Back in the day, I couldn’t help but marvel at how nearly everything BioWare produced seemed to shine like gold in the gaming world. From the unforgettable Baldur’s Gate installments, the first Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the epic Mass Effect trilogy, and even the early chapters of Dragon Age, each one of these games has etched its name in golden letters across the annals of video game history, leaving an indelible impact.
However, the studio’s collection of works contains projects that, despite initially appearing promising, unfortunately, didn’t get their moment in the spotlight. One such project was Jade Empire 2, a game mentioned earlier in this series. Another one is Shadow Realms, which we delve into today.
Action RPG with a surprisingly extensive story
In August 2014, we got the formal announcement of the game named “Shadow Realms.” Unlike many projects they’ve worked on before, the team at BioWare Austin opted for something different this time – a multiplayer action RPG featuring 4v1 gameplay. Let’s dive into their plans for mechanics first, but since the plot is anticipated to be quite extensive, it would make sense to begin with a conversation about it.
In this scenario, we’d encounter a depiction of a cosmos featuring not just our Earth, but also another realm – Embra. Unlike ours, magic would thrive in this second world, and technology would play a minimal role. The peaceful civilization known as the Radiant Empires, dwelling in Embra, would be teetering on the edge of destruction following an assault by Shadow Legions. However, it’s the inhabitants of Earth who would prove to be their unlikely saviors.
In the game, you’ll play as Earth’s inhabitants, standing guard against the enemy that, despite being repelled earlier, will return stronger with backing from the Shadow Lords. This time, they pose a dual threat: not just to Embra, but also to our home planet. The objective is to thwart their plans, even if it means confronting the dark forces of the Shadow Lords as well.
Almost like Evolve
As a gamer, I was all set to dive into the thrilling world of Shadow Realms, experiencing the action from my very own perspective instead of watching it unfold from afar. The developers had intended for the gameplay to be dynamic, changing drastically based on the character I chose to embody.
In this epic fantasy, I’d find myself fighting as a soldier hailing either from Earth or Embra, each representing distinct professions that ranged from fierce warriors to cunning rogues and powerful wizards. The class I selected would have a profound impact on the character’s combat prowess, shaping their favorite weapons, skills, and unique fighting style.
By the way, here’s another twist! While four people will be managing their characters, the fifth one will assume the role of the Shadow Lord, constantly working against them to add a challenge.” This mysterious figure can set up traps for players, alter the game environment, or even take command over the roaming creatures in the maps.
Despite being revealed approximately six months following the launch of Evolve, a game with a comparable concept, as reported by the Unseen64 website (citing their sources), this specific project is said to have had no influence from it whatsoever.
Two worlds and a game like a TV series
In this game, you’d experience high-speed combat across diverse settings, culminating in a climactic battle with the primary antagonist. The storyline was designed to transport us through both Earth, visiting spots such as an office building or subway station, and Embra. The levels were intended to be sequential, with branching or concealed areas occasionally offering detours. As you advance, you’d grow the characters and gather a variety of outfits, ranging from contemporary styles like hoodies to fantastical ones such as creative armor.
The creators of Shadow Realms still hold onto some original concepts they intended to bring to life, which included using live-action videos with real actors, similar to the series Chosen released in August 2014. This would have transformed the project into a distinctive web series, centering on characters from the popular Twilight saga.
Failed free-to-play project
According to Unseen64, the game Shadow Realms had plans to be offered as a free-to-play game, with optional in-app purchases known as microtransactions. While it was primarily developed for multiplayer and cooperative play, the developers didn’t completely dismiss the possibility of incorporating a single-player mode.
Regardless of BioWare’s attempts, it appeared that the project was destined for failure from its inception. The game failed to captivate both the developers’ colleagues and peers or the players who had a sneak peek at gamescom 2014. Consequently, the closed alpha tests were postponed. Remarkably, the delay was attributed to an overly positive response to the production, which prompted the creators to strive for an even superior version. According to Dallas Dickinson, the game’s Senior Developer, this was the explanation provided.
Initially, the response we received was so positive that it sparked our enthusiasm to push further. To put it differently, we wanted to advance a bit farther before reopening Shadow Realms again. (…) We’ve conducted a thorough analysis of the game’s current state, our vision for its future, and most significantly, its potential. And as a result, we’ve recognized this as an excellent chance to enhance an already good game even more before seeking your valuable feedback once more.
Although Electronic Arts, the game’s publisher and owner of BioWare, initially showed interest in the “Shadow Realms” project, they eventually lost faith in it. In the beginning of January 2015, rumors spread unofficially that the project had been terminated. However, it wasn’t until a month later that the official confirmation was made public that “Shadow Realms” had been canceled. As the developers put it:
Instead of proceeding with the advancement of “Shadow Realms,” we’ve chosen a different direction. We understand that this may be disheartening for some of our loyal followers, and I’d like to offer further insight into our reasoning behind this choice.
Despite the outstanding progress made by our team on the game concept and the positive feedback received from fans at events and other testing sessions, we have other projects in the pipeline for our team to focus on within the BioWare studios over the next year and beyond. Our Austin studio is brimming with exceptional talent, who are eagerly diving into new projects within the BioWare family, with the aim of enhancing already great BioWare games even further.
This could have been the second Anthem
Was there a possibility for Shadow Realms to thrive? To some extent, it appears that the spiritual successor of
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2025-05-25 22:05