Latest news with #Ironeye
CNET
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNET
I Played Elden Ring Nightreign as a Third-Person Shooter. Here's Why You Should Pick Up a Bow
Usually when I pick up a new FromSoftware game, I opt to build my character into the biggest, strongest guy alive. In Bloodborne, I swung around the Hunter's Axe from beginning to end, and in Elden Ring, I beelined to the first colossal swords I could find, which include some of the game's best weapons. I'm happiest when I have enough poise to stand my ground against any attack and just keep swinging a blade at the bad guy. I was planning on playing a big, strong character in Elden Ring Nightreign, too. Perhaps I would tank the hits for my team as the Guardian or power through them as the Raider. And then my DualSense controller's USB cable busted right as the review period started. Have you ever tried to play Elden Ring with a keyboard and mouse? It's not the most intuitive control scheme. Off the rip, I was having trouble with simple tasks like flicking between enemies and swiftly changing my equipment in the heat of battle. I quickly gave up on trying to make a melee character work, and decided to try out Ironeye, the roguish assassin carrying a bow and dagger. What I found was a character that made me feel surprisingly useful as part of a three-person squad, especially as a gamer more well-versed in shooters than in roleplaying games -- and I could play the archer just like third-person shooters I'm familiar with. That's right: While most Ironeye players are using lock-on, I'm firing with free-aim crosshairs. And it's incredible. Free aiming with a two-handed bow feels smooth and responsive in Nightreign. Bandai Namco/Screenshot by CNET Archery has never felt more intuitive in a FromSoftware game My previous forays into picking up a bow in Elden Ring were stymied by the fact that I needed to manage my inventory of arrows on the fly. While it's cool to craft trick arrows (it makes me feel like Hawkeye or Green Arrow) to inflict elemental damage or status afflictions, it's not cool to run out of arrows in the middle of combat. I never felt that I could pick a fight with only my bow and come out on top. In Elden Ring Nightreign, you have infinite arrows -- your attacks are only limited by your stamina and focus points (aka mana) if using special abilities. In a three-person squad, I was able to constantly pressure enemies from afar, pincushioning bosses in their weak points as my allies hacked at their legs. The arrows don't do the highest damage per second in the game, but I was able to land consistent hits on our opponents and chip away at the health bar even during more dangerous phases of the battle. And since I was farther away from the boss, I was safer from danger -- a genuine concern when the effectiveness of the team largely depends on everyone staying up. Perhaps most usefully, I could shoot my fallen squadmates from a distance to revive them without drawing the boss's attention. The best part of Nightreign's archery is the generous free aim camera. I wasn't joking when I said that I played the game as if it were a third-person shooter. While the camera lock reliably let me hit center mass on most enemies, wielding a bow with two hands let me aim with my mouse and loose arrows across any of my sightlines on the battlefield. Many foes would stumble when I shot them in the head, and I used this to stun-lock smaller enemies and clear the fodder during hectic boss fights. As it turns out, all of the time I've been putting into Marvel Rivals has resulted in me picking up some transferable accuracy skills that aid my survival in The Lands Between. If and when a boss focused on me instead of my allies, I would revert to using the camera lock and kite the monster around the outside of the arena. Ironeye is dexterous, and can dodge through many attacks. If I'd created a large enough gap between myself and the beast, I weaved in a volley or two from my quiver before continuing my retreat. Eventually, my allies would peel the boss away from me, and I'd get back to work doing what I'm best at -- needling the giant bad guy in the face until it stopped moving. Ironeye's dagger dash keeps him safe while letting him do extra damage to any foes he cuts through. Bandai Namco/Screenshot by CNET A Nightfarer with utility and survivability While Ironeye's damage-per-second isn't as high as other Nightfarers, I never felt like a mere nuisance on the battlefield. My ranged capabilities let me target weak points that my teammates couldn't hit, even on certain Nightlord aspects (the final boss of an expedition). I was able to do remarkable damage to flying enemies, and certain bosses -- like dragons -- would quickly fall to a flurry of well-aimed arrows. When enemies didn't have an obvious weakness, I'd create one myself with Ironeye's class ability. He can dash forward with his dagger, exposing an enemy's weak spot and granting a damage multiplier to any arrows landed there. When I'm able to destroy the mark, the team is able to take advantage of a unique enemy stagger, opening a crucial window