FromSoftware’s latest co-op title, Elden Ring Nightreign, is somewhat similar to one of the darkest manga of all time: Berserk. It’s not just about the themes and characters that seem connected. In fact, the game seemingly echoes the shades of Berserk through its various stages and lore.
The whispers about the similarity between the two titles have been long-standing in the community. Even now, you can find several posts on Reddit discussing the resemblance between Berserk and Nightreign. Thankfully, the game hasn’t copied anything that may offend the fans of the manga. Instead, it feels much like a homage to respect the creativity of Kentaro Miura’s brilliance in penning Berserk.
What makes Elden Ring Nightreign feel like Berserk
There are a bunch of factors that solidify the similarity between Elden Ring Nightreign and Berserk. For starters, the manga is particularly famous for its dark theme, ghastly monsters, and trauma-ridden characters. It goes without saying how perfectly FromSoftware expresses all the above themes and features in its latest RPG.
The intense and terrifying progression system in this game gives an instant reminder of how gripping Berserk feels. One of the key similarities between Nightreign and Miura’s manga is the evolution of challenges. Just like for Guts (the main character in Berserk), the challenges always grew intense with each enemy he encountered on his path.
Similarly, you will come across a bunch of Nightlords on your journey in Limveld, before finally facing off against Heolstor the Nightlord. It certainly feels like Nightreign is wearing the essence of Berserk proudly under its sleeve.
The closest parallels between Elden Ring Nightreign, and Berserk
The easiest resemblance between the two subjects is surely the existence of Guts’ signature weapon, Dragonslayer, in the game. The Dragonslayer is a greatsword wielded by Guts in the manga, which he used to decimate endless enemies. In a similar fashion, the Wylder Nightfarer class in Nightreign uses a greatsword as their primary weapon. At first glance, a Berserk fan will easily point out how a Dragonslayer and a Wylder’s greatsword look alike.
In Miura’s depiction, you will see a world with shadowy aesthetics that has lost all its hope. A similar type of environment is showcased in Nightreign, making it look as eerie as the world shown in Berserk.
It would be a shame if we forget to mention how meaningful and symbolic the characters are in both titles. All the allies and god-like bosses that show up in Berserk have a backstory, mostly responsible for plotting their evil nature. Speaking of which, all the enemies and characters existing in the world of Limveld have their own story to tell, too. Frankly, you need to become a giga chad to solo all the Nightlords.
All the Nightfarers in Nightreign are either fallen knights with tragic pasts, cursed warriors, or supernatural beings finding their purpose in the world. The showcasing of character arcs in the game is one of the closest parallels, deepening the homage even further.
Since its release, Nightreign has been receiving overwhelmingly good feedback from fans of all genres. While some are even saying that it will become a Cult-Hit in 2035 as it is sincerely following the footsteps of Demon’s Souls. With such high praise, it is safe to say that even the Late Kentaro Miura would be proud to see Nightreign, a true spiritual twin of Berserk.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
