I did not complete the expedition to Elden Ring Nightreign: Forgotten Hollowsbut having spent hundreds of hours in the Limveld, I think it's a good thing. I failed largely because everything is complicated and mysterious, and also because FromSoftware refuses to do anything without trolling its players.
New expeditions take place on a new map designed so carefully that you can feel FromSoftware working at full capacity. Forgotten Hollows gets rid of the main grassy fields and medieval castles of the original map. Here you will find an otherworldly area reminiscent of Elden RingThe most memorable places are Raya Lucaria, the Siofra River and the Snowy Fields. The map is full of places like the Firelink Shrine and its winding paths that make exploration incredibly stressful. I haven't seen most of the map yet, and with Night rainIt's a gradual storm and it will probably take me a long time before I can. But still, Forgotten Hollows makes me feel like I'm invading a mythical, scary place where I don't belong. It's like playing Elden Ring for the first time all over again. Except that you are currently accompanied by two other people named “Egg” and “EldenSteve”, and they would rather die than stop and strategize with you.
The new map will highlight some of the worst tendencies of impatient solo players. But I also compare my recent teammates to people who were still playing. Night rain months after graduation. These are people whose behavior can be predicted based on what the meta dictates at the moment. To be honest, less than 24 hours after its release, the community has yet to develop best practices for Forgotten Hollows. And when I look at all the tempting new bosses and enemies in the DLC, I can't blame players for getting carried away.
Much of what amazes me Forgotten Hollows Doesn't sound very positive, but hear me out. I spent most of my first expedition making the stupidest mistakes. I kept falling into the abyss and losing my runes. I spent several minutes in a panic, trying to get out of the storm, moving from one grace to another. I was frustrated by not being able to reach certain areas of the map. I lost levels that I couldn't recover. To be honest, my teammates were probably mad at me—that is, until I witnessed the same mistakes. Abandoned Hollows full of abysses and tricky jumps, and apparently people continue to die from them. At some point the storm was gnawing at my legs. I was on the edge of a cliff. Airdtree and his safe embrace lay before me, seemingly out of reach. I cursed and jumped. I barely made it. Night rain and the lack of fall damage and double jumps already makes this game more acrobatic than Elden Ringbut whoever it is at FromSoftware that insists on these platforming areas is Satan incarnate.
It's not exactly fun the moment it happens, but let's be honest. Many of us play FromSoftware games because they provide thrilling moments of fear and adrenaline. Of course, there are legends. But you can't get to these brainy bits without first experiencing the magnificent beast doomed to slow and possibly endless destruction that the Japanese studio has in store for you.
I'm also looking forward to unraveling the new mysteries that may be hidden in Forgotten Hollows. What does “crystal cracked” mean and why does the game tell me this? Why is there a little star next to this merchant? What kind of mirror is this? God, why does this boss get up after we killed him? Besides the action, Forgotten Hollows will be a treat for people who read item descriptions. At least one familiar face from Elden Ring makes a refund. Surely the fact that there is a divine tower on the new map means something, right? And I hear some chatter that one of the new classes may have an unexpected backstory.
So yes. I'm dying right now, possibly even enraging my poor teammates. But this is the juiciest part. There's a lot to love about achieving mastery, and who doesn't love a competent teammate? In the end, however, Forgotten Hollows will become familiar. I will know where to go and what to do at the right time. Whatever I don’t know, the guide will definitely find out. And when this happens, the fear will disappear, but so will the miracle.
