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When Elden Ring Nightreign was revealed, the thing that drew the most attention was that it contained bosses from the Dark Souls series. The trailer showed the Nameless King, a very important boss from Dark Souls 3, riding around on his dragon while smiting hapless Tarnished warriors with lightning bolts.
This immediately set tongues wagging, and fans everywhere started coming up with theories as to why characters from Dark Souls were appearing in an Elden Ring game. You see, while Dark Souls and Elden Ring share many similarities and are both developed by FromSoftware, the creator has always been quick to point out they're set in different universes.
However, this hasn't stopped some fans from speculating on a "Miyazaki Multiverse," one which includes all of the studio's Souls games, regardless of who published each entry or owns the rights. FromSoftware has often fanned the flames of this theory by deliberately reusing characters, themes, and weapons across the games, with some nods being more subtle than others.
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Elden Ring Nightreign review: "An uncharacteristically frantic and fast-paced ride that boils down the core Elden Ring experience"
As we learned more about Nightreign's Dark Souls streak – and that the game was set in a parallel universe to the original Elden Ring – many Miyazaki Multiverse conspiracy theorists felt vindicated. Not only was FromSoftware confirming the existence of multiple universes (at least between the games that Bandai Namco published), but we'd finally get to see Dark Souls characters invade the Lands Between.
Now that the dust has settled and we've had a chance to thoroughly enjoy Elden Ring Nightreign, calling the game a Dark Souls crossover is somewhat of a stretch. Sure, the game does feature a selection of bosses from across the Dark Souls series, and while fighting them all over again with a team of Tarnished allies is supremely fun, some of us are left wondering why the developers didn't go further with this concept.
In many ways, the Dark Souls elements of Elden Ring Nightreign feel like a wasted opportunity. For starters, the game went out of its way to tell us it was set in a parallel universe, creating the perfect crossover setting, but then offered no lore or explanation as to why characters like the Nameless King were there. The fact is, Dark Souls bosses were only added to the game to pad out its roster of enemies.
This isn't a terrible thing, it's still nice to have them included, but what was the point of creating such ideal terrain for a crossover and then not fully fleshing out the idea? It feels unfinished, but this might actually end up being a blessing in disguise. For that to happen, FromSoftware needs to lean into Dark Souls in future content updates. If it does so, then not only could it redeem the lackluster crossover, but Nightreign could become the ultimate playground for fans of both franchises.
Let's be honest about Elden Ring Nightreign: we're having fun, but it's going to start getting old – and soon. There are only so many times we can jump into an expedition before the randomized gameplay and bosses start feeling stale. What it needs is a roadmap of content, and Nightreign doesn't just have Elden Ring to draw from, creatively speaking, it also has the entire Dark Souls trilogy.
There are lots of directions that Elden Ring Nightreign could go in when it comes to future expansions. Sure, it could add more expeditions, bosses and weapons from Elden Ring. But for it to really make the most of its vision and setting, the game needs to embrace all of its heritage, not just the Elden Ring parts. Why not have DLC packs themed around each of the Dark Souls games?
These don't need to be the first DLC expansions, but if Elden Ring Nightreign is going to be a game players return to for years to come, then this is certainly an idea to consider. Imagine a DLC being themed around the first Dark Souls 1 – a Lordran pack that introduces bosses like Gwyn, Knight Artorias, and even fan-favorites like Ornstein and Smough.
A second pack could bring in more bosses from Dark Souls 2, focusing on ideas like the Lost Crowns and the First Sin. It could even explore concepts like the Abyss, possibly even tying this to the Night Lord and remixing some old enemies with a fresh spin. Likewise, could Dark Souls 3 get a Lothric pack?
Elden Ring Nightreign needs content, and by looking to the past, it can secure its future. But more importantly, it needs to deliver on the promise of being the Dark Souls x Elden Ring crossover that so many fans hoped it would be – because so far, it's not.
