Elden Ring Nightreign’s rocky network test might have left some fans disappointed this week, but I sincerely doubt a few breif server issues did much to diminish the growing anticipation for FromSoftware’s next soulslike for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. Thankfully, if you were still planning on picking up the Elden Ring spin-off when it launches on May 30th, it’s already available for preorder with a $10 gift card at Best Buy for $39.99 or from Fanatical for $35.19 (about $5 off).

From what we’ve seen, and our own Ash Parrish has experienced, Neightrein isn’t so much a sequel to Elden Ring as it is a standalone co-op title set in a parallel universe. It’s got all the visual hallmarks of FromSoftware’s 2022 epic — sweeping vistas, haunting ruins, etc. etc. — along with the brutal boss battles and combat on display in both the original game and its excellent DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree.

The big difference between Nightreign and previous ER titles is that you’re forced to tackle the new region of Limveld over a three-day span, either solo or in a team of three. Then you throw in a few character classes, a leveling system, and a Fortnite-like storm that shrinks the map over time, making each run absolute chaos. If it seems like an amalgamation of multiplayer games, well, it kind of is.

More ways to save this weekend