3D Realms, 1C Interactive, and developer Slipgate Ironworks have announced dark-fantasy action-adventure FPS Graven during Realms Deep 2020.
As stated in the press release (via email), you play The Priest. Once of the Orthogonal Order, he has been convicted for killing another priest who tried to sacrifice his adoptive daughter. Exiled to the desert and near death, he awakens on a boat in a swamp.
The lands has been ruined by plague, and men turning into beasts. Homes have been burned and funeral pyres constantly burn. Now The Priest roams these lands, seeking a way back to his daughter.
Combining elements of classic shooters, sims, and action RPGs, players will travel across three open regions. While your staff can be used to whack enemies, the crystals you embed can grant it different properties. Your journal will also note spells you have learned; with a focus on strategic advantages (such as stunning enemies or warping trap-triggering mechanisms).
Emphasis is on letting the player explore the land themselves, rather than via waypoints. You can find the reveal trailer, first 10 minutes with developer narration, and first 30 minutes of gameplay without narration below.
You can find the full run-down (via emailed press release) below.
GRAVEN delves into a gruesome medieval world of deities and monstrosities as a disgraced Priest of the Orthogonal Order. When a heretical member of the Order sacrifices the Priest’s adoptive daughter, the Priest lethally retaliates in a bout of righteous fury. Tried and found guilty by his brothers and now exiled to the burning sands, he closes his eyes for one last prayer, for peace. The Creator speaks to him directly: “You will have to earn your peace.”
Heed the Creator by hunting down the foul heretical sects responsible for conjuring plagues and twisting the natural order of the seasons. Blending action, exploration, and puzzle-solving, GRAVEN takes cues from classic shooters, immersive sims, and action RPGs alike. Journey across three expansive, open-ended regions, and scour the lands to purge evil.
Carefully observe a reactive world to find the way: with a journal, the player drives the exploration instead of following waypoints. Listen to townsfolks’ woes and slay the monsters responsible for their torment. Banish over thirty distinct enemies from plagued madmen to swamp beasts with powerful sorceries such as wild blasts of lightning and scorching rays of flame. Solve environmental puzzles with those same powers, altering the world with spells.
Wield destructive conventional weaponry, including magic staves and wrist-mounted crossbows. Find hidden gold to upgrade weapons and spells at blacksmiths and alchemists. Return to previously-plundered areas with new abilities to uncover secrets and entirely new areas. With more than 30 weapons and spells, GRAVEN encourages experimentation. Play solo, with one friend in split-screen co-op, or even in a party of four online for complete arcane chaos.
Graven launches 2021 for Windows PC (via Steam), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Image: Emailed press release
