The FromSoftware aesthetic is best summed up by the famous quote from Dark Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki. When presented with an early, gross and gribbly design for the Undead Dragon in Dark Souls, Miyazaki returned it with the comment that it should be more dignified, saying, "Can't you instead try to convey the deep sorrow of a magnificent beast doomed to a slow and possibly endless descent into ruin?'"
At some point behind the scenes there must have been a meeting about how to soundtrack the launch trailer for Elden Ring Nightreign. And that meeting ended by deciding that what the majestic ruin of the Lands Between needed was the song you'd hear in a mid-2000s AMV where someone edits all their favorite clips from Berserk together.
Yes, the Elden Ring Nightreign trailer is backed by Bring Me to Life by Evanescence, a slice of crossover nu-metal coming at you direct from 2003. Back then this song was pretty cringeworthy, which is what we said instead of just "cringe" at the time, but like everything you're embarrassed by, 20 years later you hear it at a retro night and suddenly realize it rules actually.
Bandai Namco does have form here, having released a trailer for Dark Souls soundtracked by folk-rock band The Silent Comedy. In an age of ultra-polished trailers backed by slowed-down cover versions it's kind of nice to see something a bit more amateurish? When the three heroes do their slow walk into battle during a quiet bit in Bring Me to Life it definitely has a "me and my friends made this" feel that's appreciated in a game that will ultimately come down to you and your friends working together.
In his review of Elden Ring Nightreign, Tyler Colp recalled that "Everyone cheered in voice chat when Centipede Demon, the boss nobody remembers from Dark Souls, showed up to get obliterated by 14 years of action RPG combat advancement. When the stars align—and they will—Nightreign is unlike anything else I've played." He gave it a score of 80, and though he had plenty to say about its impenetrability and messiness, he also clearly had a good time.
Just like I will, singing "save me from the nothing I've become" at my desk for the rest of the day.