of opportunity for free damage. I felt rewarded for approaching the battle and passing quickly through an enemy, before returning to the outskirts of the arena to double my DPS. The dagger dash is also a great survival tool, because Ironeye gets invincibility frames during the full animation and repositions himself on the other side of an approaching foe. The ability recharges within seconds, so I never felt like I was left high and dry with no way to defend myself against a particularly aggressive brawler. If one of those enemies happened to down my squadmates, all I had to do was fire a handful of arrows at an ally to get them back into the fight. There's no doubt in my mind that Ironeye is the best Nightfarer for reviving teammates -- the Recluse needs to expend FP to do similarly, and even the Revenant needs to use her ultimate to match the value the archer brings to the table in this regard. While any class can equip a bow, they likely won't have the Dexterity stat advantage that Ironeye has to do more revival "damage" to pick up teammates. Ironeye's ultimate ability cleaves through the battlefield to hit its intended target. Bandai Namco/Screenshot by CNET Most importantly, Ironeye provides great utility to the melee-focused members of his squad. His ultimate ability, Single Shot, pulls out a massive great bow that takes a couple seconds to set up, but fires through any enemies and terrain to spear its intended target. This ability absolutely clears fodder that might be crowding your allies, but I also found that it does great poise damage against bosses -- opening them up for devastating critical hits from your team. If you want to find success in Elden Ring Nightreign, half the battle is putting together an effective team composition. While archery might be a load of bunk in Elden Ring, Ironeye more than holds his own in this game. Grab your bow and arrows and play Nightreign like a third-person shooter -- you'll be able to DPS and support the squad without breaking a sweat.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Elden Ring Nightreign Ironeye guide- How to play, tips, tricks, and more
(Image via YouTube/Bandai Namco Entertainment) Elden Ring Nightreign introduced Ironeye as a lethal archer striking from the shadows. The class specializes in ranged dominance and precision. With Arcane scaling and Dexterity, the Nightfarer excels at picking off the enemies from the distance while supporting the allies with the debuffs and the loot bonuses. Whether you are playing in co-op or solo, mastering Elden Ring Ironeye needs smart positioning, the right gear and stamina management. Here, we will break down how to play Ironeye effectively, along with some tips and tricks for a better game, the weapons and relics to choose to maximize Ironeye's potential and more. How to play and dominate as Elden Ring Nightreign Ironeye? ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN | Ironeye Character Trailer To play as Ironeye demands perfect positioning and calculated aggression. The class thrives in mid to long-range fights, relying on the bow for dealing consistent damage while being mobile. Ironeye's Eagle Eye passive boosts the item drops for the team, making him valuable in the heavy-loot runs. Additionally, Marking Skill allows Ironeye to dash forward and slice the enemy while creating the weak point, which amplifies the damage—completely ideal for setting up bit hits from the allies. Tip: The key here is to manage stamina for the evasive rolls and attacks while continuing to reposition to maintain the ideal distance. Singe Shot, Ironeye's ultimate, fires an unstoppable arrow. It can pierce through obstacles, making it perfect to finish off the fleeing foes or to revive the downed teammates from a safe distance. As Elden Ring Ironeye has very limited stamina and HP, positioning is the key. Be at a range for avoiding the aggro, but close enough for landing the precise shots. In case the enemies close in, reposition or dodge attacks using Marking's dash. The Marking skill is the swift dash that can slice the target, creating the glowing weak point. To hit the mark will deal some significant amount of increased damage. When destroyed, it will stagger the enemy. Just do not spam it. Use the marking strategically before you go with big attacks or even as a quick dodge through the incoming danger. To time the ability will separate the good Ironeye from the great ones. Essential Ironeye gameplay tips and tricks in Elden Ring Nightreign Ensure to master making combos. Use Marking before you unleash the Single Shot or the team ultimates. Weak point will increase the damage by 10% and stage the enemies if broken. It will create an opening for the heavy attacks. Ironeye's Eagle Eye passive boosts the item drops for the entire team. It's invaluable for the loot runs. Use it wisely. Stamina management is important. The bows consume stamina with every single shot. So, avoid spamming the arrows. Time the shots between the enemy attacks. Green Turtle Talisman will help with the faster recovery of stamina. Adapt with the playstyle. While bows are Elden Ring Ironeye's