A Dark Souls boss from Elden Ring Nightreign's previous installment ascends into the stratosphere mid-battle, only to be replaced by a smaller entity.
In the world of FromSoftware, creative shortcuts are a common tactic used to balance challenge with efficiency and player agency. These shortcuts, which often encourage exploration and mastery of the game’s mechanics, are evident in the design of some of the series' most iconic bosses, such as the Nameless King.
The Nameless King, a formidable foe in both Dark Souls 3 and Elden Ring's Nightreign, presents an interesting case study. His large size in Dark Souls 3 might have made his moveset awkward, but in Nightreign, FromSoftware has made some adjustments. The dismounted version of the Nameless King is 35% smaller than his mounted counterpart, making his movements more fluid and his battles more manageable.
FromSoftware's creative shortcuts are not limited to size adjustments. In Dark Souls 3, the Nameless King's encounter is famous for its architectural and combat design shortcuts. The boss arena is positioned on a mountaintop, with layered combat phases that encourage spatial strategy rather than straightforward fights. This design choice serves as a "shortcut" to create compelling fight dynamics without relying solely on raw difficulty.
Other common types of creative shortcuts developers use in such games include hidden pathways or jumps, enemy or boss placement that leads players to discover efficient strategies, level geometry design that enables quicker travel through levels, and scripted events or triggers that change the environment to open new routes or disable obstacles without extensive combat.
In Nightreign, FromSoftware disguises the Nameless King's transition from his dragon-riding phase to his foot combat phase by having him jump extremely high, obscured by the boughs of the "Spirit Shelter." This clever level design keeps the surprise element intact while making the transition smoother for players.
Zullie the Witch, a well-known expert on FromSoftware's development processes, has often highlighted advanced gameplay tricks and shortcuts in her content, implying that these principles are alive in Elden Ring Nightreign as well. Her videos often showcase clever level design and player route optimization, making areas like "The Crater" more efficient.
Ted Litchfield, who has been thinking about PC games and sharing his thoughts since booting up Neverwinter Nights, has also covered Elden Ring and Dark Souls 3. He can be followed on Bluesky, where he shares insights on games, esports, modding, and rare game collecting. When not playing or writing about games, Ted can be found lifting weights on his back porch.
In both Dark Souls 3 and Nightreign, the Nameless King fights on foot in the second phase of his boss fight. His small size while fighting on foot in Dark Souls 3 might have been due to him looking dinky perched atop his dragon. FromSoftware had to adjust the size of the Nameless King for aesthetic and mechanical reasons in Nightreign.
In Nightreign, the Nameless King's battle takes place in an arena hanging over a giant ghost tree, the "Spirit Shelter." The tree giants in Nightreign, created by FromSoftware, are some of the largest characters in gaming, adding to the epic scale of the game.
In summary, the creative shortcuts used by developers, as illustrated by the Nameless King in both Dark Souls 3 and Elden Ring's Nightreign, involve inventive design elements to streamline gameplay challenges and navigation. These shortcuts serve as "shortcuts" to create compelling fight dynamics without relying solely on raw difficulty, encouraging exploration and mastery of the game’s mechanics.
- The dismounted Nameless King in Nightreign's arena, suspended over a giant ghost tree known as the "Spirit Shelter," showcases FromSoftware's strategic use of level design to create visually impressive settings for its games.
- FromSoftware's design choices in Nightreign, such as the Nameless King's high jump during his phase transition, demonstrate a focus on keeping the gameplay experience smooth and surprising for players.
- In both Dark Souls 3 and Nightreign, the battle against the Nameless King offers implementations of gameplay shortcuts, making the encounters more manageable and less reliant on raw difficulty.
- Special focus on the Nameless King's size adjustments between Dark Souls 3 and Nightreign highlights technological advancements in game development, allowing for more fluid and balanced designs in the games' boss fights.
