Which character did GameRant test at Gamescom 2026?

The journalist played as Hexsworn, Nodusfall's support character. This character uses frost projectiles and focuses on healing allies from a distance with her staff.

Was the final boss really impressive?

Yes, it's clearly the highlight of the demo according to GameRant. The black dragon accompanied by its blinded rider strongly evokes the King of the Storm/Nameless King duo from Dark Souls 3, and the staging of the collective finisher (the tank transforms into a knight to decapitate the beast) has a very successful visual impact.

What is the main criticism leveled at Nodusfall after this preview?

Readability in four-player combat remains problematic. Too many visual effects, too many particles, and allies often die before the healer can press the heal button. Additionally, the support role seemed useless during the first two boss fights.

Does HoYoverse already have recognized games before Nodusfall?

Yes, the studio (formerly known as miHoYo) created Genshin Impact, Zenless Zone Zero, and the Honkai series, extremely popular games worldwide.

What games does Nodusfall resemble according to GameRant?

The game blends FromSoftware's DNA (Elden Ring, Dark Souls) with Monster Hunter's structure and the co-op format of Elden Ring Nightreign. The initial reveal gave off very strong Elden Ring vibes, confirmed during the preview.

Nodusfall: GameRant's preview after 30 minutes of play at Gamescom 2026

Thirty minutes with a controller in hand, three boss fights, a character assigned rather than freely chosen: it's short, but enough to form an initial impression, says GameRant. On PC, with an Xbox controller, the journalist got hands-on with Hexsworn, the support for Nodusfall, and the dominant feeling coming out of the session is, let's say... mixed-positive. It smells good, but it doesn't fully click right away.

On paper, what works: the soulslike/Monster Hunter structure seems to hold up, with a contracts panel in the style of a quest board and fights that demand real team coordination. The third boss, a black dragon accompanied by its armored rider, strongly evokes the King of the Storm/Nameless King combo from Dark Souls 3, and it's clearly the showpiece of the demo according to the journalist. The staging of the collective finisher, with the tank transforming into a knight to decapitate the beast, has real visual impact. The multi-mythology art direction (Western, Chinese) delivers contrasting environments, from a waterfall to an oppressive cavern.

What's worrying: the first fight against Cleaver Fellstone left GameRant feeling utterly useless as a healer, with frost spells doing next to nothing while allies stayed at full health. The second encounter, against Qionqi, outright turned into visual chaos - too many effects, too many particles, allies dying before you could even press the heal button. Readability in the middle of a four-player fight remains a point to watch closely, as does understanding the gameplay loop, which apparently only clicked right at the very end of the session.

Provisional verdict: things are off to a good start, provided each hero's passive - the one that transformed the journalist's feeling about the final boss - is introduced better right from the first fights. The potential is there, but readability in four-player combat remains the real question mark over the long run.