This past weekend marked the first network tests for Elden Ring: Nightreign, the upcoming standalone multiplayer game branching from FromSoftware's acclaimed title. Unlike last year's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, Nightreign shares only its parent game's name and aesthetic, abandoning the open world for a streamlined survival format. Three-player teams drop into shrinking maps, battling enemies and increasingly difficult bosses. This design evokes the immensely popular Fortnite, unsurprising given its 200 million players this month alone.
However, Nightreign bears a striking resemblance to a less celebrated, often criticized game: 2013's God of War: Ascension. And that's a positive comparison.
Released between 2010's God of War 3 and 2018's Norse reboot, Ascension, a prequel set before the original Greek trilogy, followed Kratos's struggle to break his oath with Ares. Failing to match the original trilogy's epic finale and attempting to revamp a familiar formula, Ascension became the franchise's black sheep—a decent appetizer before a magnificent main course.
This reputation, while understandable, is unfair. While Kratos's confrontation with the Furies didn't reach the heights of his battle with Zeus, this prequel boasted stunning set pieces, such as the Prison of the Damned, a labyrinthine dungeon within a colossal, immobilized giant. More importantly, Ascension pioneered something the franchise hadn't attempted before: multiplayer.
Ascension's multiplayer, "Trial of the Gods," is a cooperative PvE experience remarkably similar to Elden Ring: Nightreign. In Ascension's story, players encounter a chained NPC who prematurely cries "You saved me!" before being crushed by the level boss. Unlocking multiplayer after this point reveals this NPC as the player character, teleported to Olympus moments before death. Players pledge allegiance to one of four gods—Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, or Ares—each granting unique weapons, armor, and magic. These are used across five multiplayer modes, four being competitive PvP.
The fifth mode, Trial of the Gods, is cooperative PvE—and essentially Elden Ring: Nightreign.
Previews of Nightreign from Soulsborne YouTubers like VaatiVidya and Iron Pineapple, and IGN, highlight similarities to live-service games like Fortnite. Nightreign features randomized loot, resource management, and environmental hazards that damage players and restrict movement, increasing difficulty over time. It even mirrors Fortnite's iconic drop sequence, using spirit birds to transport players to their chosen landing spot.
While God of War: Ascension lacks the "where are we dropping?" element, deeper comparisons reveal common ground. Both Nightreign and Ascension's Trial of the Gods are co-op experiences where teams face increasingly tough enemies. Both offer the chance to battle bosses from previous games (Hercules from God of War 3 or the Nameless King from Dark Souls 3). Both feature countdowns (though Ascension's is pauseable) and take place on small or shrinking maps. Both are multiplayer games from studios known for single-player experiences, created without oversight from the original series creators (Hidetaka Miyazaki for Elden Ring and David Jaffe, Cory Barlog, and Stig Asmussen for God of War: Ascension).
Nightreign evokes the same response as Ascension's Trial of the Gods. Network test participants describe frantic, exhilarating races against the clock. Unlike the base game's relaxed pace, where players can approach scenarios strategically, Nightreign forces instinctive play, limiting resources and emphasizing speed and efficiency (as VaatiVidya notes). The absence of Torrent is compensated by increased running speed and jump height.
Ascension's multiplayer adapted its single-player mechanics for faster pacing, mirroring Nightreign's approach. Increased run speed, extended jumps, automated parkour, and a grapple attack (similar to Nightreign's Wylder character) were added. While combat isn't overly difficult, the sheer number of enemies makes every second count, leading to frantic sprints and relentless combat.
Nightreign's resemblance to Ascension is unexpected, given the latter's obscurity and the contrasting nature of the Soulslike genre and God of War. Where God of War empowers players as god-slaying warriors, Soulslike games cast them as weak, cursed undead facing constant peril. However, the challenge in recent Soulslike games has lessened, with numerous game-breaking builds. Nightreign aims to restore difficulty, while simultaneously offering skilled players the exhilarating, time-sensitive combat of God of War: Ascension.
