Alaloth: Champions of the Four Kingdoms Announced, Chris Avellone Contributing

We picked up a press release over the weekend for Alaloth: Champions of the Four Kingdoms, a new isometric action RPG in development at Gamera Interactive that’s inspired by classics such as the Baldur’s Gate and Ultima series. What’s more, this article-style interview with Gamera CEO Alberto Belli on IGN reveals that Chris Avellone is taking up a consultant role and contributing to the game’s lore, characters, and overall design. A bit on that:

Belli explains that the game features intricate combo systems, gory finishers and multiple build styles, offering classes, equipment, skills and magic that will fundamentally alter how you play. Gamera also plans to add full local and online multiplayer. While those elements are still in the early stages, Belli promises up to four-player games, as well as PvP functions in an arena setting.

The emphasis is very much on replayability – aside from added customisation and the ability to try new things on each run, different areas of the Overworld will unlock depending on how you play, there are multiple AI companions to meet and recruit, and characters can be imported from previous playthroughs to further their skills.

“There is not a real ‘main quest’,” explains Belli, “but a dynamic world changing for each run due to world politics, the things you do, the background you have. It’s virtually infinite.” He brings up the feeling of starting and restarting a game of Mount & Blade – the concept reminds me more of the promise of a board game, with set rules but hundreds of variables.

The idea appears to be to offer a combat system modern players will immediately understand and gel with, but set within a truly old-school setting, allowing for the story complexities (Game of Thrones is a constant touchstone for Belli) and open-ended nature of classic CRPGs, like Planescape: Torment or Fallout 2.

That’s presumably where Chris Avellone – director-designer on, er, Planescape: Torment and Fallout 2 – comes in. Gamera has brought in the founder of RPG specialist Obsidian as a creative consultant to help create the world’s lore and character backstories, as well as provide feedback on its overall design, which he describes as involving “mechanics I’ve rarely had a chance to work on before.”

And then here’s the official press release, to leave no stone unturned:

GAMERA INTERACTIVE ANNOUNCES ALALOTH – CHAMPIONS OF THE FOUR KINGDOMS

Padua, February 23rd 2017 – Gamera Interactive today announced Alaloth – Champions of The Four Kingdoms, a brand new action role-playing game coming to PC and consoles in 2018. Alaloth introduces players to a totally original fantasy IP, inspired by pen & paper games, glorious classics (Moonstone, Ultima, Baldur’s Gate) and recent masterpieces (Dark Souls, Lords of The Fallen). Set in a vibrant world corrupted by darkness and full of lethal dangers, the game brings players to face an ancient evil, in an epic journey through devastated lands, plagued by conflicts with noble families and clans fighting each other. Alaloth combines a hardcore combat system featuring motion captured combos and executions and the depth of cRPG that fans of the genre have always enjoyed playing.

KEY FEATURES

• The very first isometric souls-like game ever made: instant action, fun and a unique hardcore combat system to master. Intense combat and dungeon diving granted
• 4 playable races (Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs)
• 40+ houses and clans to fight for with their own background, alliances, intrigues. Finish the game once to start your own legacy to write your own history in The Four Kingdoms
• In-game editor to customize your character choosing different Ways of Power, classes and skills
• 12 memorable companions with their own backstories ready to join or fight you during your journey
• Local Multiplayer & Coop up to 4 players: group with other players or fight them to get access to the final battle. The glory awaits only the bravest
• Explore, craft, gain reputation and unlock new quests in an ever-changing world that is different in each run
• World, lore and character backstories created in collaboration with RPG legend Chris Avellone, providing creative support and feedback on content design
• Beware the dragons

You can read more about Alaloth – Champions of The Four Kingdoms visiting the official website at www.alaloth.com or visiting Gamera Interactive corporate website at www.gameragames.net