It's not the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice 2 I'd hoped for, but Elden Ring: Nightreign might just sate my insatiable hunger for FromSoftware to pick up the pace

A warrior in Elden Ring: Nightreign readies an arm crossbow before entering into bloody combat.

I am suffering, dear reader, from a Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice deficiency. Despite having a massive impact on the industry at large, with soulslikes copy-catting more mechanics from Sekiro than their namesake, snagging timed blocks and posture staggers, FromSoftware chose to stick to what it knew.

It has officially been more than five years since Sekiro fundamentally altered my brain chemistry, and I am hankering. Imitators may enter the stage and do a damn fine job—Lies of P was great, Lords of the Fallen 2023 was solid, and I'm currently scratching the itch with Nine Sols, a game I'm astonished I missed. But everything only reminds me of her, man. Is this what Bloodborne players feel like?