speciality, he can also wield daggers, katanas or rapiers if you can find some strong Dexterity-scaling weapons. Revive the allies safely. The bow of Ironeye is perfect to revive the teammates from a distance. Use the Barrage (shortbow skill) for the rapid revives. Choose Single Shot in case of emergencies. The class excels at reviving the fallen comrades. Target the downed ally and then fire arrows. Every hit will contribute to the revival meter. Focus on targeting weak spots. Manual aiming will allow you to exploit the enemy's weak points, like headshots on the trolls, for the staggers. It's crucial against the bosses who carry predictable patterns. Give priority to stamina management; dodge and shoot, consume it. Learn the boss patterns for weaving in the attacks with safety without depleting the green bar and becoming vulnerable. Best relics, weapons and talismans for Nightreign Ironeye Elden Ring Nightreign - Ultimate Starter Guide To optimize the gear focus, Ironeye will amplify the bow hits and utility. Seek relics with potent combinations like boosting attack power, especially bow damage. You can also choose combinations like adding effects like poison for the Single Shot (Art Charge Adds Poison) or extending the Marking duration. Also, look for specific affixes or universal boosts like resistances matching target Nightlord or cooldown reduction. For the weapons, bows will be the king. Give priority to finding upgrades with some powerful skills like Rain of Arrows or Barrage. Consider carrying multiple bows (long and short) that are imbued with varied statuses—Bleed, Poison, or Rot, to exploit the boss's weaknesses. While Ironeye's high Dexterity allows the melee weapons, the bows synergize best with the core design. Some essential Talisman to focus on for Ironeye include Arrow's Reach for less damage drop-off, Milicent's Prosthesis for Dexterity and attack boosts, Green Turtle for faster stamina regen, and Arrow's Sting for the boosted ranged attacks. Ritual Sword Talisman will also be a good choice if you are looking to enhance the damage at the full HP. Remember, Ironeye is a highly skilled and rewarding class that excels at support and damage roles. The ability of the class to mark enemies, revive the allies, and deal consistent ranged damage can make him the top pick for the Nightreign expeditions. Equip the right relics, prioritize the weak points and manage the stamina wisely for dominating the battlefield. Whether you are just sniping from a distance or diving in for the quick Marking strike, the versatility of Ironeye will ensure he is always a threat to the enemies. Now go, claim the victories in Nightreign like a pro, following Elden Ring Nightreign guide.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Elden Ring Nightreign tier list: Who's the best Nightfarer to pick for Limveld?
Choosing a Nightfarer in Elden Ring: Nightreign should be simple. Pick the one that fits your playstyle, head into Limveld, and enjoy the chaos. That's what most players expect. But after spending hours playing with each character, it turns out the balance is not as equal as it first seems. Some characters feel stronger across the board. Whether it's about better skills, easier movement, or stronger damage output against Nightlords, there are clear standouts. Ironeye, for example, feels like a step above the rest thanks to his range and staggering power. Then there's Duchess, who completely changes boss fights with her repeat skills. Of course, every Nightfarer still brings something useful to the party, but a few are just better designed for Nightreign's toughest moments. For players just starting out or trying to build the strongest team, this tier list breaks down where each Nightfarer stands. From the best to the ones that might need some buffs, here's how the Nightreign roster stacks up. S-tier characters in Elden Ring Nightreign Duchess 🗡️#ELDENRING #NIGHTREIGN#エルデンリング#EldenRingNightreign Ironeye Ironeye is the top pick in Nightreign. The archer's strength becomes clear during boss fights where melee characters often struggle to reach flying or mobile enemies. His Marking dash adds extra damage for the team and works well as a dodge. His Single Shot ability also hits hard, staggers bosses, and wipes out smaller enemies in one go. With these skills and his consistent ranged output, Ironeye stands out as the strongest Nightfarer, especially in co-op runs. Duchess Duchess is a support character that turns tricky moments into wins. Her Restage skill lets her repeat big damage or staggers from teammates, and her fast cooldown means it can be used often. She also helps with revives using her invisibility-based ultimate, Finale, making her one of the most valuable team picks. Her low health is covered by a special dodge, so she can stay alive while making everyone else stronger. Players do need to unlock her first. A-tier characters in Elden Ring Nightreign Wylder, for your screensavers #ELDENRING #NIGHTREIGN Raider Raider brings pure strength to the team. His Retaliate skill lets him tank hits and then deliver a massive uppercut. While his rock summon is a bit