This past weekend marked the first network tests for Elden Ring: Nightreign, the upcoming standalone multiplayer game branching from FromSoftware's acclaimed title. Unlike last year's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, Nightreign shares only its namesake and aesthetic with Elden Ring, swapping the open-world structure for a streamlined survival format. Three-player teams descend onto shrinking maps, battling enemies and increasingly difficult bosses. This design clearly draws inspiration from the immensely popular Fortnite—a game boasting over 200 million players this month alone.

However, Nightreign bears a striking resemblance to a less celebrated, and often criticized, game: 2013's God of War: Ascension. And that's a positive comparison.

Released between 2010's God of War 3 and 2018's Norse reboot, Ascension served as a prequel, preceding the original Greek mythology trilogy. It followed Kratos' struggle to break his oath with Ares. While failing to match the epic finale of the original trilogy, and attempting to refresh a familiar formula, Ascension became known as the franchise's black sheep—a decent appetizer before a magnificent main course.

This reputation, while understandable, is unfair. Although Kratos' confrontation with the Furies didn't reach the heights of his fight with Zeus, the prequel boasted stunning set pieces, notably the Prison of the Damned—a labyrinthine dungeon within a colossal, immobilized, 100-armed giant. More importantly, Ascension pioneered something the franchise hadn't attempted before: multiplayer.

Within Ascension's story, players encounter a chained NPC in the Prison of the Damned who prematurely exclaims, "You saved me!" before being crushed. Unlocking the multiplayer mode after this point reveals this NPC as the player character. Teleported to Olympus moments before their demise, they pledge allegiance to one of four gods—Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, or Ares—each offering unique weapons, armor, and magic. These tools are used across five multiplayer modes, four being competitive PvP.

The fifth mode, Trial of the Gods, is cooperative PvE. And it's remarkably similar to Elden Ring: Nightreign.

Previews of Nightreign, released before the network tests by prominent Soulsborne YouTubers like VaatiVidya and Iron Pineapple, and IGN, highlighted similarities between FromSoftware's latest title and live-service games like Fortnite. Like those games, Nightreign blends randomized loot, resource management, and environmental hazards that damage health and restrict movement, increasing difficulty over time. Nightreign even echoes one of Fortnite's iconic elements: players drop from the sky, carried by spirit birds to their chosen location.

While God of War: Ascension lacks the "where are we dropping?" element, a deeper look reveals significant common ground with Nightreign. Both Nightreign and Ascension's Trial of the Gods are cooperative experiences where teams face increasingly challenging foes. Both offer the unexpected opportunity to battle bosses from previous games (Hercules from God of War 3 or the Nameless King from Dark Souls 3). Both feature countdowns (though Ascension's is pauseable), and both take place on small or shrinking maps. Crucially, both are multiplayer games from studios known for single-player experiences, created without oversight from their respective series' creators. Hidetaka Miyazaki, director of Elden Ring, is working on an undisclosed project, while the directors of the original God of War trilogy—David Jaffe, Cory Barlog, and Stig Asmussen—had left Sony Santa Monica before Ascension's development.

Nightreign appears to evoke a similar player response to Ascension's Trial of the Gods. Network test participants described frantic, exhilarating races against the clock. Unlike the relaxed pace of the base game, where players can approach scenarios with diverse strategies and weapons, Nightreign demands instinctual reactions, resourcefulness, and speed—constraints described by VaatiVidya as prioritizing "speed and efficiency." For example, the absence of Torrent is compensated by enhanced player speed and jump height.

Ascension's multiplayer adapted its single-player blueprint for faster pacing, mirroring Nightreign's approach. Increased run speed, extended jumps, automated parkour, and a grapple attack (similar to Nightreign's Wylder character) were implemented. These additions are crucial because, while combat isn't overly difficult, Trial of the Gods overwhelms players with enemies, making every second count. Teams sprint, battling relentlessly through hordes.

Nightreign's resemblance to Ascension is surprising, given the latter's obscurity and the contrasting nature of the Soulslike genre. Where God of War empowers players as god-slaying warriors, Soulslike games cast players as weak, cursed undead facing significant challenges. One rarely shows a game over screen; the other relentlessly employs it.

However, this difficulty, once rage-inducing in FromSoftware's earlier games, has lessened as players improved, and developers provided better tools. Nightreign, lacking access to game-breaking builds, promises a renewed challenge. Simultaneously, skilled players can experience the thrill God of War: Ascension offered: the feeling of a time-constrained, vengeful Spartan.