I haven't successfully completed an expedition in Elden Ring Nightreign: The Forsaken Hollows, but after spending hundreds of hours in Limveld, I consider that a good thing. I've failed in large part because everything is difficult and mysterious — and because FromSoftware refuses to do anything without trolling its players.

The new expeditions take place on a new map designed so meticulously, you can feel FromSoftware firing on all cylinders. The Forgotten Hollows rids itself of the basic grassy fields and medieval castles of the initial map. Here, you'll find otherworldly terrain reminiscent of Elden Ring's most memorable areas, like Raya Lucaria, Siofra River, and the Snowfields. The map is full of areas like the Temple of Fire and its winding pathways, which make for some wonderfully tense exploration. I've yet to see much of the map, and with Nightreign's gradual storm, it'll likely take me a good while before I can. But so far, The Forgotten Hollows makes me feel like I'm intruding on a mythical, terrifying place where I don't belong. It's like playing........

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