Home > News > Elden Ring Nightreign Players Struggle with Muscle Memory, Accidentally Use Original Controls
Elden Ring Nightreign has officially launched, and players are already exploring the dynamic new world to confront the mighty Nightlord. Those who revisited the original *Elden Ring* for a warm-up before diving in may find themselves slightly disoriented by a few control adjustments.
While most controls remain familiar from the base game, some have been reworked—either to support new mechanics or simply to rearrange existing functions. Most of these changes are tied to new abilities or updated versions of older tools. However, one particular change has sparked confusion among players: the flask system.
In FromSoftware’s Soulsborne titles and the original *Elden Ring*, the “flask” serves as your primary healing item during combat—a refillable potion you cycle through and use on the fly. In *Nightreign*, the flask has become a static function. By default, pressing the leftmost face button (X on Xbox or Square on PlayStation) triggers flask consumption, while pressing Up on the D-Pad opens the Use Item menu.
"I keep pressing 'X' to use items."
— u/The_Mudddler in r/Nightreign
This shift has led to some muscle memory hiccups, especially for those who recently replayed the original game. It's somewhat humorous how quickly players must adapt to a new layout after getting comfortable with the old one.
Alongside the flask change, *Nightreign* introduces a new "super sprint" mapped to the L3 button (left stick click). While Torrent is absent, this fast sprint option compensates by offering quick traversal across the shifting lands. However, there's also a traditional dodge-button sprint mechanic that many players instinctively fall back on.
"That was just rude of them"
— u/Justanotherkiwi21 in r/Nightreign
One particularly odd omission appears to be the complete removal of the crouch function. After testing *Elden Ring Nightreign* myself, I couldn't locate any crouch command in the controller settings. Previously, this action was triggered by clicking the left analog stick. Its absence suggests a design shift toward faster-paced combat and less emphasis on stealth-based movement.
Players using mouse and keyboard setups have also noted that default controls feel different compared to the original *Elden Ring*. This isn’t unusual for FromSoftware titles, which often tweak control schemes between releases. Each Souls-like typically brings its own unique input setup, especially when introducing major mechanical changes like those seen in *Bloodborne*.
Thankfully, all controls are fully customizable. If the new defaults feel awkward, it's highly recommended to take time adjusting your control scheme before diving into intense battles. Think of this as a heads-up to personalize your setup so everything feels intuitive in your hands. And remember, not everyone is used to chugging Estus mid-combat unintentionally—empathy goes a long way.
If you're looking for more help, we’ve got plenty of *Nightreign* guides to assist you in defeating all eight Nightlord Bosses. Want to unlock the hidden classes? Check out our guides on How to Unlock the Revenant and How to Unlock the Duchess, plus How to Change Characters.