One of Elden Ring Nightreign’s many Dark Souls throwbacks also has players thinking about a very different action RPG: “What in the Monster Hunter?”

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One distinctive aspect of Elden Ring: Nightreign is its incorporation of numerous bosses and nods to earlier FromSoftware works, like Dark Souls. However, one boss battle in specific employs a mechanic that echoes an entirely distinct action RPG franchise – Monster Hunter.

In 2011, the fearsome Gaping Dragon made its debut in the acclaimed game Dark Souls as an optional boss. A scene tricked me into thinking I was fighting a small lizard, but it turned out to be a massive dragon with enormous vertical jaws and writhing teeth. Now, the dragon is back in Nightreign, and just like in Dark Souls, players have the option to sever its tail for weapon drops, similar to the Dragon King Greataxe from the original game (although the reward may differ). This reference to FromSoftware’s earlier action RPG has been noted by Twitch streamer BioticNova in an online post.

Following the release of Monster Hunter Wilds, players are thinking about Capcom’s series as well. The tail-chopping mechanic in the Gaping Dragon fight seems quite similar to that in Monster Hunter. As a comment on BioticNova’s thread puts it, “What is this, Monster Hunter?” Another humorously remarks that “the Monster Hunter-ification has begun.” Elsewhere, someone playfully asks, “Is this also Monster Hunter?

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2025-06-02 19:42