Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

BioWare’s Shadow Realms brings 4v1 action to PC in 2015

By

biowares shadow realms brings 4v1 action pc 2015
Image used with permission by copyright holder
BioWare’s been teasing something for Gamescom 2014, and now we know what it is: Shadow Realms. It’s an online action RPG inspired by tabletop classics like Dungeons & Dragons, but with the twist of being built around 4v1 action. A given match pits four humans, who draw from six different classes, against a single fifth player, who controls the Shadowlord.

Heroes and Shadowlord alike level up along their own lines of progression, though the focus for each is very different. The humans are essentially treasure hunters, venturing into areas on Earth and its parallel world of Embra in search of loot and adventure. The six classes are: Warrior, Assassin, Wizard, Cleric, Ranger, and Warlock. Each corresponds roughly to what a D&D fan would expect them to, but you can find more detailed explanations right here.

Recommended Videos

The Shadowlord serves in a role that is more akin to Dungeon Master. While the player controlling it wanders around the map from a third-person perspective and can attack the humans directly, it’s also able to remain invisible, taking direct control of AI-driven monsters, casting spells, and setting traps from the shadows.

Related

Related: BioWare wants you to know “You’ve Been Chosen”

The game features a story that will be delivered episodically, though it’s not clear how that narrative is going to play out against what amounts to a one versus many hunt-style multiplayer game. The good news is that Shadow Realms is in the hands of creative director James Ohlen, former lead designer on Star Wars: The Old Republic. Say what you will about that MMO, but the BioWare-class story fit very well into the framework of a massively multiplayer game.

Shadow Realms is expected to release on PC at a later point in 2015, though a note on the official website from producer Dallas Dickinson confirms that a limited number of players will be invited into the closed alpha “soon,” with an open alpha planned for fall 2014. Whether that alpha runs into an eventual beta, and subsequent final release, remains to be seen. There’s been no mention of pricing on this one, but our expectation for now is that it’s some form of free-to-play.

We’ll stay tuned for more details soon. Gamescom 2014 attendees will be able to check Shadow Realms out on the show floor. Everyone else will just have to wait for the alpha, which you can sign up for on the game’s official website.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Adam Rosenberg
Adam Rosenberg
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
I want more approachable Soulslikes. These new games show that it’s possible
Stellar Blade STALKER fight.

One of my favorite copypastas on the internet comes from someone complaining about a player using mods to make a FromSoftware game easier. "You cheated not only the game, but yourself," it reads. "You didn't grow. You didn't improve. You took a shortcut and gained nothing. You experienced a hollow victory. Nothing was risked and nothing was gained. It's sad that you don't know the difference."

The infamous post was made in response to a PC Gamer article about mods that made Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice more approachable for the writer. It's funny to see someone get that angry over another's personal experience with a game they own, but it also addresses a question that's loomed over the gaming community ever since Dark Souls took the world by storm: Should FromSoftware's games and the Soulslikes inspired by them have options to make them more accessible?

Read more
Hades 2 shows the Steam Deck’s biggest advantage over the Nintendo Switch
A Steam Deck sits next to a Switch OLED.

It's always an exciting week when the sequel to one of the greatest games of all time surprise releases on a Monday. That's what happened on May 6 when Hades 2 surprise launched into early access. Players are already diving into the surprisingly robust roguelike, testing their might in its new biomes. I've been enjoying it myself from the comfort of my couch -- and not on my Nintendo Switch, where I played the first Hades. Instead, I'm curled up with my Steam Deck.

The PC-only launch means that Hades 2 is a Steam Deck "exclusive" for the time being (or at least exclusive to portable PCs like it and the Asus ROG Ally). It'll likely come to Nintendo's system -- or its predecessor -- once it hits 1.0, but developer Supergiant doesn't expect its game to leave early access until at least the end of 2024. Until then, you'll need a device like the Steam Deck to play it on the go. That's a reminder that Valve has beaten the Switch at its own game, and Nintendo will have to get creative again with its next system to regain its throne.
Early access on the go
Based on my time with it so far, Hades 2 is a phenomenal match for the Steam Deck. It's already Verified for the platform, and for good reason. It looks fantastic (especially on an OLED screen) and runs smoothly. I've already taken it on the go and found that it's not a huge drain on the Steam Deck's battery. At this point, I don't imagine I'll need to play it any other way.

Read more
Before you play Homeworld 3, try this VR game as a primer
Two fleets fight in Homeworld: Vast Reaches.

Homeworld 3 launches next week, but there's a game Homeworld fans who own a Meta Quest 2 or 3 should check out right now. Homeworld: Vast Reaches, which came to Meta's VR headsets on May 2, is a prequel set between the events of the first two Homeworld games. This VR game offers up the core Homeworld experience in a novel niche of the video game medium.

It's not as deep or complex as Homeworld 3 looks, but it doesn't need to be. Vast Reaches immerses players in the franchise's universe once again and reacquaints them with the basics of its real-time strategy combat ahead of a highly anticipated new entry on PC. As such, checking out Vast Reaches should make this last week of waiting for Homeworld 3 a little less painful.
Homeworld, but in VR
Homeworld: Vast Reaches was developed by FarBridge, who has previously worked on VR games like Walkabout Mini Golf, Dragon Fight VR, and Jar Wars. Made with Gearbox Entertainment's support and blessing, it boils Homeworld down to its core elements and rebuilds it in VR. Players control a new Fleet Command connected to Karan S'jet's Mothership, which is the conceit behind how players view battles.

Read more