While FromSoftware games can often feel plenty difficult already, the presence of a more difficult, optional mode within them is actually nothing new. 2019’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, for instance, had two ways that you could increase the difficulty – the Demon Bell and Kuro’s Charm.
Their latest game, the multiplayer spin-off to Elden Ring, has been receiving steady updates since its release, such as new bosses and a much-requested two-player mode, and now it has also been granted a higher difficulty mode titled Deep of Night for those who want to challenge themselves further.
Deep of Night’s additions
Launching on 11th September, Deep of Night is marketed as being a “high-difficulty challenge mode designed for seasoned players.” Some of the features of this mode that have been specified include stronger enemies, less transparency about gameplay elements like terrain changes and weapon effects that also come with detriments – something that will be familiar to fans of other rogue-like games, such as Returnal.
The difficulty of the game mode is said to increase with deeper levels, with Depth 3 being touted as being very difficult and Depths 4 and 5 featuring an endless battle – though the specifics of what this entails remain unclear.
Other updates on the horizon
With the updates in full throttle, fans of the game are eagerly awaiting to see what might come next. There have already been numerous tweaks and balance patches in an effort to make the game more generally enjoyable, but with older bosses from previous FromSoftware games featuring, some might wonder if even more will make their way over to Nightreign.
However, Nightreign lacks a traditional roadmap, meaning that updates only really come as they’re announced. Sometimes this comes in the form of timed events, such as the Everdark Sovereign paired bosses in July, but FromSoftware have repeatedly affirmed their commitment to regular updates.
The conversation around difficulty settings
FromSoftware games have long found themselves at the centre of discussions about difficulty settings, with some suggesting that an easy mode should be available while others argue that ways to modulate the difficulty already exist in-game – such as the ability to summon friendly NPCs to help. This is a conversation that also goes in the other direction for some. However, the lack of a hard mode in some of these titles hasn’t stopped players seeking more difficulty from designing their own challenges – there are many YouTube videos dedicated to runs of these games where players don’t get hit or use the weakest weapons possible, for instance.
