Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny HD Remake Announced

German publisher UIG Entertainment has announced that they’re working with Austrian developer Crafty Studios* on a Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny HD remake. Here’s the full press release:

A legend reborn as Realms of Arkania-Blade of Destiny returns

Developed by Austrian developer Crafty Games, Realms of Arkania Blade of Destiny is a one-to-one remake of the 1992 original, adored by a generation of Role Players and one of the most successful German RPG’s of the 1990’s. Get ready to return to Thorwal, one of the oldest cities of Aventurien. Make sure your wits are sharpened before walking down the small alleys of Thorwal and Prem, and prepare to stop the Orcisch threat while creating a mighty alliance between nations. Featuring a complete visual reimagining along with a comprehensive overhaul of every aspect of the gameplay, Realms of Arkania Blade of Destiny is set to captivate a 21st century audience of new and old fans alike.

The German PC Games has the first screenshot of this remake which shows an environment and a (likely work-in-progress) glimpse of the interface.

It’s also worth noting that the German press release makes no mention of a “comprehensive overhaul of every aspect of the gameplay” and makes it clear that all the chapters of the trilogy will be remade rather than just the original Blade of Destiny.

Given these discrepancies between press releases, at this point it’s difficult to say how faithful to the original the remake will be and whether non-German players will get to play the whole trilogy in an updated fashion.

Thanks, RPGWatch and RPG Codex.

* The PR confuses them with the American pen-and-paper company Crafty Games, as noted by keen-eyed Codexian Infinitron.