The Outsiders, an indie studio made out of ex-Dice and Overkill devs, has officially announced its first project – Darkborn.
In Darkborn, you are a monstrous creature out for revenge against the Vikings (or Pale, as your people call them) who viciously murdered your kin. It’s a dark, story-driven action game that aims to put you in the claws of the monster, not the monster hunter.
“Darkborn is first and foremost a game about being a monster,” The Outsiders co-founder David Goldfarb told IGN, who were the first to reveal the new game. “Playing it is about experiencing that monstrous quality – in first person combat, in novel abilities and movement, and even in enemy reactions to you.”
The gameplay video is split into two parts: In the first one you’re but a small child, sneaking around and striking lone enemies from the bushes. In the second, you are fully grown and can take on groups of armed Vikings.
The two gameplay segments offer an interesting dichotomy. At first, you are helpless, and can barely hold your own. This part focuses more on stealth and learning how to use your abilities, your Death Gifts, to gain the upper hand on enemies that are much stronger than you. Then, once you had your fill of Viking flesh, you transform into a killing machine and can enjoy the power fantasy of mowing down multiple enemies. Both segments look fun and challenging in their own way, though I have to admit combat appears to be a bit too easy. Probably just for this demo.
Some enemies seem to have special attributes and powers, presented in a way that’s reminiscent of Middle-earth: Shadow of War, a game Goldfarb admits he was inspired by. I wonder if those enemies will be randomly-generated, just like how the Nemesis System generated unique Orcs for you to fight in Shadow of War.
Darkborn was first known as Project Wight, a game that was first revealed in 2016 via a short video demo. The gameplay video above is very similar to the old one, although much more polished and with a lot more content. Darkborn is currently in a pre-alpha stage but already looks like an intriguing game with a concept you don’t see too often.
As of now, Darkborn is
