Same here. Elden Ring was my first souls game. I would never have beat it without the seamless co-op mod. I just don't have skill, time and patience for it.
Night Reign seems to me like an arcade version of Elden Ring. It forces you to move faster and make snap decisions (that blue flame closes in fast!). We got to Day 2 last night but I could see us pouring lots of hours into it.
Also, don't knock the A Line. My wife has one. She doesn't ride it as much as I ride my C but we throw them in the trunk and ride on scenic trails in the area. I take it whenever my C Line is out of commission and it's pretty nice still because it's lighter than my C Line by maybe 5 lbs. It doesn't sound like a lot but when you're carrying it, you will feel the difference.
It was a close game at the end. If he had scored maybe 10-12 more points, the score might be flipped.