Shadow Realms is BioWare’s next all-new Action RPG. This new IP will be coming in 2015 for PC and is a multiplayer-focused, online-only 4 versus 1 cooperative RPG; the game they’ve been teasing over the last few weeks with the “You’ve Been Chosen” videos.
Check out the debut Shadow Realms trailer.
The setting for this game is modern-day, and in it players take on the role of the Shadowlord themselves, or fight against this new enemy.
Here’s the Shadow Realms image gallery.
Click on any of these image thumbnails to see the full-size photos:
“This game brings us back to our roots in the realm of classic Pen and Paper RPG, but also delivers something that’s completely new and innovative for our fans. Shadow Realms is a new BioWare RPG that has the hallmarks of all BioWare games with a rich story, a unique world setting, and deep combat progression, but built as an interactive experience that evolves the genre and broadens the appeal to online gamers all over the world.”
Here is a full four minutes of Shadow Realms gameplay so you can see it in action. Straight from the Gamescom 2014 show floor.
As you can see the gameplay is very action focused with intense combat and what feels like twitch fighting gameplay. Definitely looks cool to me!
“Shadow Realms has its genesis in old school Dungeons & Dragons. When I first started designing BioWare RPGs back in the 90s, what drove me creatively was the desire to give players the experience I had while playing pen and paper games as a youth. The great storytelling, the feeling that anything could happen – these were experiences that you couldn’t find in any other game. And the great thing was that these adventures never had an end. A good Dungeon Master could keep a story going for months or even years.
BioWare RPGs have successfully replicated many of the things that made classic tabletop games fun: powerful storytelling, being able to create your own character, leveling-up that hero to achieve the heights of fantasy power, and tactical combat against a fantastic array of monsters. But the stories always come to an end and AI systems can’t replace the creativity of a human Dungeon Master.
Shadow Realms explained during the game’s announcement.
Shadow Realms aims to change that.
It is a game that finally fulfills that fantasy of a never-ending RPG where the players meet up regularly to keep their epic adventures going for as long as they want. All the enemies, traps and challenges are squarely in the hands of another player, who controls them just like a Dungeon Master. The monsters and villains are smart and unpredictable, making every battle a test of strategy and power. Best of all, everyone gets to enjoy a story that plays out like their favorite TV series, but where they decide the fates of its world and characters.
Shadow Realms isn’t just hearkening back to those early BioWare PC games—it’s finally bringing the magic of tabletop RPGs to the digital realm.”
Loads of additional details are available on the official Shadow Realms website, along with blog entries from the developers and a form to sign-up for the upcoming beta.
No word on whether Shadow Realms will be coming to any other platforms outside of PC. But one would imagine that to be the case, whether in 2015 or beyond.
Happy to see BioWare delving into new IP territory. I’ve just recently begun to play my first-ever tabletop/pen&paper RPGs and it’s definitely a very intriguing gameplay concept. There are things that just can’t be done in videogames…. Thus, it will be very interesting to see how BioWare’s handles the whole pen&paper RPG concept. Either way, this thing definitely has me intrigued. Looking forward to seeing more on Shadow Realms.
Here is the string of teaser videos BioWare used to promote Shadow Realms ahead of it’s official announcement. “You’ve Been Chosen.”
Shadow Realms – You’ve Been Chosen Fire Teaser
Shadow Realms – You’ve Been Chosen Impact Teaser
Shadow Realms – You’ve Been Chosen Funke Teaser
“BioWare’s New Nightmare – You’ve Been Chosen”
Here’s a compilation of all the “Shadow Realms – You’ve Been Chosen” trailers.
What do you think of Shadow Realms?