Nightreign's Director Beat Every Boss Solo Without Relics, So Why Am I Still Dying?

I was this close. Two percent health left on the boss, my squad of three PC Gamer folks all still standing, and we decided to go for the kill. Then a muddily-telegraphed AoE erupted from nowhere and instantly gibbed all of us. Nightreign'd. 😤

If you've played Elden Ring Nightreign, you know that feeling. It's not just hard—it's sometimes downright unfair. Our own Ted Litchfield called it "player hostile," and yeah, occasionally it's "such bullshit." But here's the thing: that cruelty is also weirdly charming. It's the kind of game that hates you and wants to murder you, yet you keep coming back for more.

So when I heard that combat director Junya Ishizaki wants us to believe in ourselves, I had to laugh. In an interview with CNET, he said:

"I can hopefully give you reassurance to know that I have beaten all of the game's bosses. I've seen everything it has to offer, both in multiplayer and as a solo player. So I want you and players to know that this is very possible, and I want you to have the confidence to give it a try yourself."

Phew, alright. You'd hope the combat director is good at the combat, right? That's literally his job. But then he dropped the real bombshell: he did it without using the game's relic system. "Yes. And without relics." Aw, man. 😩

Have you ever tried a solo Nightreign run? It's a momentous challenge. The game is designed around three-player co-op, and going it alone feels like volunteering for a digital execution. Yet Ishizaki says he's beaten every boss solo, no relics. That's like saying you climbed Everest without oxygen, blindfolded, while reciting poetry. Bless him—he's trying to be motivational—but I've never heard a more polite, perspective-shifting clarion call to git gud since Bandai Namco tweeted out "this is a suggestion to level up your Scadutree Blessing" during the early days of Shadow of the Erdtree.

It's certainly possible if you're absolutely cracked at soulslikes. And it's not exactly sans-relics, but someone's already beaten the game solo without levelling up once. Every time I think a FromSoftware game is a bit spicy, some kung-fu master rocks up to Twitch armed with only a controller and a level of patience forged in the mountains of a far-flung monastery and does a no-hit run before I can blink. 🤯

Mark my words, Ishizaki won't be the first person to depress you with his accomplishments. Here's my prediction: Not only is Ishizaki right, we're about two months maximum from someone doing a full Nightreign solo level one run, blindfolded, armed with only a dance pad and a saxophone, no-hit, while underwater with their hands tied. It'll happen. It always does.

So what do we mere mortals do? We keep trying. We learn the tells. We accept that sometimes the game is going to Nightreign us into oblivion. And we remember that even the combat director had to die a thousand times before he could claim that solo victory. Here are a few things I keep telling myself:

• 🗡️ Start your run right. Don't rush into every fight. Pick your battles.

• 🏆 Know your Nightfarers. Some are better for solo, some for team play.

• 💎 Relics matter—but they're not everything. Ishizaki proved that.

• 👥 Team comps win games. A balanced squad beats three glass cannons.

• 🌙 Every Nightlord has a pattern. Learn it, or perish.

What's the point of all this suffering? Maybe it's the thrill of finally downing a boss that's been kicking your teeth in for hours. Maybe it's the bragging rights. Or maybe it's just that strange, stubborn joy of a game that refuses to hold your hand. Ishizaki believes in us. Should we believe in ourselves? I don't know about you, but I'm going to load up Nightreign again, die another dozen times, and keep going. After all, if the combat director can beat every boss solo without relics, surely I can at least survive the first ten minutes. Right? 😅

So here's to the Nightreign'd moments. Here's to the 2% wipes. And here's to proving Ishizaki right—one painful, glorious run at a time. 🎮