HoYoverse's Nodusfall Promises Dark Fantasy Co-op Action
A Gamescom preview of HoYoverse's upcoming free-to-play action game Nodusfall reveals a dark fantasy co-op title with fast-paced combat and multi-stage
Nodusfall is a dark fantasy action game from HoYoverse that offers four-player co-op boss battles. The game was previewed at Gamescom, where Eurogamer's reporter played a demo featuring two boss fights.
Nodusfall's aesthetic is a stark departure from HoYoverse's typical bright, anime-inspired worlds. The preview describes a world filled with mysterious magic, vicious monsters, and a dingy realism that invites comparisons to Elden Ring. The demo focused on cooperative combat against large-scale enemies.
Character Selection and Combat Roles
The Gamescom demo offered a choice of four characters, split between melee and ranged combat styles. Each style included one character with healing abilities. The reporter selected an archer character equipped with a mechanical arm, favoring a damage-dealing role from a distance.
Combat in Nodusfall is described as easy to grasp. Each character has a basic attack that builds a gauge for a stronger move, a secondary attack, and four unique abilities on cooldowns. The archer's abilities included a backward dodge that fired a powerful arrow and the summoning of a spirit wolf for close-quarters damage. Actions consume stamina, though the stamina bar was noted as generous.
Boss Battle Structure and Enemy Design
The preview consisted of two boss fights, against Qiongqi and the Maldrake. Enemy designs draw from global mythologies. Qiongqi is a creature from Chinese mythology presented as a griffin-like beast. The Maldrake is a more traditional dragon.
Each boss battle features multiple stages with separate health bars. The Maldrake fight evolved mid-battle when a knight ripped itself from the dragon's torso, killing the dragon and beginning a new phase against the Maldrake Knight. This enemy was faster and more dangerous than the dragon, employing swords, polearms, and area-of-effect black goo attacks.
Monetization and Future Questions
Nodusfall is a free-to-play title. The developer stated characters will be unlockable through continuous play rather than a gacha banner system like in Genshin Impact. Cosmetic monetization is being considered, but specific details are not yet available.
The reporter expressed curiosity about how solo play will function in the final game. They hope the fun unpredictability seen in the Maldrake fight carries over to other encounters, requiring players to experiment with strategies. The preview concluded that the game shows promise based on the demo played at Gamescom.
