Look, I like Elden Ring: Nightreign—I actually like it quite a bit—but it wouldn't be accurate to call it a soulslike, now would it? Nightreign uses the Dark Souls formula for its combat, but might I call the jury to examine the thing: It's a multiplayer co-op action game based on short, semi-permadeath runs with limited outside progression. That's a roguelike, baby, no matter how many old habits FromSoftware plugged into it.
To me, a soulslike isn't about how chunky the dodge roll is or whether you have a stamina bar—it's about the slow, tense exploration of a dangerous world. It's about deliberate and hard-won mastery over mechanics and, more to the point: It's about the boss fights, baby. Big, satisfying walls to slam your head against, where the only thing between victory is you and your own personal skill, not whether you got Let Me Solo Her in your fireteam or lucked into a busted build.
