HoYoverse has shared a few more details about what players can expect from Nodusfall.
HoYoverse may be building Nodusfall around multiplayer co-op, but players will not necessarily need a squad to experience most of it. Nearly a month after revealing Nodusfall at Gamescom Opening Night Live, the developer has answered several of the biggest questions surrounding its new mythology-themed action game, confirming that most of its core content can be played solo.
In a new Q&A published on Wednesday (23 September), HoYoverse also shared more details about multiplayer, Divine Skills, difficulty, character acquisition, platforms, and what players can do outside its large-scale boss fights.
Nodusfall
Release date: TBD
Platforms: PC (other platforms TBD)
Developer: HoYoverse
Can Nodusfall be played solo?
"We don't require players to team up. Solo players can experience the vast majority of the core content," HoYoverse said. Multiplayer will still place a greater emphasis on coordinating different roles within a party, including a cooperative mechanic called Divine Drain that can be triggered by multiple players together. HoYoverse has not yet confirmed the maximum number of players that can join a team, saying that both the player limit and detailed multiplayer rules are still being fine-tuned.
In a report about its Gamescom hands-on demo, IGN described playing in a four-person group featuring a fire-sword melee fighter, an archer, a magic user who could heal, and an armoured greatsword user filling the tank role. Those different roles became particularly noticeable during the fight against Qiongqi, a winged creature that could take to the air and limit what the party's melee characters could do while its ranged members continued attacking. The demo also featured teammate revives, healing items, and post-battle performance results, although the four-player setup should not be taken as confirmation that four will be Nodusfall's maximum party size.
How do Divine Skills work in Nodusfall?
HoYoverse also gave a clearer explanation of Divine Skills, one of Nodusfall's main combat customisation systems. "Different Divine Skills offer a wide variety of effects, including offense, defense, and support," the developer explained. "You can mix and match them based on your preferred playstyle or team composition."
Different combinations can provide different approaches to the same boss encounter. HoYoverse had previously revealed that players would be able to mix different styles and skills when building their characters, but the new explanation gives a clearer idea of how those choices can affect individual builds and party composition.
Characters also appeared to have their own combat mechanics. The fire-sword character, for example, could build a meter through attacks before spending it on stronger heavy attacks, alongside the basic attacks, abilities, and ultimate skills available during combat. One of the later encounters also saw the group's tank transform into a giant while fighting an armoured knight, although it was not identified as a Divine Skill or Divine Drain.
How difficult is Nodusfall?
"We don't want difficulty to be a barrier for players entering Nodusfall," HoYoverse said, adding that the game is intended to remain accessible to players who may be unfamiliar with this type of action game. At the same time, controls, team coordination, and character builds are intended to provide a higher skill ceiling for players looking for a greater challenge.
IGN described Nodusfall as distinct from a Soulslike, with faster movement and dodging that encouraged a more aggressive approach. The publication also noted that its combat did not have the same technical depth as Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, or Ninja Gaiden, while still giving players several mechanics to manage during battles.
The Gamescom demo included three boss encounters of increasing complexity. Cleaver Fellstone served as a relatively straightforward introduction, while Qiongqi could fly out of melee range and summon damaging red orbs that the party needed to destroy. The final Maldrake encounter involved both a dragon and an armoured knight, with the fight changing as the knight dismounted and the dragon continued attacking from the air before entering another phase after the knight killed the dragon and took its remaining life for himself.
What can you do in Nodusfall besides boss fights?
HoYoverse also stressed that Nodusfall will offer more than a succession of large boss battles. Beyond its story and exploration, players will be able to spend time with others through quieter activities, with the developer specifically mentioning playing a duet with a friend and soaking in hot springs.
Between combat encounters in the Gamescom demo, the party travelled on mounts through the environment, passing streams, wildlife, roads, and other travellers while following a route towards the next objective. However, the preview build kept players on a directed path, leaving the wider structure of Nodusfall's world unclear. HoYoverse has yet to confirm whether its areas will form an open world or use another type of structure.
What platforms will Nodusfall release on?
PC is now the first platform officially confirmed for Nodusfall at launch, while other platforms have yet to be announced. HoYoverse said further details will come through its official channels at a later date.
Does Nodusfall have character gacha?
HoYoverse made a firmer commitment about how Nodusfall's playable roster will be obtained, confirming: “Players can unlock all characters by continuing to play the game.” The developer had previously said that Nodusfall will be free-to-play without random character draws, although the exact method for unlocking characters had not been fully explained at the time.
Further monetisation details are still being planned. HoYoverse has yet to reveal exactly how progression, character unlocks, or its wider free-to-play economy will work when Nodusfall eventually launches.
