FromSoft just outplayed everyone

Summary

In this detailed review of *Night Rain*, the game’s strengths and weaknesses are explored. While the world-building, combat mechanics, and co-op experience are praised, the lack of multiplayer features like crossplay and communication tools hampers the gameplay. The roguelike progression feels disjointed, and the build crafting lacks depth. However, the game’s fair pricing and absence of microtransactions stand out in a market dominated by live services. Despite its flaws, *Night Rain* offers an enjoyable experience, especially for co-op play, with potential for growth through future updates and content.

Takeaways

• 😀 FromSoftware's *Night Rain* is an experimental title blending co-op gameplay with rogue-like elements, offering unique mechanics but also a few flaws.
• 🎮 The game’s movement, combat, and boss fights are fast-paced and energetic, contributing to an enjoyable experience, especially in multiplayer.
• 🤔 The lack of basic multiplayer features, such as crossplay, voice chat, and text chat, makes the co-op experience inconsistent and challenging when playing with strangers.
• 💡 *Night Rain* lacks synergy in its rogue-like progression systems, with random power-ups that don't come together in a meaningful way, unlike other rogue-likes like *Hades*.
• 🔍 Much of the game's progression happens outside of the actual run, through relics and remembrances, which are hidden in the game's quest log and can be overlooked by players.
• 💥 The game provides no fail states or resets, meaning players can respawn indefinitely until they die to the main boss, which may lead to wasted time and frustration if teammates aren't coordinated.
• 🎯 Despite its rough edges, *Night Rain* is praised for offering a self-contained experience with no microtransactions or live-service mechanics, which feels rare in today's gaming industry.
• 🛠️ The lack of a cash shop, battle passes, or time-limited offers is refreshing, allowing players to earn everything through gameplay rather than spending real money.
• 📈 *Night Rain* represents FromSoftware's approach to developing smaller projects with a new director, testing game mechanics, and offering affordable experiences with high quality.
• ⚖️ The game's pricing ($40) is considered fair for the offering, especially since it avoids the monetization traps seen in other games, providing value without exploitation.
• 🤝 *Night Rain* appeals to players who miss older, simpler multiplayer experiences where enjoyment came from gameplay rather than forced progression or monetization loops.

Q & A

What is the main appeal of *Night Rain* for players?

The main appeal of *Night Rain* lies in its experimental nature, offering a fast-paced, co-op action experience with strong world-building and exciting combat. It also stands out for its lack of microtransactions and live-service elements, allowing players to earn rewards purely through gameplay.

How does *Night Rain* incorporate roguelike mechanics, and what are the issues with them?

While *Night Rain* incorporates roguelike elements, such as randomized weapons and abilities, the implementation lacks synergy and meaningful progression. Unlike other roguelikes like *Hades* or *Risk of Rain 2*, the randomness feels disconnected, leaving players with little control over their build during a run.

What makes the co-op experience in *Night Rain* unique, and what are its flaws?

The co-op experience in *Night Rain* is unique due to its emphasis on teamwork, with roles and coordination mattering for success. However, the lack of basic multiplayer features like crossplay, voice chat, or duos mode makes communication and coordination difficult, especially with random players.

Why is the remembrance quest system important in *Night Rain*?

The remembrance quests are crucial because they offer both character-specific questlines and powerful rewards. Completing these quests provides chalices, which allow players to customize their relic loadouts, adding depth and agency to the gameplay.

How does *Night Rain* handle progression during runs?

Progression in *Night Rain* during a run feels weak as most build crafting is done outside of the run through permanent relics and remembrances. While players can find weapons and buffs during runs, these don't meaningfully tie into a long-term build or strategy, which weakens the overall roguelike experience.

What are the positive aspects of *Night Rain*'s world-building?

The world-building in *Night Rain* is heavily inspired by From Software's titles, such as *Elden Ring*. The environment and atmosphere are familiar, contributing to the game's immersive experience while still offering something new for players to discover.

How does *Night Rain* handle in-game purchases and monetization?

One of the standout features of *Night Rain* is its lack of microtransactions or live-service elements. All rewards, including skins and relics, are earned through gameplay by completing runs, which contrasts with the typical monetization strategies seen in other modern games.

What is the significance of the game's lack of live-service elements?

The absence of live-service elements in *Night Rain* is significant because it offers a complete, self-contained experience. Players don’t have to worry about seasonal content or time-limited offers, which makes the game feel more rewarding and less like a grind compared to other titles with monetized progression systems.

What are the flaws related to *Night Rain*'s co-op multiplayer?

The biggest flaws with *Night Rain*'s co-op multiplayer are the lack of communication tools such as voice chat and text chat, as well as the omission of a duos mode. These shortcomings make it harder for players to coordinate effectively, often resulting in frustrating gameplay with random teams.

How does *Night Rain* compare to other roguelikes in terms of progression and build crafting?

Unlike other roguelikes like *Hades*, where players make deliberate choices that build upon each run, *Night Rain* lacks meaningful progression inside of runs. While players can choose between different weapons and abilities, there’s no real synergy or long-term strategy, making the progression feel more reactive and disconnected.