clunky, his big weapons and ability to break enemy stance make him perfect for aggressive solo runs. He's not the flashiest, but Raider always gets the job done. Wylder Wylder is the all-rounder. He's strong, has enough dexterity to use lighter weapons, and comes with a grappling hook that makes him great at closing gaps. His ultimate deals high stagger damage and also makes him invulnerable while using it. This gives players a solid revival option when things go wrong. Wylder doesn't shine in one area but is reliable in almost every situation. Executor Executor looks amazing on paper. His Cursed Sword skill gives him a generous parry window and his ultimate hits hard and stuns many bosses. The bleed damage from his high arcane stat is also strong. But Nightreign's fast-paced fights don't always work in his favour. He struggles when swarmed or forced to chase enemies. In groups with a strong Ironeye, he often feels slow and left behind. Still, with the right weapon, he remains a solid choice. B-tier characters in Elden Ring Nightreign The Recluse speedrun#NIGHTREIGN #ELDENRING Revenant Revenant can summon skeleton allies that take hits and revive teammates. Her ultimate makes friends temporarily immortal, which is great for clutch revives. But she needs killing blows to summon minions, and that puts her in danger, especially with her low health. She also struggles in Nightlord fights where there are no enemies to convert. Once Duchess is unlocked, Revenant becomes less important in most team builds. Recluse Recluse is a powerful mage when supported by the right teammates. She needs elemental affinities from allies to cast her strongest spells, but if players don't coordinate, her main kit falls flat. She also needs those spells to recharge her FP, making her even more reliant on others. Her ultimate does help by letting players regain HP and FP when hitting marked enemies, but she's risky to use in random groups or solo play. C-tier characters in Elden Ring Nightreign This is Guardian from the Elden Ring Nightreign Network Test. He's a Bird Demi-Human Bruh. Would you wear his armour for your Elden Ring character if you could?#ELDENRING #NIGHTREIGN #EldenRingNightreign Guardian
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Elden Ring Nightreign is unique co-op fun for true soulslike sickos
Elden Ring Nightreign is as brutal and compelling as Elden Ring, just don't call it a spin-off. Elden Ring Nightreign isn't really like anything I've ever played before. Its unique twist on the soulslike formula is addictive, fun and brutal in equal measure, despite its frustrating matchmaking and wildly inflexible party requirements needlessly tarnishing the experience. FromSoftware 's latest addition to the Elden Ring universe manages to pull off something unprecedented, combining soulslike combat with brutal roguelike permadeath and hero shooter mechanics. And, I've not even got to the best bit yet, because you can also drag your friends through this fast-paced and often stressful co-op experience too. Oh yes, get ready to suffer, but at least you'll suffer together. The premise of the game is pretty simple: you and two friends must survive two short days in Limveld, a procedurally generated map that mostly stays the same, albeit with a few exceptions (more on that later) with a Fortnite-style circle of fire closing in at all times and, if you do, you'll come up against a Nightlord on day three, which is the toughest test of all. Night fever At the end of each of the two days, you'll face off against a boss, which often serves as a good barometer for whether you've levelled up quickly enough. And that's the key in this game – there's no messing about. As soon as you drop in from your Spectral Hawk, the clock is ticking, and you've got to find Churches of Marika to add an extra flask, find better weapons, and seek out tough enemies, all in the name of levelling up and being ready for that Nightlord, should you make it through the two bosses before it. Elden Ring Nightreign is unrelenting, and if you don't keep up, you're in trouble. You get to cheat death once (although you will lose a level) but after that, you're heading back to the roundtable hold. And, if you're in a Nightlord battle and all three of you perish, it's game over, and you have to start all over again. Most of the key locations within Limveld stay the same for each run, but some do change significantly, particularly if there's a special Shifting Earth Event. This provides a completely new, challenging landscape area full of danger and reward, but these are completely random, as are the Church of Marika locations each run. Players can choose from a selection of eight Nightfarers, with six available from the get-go – Wylder, Guardian, Ironeye, Raider, Recluse and Executer – with two additional classes, Duchess and Revenant, being made available once you've completed specific in-game tasks. The characters have a varied range of playstyles, from the well-rounded Wylder, the magic-focused Recluse, and brute force Raider, to the defensive Guardian, the katana-wielding Executer and the long-range Ironeye. And