Seven months after its release, players have finally got the hang of Nightreign. It is, admittedly, a bit of a weird one to get to grips with at first: an online multiplayer Soulslike with players racing around a map as preset characters preparing to defeat Nightlord bosses in grand, operatic fashion. But now, players have learned the map, the character movesets, they’ve collected powerful Relics to buff abilities, and are familiar with the weakness of each boss. Coordination with others is less of an immediate issue than it was, so even playing with random players is no longer a chore.
That’s changed with the release of DLC The Forsaken Hollows. In typical FromSoftware fashion, this expansion is a tricky affair. That means the community is back to square one (almost), with two new characters to play as, a new event that drastically alters the map, and two Nightlords to contend with. This is great! It’s brought back the speedrunning urgency Nightreign launched with. Slowly getting to grips with the game is all part of the fun and demands players learn to coordinate with each other to succeed.
Indeed – somewhat amusingly, after all the calls for solo balancing and duo play – FromSoftware appears to have doubled down on the need for teamwork with the new additions it’s added with this DLC. If you’re a staunch solo Souls player, Nightreign still won’t be for you; but for the more open-minded it offers a chance to share ecstatic highs with others.
Take the two new Nightfarers, Scholar and Undertaker, who certainly plug any gaps in the playable roster. The former is an Arcane intellectual who analyses enemies to inflict potent debuffs; while the latter is a formidable nun, prioritising hammers and Faith magic. So far, Undertaker is proving the more popular, dynamic choice (and the simpler to learn), which is understandable when Scholar’s key ability is to step back and watch others to apply those debuffs, though getting stuck in with a decent bleed weapon yields effective results.
Yet coordination is essential to getting the most out of their Ultimate abilities. Undertaker’s Loathsome Hex is a powerful slingshot strike alone, but she’s able to trigger this an extra time when allies use their Ultimate too, so synchronisation with others is key. Scholar, meanwhile, has the Communion ability to thread multiple enemies together and deal damage to all at once, which can absolutely decimate groups of bosses when working as a team.
Thankfully the new Nightlord bosses are group affairs, which really highlights the utility of Scholar’s Ultimate. As with the base game Nightlords, the new additions play out almost like MMO raid bosses to really test teams with area of effect attacks and critical status effects. I suspect solo players will struggle, though no doubt someone will be beating them with a banana or something before long. What’s more, FromSoftware continues to create some of the most majestic skyboxes for these battles, which really heightens their grandeur.
Along with a handful of smaller map tweaks and extra bosses (Artorius returns!), the other big addition in The Forsaken Hollows is the new Shifting Earth event. These random occurrences take over a section of the main map to alter the environment: an ice mountain sprouting, or a volcanic crater cracking open, for instance. The new event, The Great Hollow, works a little differently, however, in that it’s an entirely new – albeit smaller – map. This, I think, is how all previous events should have worked. One of the biggest criticisms of the base game is the use of the same world map each time – monotony does eventually creep in, and the events are somewhat ignorable if you wish. Now, though, The Great Hollow provides a completely fresh environment players are forced to explore. I very much appreciate the switch up.
It helps the environment is beautiful. Largely inspired by the underground areas of Elden Ring – Siofra River and the catacombs, for example – it’s a moonlit cavern of towering crystals, crumbling ruins, and some extremely tough bosses (Mohg’s return is already scuppering many a run). And while it initially seems smaller than the primary Limveld map, its sense of verticality hides plenty of depth and really demands expert understanding of its layout – labyrinthine catacombs may be tempting to delve into, but it’s all too easy to become trapped in the encroaching storm. Learning the intricacies of its layout is all part of the fun and what gives Nightreign longevity, which is why I wish other events had taken a similar approach to extend the game further.
What’s most frustrating, with the game’s emphasis on teamwork, is the continued lack of crossplay. Though available across PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, you’re stuck only with players on your chosen platform. It’s a maddening oversight in this day and age, especially when Nightreign thrives when played with friends. I truly hope FromSoftware considers adding this in future.
Really, though, my biggest criticism of The Forsaken Hollows mirrors that of the base game – I know I’m being greedy, but I want more. As I mentioned in my Nightreign review, it’s perfect fodder for an ongoing live-service game and the additions of this DLC only prove that further. Unique characters slot into the roster seamlessly; bosses and Nightlords rotate in new challenges; and the Shifting Earth event refreshes the experience considerably. Yes, the Everdark Sovereigns and Deep of Night extras have provided for experts, but had FromSoftware found a regular frequency of sizable updates, it could have extended the game’s life even further and maintained for longer its pleasingly scrappy urgency, rather than the rehearsed expertise of runs these days. Whether more updates are planned remains to be seen, but as it stands, I suspect Nightreign has proven to be a fervent testing ground for its forthcoming Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods.
Ultimately, The Forsaken Hollows only amplifies the highs of Nightreign. After multiple tries, I finally had a perfect run and reached the highest experience level before making it to new Nightlord The Balancers for the first time – a horde of angry valkyrie you’ve seen in the trailer. I quickly learned their attack patterns as they rained down a flurry of attacks like a throng of angelic Malenias, sunlight scattering in through the clouds. And as my two teammates were downed in the final throes of battle, I dodged and weaved before firing a couple of hopeful strikes to defeat the boss. In a wave of elation I leaped from the sofa and danced around the living room (sorry neighbours). When it comes to boss fight thrills – intensified with teammates tagging along – FromSoftware has once again proven to be the master.
