, the lands of Drangleic and Lothric are just around the corner. This is highly unlikely, but with the Nameless King and the Throne of Want’s giant door being overtly shown off in the reveal trailer, it is clear that FromSoftware wants players to know there is a connection betweenElden RingandDark Souls. Since this is a spin-off, this link might not have been intended while Miyazaki was originally world building.
Elden Ring Nightreignseems like it will do double duty in acting as a pseudo-sequel toElden Ringwhile having enoughDark Soulsin it to act as an appetizer for those hoping aDark Souls 4might still happen. How much ofDark Soulsends up being inNightreignremains to be seen, but it isn’t going to just be hidden away Easter Eggs.Dark Soulsis going to be a part ofElden Ringand that could mean so many things for both the IP and the mythical world surrounding the games.
