Does the name “Techland” ring any bells? No? Well how about Dead Island? Yes, the developers responsible for the strangely-received open-world zombie FPRPG are ditching the sunbaked beaches of Banoi in favor of a much darker, and much better, setting. Swapping stumbling zombies and tiki bars for growling skeletons and medieval dungeons, Hellraid plays more like a first-person variant of a Diablo-style dungeon crawler mixed with any open-world fantasy RPG, and is coming to Xbox One via the ID@Xbox program.
Originally scheduled to launch last year on Xbox 360, it was delayed to allow the project to be upgraded to a digital-only current-gen game with “a new physics-based lighting system” and “more detailed locations and character models, compile animations, advanced particle effects and state-of-the-art AI system” that the original version simply couldn’t produce. Playable in both single-player and in 4-player co-op, the game features everything from Story Missions to the “nightmarishly hard” Arena mode.
hellraid_screenshot04 hellraid
In the single-player Story mode, players are (almost predictably) tasked with none-other than the most tried-and-true RPG story element – and as the title might suggest – closing the gates of hell. This mission will set players traversing through gothic castles, decaying graveyards and gleaming monasteries, and will feature all of your favorite combatants, as well as those more among a much darker theme – ranging from entry-level sword-and-sheild-weilding skeleton warriors to hulking Paladins who’s helmets and armor are nailed to their bodies. Mission mode is along for the Leaderboard challenge, allowing players to accumulate points and compete with high scores, and Arena challenges you (and your friends) with fighting off ever-increasingly difficult hordes of combatants until you’re eventually overwhelmed by them.
At this point, the lore of the title is far from understood, as Techland isn’t talking much on that aspect of the game just yet, though it has confirmed that religion will play a big part in the overall narrative. We also know very little of exactly what character you’ll be playing as either, save that you’re a “master demon slayer.”
Whoever you end up playing as, you’ll be able to create/customize your character’s armor, clothes, and accessories, which you will acquiring through begging, borrowing, winning or stealing throughout your adventure. There will be skill-trees dominated by three main paths – agility, combat, and magic (Rogue, Warrior, Mage) – each of which offers unique passive and active abilities.
hellraid_screenshot03 hellraid
Weapon choices can vary from one- and two-handed melee weapons to shields, magic staves and ranged weapons – which apparently support “diverse” fighting styles, complete with counterattacks, parrying and dashing abilities. If you’d rather keep your distance, there’s a range of offensive, defensive, and healing spells to arm yourself with instead. And all-in-all, this “indie” title is adding up to be one of the most interesting games that I’ve kept up with over the past few years. The next Elder Scrolls, Hellraid is not, but I’m very much getting a modern-day/open-world HEXEN vibe from this game the more and more I learn about it, and that’s a very good thing.
Below you’ll find a somewhat lengthy demo from the game creators, with a screenshot gallery below that. Players of you familiar with Dead Island’s combat animations may be able to recognize a thing or two, but other than that, this is looking to be something that any medieval/FPS/RPG – loving Xbox customer should keep their eye on it. And don’t worry, I’ll be here to remind you about it when we know more.
(am vazut cel putin 5-6 zone foarte asemanatoare cu cele din DIII).
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