Elden Ring Nightreign: Why Solo Mode Is Easier Than Multiplayer?

Everything you need to know about Elden Ring Nightreign’s solo mode balancing, and why it feels easier compared to the multiplayer modes.

Elden Ring Nightreign (Image via FromSoftware)

Elden Ring Nightreign is a major departure from FromSoftware’s core “souls-like” formula. While the game is built on the foundation of Elden Ring, it employs a very different progression system. As many fans have pointed out since Nightreign’s release, FromSoftware’s latest title has more in common with roguelikes than traditional souls-likes. And these differences permeate into the game’s core progression systems as well. Ever since its reveal, FromSoftware has marketed Nightreign as a multiplayer game. However, at the same time, Nightreign does feature a dedicated solo mode. And it works basically like a standard single-player mode in a souls-like/roguelike game.

However, if you’ve played Nightreign solo, you would have noticed that the game feels a lot easier compared to multiplayer. But why is that? Also, how do solo and multiplayer scalings work in Elden Ring Nightreign? Let’s find out in this article.

How Does Solo Mode and Multiplayer Scaling Work in Elden Ring Nightreign?

Unlike in FromSoftware’s previous games, where scaling for multiplayer was additive, in Elden Ring Nightreign, it’s multiplicative. This means that instead of boss HP (and poise) simply getting a percentage buff, they get buffed by multiples of 2 or 3, depending on the number of players. Basically, if you’re playing the game in the default three-player mode, you will have to face bosses with significantly bloated HP bars compared to the solo mode. However, at the same time, you do have access to your full power in multiplayer, so that more or less balances the HP buff. Unlike in base Elden Ring or Dark Souls, players in multiplayer don’t get an attribute debuff.

All players have their base attributes scaled based on the levels they acquire. As such, with three players, you are expected to dish out three times the DPS of a solo player. However, due to this linear scaling, solo mode gets an inherent advantage, since there the player’s attributes remain constant but boss and enemy HP are reduced substantially. As such, bosses go down much more easily when playing solo, compared to multiplayer.

Another major factor that makes solo mode easier is the Rune acquisition buff. In solo mode, you get 10% more Runes per kill, which makes it slightly easier to reach Level 14-15 by the end of Day 2.

Drawbacks of Solo Mode in Elden Ring Nightreign

Considering the benefits on offer, you might be tempted to play Nightreign in solo mode. However, there are some major drawbacks to doing so. Firstly, solo mode requires you to have a very good knowledge of Limveld’s map. If you’re new to Nightreign, playing solo is significantly more overwhelming compared to co-op. In co-op, you have other players to fall back on, who will help you get Runes and also navigate Limgrave (optimally). While solo mode is quite a lot of fun, but only after you have a good grasp of Nightreign’s systems and, most importantly, the map.