Gamescom 2026 has finally arrived, and with it, we have seen so many great new games and announcements across virtually every genre and setting imaginable. One of the most surprising trailers was shown right at the start of the event, with HoYoverse giving us a glimpse at their brand-new co-op ARPG, Nodusfall. Taking influence from all sides of the fantasy and mythological worlds, it is a strong new direction for the developer, but many players quickly pointed out that there were a lot of similarities to games like Elden Ring, from the visual style to the enemy designs, to the actual gameplay.
Now, it wouldn't be the first game to follow in FromSoftware's footsteps, and Elden Ring doesn't exactly have a monopoly on fantasy action games. However, there is a fine line between inspiration and straight-up mirroring existing ideas, and it seems as though Nodusfall falls much more towards the latter side of that spectrum. Although we have only seen a few characters and bosses so far, there are already comparisons being drawn to Malenia, Godfrey, Midra, and more from a design point of view, with the models lining up pretty accurately to the point of borderline copying. There is nothing wrong with using ideas and attempting to emulate some of the same themes as a previous game, like the almost Monster Hunter-style gameplay Nodusfall appears to have, but I think if we start directly pulling concepts more explicitly, then the final product starts to feel far more derivative than genuinely new.
No one expected a developer who is primarily known for Genshin Impact to come out with a free-to-play, brutal-looking fantasy RPG, fit with menacing dragons and explosive landscapes that would feel more at home in a Game of Thrones episode than a colorful adventure game. Gameplay-wise, you or a group of up to four players will set out to take on various mythologically inspired creatures, some from Ancient Greece and others from the east, and you will have access to a range of different characters that can be obtained through play, rather than gacha pulls as many players would have assumed, judging by the devs' previous games.
چوونەژوورەوە
بۆ ئەوەی ئیدیعای شوێنی خۆت بکەیت لەسەر لیدەربۆرد!
چوونەژوورەوە
بۆ ئەوەی ئیدیعای شوێنی خۆت بکەیت لەسەر لیدەربۆرد!
That pitch sounds pretty great, and purely from the initial trailers and images, the quality seems top-notch and will likely compete with the other big names in the genre. However, all the positives start to fall apart when we actually start looking at the individual scenes within the trailer and gameplay shots. In between the wider landscape views that give a clearer image of the world the game is set in, there are several rather interesting designs that I and many others couldn't help but feel we had seen before. One female character leaps into the air and spreads her wings, looking a lot like a certain Blade of Miquella, and another charges around with a greataxe and a lush head of hair, carrying the same stature as our beloved Elden Lord, Godfrey.
There is a fine line between inspiration and straight-up mirroring existing ideas, and it seems as though Nodusfall falls much more towards the latter side of that spectrum.
This doesn't mean to say that the game doesn't have some unique and original shots and ideas. There are some cool images of floating bodies and a stunning set of backdrops that clearly show where those myths have been brought into the digital world. My concern is that if they are using these characters not just as reference points from their own IP, but are effectively just pulling them from one game to another, then you are going to see a lot of criticism from Elden Ring fans who are more than happy to call out other games for stealing ideas, especially one made by HoYoverse who are already under a microscope for plagiarism and excessive applications of inspiration.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://gamerant.com/nodusfall-elden-ring-similarities-action-rpg-originality/
