„People who loved Dishonored and Prey are going to feel very at home.” Arkane veteran sparks appetite for new, untitled RPG

As a die-hard fan who has traversed countless hours in the intricate worlds of Dishonored and Prey, I eagerly await the upcoming project from WolfEye Studios, led by none other than Raphael Colantonio himself. The tantalizing tidbits we’ve been given thus far have only stoked my excitement to unimaginable heights.

As a devoted follower of gaming news, I can’t help but express my excitement about the enigmatic project that Raphael Colantonio, the visionary mind behind Arkane Studios and a key creator of Dishonored, has been working on. In a captivating conversation with GamesIndustry.biz, he shared that the game currently in development at WolfEye Studios, where a good number of former Arkane developers now reside, is, in his words, “just right” for his team.

Up until now, the title of this upcoming game remains undisclosed. Back in March, we got wind that it would be a retro RPG set in a futuristic style. Fast forward to August, and we were treated to the initial concept art for the project, as well as a sneak peek at a gameplay snippet featuring a character wielding a shotgun from a first-person viewpoint – apparently, this was an “oops” moment by the developers!

Following that point, there’s been a noticeable quietness regarding the project – broken only by the mentioned interview. Although specifics were scarce, there were intriguing tidbits that should delight RPG enthusiasts in general and those particularly fond of Arkane Studios, especially fans of the Dishonored and Prey franchises.

Fans of games like Dishonored and Prey will find familiar territory here. We’re fully embracing this style of gameplay in our world creation and player choice aspects. There are going to be even more choices available due to the RPG element. We’ll offer multiple approaches for completing tasks. What sets us apart is the real-time decision making, which adds a sense of immediacy and immersion that traditional stat-based games might lack. I find it surprising that the blend of RPG and first-person shooter genres hasn’t been explored more extensively.

This situation prompts an inquiry: Given that Colantonio expresses such ardor about the project he describes as flawless for the team, one might wonder why the initial game from WolfEye Studio differed so notably from Weird West. The developer offers this explanation:

Following Arkane Studios, I wasn’t entirely sure about my next step. However, I knew I desired a project on a smaller scale. […] Given it was a fresh startup, we had to start small and manage with limited resources, which we referred to as bootstrapping. […] We secured a favorable contract for Weird West. This was our first experience with revenue sharing, where we maintained ownership of the intellectual property, could work on a budget with minimal funds, and found that arrangement quite rewarding. It provided a sense of stability, which was essential for us to reevaluate and find our footing again.

All that’s left for us is to patiently wait for additional materials for our forthcoming RPG, which should arrive soon. If not during The Game Awards 2024, then possibly the following year, we might finally see its first official trailer.

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2024-12-05 22:02