Asmodee Digital is best known for its board game adaptations (including the rather good Gloomhaven, and classics like Ticket to Ride, Terraforming Mars, and Carcassonne). The publisher is looking to push into related-but-different spaces, however, which makes the RPG a natural stepping stone for it. Enter Dark Envoy, a guns n’ sorcery RPG that looks like Diablo just… not.
“As we are expanding our editorial scope towards new genres and new audiences, Dark Envoy fits perfectly with our desire to offer players increasingly varied and immersive gaming experiences,” Nicolas Godement, Head of Operations at Asmodee Digital, said in a release. “We look forward to allowing players to discover the unique world of Dark Envoy and are excited to support Event Horizon throughout this journey.”
Dark Envoy is being developed by Event Horizon, and will release on PC (via Steam and GOG) and “consoles” this year. The publisher hasn’t specified which consoles as yet, but you can assume PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series, and perhaps last-gen consoles and Nintendo Switch if the relatively humble presentation translates to being something that can run on more modest hardware. That’s not a knock – the game looks great – it’s just that I would hope this could be optimised for a broader range of players.
We’re being promised quite a bit from this game: it will have a “rich” non-linear story and tactical, party-based combat. You’ll be playing as two children of war refugees (I hope the developers give that theme the appropriate respect, sensitivity and depth that it deserves), who have grown into treasure hunters, but find themselves thrust into yet more “tragic” and “bloody” warfare.
You’ll be able to play in single-player, or jump online for some co-op with a buddy. It’s almost certain that this kind of game will go better in multiplayer, and it’s disappointing that there won’t be a local multiplayer option.
Still! It’s hard not to be intrigued by this. I’m always up for a good, grim RPG, and I do like fantasy that fuses more primitive guns and magic. I look forward to finding out more about it as its release draws closer (and what consoles it will be on!
This is just my personal preference, but I’m a bit sad that they dropped the turn-based combat for real time with pause. Wish they would’ve had both so we could choose.
Yes, having the choice would have been nice. But then, real-time with pause is Baldur’s Gate, and I will forever get excited for the promise of something like Baldur’s Gate, haha.