Nodusfall and the Elden Ring Shadow: When HoYoverse Leaves Its Comfort Zone to Face the Soulslike 'Curse'

Before the first Nodusfall trailer aired, I had already prepared a script for a potential debate. Not because I had inside sources at HoYoverse, but because I have witnessed too many times how the gaming community reacts to a dark fantasy title after 2026. But even I did not foresee the intensity of the wave of comparisons with Elden Ring. Viewers didn't just comment—they placed images side by side and called it a 'rip-off'. In the gaming industry, there is no accusation more serious than that at this moment. The context of this story lies in the dominance of one name: Elden Ring. Since its release in 2026, FromSoftware's title has not only won Game of the Year but has also set a new design standard for the entire action RPG genre. Its influence is undeniable—from combat style, world-building, to the characteristic dark atmosphere. Numerous new projects are choosing a similar style, and Nodusfall is the latest to step into that vortex. What makes this story different is the identity of the developer. HoYoverse, the Chinese company famous for anime-style gacha games like Genshin Impact, has now decided to abandon its familiar style to pursue a dark world with realistic graphics. This radical shift is precisely what brought Nodusfall attention—and it is also what raises the question of whether a studio known for creativity and polish can escape the shadow of a legend. Looking at what Nodusfall actually showcases, I realize the current controversy is missing a core detail: the gameplay mechanics. While all eyes are on characters compared to Malenia or Melina—a winged warrior, a white-haired woman—the most important information lies in the cooperative play. Nodusfall focuses on boss hunting together, with up to four players coordinating. In essence, this brings the game closer to Monster Hunter than to Elden Ring. In Elden Ring, players face the world alone; in Nodusfall, what is being sold is group coordination. If done well, the 'copy' comparison becomes meaningless because the actual feel of the game—the thing that determines user experience—will be completely different. But I don't deny the visual similarities the community points out. When a winged character reminds players of Malenia and a white-haired woman is compared to Melina, it signals that HoYoverse has walked very close to the fragile line between 'influenced style' and 'uncreative copying'. The blind spot here is that the community has only seen a static trailer, with no gameplay footage at all. Judging a game's identity based on still images is a mistake both in logic and in practice. The data I tracked from the debates shows that most comments focus on outfits, colors, poses—elements that are easy to mimic but are the most superficial details of a game. Interestingly, even within the wave of criticism, I noticed some players starting to describe Nodusfall as 'Elden Ring meets Monster Hunter'. That statement inadvertently betrays their own 'rip-off' argument. A truly derivative game would not make viewers think of a different game other than the original. The association with Monster Hunter shows that the co-op boss hunting mechanic has already imprinted on the community's perception, whether intentional or not. This is a signal HoYoverse should seize. If they can show how well the co-op gameplay works in a follow-up trailer, the entire narrative will shift from 'copy' to 'creative fusion'. Legally, the risk is nearly zero. Game mechanics and dark fantasy styles cannot be protected by copyright law—that is why 'soulslike' is a genre anyone can develop. Only specific expressive elements, such as identical character designs or direct art assets, can be infringing. The characters in Nodusfall are described as 'reminding' rather than 'directly copying', so the likelihood of FromSoftware or Bandai Namco filing a lawsuit is very low. The real battle takes place in the court of public opinion, where 'inspired by' and 'plagiarized' are decided by community sentiment, not legal standards. Strategically, this is a notable gamble. HoYoverse is staking its reputation—built on high-quality anime visuals and innovative gacha mechanics—on a market where the direct competitor is FromSoftware, a studio with nearly unassailable credibility in this genre. Finance is not an issue: HoYoverse is wealthy enough to fund development, hire talent, and polish to perfection. But money cannot buy trust in the hearts of gamers. What Nodusfall needs is not a huge budget, but a 'moment of glory' in the public eye—a gameplay reveal that makes people forget the comparisons and see a game with its own personality. For the Vietnamese gaming community, this debate is not unfamiliar. We are used to seeing international games being lumped together just because of a few similar frames. The lesson from Nodusfall is a reminder: hold off judgment until you hold the controller and experience it firsthand. The full game will be the final verdict, and if Nodusfall can shift the community from doubt to curiosity, this wave of controversy will become the biggest springboard HoYoverse could have for a new project.