The “Soulslike,” a sub-genre of action-role-playing games created in the wake of Dark Souls‘ success, has become increasingly popular over the years, and the games tend to have one thing in common: melee combat. Whether they’re set in Nioh‘s fantastical Japan or The Surge‘s dystopian future, players attack enemies by swinging a large weapon. Immortal: Unchained looks to change that by focusing on gunplay instead.
“Take aim and shoot down your foes as they try to do the same in thrilling close-to-medium range encounters,” said Toadman Interactive game designer Sebastian Thorwaldsson in a post on the PlayStation Blog. “It’s far from a reflex shooter, though. Mobility, attack direction, and well-timed dodges are crucial for your survival and victory.”
Immortal: Unchained is set in a “futuristic fantasy world currently collapsing in a cosmic event,” and you play as a “living weapon” released from prison who is trying to put an end to it — the “living weapon” term was previously used in Nioh, though this is likely a coincidence.
Like other Soulslikes, dying in Immortal: Unchained will cause you to drop your “collected bounty,” and you must return to this location in order to retrieve it. The narrative conceit for this is that you’re protected by an ancient structure called “the Monolith,” and Toadman considers this a “core pillar” of the genre. The game’s environments also appears to take influence from other Soulslikes, with nine worlds connected via a network known as “the Stream.” The game’s story will also be told in an intentionally vague manner, so those who are particularly interested will have to do some digging.
Immortal will feature extensive customization options, including six different character “disciplines” and more than 100 unique weapons.
In the game’s announcement trailer, we get a very brief glimpse of combat, with weapon designs and character models that look a bit like those in Destiny. Not all enemies will be using guns to attack the player, evidently, as a giant shield-bearing monster leaps forward with a spiked sword in his other hand.
Immortal: Unchained is scheduled to launch in 2018. In addition to PlayStation 4, it will also be available on Xbox One and Steam.