Elden Ring Nightreign is a fascinating project for many reasons, not the least of which being its unique, rigid class structure. FromSoftware’s approach to traditional RPG classes in games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring has historically been far more fluid, with a player’s starting class being more like a suggestion or jumping-off point than a strict set of gameplay rules to adhere to.
This is not the case in Elden Ring Nightreign, which presents players with eight distinct character archetypes to choose from at the start of each run.
There’s some wiggle room in the form of various upgrades and collectible gear, which may steer an archetype’s path in a given playthrough, but the system is far more restrictive overall compared to other FromSoft RPGs. For instance, the Recluse character (Nightreign’s version of a sorcerer) can never wield a melee weapon, while the tank-like Guardian will never sling spells. Interestingly, each of these archetypes seems to adhere to already-existing Elden Ring classes and playstyles like spellcaster, ranger, and rogue, or otherwise seems inspired by the gameplay of Bloodborne and Sekiro, as appears to be the case with Duchess and Executor. But one Nightreign archetype, only recently announced, bucks this trend.
How Elden Ring Nightreign’s Revenant Archetype Stands Out from the Pack
Elden Ring Nightreign’s Revenant Appears To Be Purely Summons-Focused
Glimpsed in Nightreign’s recent overview trailer and rumored to be called Revenant, this harp-wielding, doll-like combatant comes across as markedly distinct, seemingly only able to summon various Elden Ring Spirit Ashes for support on the battlefield. Using their harp, the Revenant ostensibly provides support to their teammates without ever joining fights directly, as their summoned spirits do their dirty work for them. With little more than a harp—magical or not—at their disposal, it’s easy to see why the Revenant would want to stay on the sidelines.
The word ‘revenant’ refers to someone who has returned from the dead, making it a fitting title for this eerie doll-like being that summons spiritual forces for assistance.
This is a rather interesting premise for a playable character, as it rejects the central game mechanics of typical FromSoftware games. Of course, summons are commonplace in FromSoft RPGs, especially in Elden Ring, thanks to Spirit Ashes, but they are almost never viable as a primary offensive tool, so incorporating a playable character designed specifically around the mechanic is a massive change. The Revenant seems unlikely to facilitate traditional Soulslike gameplay, but that’s what makes the class so interesting.
The Revenant’s Experimental Mechanics Highlight What Makes Elden Ring Nightreign Unique
Assuming that the Revenant is indeed a summons-only class, it could offer a significantly novel spin on Elden Ring’s core gameplay formula. Before the revelation of this new class, Ironeye was arguably the most unique Elden Ring Nightreign archetype, as ranged-only builds are fairly hard to pull off in Elden Ring and Dark Souls. Ironeye’s distinctness pales in comparison to Revenant’s, as the latter essentially exists beyond the boundaries of standard Soulslike combat.
It’s also interesting to note that Revenant seems designed around one of the most contentious and oft-maligned Elden Ring gameplay systems. Many Elden Ring purists will bemoan the use of Spirit Ashes, arguing that such methods detract from the core gameplay loop.
This mentality is often criticized, and for good reason, but it will be interesting to see how much detractors view Spirit Ashes in the cooperative framework of Elden Ring Nightreign. After all, the spin-off is all about multiple heroes working together, and is overall a far cry from the lonesome gameplay of the base game, so mechanics like Spirit Ash summons may be radically recontextualized.
