'Elden Ring: Nightreign': Reviewing the 'Twilight Guide'

A primer on the upcoming game...

Japan has always has a really strong focus on physical strategy guides and informational books (which I’m going to cover next week on my main Substack, if you’re interested). I remember picking up Final Fantasy X’s Ultimania back in the day but even now, when a game releases, you can bet there will be at least one strategy guide, which will often be re-released with new content later in the game’s life cycle or when DLC is released.

This one—Nightreign: The Twilight Guide—is a mook, (ムック'; a Japanese word which basically means a ‘magazine-book’. Sort of the Japanese equivalent of those magazines you see in the supermarket which promise to teach you how to use an iPod or start a podcast; yes I did just date myself.

This is the third such mook released to answer players’ questions prior to the game’s launch and it’s release is very much a part of the hype for release. They’re authored by Famitsu and Dengeki who have specialised departments for gaming books and strategy guides so it’s not technically from From Software but each book does contain exclusive interviews with Miyazaki Hidetake and, in this case of Nightreign, Ishizaki Junya.

The first book: The OVERTURE of Elden Ring was released back in 2022 just before the first game’s launch, and was also actually translated and released for English language readers too. In Japan, it was released as a physical book with a special printed poster, as well as a digital edition

The second book, The OVERTURE of Shadow of the Erdtree, was only release in Japan, again as an e-book and a digital edition. This volume basically collected the important information you needed to know from the main game ahead of visiting the Land of Shadows.

Elden Ring: Nightreign: The Twilight Guide is a similar length and is basically a primer for the upcoming release. You have an introduction which explains the setting and seven of the eight classes (which is odd because Executor was just officially released this week and Revenant—due to be unveiled later today—isn’t included at all…)

Much of the information in the book is based on the Network Test held earlier this year (that I got to participate in…) and some of it might change between that and the official release. Do bear that in mind as it’s probably been tweaked since then; this is a primer, remember, not an advanced strategy guide (those are coming, I’m sure…)

The main bulk, after the seven character classes, was explain how the game works, including maps of Limveld and the Roundtable Hold, as well as overviews of how the game works (specifically the three-day cycle and the Nightlord battle).

The rest of the book is made up of an extensive appendix going through all the class skills and spells you can use, several pages of art showing some of the nicest assets, albeit in tiny examples, and, of course, that exclusive interview with Ishizaki Junya, which provides some interesting nuggets of information on the game and what they were trying to achieve during development, like creating a unique game over just a cheap cash-grab.

Classes aside, there’s not a lot lore-wise, but it’s nice to know how the characters work, what their strengths and weaknesses are and get a look at Limveld for anyone who didn’t get to play the Network Test (which was quite a lot of people, judging by the eBaying of test codes…)

I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the game later this week and am going to start breaking down the classes ahead of launch over the weekend. If you can read Japanese, do go and get yourself a copy, especially if you’re enamoured with the game’s art (and want a physical B2 poster for your wall).

Yes, friends, night is coming!