although a lot of the people I played with were of the opinion that Ironeye is the strongest of all, I enjoyed using all of the characters, and I don't think any are so powerful that you need one in your team; a combination of any three could slay the Nightlord. Of course, each character has their own unique pros and cons, as well as a Passive Ability, Character Skill and Ultimate Arts power, so it's worth experimenting with all of them to see who you gel most with. My personal favourites are Duchess, for her sensational Restage Character Skill, which deals another 50% (roughly) of the damage that an enemy has received in the last few seconds, making it super important with bosses and the Nightlord battles; especially when you time it just right with your teammates using their Ultimate Arts. Another favourite of mine is Executor's incredible Ultimate Arts power, which turns your character into a huge primordial beast, allowing you to deal huge damage, as well as temporarily increasing your HP, so you can use it both in an offensive and defensive way. FromSoftware's way or the highway The most surprising thing about Nightreign is how catered it is to its established, hardcore Elden Ring audience. Although there is no fall damage, equipment load and wall-jumping, apart from the short tutorial, it assumes a lot of key Elden Ring knowledge, and because it's designed to be a three-player experience – and only a three-player experience – it's significantly tougher than the game that came before it. In my Elden Ring Nightreign preview, I said this was a game "you could easily convince your soulslike newcomer friends to play in co-op", but after playing it for a good ten hours or so, I was completely wrong. This is an unflinchingly pure soulslike experience, and dropping into this game as a newbie would be whiplash-inducing. Speaking of whiplash, the game's complete focus is on a three-player experience. So, you need to have exactly two friends, no more – or have one friend, so long as you don't mind playing with a random. Oh, and no, you cannot play with each other if you're on different consoles, because there's no crossplay whatsoever, and there's no party system either, with an early 2000s 'set a password' matchmaking system in place instead. It doesn't even have voice chat. You can play Nightreign solo, but I wouldn't advise it unless you're absolutely cracked. If you managed to kill Consort Radhan on your first attempt before he was patched, or if you do no-hit runs in Elden Ring, you should be ok, but for everyone else, this game is balanced for three players, and three players only. If you loved Elden Ring, you're going to love Elden Ring Nightreign. It's harder, faster and more varied than its predecessor, offering a truly unique gameplay experience that no one really asked for, but it's one that Elden Ring players deserve. Just make sure you have the exact number of friends the game requires, or start preparing for a very awkward group chat conversation.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Elden Ring Nightreign Draws A Sharp Bow-Wielding Nightfarer Class, The Ironeye
The newest character class unveiled in Elden Ring Nightreign is the Nightfarer Ironeye, who utilizes long-range bows and dexterity to dismantle adversaries. FromSoftware and Bandai Namco have unearthed a new class for the upcoming co-op Roguelike title, Elden Ring Nightreign, and the Nightfarer Ironeye deploys long-range weaponry and skills to hurt foes from a distance. The bow-wielding Ironeye specializes in utilizing ranged attacks, but they can also equip dexterity-leaning weaponry in case enemies get within a player's comfort zone. During the Elden Ring Nightreign Network Test, players surmised that you have to attack other friendly players to revive them mid-combat, and the Ironeye adds a layer of strategy to that component of the battlefield, reviving downed players from far away. Bandai Namco has released a brief teaser trailer showcasing the unique talents of the Ironeye and it can be seen below (a larger trailer is available on the official Bandai Namco YouTube channel). While the Iron Eye starts with ranged attacks and features utilizing ranged ultimate abilities, like all other Nightfarers, they can use any weapon discovered during runs with comrades. FromSoftware continues to strike while the iron is hot, revealing a new character for Elden Ring Nightreign, a new title for Nintendo Switch 2 called The Duskbloods, and Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition for Nintendo Switch 2 adds new developments for fans of the punishingly hard soulslike titles to look forward to. While The Duskbloods has not been given a confirmed release date yet, Elden Ring Nightreign's anticipated release is right around the corner. Elden Ring Nightreign launches for Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PS4, PS5 and PC on May 30, 2025. After launch, reports have circulated that there may be more bosses and player characters via DLC available after the title ships due to a Steam page leak discovered by PCGamer, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
