Iconic heavy metal band Iron Maiden will star in an upcoming mobile RPG titled Legacy of the Beast, developer Roadhouse Interactive announced this week.
Legacy of the Beast, currently in development for iOS and Android devices, will launch as a free-to-play title supported by microtransactions.
A revered standout among heavy metal acts, Iron Maiden found its biggest success in the 1980s with a string of hit albums, including Powerslave, Piece of Mind, and The Number of the Beast. The band is currently on tour, and is set to make its first-ever appearance in China in April.
The band’s music and iconography have been featured in numerous video games over the years, including the Rock Band and Guitar Hero band rhythm game franchises. Iron Maiden’s mascot Eddie previously starred in the combination greatest hits album and video game Ed Hunter, released for PCs in 1999.
Legacy of the Beast draws on the Iron Maiden mythos featured throughout the band’s catalog, putting players in control of a shapeshifting Eddie who can assume new forms at will. These alter egos each boast unique in-game abilities that players can use in battle.
Appealing to longtime Iron Maiden fans, Legacy of the Beast will include many of the band’s biggest recorded hits in addition to “previously unheard live recordings of Iron Maiden classics adapted for the game by engineer Tony Newton under the close scrutiny of bassist and founding member Steve Harris.”
“As a lifelong fan, I have always thought that Maiden’s music, lyrics and cast of characters would provide the perfect basis for a deep RPG experience,” Roadhouse Interactive CEO James Hursthouse explains. “With this game we’re creating an outstanding RPG that will appeal to all mobile gamers, including those discovering Maiden for the first time.”
Legacy of the Beast will launch as a free download via Google Play and the iTunes App Store this summer.
