Nightholme Preview: Studio Ellipsis’ PvPvE Horror Where Players Become the Monsters They Hunt

This was typically a long walk where most thoughts were bittersweet ones and I think the combination of thinking about Nightholme enough to associate it with my dog, and this ritual made it click: This is what me and my celestial horror hell dimension game have in common.

Billed by the studio as a combination of horror and tactical action, Nightholme allows players to become Grimrunners — humans who imbibe an eerie elixir called Nocturn in order to morph into monstrous archetypes. Every hunt offers players a choice between humanity and monstrosity as the search for power, survival, or even escape.

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Transform, Hunt, Escape

Every game starts in the usual way – with players devising their run, choosing an archetype, and preparing for their descent into the Gloom-blighted city. But Nightholme wants to be something different from a standard extraction shooter.

The game has a dynanic skill system were you can shape your build on the fly And each transformation will drastically change your playstyle during combat, movement and survival. One decision might lead to a team winning the day, while another may see them engulfed in the darkness of gloomy streets.

As the developers say, “switching archetypes isn’t just cosmetic — it rewires your entire playstyle.” Each has its unique approaches and vulnerabilities, pushing teams to consider the strategic use of their roster, timing, and when to burst into combat or fall back.

As a fan, writing after the release of the announcement trailer:

“Finally a game where we get to be the monsters!”

A World That Fights Back

Nightholme’s haunted city is ever-shifting beneath their feet. Travelling across an evolving battlefield, players will compete with enemy teams and search for Gloomfiend bosses as they follow clues.

Routes mutate, enemies adjust, and conditions demand that teams make stuff up. One run might end in victory; on another you might get jumped by monsters and other human teams.

As one viewer said,

“The style of this game is really something. Definitely worth following.”

Others made comparisons to games such as Hunt: Showdown and The Darkness, one commenter stating it was”

“Hunt: Showdown, but with monsters — badass.”

Community Reception: Hype Meets Hesitation

The art and ambiance has been well-receive, but the multiplayer PvPvE focus of Nightholme has split the community.

Cinematic trailer Most players were already blown away by the cinematic, describing it as stylish, dark and refreshingly different.

“The art style is very unique! Gonna add it to my wishlist.”
“The intro animation was incredibly cool. If there was single-player, I’d definitely buy it.”
“Looks like Bloody Roar and Primal mixed together.”

Some liked its comic-inspired look and tone:

“Giving off 3D Wolf Among Us vibes. I’m interested.”
“Like Blade meets Darksiders.”

But it was primarily the PvPvE model — a combination of player-vs-player and player-vs-environment — that emerged as a chief point of contention.

“Got interested, opened Steam to wishlist, saw ‘PvPvE,’ canceled wishlist.”
“Looks interesting until I saw it’s PvPvE. Wasted potential.”
“So tired of multiplayer games.”

Some even compared the game to Redfall, a title whose bumpy launch remains fresh in players’ memory:

“Why does this look like Redfall all over again?”
“Wake up babe, new Redfall just dropped.”
“Hope this doesn’t become Redfall 2.”

Yet others defended the idea, saying execution will be more important than genre fatigue:

“Different kind of PvP game, not the same as CoD or Battlefield.”
“Interesting concept, but only time will tell how well they execute on it.”

Visuals, Style, and Atmosphere

In terms of visual appeal, Nightholme has already won praise for its cel-shaded art and moody, painterly presentation. The run-down buildings and flashing neon lights of the city give it a dark, urban-fantasy feel in the vein of Shadowman and The Darkness.

As one viewer noted,

“Beautiful art. Giving The Darkness meets Jekyll and Hyde vibes with a sprinkle of Wolfman.”

Others likened its tone to Telltale’s Borderlands or Mirror’s Edge Catalyst, citing its unique look and surreal atmosphere.

Still, not everyone was convinced. Others noted that there were a few rough patches with the early footage, with some saying the animation (and frame rate) was all over the place.

“Cool art, but meh werewolf design and low frame rate. Still pre-alpha.”
“Everything’s awesome, but not those 30 frames. Hope frame rate is customizable.”

Gameplay Impressions: Potential and Pitfalls

Judging from the trailer, combat appears to combine brutal melee brawling with superhuman powers, metamorphoses and natural threats. The design promotes dynamic engagements — but some viewers speculated about pacing and polish.

“Looks slow — better at 1.5x speed.”
“Had me interested until that gameplay footage.”
“Another UE5 mess.”

Yet even critics acknowledged the potential:

“Amazing cinematic. Would be great as a story-driven solo experience.”
“If there’s a solo campaign, I’ll buy it.”

Prototype, Bloody Roar and Hunt: Showdown’s fans have shown the strongest interest in transforming into monstrous archetypes mid-fight, a feat seldom attempted by big-name horror action franchises.

System Requirements

Minimum:

• OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
• Processor: Intel 8th Gen i7-8700 / AMD Ryzen 5 2700
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: RTX 2060 Super / AMD 6600 XT (8 GB VRAM minimum)
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 20 GB
• Network: Broadband connection

Recommended:

• OS: Windows 11 (64-bit)
• Processor: Intel i5-10400 / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: RTX 3070 / RX 6800 / Intel Arc B580
• Storage: 30 GB
• Sound: DirectX-compatible card

Developer and Release Details

Nightholme is being developed by Studio Ellipsis, who are self-publishing it. At the time of writing, Nightholme has no release date and no user reviews on Steam.

The studio hasn’t announced if the game will include an offline or single-player mode — a popular request from potential players. Considering the rather divisive reception towards the PvPvE model, that choice could affect Nightholme in a very strong way at launch.

Mature Content

According to Studio Ellipsis, Nightholme will include stylized horror violence with dark supernatural undertones and transformation combat. It has a tone, design and subject matter for mature audiences.

FAQ

Q: What is Nightholme?

A: Nightholme is a the 3-party squad based PvPvE horror action game by Studio Ellipsis, fighting against bosses and rival parties to survive in city infested with supernatural beings.

Q: How will Nightholme stand out from other PvPvE titles?

A: Its unique mechanic — becoming various, monstrous archetypes through the Nocturn potion — constantly alters not just your abilities, but movement and gameplay as well.

Q: Will Nightholme feature a single-player mode?

A: Studio Ellipsis has yet to confirm this. We have had a lot of people ask us for hobby-time single player campaign, but the design is meant for 1-4 multiplayer squads.

Q: What platforms is Nightholme going to be available on?

A: Right now Nightholme is only for PC on Steam. Console versions haven’t been announced.

Q: What is the Nightholme release date?

A: The release date has not been announced. Early Access no announceable date at this time.

Final Thoughts

Nightholme is one of those few reveals that actually feels a bit audacious, and maybe polarizing. The idea — turning you into the monsters you hunt — is irresistible, particularly with such lush art direction and cosmic-horror style.

But amidst scepticism of its PvPvE slant, echoes of Redfall and some doubts over solo play, Studio Ellipsis has a lot to prove that Nightholme can live up to its chilling premise.

As one fan summed it up best:

“Everything’s awesome… but Redfall 2 please, no.”

If the devs programming is as solid as their promise of evolving confrontations and meaningful change, Nightholme could be a very different take on horror-action to stand out in an already crowded genre. For now, all eyes are on the shadows — waiting for the hunt to start..