Earlier this month, news of a strange little video game project came to light in the form of a mysterious trailer. The game in question is GreedFall, in development by Spiders (the studio behind The Technomancer and Bound By Flame) and set to be published by Focus Home Interactive. The game sort of looks like a cross between The Witcher 3 and Bloodborne. If that description gave you goosebumps, you’re not alone; those were two of my favorite games of 2015.
Unfortunately, we don’t know a whole lot about GreedFall yet. We can confirm that it’s set to release for PS4, Xbox One, and PC in 2018, and that it’s set in 17th Century Europe. Beyond, that, we have to start making some assumptions.
A press release gives us this juicy tidbit:
Explore a fresh new world as you set foot―alongside many other settlers, mercenaries, and treasure hunters―on a remote island seeping with magic, rumored to be filled with riches and lost secrets. A grand journey filled with mystery follows as you find yourself in the middle of ever-increasing tensions between the invading settlers and the locals protected by supernatural beings―manifestations of the island’s earthly magic.
Of course, that’s pretty vague, but at least it sets our scene: a mysterious island filled with magical beings. The line “alongside many other settlers, mercenaries, and treasure hunters” could point to multiplayer, but it could also be simply describing the NPC denizens of the island as well.
More informative, perhaps, is that the press release claims the game will be “offering players great freedom to achieve quests and objectives in a multitude of different ways―through combat of course, but also through diplomacy, deception, or stealth.” This hints at choice in playstyles, which video games have been promising for years but rarely ever pull off (Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain did it quite well, I would argue). There’s also choice affecting the story:
The island of GreedFall is a living, ever-evolving world. Your actions, from seemingly trivial choices to the most important political decisions, will influence and affect its course as well as the relationship between the different factions established on the island.
Some have gone as far to claim this includes multiple endings, though this is not the only way to interpret that line and I’ve not yet seen this idea from an official source.
You can watch the reveal trailer below, and the full press release is posted below the trailer.
Press Release (Feb 9, 2017)
GreedFall is the latest RPG from Spiders, currently in development for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Revealed at “le What’s Next de Focus” event last week, >GreedFall today unveils a first teaser trailer, hinting at the 17th century setting of the game and its magic-embedded ambiance. As showcased in this video, GreedFall aims for a very unique visual identity, inspired by Baroque art from 17th century Europe, depicting grandiose scenery in muted warm colors and dark undertones.
Explore a fresh new world as you set foot―alongside many other settlers, mercenaries, and treasure hunters―on a remote island seeping with magic, rumored to be filled with riches and lost secrets. A grand journey filled with mystery follows as you find yourself in the middle of ever-increasing tensions between the invading settlers and the locals protected by supernatural beings―manifestations of the island’s earthly magic.
With a strong focus on its core RPG identity, GreedFallfollows Spiders’ experience in building intricate worlds filled with mysteries to discover, weaving deep character interactions, and offering players great freedom to achieve quests and objectives in a multitude of different ways―through combat of course, but also through diplomacy, deception, or stealth. The island of GreedFall is a living, ever-evolving world. Your actions, from seemingly trivial choices to the most important political decisions, will influence and affect its course as well as the relationship between the different factions established on the island.
“With GreedFall, Spiders is happy to renew its collaboration with Focus Home Interactive, our publisher for many years. The relationship of trust and transparency we have been developing together makes us particularly confident about the creation of this new project, more ambitious than all our past productions. Few publishers have the ability to support totally distinctive games like GreedFall and this secures us in our belief that we will manage with Focus Home Interactive to make this experience in a brand new universe both unique and unforgettable”, says Jehanne Rousseau, President of Spiders.
“We are happy to once again support the studio presided by Jehanne Rousseau through a new collaboration. If Spiders’ titles could have divided gamers in the past, they are gathering a bigger and bigger audience that enjoys the studio’s approach to the role-playing genre, allowing Spiders to improve game after game. Through this new collaboration, the studio will have more means to fully achieve its ambition. Thanks to its theme, its universe, and its promise, Spiders’ GreedFall will be a game to follow closely for RPG lovers”, says Cédric Lagarrigue, President of Focus Home Interactive.
About Spiders
Spiders is an independent video game development studio based in Paris, France. Founded in 2008 by several industry veterans who worked most notably on the Silverfall game and its add-on, the studio is mainly specialized in the creation of action/RPG games on PC and next gen consoles, but also has the capacity to realize or participate in the realization of PC ports on consoles. To date, Spiders developed and released Faery: Legends of Avalon, as well as the console ports of the Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper, and The Testament of Sherlock Holmes adventure games. Spiders has also developed Of Orcs and Men, an RPG for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 designed and produced by Cyanide, Mars War Logs, Bound by Flame and The Technomancer. Spiders is currently working on a new, undisclosed project.
More information on the website: www.spiders-games.com
About Focus Home Interactive
Focus Home Interactive is a French publisher based in Paris, France. Known for the quality, diversity and originality of its catalogue, Focus has published and distributed original titles that have become benchmark titles worldwide, available both in store and for download across the world. Focus publishes games on all major platforms, consoles and PC. The publisher’s catalogue will get even richer the coming months and years with eagerly awaited games such as Vampyr, The Surge, Mordheim, Space Hulk: Deathwing, Call of Cthulhu – the official video game, and many more.
More information about the company at: http://www.focus-home.com
